Vehicle-mountable rack
Disclosed is a rack, or carrier, mountable to a vehicle and components for a rack. The rack in a preferred embodiment of the invention is a bike rack. In other preferred embodiments, the rack may be a utility rack for carrying other items, tools, or equipment. The rack includes a carrier portion on which one or more items can be loaded, a vehicle-coupling portion pivotably coupled to the carrier portion, the vehicle-coupling portion being couplable to a vehicle, and a linkage for connecting the carrier portion to the vehicle-coupling portion. The linkage is configured to bias the carrier portion to a substantially upright position relative to the vehicle-coupling portion when the vehicle-coupling portion is coupled to the vehicle, and to support the carrier portion relative to the vehicle-coupling portion when the carrier portion is in a lowered position and loaded with one or more items.
1 . A bike rack comprising: a mounting portion to which a wheel of a bike is mountable, the mounting portion including:
a body portion on which a wheel of a bike is locatable, the body portion comprising a plurality of apertures; and
a wheel-receiving portion, a wheel of a bike being receivable by the wheel-receiving portion, the wheel-receiving portion being engageable with the body portion and comprising:
a first base portion and a second base portion spaced apart from each other, each of the first and the second base portion being mountable to a horizontally extending elongate body portion of the bike rack, wherein the first and the second base portions comprise a bracket portion including a plurality of apertures, at least two of the plurality of apertures of the bracket portion being alignable with at least two of the plurality of apertures of the body portion, wherein a fastener is insertable into aligned apertures to secure a position of the wheel-receiving portion relative to the body portion;
a front portion configured to receive a first portion of the wheel, the front portion including a pair of spaced apart arm portions between which the first portion of the wheel is receivable, each of the spaced apart arm portions directly extending from the first and the second base portions respectively; and
a rear portion configured to receive a second portion of the wheel, the rear portion having a pair of spaced apart arm portions between which the second portion of the wheel is receivable, each of spaced apart arm portions directly extending from the first and the second base portions respectively,
wherein, for at least one of the front portion and rear portion of the wheel-receiving portion, the pair of spaced apart arm portions are tapered towards each other at free ends thereof away from the first and the second base portions so as to clamp edges of the respective wheel portion located therebetween.
2 . The bike rack of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the front portion and rear portion of the wheel-receiving portion comprises an end portion such that the pair of spaced apart arm portions and the end portion form a U-shape profile, the arm portions being tapered towards the end portion.
3 . The bike rack of claim 2 , wherein an axis along which the end portion extends is at an angle relative to the elongate body portion.
4 . The bike rack of claim 3 , wherein the axis along which the end portion extends is between about 30° to 60° relative to the elongate body portion when the first and the second base portions are mounted thereto.
5 . The bike rack of claim 3 , wherein the axis along which the end portion extends is parallel to an axis of rotation of the wheel received by the wheel-receiving portion.
6 . The bike rack of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the front portion and rear portion is both of the front portion and rear portion.
7 . The bike rack of claim 1 , wherein the front portion and the rear portion together form a continuous hoop.
8 . The bike rack of claim 1 , wherein the wheel-receiving portion is adjustable rearwardly or forwardly relative to the body portion in a direction transverse to an elongate extent thereof.
9 . The bike rack of claim 1 , wherein the wheel-receiving portion is adjustable rotationally relative to the body portion about a rotational axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body portion.
10 . The bike rack of claim 1 , further comprising one or more removable inserts to narrow the front and/or rear portion of the wheel-receiving portion.
11 . A bike rack comprising: a mounting portion to which a wheel of a bike is mountable, the mounting portion comprising an elongate body portion on which a wheel of a bike is locatable, wherein the elongate body portion comprises a plurality of apertures; and
a wheel-receiving portion in which the wheel of the bike is locatable, the wheel-receiving portion comprising:
a first base portion and a second base portion spaced apart from each other, each of the first and the second base portion being mounted or mountable to the elongate body portion, wherein the first and the second base portions comprise a bracket portion comprising a plurality of apertures, at least two of the plurality of apertures of the bracket portion being alignable with at least two of the plurality of apertures of the body portion, wherein a fastener is insertable into aligned apertures to secure a position of the wheel-receiving portion relative to the elongate body portion;
a front portion configured to receive a first portion of the wheel, the front portion including a pair of spaced apart arm portions between which the first portion of the wheel is receivable, each of the spaced apart arm portions directly extending from the first and the second base portions respectively; and
a rear portion configured to receive a second portion of the wheel, the rear portion having a pair of spaced apart arm portions between which the second portion of the wheel is receivable, each of the spaced apart arm portions directly extending from the first and the second base portions respectively,
wherein, for at least one of the front portion and rear portion of the wheel-receiving portion, the pair of spaced apart arm portions are tapered towards each other away at free ends thereof away from the first and the second base portions so as to clamp edges of the respective wheel portion located therebetween.
12 . The bike rack of claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the front portion and rear portion of the wheel-receiving portion comprises an end portion such that the pair of spaced apart arm portions and the end portion form a U-shape profile, the arm portions being tapered towards the end portion.
13 . The bike rack of claim 12 , wherein an axis along which the end portion extends is at an angle relative to the elongate body portion.
14 . The bike rack of claim 13 , wherein the axis along which the end portion extends is between about 30° to 60° relative to the elongate body portion.
15 . The bike rack of claim 13 , wherein the axis along which the end portion extends is parallel to an axis of rotation of the wheel received by the wheel-receiving portion.
16 . The bike rack of claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the front portion and rear portion is both of the front portion and rear portion.
17 . The bike rack of claim 11 , wherein the wheel-receiving portion is adjustable rotationally relative to the body portion about a rotational axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body portion.
18 . The bike rack of claim 11 , wherein the wheel-receiving portion is adjustable rearwardly or forwardly relative to the body portion in a direction transverse to an elongate extent thereof.