Bicycle Carrier With Damper
Patent No. US12384302 (titled "Bicycle Carrier With Damper") was filed by East Mountain Outfitters Llc on Oct 11, 2024.
What is this patent about?
’302 is related to the field of bicycle carriers that attach to a vehicle's trailer hitch receiver. These carriers typically hold bicycles in a vertical or near-vertical orientation for transport. Existing carriers can be cumbersome to load and unload, and may not offer convenient storage options when not in use.
The underlying idea behind ’302 is to provide a hitch-mounted bicycle carrier with a hinge mechanism that allows the support post to rotate relative to the hitch bar. This rotation, controlled by a damper , enables easier loading/unloading and provides different configurations for transport, stabilization, and storage.
The claims of ’302 focus on a bicycle carrier featuring a hitch bar for receiver mounting, a hinge assembly with a damper to control the rotation of a support post, a first support member connected to the post, and a wheel-receiving member that holds a bicycle wheel. The wheel-receiving member is designed to accommodate a range of wheel angles, including positions parallel to and at an acute angle to the support post.
In practice, the hinge assembly allows the user to rotate the support post between a raised (transport) position and a lowered (loading) position. The damper ensures that this rotation is controlled and not abrupt, enhancing safety. The wheel-receiving member, which can be a C-shaped hoop, secures the bicycle wheel, suspending the bicycle vertically. The hitch bar also incorporates a wedge mechanism to reduce rattling within the hitch receiver.
The design differentiates itself by offering multiple configurations beyond simple transport. The carrier can be positioned on the ground to stabilize a bicycle, or rotated into a wall-mounted configuration for storage. The damper mechanism, combined with the versatile wheel-receiving member, provides a safer and more convenient user experience compared to traditional fixed bicycle carriers. Furthermore, the optional powered lifting capability significantly reduces the effort required to raise and lower the rack, especially when loaded.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the late 2010s when ’302 was filed, bicycle carriers were typically implemented using metal frames and attachment mechanisms designed to interface with standard vehicle hitch receivers. At a time when minimizing weight and maximizing ease of use were key design considerations, systems commonly relied on mechanical locking mechanisms rather than complex electronic controls. Hardware constraints made integrating sophisticated damping systems non-trivial due to cost and space limitations.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the applicant's after-final amendment addressed all formal issues, placing the application in condition for allowance over the existing prior art.
Claims
This patent includes 25 claims, with independent claims 1 and 25. The independent claims are directed to a bicycle carrier with a hitch mount, focusing on the structure and configuration of the hitch bar, hinge assembly with a damper, support post, and wheel-receiving member. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and add specific features or limitations to the elements described in the independent claims, such as locking mechanisms, damper characteristics, and wheel-receiving member configurations.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
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Date
Description
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US12384302
- Application Number
- US18913005
- Filing Date
- Oct 11, 2024
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Aug 2, 2039
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents