Lifting device for bicycles

Abstract

The lifting device for bicycles can be used for all bicycles, but primarily for e-bikes with wave frames and low entry. In the past, people would rotate their bicycles in the air for repairs and cleaning, resting them on the handlebars and saddle. Modern bicycles have attachments on the handlebars and are far too heavy to be rotated in the air. E-bikes with wave frames also lack a central point on the frame, making it difficult for even able-bodied individuals to carry them up or down stairs, lift them onto a car rack, and place them on a repair stand. Unfortunately, older and weaker individuals are increasingly giving up. Even if two people manage to secure a bicycle in a repair stand, the off-center mounting position compromises the stand's stability, creating a risk of accidents. Many people are capable of performing minor repairs or cleaning on heavy e-bikes, but for the reasons mentioned above, they often have to take their bikes to a workshop. With the device presented here, which can be attached to the bike in seconds, people of average strength can carry a heavy, bulky e-bike up and down stairs, onto car racks, wall brackets, or into a special repair stand without assistance. People with less strength can use technical aids specifically adapted to this lifting device.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for gripping, lifting, and transporting bicycles, in particular e-bikes, directly by humans but also with the assistance of technical aids. The device consists of a clamp that is clamped to the seat tube or seat post of a bicycle, into which either a so-called hand holder, arm holder, hoist holder, or angle holder is inserted. All holders are adjustable in length so that they can be adapted to any bicycle frame size. Each holder is attached to the seat tube with a tensioning strap at the lower end. The hand holder has an eyelet handle with two eyelets for hanging the bicycle load, the arm holder has an arm handle with bars for depositing the bicycle load, and the hoist holder has a stop bar with a sliding sleeve for attaching the bicycle load for various lifting devices. All three holders mentioned are suitable for bicycles with a low entry.The fourth holder, the so-called angle holder, is suitable for men's bicycles with a top tube and has either a handle, an arm grip or a stop bar.

[0002] Known from the prior art is patent DE 10 2019 002 470, in which a clamp is attached to the seat tube, not to the seat post. This clamp has two holes into which the holder is inserted with two pins and axially secured with a locking pin. The angled holder has a handle attached at the bottom. The straight holder has a cantilever arm with grooves for attaching a cable for a lifting device. The invention discussed here is an improvement on DE 10 2019 002 470 and has the following differences: - Due to the lower fastening of the holder to the seat tube using a tensioning strap, only thrust forces are transferred to the clamp; twisting forces and load moments can no longer be transferred to the clamp due to the tensioning strap connection. - The holders are height adjustable and can be adapted to all bicycle frame sizes. - The clamp has only one hole for only one pin on the holder. - The device does not require a locking bolt, but rather a pils head that automatically secures the clamp / holder connection axially. - By inserting one pin into the clamp from the side and then pivoting it in, the handle, arm grip and stop bar can be made as long as possible, as the down tube of the bicycle frame does not interfere when inserted. - The arrangement (height) of the stop bar of the hoist holder is angled well below the clamp so that the bike can be attached lower and lifted accordingly higher. - A sleeve is arranged on the stop beam so that it can be moved. Its notch can be adjusted and fixed to the bicycle's center of gravity, so that two rigidly connected crane hooks to the left and right of the sleeve can definitely lift the load and thus the bicycle horizontally at two support points without swinging.

[0003] The aim of the task is to equip heavy bicycles, primarily e-bikes, with a handle or a lifting bar for transporting them by hand or with various lifting devices.

[0004] Another aim of the task is to create a clamp for holding various holders, which, when attached to the seat tube, takes on the function of the seat post clamp but can also be attached to the seat post if desired.

[0005] Another goal of the task is to ensure that the clamp does not have to absorb moment and twisting forces, but only shear forces. This is ensured by the tensioning strap located at the bottom of the holder, which centers and firmly connects the holder to the seat tube.

[0006] A further aim of the task is that one of the pins on the holder is pushed into the clamp from the side, so that the holder does not hit the down tube of the bike when pivoting in, despite the handle or stop bar being as long as possible, and in the end stop it automatically locks axially via a slotted hole on the holder through the head of the clamp, so that the pin cannot slip out under load.

[0007] Another feature is the fact that a handle with two eyelets is attached to the lower end of the rack. Using the handle, a bicycle can be lifted, carried, and placed on a car's rear carrier, or the eyelets can be used to hang the bicycle on hooks, for example, on a wall.

[0008] Another goal is to have an arm handle at the bottom of the rack, with two bars above it, through which a carrier's arm can reach. This has the advantage that the carrier's forearm guides the hanging bike, allowing the carrier to then lower the load, and thus the bike, onto a wall-mounted bracket using the two bars.

[0009] Another goal is to allow a floor-mounted or suspended hoist to lift the device and thus the bike, and to allow the sliding sleeve on the stop bar to be clamped to the center of gravity of the bike, allowing crane hooks to grip the stop bar to the left and right of the sleeve. The two-point support of two crane hooks of a hoist would then prevent the load from swinging. Furthermore, two eyelets on the device allow a bicycle to be hung from two hooks on a wall or a repair stand.

[0010] The objectives described so far concern the use of the device on bicycles with a low step-through, i.e., without a top tube. Another objective is to grip and transport bicycles with a top tube, so-called men's bikes, in principle as described. The only difference is that the clamp on the bike is rotated 90° compared to the situation on bicycles with a low step-through, allowing the top tube to be bypassed. Below the top tube, the holder must be rotated back 90° to achieve the same position of the handlebar or stop bar as on bicycles with a low step-through.

[0011] The object of the invention is to create a device that can be mounted on bicycles and allows bicycles, especially heavy e-bikes, to be lifted and transported using human power or technical lifting equipment. The problem with bicycles with a low step-through is that the bicycle's center of gravity is located between the seat tube and down tube, leaving no point of grip. Such bicycles must be lifted with two hands, leaning forward on the usually awkward and non-horizontal frame components (sloping seat tube and down tube, often with a battery mount). Ergonomic lifting with a straight back is not possible, so weak and elderly people cannot lift such bicycles onto car rear racks, into repair stands, or over steps.

[0012] Against this background, the object of the present invention is to create a device with the aid of which bicycles, in particular bicycles with a low step-through, so-called women's bicycles, can be gripped quickly and easily by hand or with lifting gear. The device should consist of a clamp and various holders. The clamp should be permanently attached to the seat post tube with its clamping screw or, as a replacement for the conventional seat post clamp, to the seat tube of the bicycle. The clamp should also have a pin hole into which the pin of a holder guided on the side of the bicycle can be inserted. Furthermore, the clamp should have a pils head into which an open slot should slide under the pils head when a holder is pivoted in, thus ensuring axial locking of the pin of the clamp / holder pair.In order to prevent bending forces from acting on a holder and moments and torsional forces from acting on the clamp, a tensioning strap should be guided around the seat tube at the lower end of the holder and pulled tight so that a holder is firmly connected to the bike at two points via the clamp at the top and via the tensioning strap at the bottom. The devices should consist of a clamp that is firmly attached to the bike and various holders. The holders should have either an eyelet handle, an arm handle or a stop bar at the lower end. Furthermore, the eyelet handle should enable a bike to be gripped with one hand at the center of gravity of the bike, carried up steps, placed on a car rear carrier or hung with its two eyelets in two hooks on a wall or in a repair stand.Furthermore, an arm guided through the bars should be able to grasp the handle with one hand at the center of gravity of the bike and carry the bike over steps, onto a car rear carrier or, with its two bars, onto a wall-mounted console.

[0013] Bicycles are to be lifted and transported over the stop beam of a device using lifting equipment not covered by this invention. On the stop beam there is to be a sliding sleeve with a central recess, on which the bicycle is to be tared while hanging in balance at one point, so that two hooks of a lifting equipment to the left and right of the sleeve can later lift the bicycle in balance, i.e. horizontally. Instead of the crane hooks, an alternative gripper should be able to grip the sliding sleeve or the stop beam. The two crane hooks of a lifting equipment, which are arranged at a certain distance from one another, have the advantage over grippers on a lifting equipment that a load lying loosely in balance at two points cannot exert a tipping moment on the lifting equipment.

[0014] The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. The subclaims describe particular embodiments and advantageous solutions of the invention.

[0015] The solution is characterized by the fact that the device presented here begins with a clamp that has a clamping diameter that matches the seat tube diameter or the seat post diameter, a hole for receiving a pin from the holder, and a pils head for axial locking of the clamp / holder pair. The solution is further characterized by the fact that the device has various holders that are connected to the clamp, that the length of the holders is adjustable to fit all common bicycle frame sizes, and that the holders have a tensioning strap at the lower end with which one holder is firmly connected to the seat tube.Another solution is that the flat profile of the holder features a length adjustment for adapting the holder to the frame size of a bicycle. Below this length adjustment and above the tensioning strap on the flat profile, a functional component, such as an eyelet handle, arm grip, or stop bar, is attached, allowing the bicycle to be lifted at its center of gravity. The center of gravity of bicycles is usually located between the down tube and the seat tube in the otherwise unobstructed space on the bicycle, so the eyelet handle, arm grip, and stop bar components are each located within the spectrum of the center of gravity.

[0016] General description of a terminal design: The clamp, preferably made of aluminum, has a clamping diameter corresponding to the diameter of the seat post or seat tube, is slotted, and is tightened with a clamping screw. A pin hole for accommodating a pin and a pils head for locking a holder are provided.

[0017] General description of a holder design: The holder has three optional functional components (eyelet handle, arm handle and stop bar), which are attached to the flat profile of the holder below the clamp and above the tensioning strap. As a result, a so-called

[0018] Eyelet holder with eyelet handle described: The eyelet holder has a pin at the top that can be inserted into the pin hole of the clamp. Next to the pin, the holder has an open slot that is pushed under the head of the clamp when connecting the holder to the clamp. Below the connection to the clamp, the eyelet holder has a length adjustment option that allows it to be set to different bike frame sizes so that the eyelet handle is positioned as low as possible on the bike and the bike can therefore be lifted as high as possible. In the lowest area of ​​the eyelet holder there is a tensioning strap and a centering device, preferably made of a soft material, with which the holder can be tied or fastened centrally on the seat tube. This attachment ensures that no bending or twisting forces act on the holder or clamp.In addition to the tensioning strap, the eyelet handle is attached horizontally to the holder. The tilt of the bicycle's seat tube is compensated for, and the eyelet handle is positioned almost horizontally, making it easy to grip with one hand. At the free end of the eyelet handle and at the same height on the flat profile of the eyelet holder, there is an eyelet each, allowing the device and thus the bicycle to be hung on hooks, e.g., on a wall.

[0019] General description of a stop bar design: The stop bar on the holder is located above the tensioning strap, similar to the eyelet handle, and is supported by a strut in addition to the flat profile of the holder. Unlike the eyelet handle, the stop bar must be higher so that more than half the bike's weight is below the stop bar when lifting and the bike does not tip over. Just like the eyelet handle, the stop bar has two eyelets for hanging or releasing the load. A sliding sleeve can be slid back and forth on the stop bar and secured with clamping screws. The sliding sleeve is correctly clamped to the stop bar when the bike's center of gravity is exactly in the groove in the middle of the sleeve. The sliding sleeve's job is to horizontally fix the two crane hooks next to the sleeve and to guide the bike's center of gravity precisely into the hoist so that the bike hangs in balance.

[0020] Advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following non-limiting descriptions of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures. In detail: Fig. 1: Clamp 3 mounted on seat tube 2 Fig. 2: Clamp 3 mounted on seat post 1 Fig. 3: Holders 10 - 13 before end point in terminal 3 Fig. 4: Clamp 3 with inserted holder 10 - 13 in section Fig. 5: Hand holder 10 with eyelet handle 20 Fig. 6: Arm holder 11 with arm grip 23 and bars 42 in side view Fig. 7: Fig. 6 in top view Fig. 8: Hoist holder 12 with stop bar 27 Fig. 9: Angle bracket 13 with stop bar 27 with angle plate 30 for bypassing the top tube 33 of a men's bicycle

[0021] Fig. Figure 1 shows clamp 3 clamped onto seat tube 2. In this configuration, clamp 3 also clamps seat post 1 to seat tube 2. A conventional seat post clamp 4 is no longer required.

[0022] Fig. Figure 2 shows the clamp 3 clamped onto the seat post 1. The conventional seat post clamp 4 is still required to clamp the seat post 1 into the seat tube 2.

[0023] Fig. Figure 3 shows the holders 10-13 with the open slot 12 shortly before the holder pivots into place under the pils head 5 of the clamp 3. Using the length adjustment 16, the length of the flat profile 22 of the holders 10-13 can be adapted to different bicycle frame sizes. The hole 31 is provided for guiding various components.

[0024] Fig. Figure 4 shows the slotted clamp 3 in a top view in section. The clamp diameter 6 is slightly larger than the diameter to be clamped. The clamp 3 can be attached to the seat tube 2 or seat post 1 using the clamping screw 7. The figure also shows the inserted pin 9 in the pin hole 8 and the holder submerged behind the pils head 5. The arrow indicates the position of the clamp 3 in the direction of travel 11 for bicycles with a low entry.

[0025] Fig. 5 shows the lower part of the hand holder 10 with flat profile 22 with the firmly connected eyelet handle 20 with the two eyelets 21 and the tensioning strap 18, which connects the flat profile 22 to the seat tube 2 by means of centering 19.

[0026] Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show, in side and top views, the flat profile 22 of the arm holder 11 with the arm handle 23. The figure also shows the two bars 24, which are connected to one another by the bar connectors 32 and stabilized by the bar strut 34. The hand grasps the arm handle 23 between the bars 24 from above, and the arm 25 guides the load with its forearm while carrying it between the bars 24. Before placing the load on the bars 24, the arm moves the load between the two brackets 26 and sets the bars 24 and thus the load down on the two brackets 26.

[0027] Fig. Figure 8 shows the flat profile 22 of the hoist holder 12 with the firmly connected stop bar 27, its two eyelets 21, and the strut 29, which stabilizes the stop bar 27 to the flat profile 22. The flat profile 22 with the centering 19 is firmly connected to the seat tube 2 by the tensioning strap 18. A sliding sleeve 28 with a central recess is clamped onto the stop bar 27 by screws 35.

[0028] Fig. Figure 9 shows one possible use of the device on a bicycle with a top tube 33 (men's bicycle). The angled plate 30 allows the angled bracket 13 to bypass the top tube 33. In contrast to the previously described figures, the clamp 3 is clamped to the seat tube 2 rotated by 90°. The area of ​​the pin 9 and the elongated hole 15 on the angled bracket 13 is also rotated by 90° by the angled plate 30, so that the pin 9 of the angled bracket 13 is inserted from the side, i.e., transversely to the direction of travel 14, into the pin hole 8 and pushed under the pils head 5. The angled plate 30, bent by 90°, is connected to the flat profile 22, which is in the same position as all other brackets. The flat profile 22 runs below the top tube 33, just as previously described for bicycles with a low entry, along the seat tube 2.The position and function of the tensioning strap 18 and the stop bar 27 is unchanged from the holders 10 - 12 for bicycles with low entry. 1.) Assembly and functional description of the hand holder 10 with eyelet handle 20 according to Fig. 1-5: The clamp 3 is either on the seat tube 2 according to Fig. 1 or on the seat post 1 according to Fig. 2 is mounted. The pin 9 of the hand holder 10 is inserted into the pin bore 8 and the hand holder 10 is pivoted in until the elongated hole 15 is submerged below the mushroom head 5 and the flat profile 22 is parallel to the seat tube 2. In advance, the position of the eyelet handle 20 was set as low as possible on the bicycle using the length adjustment 16 so that the bicycle can be lifted as high as possible when lifted with one hand and the other hand can then guide the bicycle so that it cannot tip over. The flat profile 22 is then clamped to the seat tube 2 using the centering device 19 and tensioning strap 18. A person can now grasp the eyelet handle 20, lift it up and use it to lift the bicycle onto a rear bicycle carrier or over steps. The bicycle can be hung on hooks on a wall or a repair stand using the eyelets 18. 2.) Functional description of arm holder 11 with arm handle 23 according to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 (assembly as hand holder 10): The person inserts their arm from above between the bars 24 and grasps the arm handle 23 with their hand, lifting the arm handle 23 and transporting the device with the bicycle to its destination. The destination can be a car rear carrier or two narrow brackets 26 on a wall, between which the supporting arm 25 is inserted. When placed on the brackets 26, the bars 24 rest on the brackets 26 and thus transfer the weight of the bicycle to the brackets 26. In contrast to the suspension with eyelets 21, the bicycle rests securely on the brackets 26 thanks to the four points 17; additional centering with hold-down devices is possible. 3.) Functional description of hoist holder 12 with stop bar 27 according to Fig. 8 (assembly as hand holder 10): A hoist with two crane hooks that are firmly connected to each other with an inner distance of, for example, 40.5 mm, grips the stop beam 27 to the left and right of the 40 mm long sliding sleeve 28. Due to the sliding sleeve 28 being aligned and firmly clamped to the bicycle's center of gravity, a hoist lifts the device with the bicycle relatively horizontally, without swinging and secured horizontally. When raised, a hoist can then place the bicycle either on a car rear carrier or in hooks on a wall or in hooks on a repair stand. If pliers are used instead of crane hooks, the pliers can also grip the sliding sleeve. The difference between a crane hook and pliers is that with pliers, vibrations of the load affect the hoist directly, whereas with a crane hook the load rests loosely on two points, vibrations on the hoist are reduced and operation is easier. 4.) Assembly instructions for bracket 13 with angle plate 26 and stop bar according to Fig. 9: Clamp 3 is mounted on the seat tube 2 with its pin hole 8 perpendicular to the direction of travel 11. The pin 9 of holder 13 with angle plate 26 is pushed into the pin hole 8 from the bicycle side, the holder 13 with its elongated hole 12 is pivoted under the pils head 5, and connected to the seat tube 2 at the bottom with the tensioning strap. Function as in point 3. List of reference symbols 1 seat post 2 seat tube 3 terminal 4 seat post clamp 5 Pilskopf 6 clamping diameters 7 clamping screw 8 pin hole 9 pin 10 hand holders 11 arm holders 12 hoist holders 13 angle brackets 14 Direction of travel 15 slot 16 length adjustment 17 points 18 tensioning straps 19 Centering 20 eyelet handle 21 eyelets 22 flat profile 23 Arm grip 24 Holm 25 arms 26 Console 27 stop bars 28 sliding sleeve 29 Strut 30 angle plate 31 bore 32 stile connectors 33 top tube 34 spar brace 35 screw 36 down tube 37 Steering column 38 Focus

Claims

[1] Lifting device for bicycles comprising a clamp 3, a tensioning strap 18 and a holder 10, 11, 12, 13, which is fastened to the clamp 3 and is a hand holder 10, an arm holder 11, a lifting device holder 12 or an angle holder 13, wherein the device is primarily used for e-bikes with a low entry (women's bikes) but can also be used for any other type of bicycle, that the clamp 3 with a pin hole 8 and a pin head 5 is firmly clamped either on the tube of the seat post 1 or the seat tube 2 of a bicycle with the clamping screw 7, that the pin 9 of the hand holder 10, the arm holder 11, the lifting device holder 12 or the angle holder 13 is inserted into the pin hole 8, that the open slot 15 of the respective holder 10 - 13 slides under the pin head 5 and the Connection terminal 3 with holder 10, 11, 12 or 13 axially locked in the longitudinal direction of pin 9,that the holders 10 - 13 are adjustable to all bicycle frame sizes by means of length adjustment 16, that the tensioning strap 18 firmly connects the flat profile 22 centered with the centering 19 on the seat tube 2, that the eyelet handle 20 is attached to the flat profile 22 of the hand holder 10 with two eyelets 21, that the arm handle 23 and the bars 24 are attached to the flat profile 22 of the arm holder 11 via the bar connectors 32, that the stop bar 27 is attached to the flat profile 22 of the lifting gear holder 12 with sliding sleeve 28 and strut 29, that a bicycle can be lifted by the eyelet handle 20, placed on a car rear carrier or hung with its eyelets 21 in hooks, that a bicycle can be lifted by the arm handle 23, placed on a car rear carrier or placed with its four points 17 on consoles 26 can be set down, that a bicycle is lifted on the stop beam 27 by means of a lifting device,can be placed on a car rear carrier or hung with its eyelets 21 on hooks on a wall or a repair stand. [2] Lifting device for bicycles according to claim 1 characterized by that the angle bracket 13 has the same functions as the brackets 10 - 12, only the clamp 3 is rotated by 90° and attached to the seat tube 2 or the seat post 1 so that the angle plate 30 can bypass the top tube of a men's bicycle. [3] Lifting device for bicycles according to claim 1 characterized by that clamp 3 can not only be used as an adapter for various holders 10 - 13, but can also take over the function of the conventional seat post clamp. [4] Lifting device for bicycles according to claim 1 characterized by that the clamp 3 has a clamping diameter 6 suitable for all common seat tube or seat post diameters, a clamping screw 7, a pils head 5 and a pin hole 8. [5] Lifting device for bicycles according to claim 1 characterized by that with the length adjustment 16 on the flat profile 22 the holders 10 - 13 can be adapted to all common bicycle frame sizes. [6] Lifting device for bicycles according to claim 1 characterized by that the centering 19 centers the flat profile 22 on the seat tube 2 when the tensioning strap 18 is tightened, thus creating a connection that is fixed in all directions. [7] Lifting device for bicycles according to claim 1 characterized by that the strut 29 and the spar strut 34 stabilize the load-bearing components. [8] Lifting device for bicycles according to claim 1 characterized by that the movable sliding sleeve 28 on the stop bar 27 with the centrally screwed notch can be aligned with the center of gravity of a bicycle to be lifted and can be fixed by tightening the screws 35. [9] Lifting device for bicycles according to claim 1 characterized bythat a chain, a band or a construction with a pin inserted through it can be used as a replacement for the tensioning belt 18. [10] Lifting device for bicycles according to claim 1 characterized by that the bars 24 of the arm holder 11 are connected by the bar connectors 32, that one bar connector 32 is firmly connected to the arm handle 23 by the bar strut 34 to stiffen the structure and the other bar handle 32 is firmly connected to the flat profile.

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