NL2028722B1 - Bicycle comprising a rear rack - Google Patents

Abstract

Bicycle (1) comprising a frame (2) and a rear rack (10) with a rear rack support (13). The rear rack support comprises at either side of the rear rack a support leg (18) with a lower support leg section (19) extending in an upward direction to a top end of the lower support leg section (19), and an upper support leg section (20) extending from the top end of the lower support leg section in the direction of the seat tube (5) to a position where front ends (22) of both support legs (18) are connected.

Description

BICYCLE COMPRISING A REAR RACK The present invention relates to a bicycle comprising a luggage carrier or rear rack.

City bikes are commonly provided with a luggage carrier, usually a rear rack to which cargo or panniers can be attached. Such rear racks are usually supported by a V-shaped support at either side of the rear wheel. The V-shaped supports in turn are carried by the rear chain stays or the wheel dropouts. An example of an electric bike with a stylized version of such a rear rack is shown in NL2013352.

DE8527484 discloses a children’s bicycle with a rear rack support forming an integral part of the bicycle frame. On both sides of the rear wheel, a frame tube extends up and back from the chain stay to a level above the rear wheel, where it bends forward in a horizontal direction. At the seat tube, the two frame parts connect to each other from both sides in a U- shape. Such a rear rack support is rather difficult to assemble and is difficult to use for hanging panniers.

It is an object of the invention to provide a bicycle with a luggage carrier which is easier to assemble and can be conveniently used with panniers or bicycle bags.

The object of the invention is achieved with a bicycle comprising a frame and a rear rack with a rear rack support, comprising at either side of the rear wheel a support leg with a lower support leg section extending from the frame, for example from the chain stay or the wheel dropout, in an upward direction to a top end of the lower support leg, and an upper support leg section extending, e.g., horizontally, from the top end of the lower support leg section in the direction of the seat tube to a position where front ends of both support leg are connected.

Optionally, the front ends of the support legs are connected with a form-fit connection. A form-fit connection is a connection where the connected parts fixate each other in one or more directions by means of interlocking geometries rather than using adhesives, fasteners or clamping fits. For example, the outer end of one of the support legs can be slid into an open outer end of the other support leg with a tight sliding fit to form the form-fitting connection. The support legs can easily and accurately be positioned and connected with each other and be connected with each other at the final position on the bicycle. The upper support leg sections can then be connected to the rear rack, e.g., by fasteners, to keep the connected support leg ends connected.

The form fittingly connected outer ends of the support legs form a visually integral connection. For example, the outer surfaces of the support legs can be aligned with each other at the form-fitting connection to define a continuous, smooth and uninterrupted outer surface.

To give the bicycle a visually attractive and appealing appearance, the support legs of the rear rack support can be visually integral with the frame. For example, where the lower ends of the support legs connect to the chain stays, the outer surface of the lower support leg ends can be aligned with the outer surface of the chain stays so as to define a continuous, smooth and uninterrupted outer surface. The lower ends of the support legs can for example be connected to rear ends of the chain stays by means of a form-fitting connection, such as a pin-in-hole connection.

In a specific embodiment, the upward extending lower support leg section is rearward inclined, optionally having a forwardly inclined top end.

In a specific embodiment, the upper support leg sections follow an outline of the rear rack. This provides an evenly distributed support and a robust appearance.

Bicycles having a rear rack typically also comprise a mudguard or fender shielding the rear wheel. This mudguard can be connected to the rear rack, e.g., at a front end of the rear rack, which may contribute to supporting the rear rack. To enable use of panniers or bike bags, the rear rack can be provided with a pannier suspension bracket or rod or tube for carrying such bike bags or panniers at one or both sides of the rear wheel. To provide sufficient accessibility for the hooks of such panniers, such a rod or tube may for example have a horizontal middle section suspended from the rear rack at a distance from the outline of the rear rack in top view.

At a rear end of the rear rack, the rod or tube can be bent inwardly to allow passage of the support leg.

The support legs can for example be castings, e.g., of aluminum or an engineering plastic. The rear rack construction combines good rack support with optimal space for hooking panniers. The two support legs can be easily attached around the rack without being hindered by the pannier suspension bracket or rod for the panniers. Visually, the rear rack can form an integral part of the frame which contributes to a visually appealing design.

The bicycle can for example be a city bike, a children’s bike, a utility bike, a cargo bike and/or electric bike, or any other type of bicycle comprising a rear rack.

The invention will be further explained with reference to the drawings, showing an exemplary embodiment.

Figure 1: shows a bicycle according to the present invention; Figure 2: shows a rear rack of the bicycle of Figure 1 in perspective view; Figure 3: shows the rear rack of Figure 2 in side view; Figure 4: shows the support of the rear rack of Figure 2 in exploded view; Figure 5: shows the rear rack without the support;

Figure 6: shows the rear rack of Figure 5 from a different viewing angle; Figure 7: shows a rear end of the chain stays as a separate part.

Figure 1 shows a bicycle 1, with less relevant parts being hidden from view. The bicycle 1 comprises a frame 2 with a head set 3, a down tube 4, a seat tube 5, seat stays 6 and chain stays 7. The seat stays 6 extend at either side of a rear wheel (not shown) of the bicycle from a top end of the seat tube 5 to a hub of the rear wheel. The chain stays 7 extend between the lower end of the seat tube 5 and a lower end of the seat stays 6. The rear wheel is shielded by a mudguard or fender 8. The bicycle further comprises a luggage carrier formed by a rear rack 10 on top of the mudguard 8.

The rear rack 10, shown separately in Figures 2 and 3, comprises a flat deck 11, a pair of pannier suspension brackets 12 hanging from both sides of the deck 11, and a rear rack support 13 carrying the deck 11.

In the shown exemplary embodiment, the deck 11 is shaped as a ladder 14 having a rectangular outline and three transversal bars 15. The deck 11 has a rear end with an integrated LED rear light 16. A reflector 17 is mounted to the rear end of the pannier suspension brackets 12. Other embodiments can be provided with other or no arrangements of lights and/or reflectors and/or other provisions.

The rear rack support 13 comprises a pair of support legs 18, symmetrically arranged at both sides of the rear wheel. Both support legs 18 have a rearward inclined lower support leg section 19 and a horizontal upper support leg section 20 at the level of the deck 11. The lower support leg section 19 extends from a rear end of the respective the chain stay 7 in a rearward and upward direction and has a forwardly inclined top end 21 connecting to a rear end of the respective horizontal upper support leg section 20. The horizontal upper support leg section 20 extends horizontally from the forwardly inclined top end 21 of the lower support leg section 19 in the direction of the seat tube 5. The horizontal upper support leg 5 sections 20 have outer ends 22 bent towards each other over an angle of about 20 degrees to form a U-shaped front end.

These bent outer ends 22 of the support legs 18 are form- fittingly connected at a position at the front end of the rear rack 10. In the shown exemplary embodiment, this form-fit connection is formed as a pin-in-hole connection 23, as shown in the exploded view of Figure 4. Except for the pin-in-hole configuration, the two support legs 18 mirror each other and are symmetrically arranged to form a visually integral U-shape around the deck 11.

The horizontal support leg sections 20 are provided with bolt passages 24 aligned with similar bolt passages 25 in the lower side of the deck 11 for belts 26 (Figure 6), allowing to bolt the rear rack support 13 to the lower side of the deck

11. The front end of the deck 11 is additionally supported by the mudguard 8, which is in turn suspended from the stem of the seat stays 6.

In the shown embodiment the two support legs 18 are die cast parts, e.g., of aluminum, with a C-shaped cross section to combine light weight with sufficient bending stiffness.

The pannier suspension brackets 12 are formed by bent rods

27. The rods 27 have a horizontal middle section 28 suspended from the deck 11 by the rod’s outer ends 29 which are outwardly inclined so as to hold the horizontal middle section 28 at sufficient distance from the rear wheel and to improve accessibility of the middle section 28 for hooking a pannier to the pannier suspension bracket 12. At a rear corner, the horizontal section 28 of the rod 27 is bent inwardly and recessed to provide a passage 30 of the lower support leg section 19 of the respective support leg 18. At this point the rod 27 comprises an opening 31 for a fastener connecting it to the support leg 18. As shown in Figure 1, the chain stays 7 comprise an upwardly extending rear end 35 connecting to the lower end of the respective support leg 18 of the rear rack support 13. This rear end 35 is a separate part shown in detail in Figure

7. The connection between the rear end 35 and the chain stays 7 is a form-fit pin-in-hole connection, with the top end of the rear end part 35 comprising a pin 36 slidingly received in a lower end of the support leg 18 and comprising an opening 37 for receiving a fastener for fixating the form-fit. The connection between the rear end parts 35 of the chain stays 7 and the support legs 18 is flush and visually integrated. This way, the rear rack support 13 forms a visually integrated part of the bicycle frame 2, looping from the rear end 35 of one chain stay 7 around the front side of the rear rack 10 to the rear end 35 of the opposite chain stay 7. The rear end part 35 comprises a flange 38 for connecting it to the hub of the rear wheel.

The construction of the rear rack 10 and the rear rack support 13 allows an efficient assembly of the bicycle 1. First, the pannier suspension brackets 12 are mounted to the lower side of the deck 11, which is then positioned on top of the mudguard 8 and mounted to it. Then, the two support legs 18 are placed around the deck 11 and the front ends 22 of the two support legs 18 are fit together to form the U-shape around the deck 11. Meanwhile, the lower ends of the support legs 18 are fit together with the upwardly curved rear ends 35 of the chain stays 7. The support legs 18 are received in the inwardly bent recessed corner 31 of the pannier suspension brackets 12. The bolt passages 24 of the two support legs 18 are now aligned with the bolt receiving openings 25 at the lower side of the deck 11. In a next step, bolts 26 are mounted in the bolt passages 24, 25 to bolt the two support legs 18 to the lower side of the deck 11. This locks the form- fitting connection between the two support legs 18 and the form fitting connection between the lower ends of the support legs 18 and the rear end 35 of the respective chain stay 7.

The lower ends of the support legs 18 are connected to a horizontally extending rod 39 connecting to the rear end of the mudguard 8, and are also provided with lugs 40 for an elastic carrier strap (not shown).

The terms "front", "rear", “rearward”, “upward”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, "below", "above" and related terms refer to the bicycle and the respective parts as oriented in the drawings, i.e., during normal use or in a conventional parking position.

The disclosure 1s not restricted to the above described embodiments which can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the claims.

Claims (13)

CONCLUSIONS 1. Bicycle (1) provided with a luggage carrier (10) with a luggage carrier support (13), the luggage carrier support comprising a support leg (18) on both sides of the luggage carrier with a lower support leg portion (19) extending upwards to an upper end of the lower support leg section {19), and an upper support leg section (20) extending from the upper end of the lower support leg section toward the seat tube (5) to a position where the front ends (22) of both support legs ( 18) are connected. A bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the front ends (22) of the support legs (18) are form-locked. A bicycle according to claim 2, wherein the form-fitting connection consists of the front end of one of the support legs (18) being slid into an open front end of the other support leg (18) with a tight fit. A bicycle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper support leg parts (20) are connected to the luggage carrier (10). A bicycle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front ends (22) of the support legs (18) form a visually integral connection. A bicycle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support legs (18) of the luggage rack carrier (13) visually form one whole with the frame (2). A bicycle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower support leg portion (19) slopes backwards, for example the upper end (21) of the lower support leg portion (19) slopes forwards. A bicycle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper support leg parts (20) follow a contour line of the luggage carrier {10}. A bicycle according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a mudguard (8) supporting a front end of the luggage carrier {10}. A bicycle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the luggage carrier (10) further comprises a pannier carrier {12} or bar for carrying panniers on one or both sides of the pannier rack (10). A bicycle according to claim 10, wherein the pannier carrier (12) has a horizontal center part (28) suspended from the luggage carrier (10), the horizontal center part (28) protruding from the periphery of the luggage carrier (10) in plan view. A bicycle according to claim 11, wherein at a rear end, the center portion (28) is bent inward to form a recessed angle that allows passage of the lower support leg portion (19). A bicycle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support legs (18) are castings, for instance of aluminum or a technical plastic.