System for holding a bicycle in an upright position

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for holding a bicycle in a vertical position, comprising a support (1) and a module (11) equipped with a device for associating said support and a device for fixing the fork of said bicycle comprising two passages (12) through said module, each being equipped with mounting means specific to a type of existing fork, the module (11) having two pairs (14a, 14b) of opposing walls, at least one passage (12) through the walls of a pair (14a, 14b), said walls of a pair (14a, 14b) being angularly offset by a given angle, the device for associating the module (11) being arranged to have an inactive state allowing the rotation of said module relative to said support by at least said angle and to be able to be actuated in an active state of association of said module by at least one specific angular position of use of at least one passage (12) of a pair (14a, 14b) of walls. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: System for holding a bicycle in an upright position

[0001] The invention relates to a system for holding a bicycle in a vertical position, as well as a unit for transporting at least one bicycle in an automobile compartment comprising such a system.

[0002] Units designed to allow the transport of bicycle(s) by a motor vehicle are known, said units being designed to be fixed to the outside of said vehicle, in particular on the roof or on the tailgate of the luggage compartment of said vehicle. These units make it possible to avoid the bicycle(s) taking up space in the vehicle's compartment, but have the disadvantage of exposing said bicycle(s) to the elements.

[0003] To avoid these inconveniences, units are also known that are designed to be secured inside the compartment of a motor vehicle, in particular the luggage compartment and / or the rear part of the passenger compartment of said motor vehicle.

[0004] Such units comprise a system for holding at least one bicycle in a vertical position, which includes a support, in particular in the form of a transverse rail intended to be mounted between the side walls of the compartment, and at least one module equipped with: - a device for associating the support with the audit, in particular by being movable laterally along said support; and - a device for attaching the fork of said bicycle to said module.

[0005] Indeed, in order to allow the bicycle to be placed in the compartment and to limit the bulk of said bicycle in said compartment, it is often necessary to remove the front wheel of said bicycle, the fork of said bicycle then being available to allow the bicycle to be fixed to the system, and thus ensure the vertical support of said bicycle in the compartment.

[0006] To ensure its adaptability to different types of bicycles, the document US-11 459 048 describes a retention system in which the bicycle attachment device includes at least two passages through the module, each passage being equipped with mounting means specific to an existing type of fork.

[0007] In particular, this document provides for a device which includes two removable plates each having two faces which each have several bores equipped with tips whose geometry and dimensions are adapted for respectively a type of fork, the module having a longitudinal bore having two openings in each of which a plate can be reversibly arranged.

[0008] This solution is not entirely satisfactory, as it proves to be relatively complex and not very intuitive for the user to implement. In particular, the need to disassemble and reassemble the plates on the module depending on the type of fork desired is unsatisfactory, further increasing the risk of loss and / or breakage of said plates, as well as the risk of degradation of the plate receiving openings with repeated use of the system.

[0009] The invention aims to improve the prior art by proposing in particular a system for holding a bicycle in a vertical position, the fixing module of which can be adapted in a simple, quick and reliable way to the type of fork of said bicycle, and in particular without having to carry out disassembly / reassembly of said module.

[0010] To this end, according to a first aspect, the invention proposes a system for holding a bicycle in a vertical position, said system comprising a support and at least one module equipped with a device for associating said support and a device for fixing the fork of said bicycle onto said module, said fixing device comprising at least two passages through said module, each of said passages being equipped with mounting means specific to an existing type of fork, the module having at least two pairs of opposing walls, at least one passage through the walls of a pair, said walls of a pair being angularly offset by a given angle,the module association device being arranged to present an inactive state allowing the rotation of said module relative to said support by at least said angle and to be able to be actuated in an active association state of said module by at least one specific angular position of use of at least one passage of a pair of walls.

[0011] According to a second aspect, the invention proposes a transport unit for at least one bicycle in a car compartment, said unit comprising such a system, in which the support is equipped with at least one securing component in said compartment.

[0012] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, made with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0013] [Fig.1] represents, in exploded perspective, a transport unit equipped with a system for holding a bicycle in a vertical position, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0014] [Fig.2] and

[0015] [Fig.3] represent in enlarged view the transport unit of [Fig.1], centered on the assembly respectively of a support pad in a motor vehicle compartment ([Fig.2]) and of the transverse folding hinge of the support ([Fig.3]);

[0016] [Fig.4] represents, in perspective seen from below, the module of the support system equipping the unit of the preceding figures.

[0017] In relation to these figures, a system for holding a bicycle in a vertical position is described below.

[0018] The system can be used alone, for example by being placed on the floor in a suitable location, in particular a garage or bicycle storage room. In relation to the embodiment shown, it can also be integrated into a suitable unit to allow the transport of at least one bicycle in a compartment of a motor vehicle, for example a luggage compartment and / or the rear part of the passenger compartment of a private vehicle, in order to allow a user to transport their bicycle(s) using said vehicle while avoiding exposing said bicycle(s) to the elements.

[0019] To do this, the system includes a support 1 on which at least one bicycle can be mounted to be held in a vertical position, said support being equipped with at least one tie-down component 2 in a motor vehicle compartment.

[0020] In the embodiment shown, the support 1 includes a profiled bar la, in particular made of metallic material, which extends transversely, and at least one end of which is equipped with a telescopic arm 2 including a mechanism 3 for adjusting the length of said support to a transverse dimension of the compartment.

[0021] In the description, the terms "positioning in space" refer to the position of a bicycle secured to the mounting system in a vehicle compartment. Thus: - the term "longitudinal" refers to a direction parallel to the maximum dimension of the bicycle; - the term "transverse" refers to a direction perpendicular to this longitudinal direction.

[0022] As shown in [Fig.1], each end of the support 1 is equipped with a telescopic arm 2, which allows the length to be adjusted on each side of the support 1, and thus facilitates the centering of the bicycle(s) mounted on said support in the compartment of the motor vehicle.

[0023] Advantageously, each arm 2 can be extended from the support 1 via a continuous adjustment, thus providing greater freedom to adjust the length of the support to the transverse dimensions of a motor vehicle compartment. This ensures the adaptability of the transport unit to a wide range of motor vehicles.

[0024] Furthermore, each arm 2 is arranged so that it can be retracted into the support 1 along a transverse dimension at least equal to 90% of the length of said arm, and preferably around 100% of said length, in order to limit the bulk of the support system when not in use.

[0025] In relation to figures 1 and 2, each arm 2 has a distal end 2a which is provided with a pad 4 for transverse support of the support 1 against respectively a side wall of the compartment of the motor vehicle.

[0026] Each skate 4 is mounted on its respective distal end 2a by means of a ball joint 5, which allows the user more freedom to adjust the orientation of said skate relative to a support area provided on the wall opposite the compartment.

[0027] Furthermore, each pad 4 has an external bearing surface 4a which is provided with raised patterns, in order to limit the risks of slippage of said pad relative to its bearing wall when the support 1 is secured in the compartment.

[0028] In the figures, each ball joint 5 is provided with an end piece 6 to allow its attachment to an arm 2 by fitting said end piece into the distal end 2a of said arm. In particular, each ball joint 5 and its end piece 6 are formed in one piece, notably by molding a thermoplastic material.

[0029] In addition, each skate 4 comprises two shells 4b, in particular made by molding a thermoplastic material, which are assembled around respectively a ball joint 5.

[0030] Alternatively or complementarily, the support 1 may be equipped with at least one lashing strap comprising a first end attached to said support and a second end provided with a hook for attaching to an element of the compartment, said strap further comprising means for adjusting its length.

[0031] In particular, the support 1 can be equipped with two straps spaced transversely along said support, arranged to extend each in a substantially longitudinal direction in the compartment.

[0032] Furthermore, the strap(s) may each have a first end which is mounted in transverse translation on the support 1, in order to be able to adjust the transverse position of said strap(s) according to the position of the fastening element(s) present in the compartment.

[0033] To improve the system's stability on the ground, particularly when at least one bicycle is attached to it, the support 1 has at least one foot 7 bearing against said ground. The term "ground" can refer interchangeably to the floor of the compartment of the motor vehicle in which the unit comprising the system is mounted, but also to the floor of a room in which the system is used as such, in particular a garage or a bicycle storage room.

[0034] In the embodiment shown, the support 1 comprises two feet 7, each of which is mounted near a distal end of the bar la, being arranged to extend longitudinally under said bar, or perpendicularly to the maximum dimension of said bar.

[0035] Each foot 7 further comprises two anti-slip pads 8 which are each fixed under one end of said foot respectively, for example by gluing or welding.

[0036] Advantageously, each foot 7 of ground support is mounted in rotation under the bar towards a compact storage configuration in alignment with said bar.

[0037] To further limit the bulk of the system, and thus facilitate its storage and / or transport when not in use, the support 1 has two sections 9 which are connected by a folding hinge 10 in a compact storage configuration.

[0038] In the embodiment shown, the support 1 is arranged symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal vertical plane passing through the central hinge 10 connecting the sections 9. This arrangement simplifies the manufacture of the system, but also improves its ergonomics of use.

[0039] To enable the mounting of a bicycle, the system includes at least one module 11 which is equipped with a device for associating with the support, as well as a device for attaching the fork of said bicycle to said module.

[0040] The fastening device includes at least two passages 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d which pass through the module 11, each being equipped with mounting means 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d specific to an existing type of fork.

[0041] The module 11 has at least two pairs 14a, 14b of opposite walls 15a, 15b, at least one passage 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d through the walls 15a, 15b of respectively a pair 14a, 14b.

[0042] In particular, as shown in [Fig.4], each passage 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d extends between two conduits 16 formed in respectively a wall 15a, 15b of the corresponding pair 14a, 14b, and the means 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d of mounting specific to an existing type of fork are chosen from the diameter and geometry of the conduits 16.

[0043] The walls 15a, 15b of a pair 14a, 14b are angularly offset by a given angle, and the association device of the module 11 to the support 1 is arranged to present an inactive state which allows the rotation of said module relative to said support by at least this angle, and to be able to be actuated in an active association state of said module by at least one specific angular position of use of at least one passage 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d of a pair 14a, 14b of walls 15a, 15b.

[0044] This arrangement allows the user to select the conduits 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 16 with geometry and / or diameter adapted to the configuration of their bicycle fork, by simply rotating the module 11 relative to the support 1, so as to orient said conduits in an angular position allowing said fork to be mounted thereon, in particular when said bicycle is placed in the compartment of a motor vehicle.

[0045] Thus, the system allows the user to choose the passage 12, 12a, 12b, 13c, 12d suitable for assembling his bike in a simple, quick and intuitive way, by performing a manipulation that does not require the assembly and / or disassembly of an additional part on the module 11.

[0046] In the figures, the pairs of walls 14a, 14b are angularly offset by 90°. In particular, the module 11 has parallelepiped geometry, and in particular square, and has two pairs of walls 14a, 14b angularly offset by 90°.

[0047] Advantageously, at least one pair of walls 14a, 14b, and more particularly all pairs of walls 14a, 14b of module 11, is / are equipped with several passages 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d through said walls, so as to be able to choose said passages in a corresponding specific angular position of use.

[0048] In the embodiment shown, the module 11 is mounted in rotation on the support 1, in particular along a vertical axis, when the association device is in an inactive state, in order to allow the user to rotate said module directly around its axis to orient the desired mounting passage 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d into an angular position of use, and in particular without having to perform any additional manipulation on said module and / or on the support 1.

[0049] Advantageously, the module 11 is also mounted in translation on the support 1 when the association device is in an inactive state. Thus, the user can move the module 11 along the support 1, in particular to be able to arrange several bicycles mounted on said support transversely, without having to perform any additional manipulation on said module and / or said support to carry out this translation.

[0050] To do this, as shown more particularly in [Fig.1], the support 1 includes a rail 17 formed transversely in the upper part of the bar la, and which extends in particular over the entire transverse dimension of said bar.

[0051] The association device comprises a plate 18 which is mounted in this rail 17, as well as a clamping wheel 19 which is actuable between an inactive state of rotation of the module 11 relative to the plate 18 around an axis 19a of said wheel (vertical on the [Fig.1]), and an active state of clamping the rail 17 between the plate 18 and the module 11. This arrangement makes it possible to immobilize the module 11 both in rotation, but also in translation on the support 1.

[0052] Passages 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d extend transversely in an angular position for use, which allows the fork of a bicycle to be mounted on the module 11 by arranging the handlebars perpendicular to the rest of the frame of said bicycle.

[0053] In addition, the association device is arranged to be able to be actuated according to several specific use angular positions of at least one passage 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d of a pair of walls 14a, 14b.

[0054] Thus, the user can fix a bicycle on the module 11 by orienting the handlebars of said bicycle according to different angular positions, in particular depending on the general size of the compartment of the motor vehicle in which the holding system is located.

[0055] In particular, the module 11 can be arranged to allow the user to position a passage 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d in an angular position for use that extends substantially longitudinally, so as to be able to secure the bicycle by orienting its handlebars in line with its frame. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the transverse bulk of the bicycle, particularly when the support system is used to secure several bicycles aligned transversely along its support 1.

[0056] In the embodiment shown, the association device in the inactive state is arranged to allow the module 11 to rotate 360° relative to the support 1, which offers optimal freedom of choice for the user to choose an angular position for the use of the desired fixing passage 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d.

[0057] Furthermore, the association device includes angular indexing means for the module 11 associated on the support 1, in order to facilitate the selection by the user of an angular position of use for the passage 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d which he has chosen to mount his bicycle.

[0058] In relation to figures 1 and 4, the angular indexing means are interposed between the rail 17 and the module 11, and comprise two discs 20a, 20b fixed in rotation to said module and the plate 18 respectively. The discs 20a, 20b comprise complementary coupling slots 21 angularly equidistant over 360°, said slots being clamped in active state to define the angular position of said discs.

[0059] As shown in [Fig.4], the module 11 has a base 22 under which a first disc 20a is formed, the second disc 20b being formed from an independent piece 23 which is interposed vertically between said base and the plate 18, so that it can be clamped between said base and said plate when tightening the knob 19.

[0060] In particular, the wheel 19 has an axis 19a whose vertical dimension is arranged to allow said axis to pass through the module 11, having an upper end carrying said wheel which is disposed above said module, and a lower end which is fixed under the plate 18, for example at by means of a nut (not shown) to allow tightening or loosening of module 11 on support 1, according to the direction of rotation of said knob).

[0061] In relation to [Fig. 1], the module 11 is closed by a top cover 24, the knob 19 being arranged vertically opposite an upper wall of said cover.

Claims

Demands

1. A system for holding a bicycle in an upright position, said system comprising a support (1) and at least one module (11) equipped with a device for attaching said support and a device for securing the fork of said bicycle to said module, said securing device comprising at least two passages (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) through said module, each of said passages being equipped with mounting means (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) specific to an existing type of fork, said system being characterized in that the module (11) has at least two pairs (14a, 14b) of opposing walls (15a, 15b), at least one passage (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) through the walls (15a, 15b) of a pair (14a, 14b), said walls of a pair (14a, 14b) being angularly offset by a given angle,the module association device (11) being arranged to present an inactive state allowing the rotation of said module relative to said support by at least said angle and to be able to be actuated in an active association state of said module by at least one specific angular position of use of at least one passage (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) of a pair (14a, 14b) of walls (15a, 15b).

2. Retaining system according to claim 1, characterized in that the pairs (14a, 14b) of walls (15a, 15b) are angularly offset by 90°.

3. A holding system according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one pair (14a, 14b) of walls (15a, 15b) is equipped with several passages (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) through said walls in order to be able to select from said passages in a corresponding specific angular position of use.

4. A holding system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the module (11) is mounted in translation on the support (1) when the association device is in an inactive state.

5. A holding system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the module (11) is mounted in rotation on the support (1) when the association device is in an inactive state.

6. A retaining system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the joining device comprises a plate (18) mounted in a rail (17) of the support (1), and a clamping knob (19) that is actuable between an inactive rotational state of the module (11) relative to the plate (18) around an axis (19a) of said knob and an active clamping state of the rail (17) between the plate (18) and the module (11).

7. Retaining system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the association device includes angular indexing means for the module (11) associated on the support (1).

8. Retaining system according to claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the angular indexing means comprise a disk (20a) rotationally fixed to the module (11) and a disk (20b) rotationally fixed to the plate (18), said disks comprising complementary coupling slots (21) which are tightened in the active state to define their angular position.

9. A support system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the support (1) has two sections (9) which are connected by a folding hinge (10) in a compact storage configuration.

10. A support system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the support (1) has at least one support foot (7).

11. A support system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the passages (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) extend between two conduits (16) formed in respectively a wall (15a, 15b) of a pair (14a, 14b).

12. Retaining system according to claim 11, characterized in that the mounting means (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) specific to an existing type of fork are chosen from the diameter and geometry of the conduits (16).

13. A transport unit for at least one bicycle in a motor vehicle compartment, said unit comprising a retention system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the support (1) is equipped with at least one lashing component (2) in said compartment.

14. Transport unit according to any one of claim 13, characterized in that at least one end of the support (1) is equipped with a telescopic arm (2) comprising a mechanism (3) for adjusting the length of the support (1) to a dimension of the compartment.

15. 11 Transport unit according to claim 14, characterized in that the arm (2) has a distal end (2a) provided with a pad (4) for supporting the support (1) against a wall of the compartment, said pad being mounted on the distal end (2a) by means of a ball joint (5).

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