Land vehicles – Convertible – To drop frame
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-14
2002-08-20
Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Convertible
To drop frame
C224S426000, C280S202000, C280S278000, C280S288400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06435523
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to bicycle carriers and more particularly to a surrogate top tube used to facilitate mounting of bicycles to a vehicle-mounted carrier.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bicycles are often transported between locations on mounts that attach to vehicles. In many cases, these mounts incorporate an arm or cradle that the top tube of a bicycle rests on or in to support the bicycle. However, women's bicycles and many newer, non-traditional frames do not have a top tube. As a result, these types of bicycles cannot be directly mounted on many carriers.
In order to overcome the above difficulty, several different surrogate top tube designs have been developed. These devices have a yoke structure at each end of a telescoping tube. The yokes typically attach to the seat tube and the vertical tube of the handlebars. Unfortunately, existing designs suffer from a number of drawbacks. Some systems are relatively difficult to secure and include separate pieces that may easily be misplaced. Other systems, while easy to attach, do not provide a robust connection to the bicycle. Some designs are configured in a way that allow a user to incorrectly install them on a bicycle, such as between a seat tube and the horizontal members on the handlebars, rather than to the vertical member. As a result of mis-installation, this latter device may fail during use, allowing the bicycle to fall from the rack.
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Boehler Anne Marie
Kolisch Hartwell Dickinson & McCormack & Heuser
Yakima Products, Inc.
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