A BICYCLE STAND

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to a stand or stationary support for a two- wheeled vehicle and more specifically to a stand for a bicycle.

[0002] A two wheeled vehicle, by its very nature, requires support whilst stationary. This is especially so when the vehicle is not in use and requires storing or maintaining.

[0003] Leaning the vehicle against a wall or support is potentially damaging in that the vehicle's frame may be scratched, bent or dented.

[0004] Conventional stands often include hooks that engage with the vehicle frame or wheels. A disadvantage of this type of stand is that if the hook engages with the frame, the frame can be damaged at the point of engagement. If the hook engages with a wheel, the wheel is rotationally restricted thereby disallowing bicycle gear setting and making chain cleaning and lubrication difficult.

[0005] Other stands make use of a screw clamp to clamp the axle of a wheel thus avoiding the aforementioned problems. However such stands require a heavy frame to support the screw clamp and optimally engaging the screw clamp to the axle is a relatively time consuming process.

[0006] A simple, relatively light-weight stand is needed that can be quickly and easily engaged with an axle of a wheel of a bicycle, to store the bicycle or hold the bicycle during maintenance without causing damage to the frame.

[0007] The present invention at least partially addresses the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0008] The invention provides a stand for a two-wheeled vehicle which includes a base, a clamp for clamping a wheel of the vehicle which is attached to and movable to a limited extent relatively to the base and an actuator which is attached to the base and which is actuated to move the clamp between a first position in which the wheel is held substantially vertically by the clamp, and a second position in which the wheel is effectively released by the clamp.

[0009] The base may be ground-engaging or wall-mounted.

[0010] The base may be constructed of a sheet material or, preferably, a tubular material.

[0011] The material may be any suitable material which confers strength, mass and durability to the stand e.g. steel.

[0012] The base may be formed in any suitable shape and size to confer stability to the stand when a wheel of the vehicle is clamped thereto e.g. a substantially "U" shape or a rectangular shape.

[0013] The base may include a pair of base formations which are spaced apart from each other and which project substantially perpendicularly to the base.

[0014] The clamp may include a hub, rotatably interposed between the pair of base formations.

[0015] A longitudinal axis of the hub may define a first axis about which the clamp rotates between the first position and the second position.

[0016] The clamp may include a pair of clamping arms which are spaced apart from each other and which are attached to the base or the hub.

[0017] At least one clamping arm may be pivotally attached to the base or the hub. Alternatively, at least one clamping arm may be resiliently deformable and fixedly attached to the base or the hub.

[0018] Preferably, each clamping arm is pivotally attached to the base or the hub.

[0019] Each clamping arm may include, at a respective free end thereof, a socket formation for engaging a complementary formation on a wheel of the vehicle to be clamped.

[0020] The actuator may include at least one actuator arm.

[0021] The actuator arm may be attached at a first end to the base or a respective base formation and, at an end opposing the first end, to a respective clamping arm.

[0022] The actuator arm may be articulated about at least one joint to facilitate extensible movement of the actuator arm about the joint to cause the respective clamping arm to move between the first position and the second position.

[0023] Alternatively, the actuator arm may be a rigid structure which is movably attached at the first end to the respective base formation to facilitate rotation of the actuator arm, relatively to the base formation, about the first end.

[0024] The actuator arm, attached to the respective clamping arm, at the end opposing the first end may cause the clamping arm to rotate about the first axis as the actuator arm rotates about the first end.

[0025] Preferably the actuator includes a pair of actuator arms, which are attached at respective first ends to the base or respective base formations and at ends opposing the first ends to respective clamping arms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stand for a two-wheeled vehicle according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the stand, illustrating a pair of clamping arms in a horizontal position; Figure 3 is a plan view of the stand, illustrating the pair of clamping arms in a horizontal position (in dotted outline) and a vertical position; and

Figure 4 is a front view of the stand, illustrating the pair of clamping arms in the vertical position and an intermediate position, engaged with a rear wheel of a bicycle (shown in dotted outline).

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0027] The accompanying drawings show a stand 10 for a bicycle, according to the invention, which includes a base 12, a pair of base formations denoted 14A and 14B respectively, a hub 16 which is rotatably interposed between the pair of base formations and a clamp 18 for clamping a wheel of the bicycle, attached to the hub, which includes a pair of clamping arms, denoted 18A and 18B respectively.

[0028] The hub 16 is able to rotate, to a limited extent, about a first axis 26, being rotatably interposed between the base formations 14A and 14B.

[0029] The stand 10 includes a pair of actuator arms, denoted 2OA and 2OB respectively, which are attached at first ends 22A and 22B respectively, to respective base formations 14A and 14B, and at ends 24A and 24B, which oppose the respective

first ends, to respective clamping arms 18A and 18B. The actuator arms are able to rotate, to a limited extent, about a second axis 34.

[0030] The rotation of the hub about the first axis causes the clamping arms 18A and 18B to move in an arc between a vertical position, in which the clamping arms are substantially vertically orientated with respect to the base 12 (shown in Figures 3 and 4), and a horizontal position in which the clamping arms are substantially adjacent to and aligned with the base, shown in Figures 1 , 2 and 3 (in dotted outline).

[0031] Each clamping arm 18A and 18B is pivotally attached, at one end, to the hub 16 at respective pivot points 28A and 28B. Each clamping arm terminates, at an opposing free end, in a socket formation, 3OA and 3OB respectively. Each socket formation is complementarily shaped to respective axial projections 32A and 32B on a wheel (indicated in dotted outline in Figure 4) of the bicycle to be clamped.

[0032] The pivotal movement of the clamping arms 18A and 18B about respective pivot points 28A and 28B is restricted by the limiting engagement of the actuator arms 2OA and 2OB to respective clamping arms.

[0033] The extent of the restricted pivotal motion of the clamping arms 18A and 18B varies according to the position of the clamping arms in an arc between the vertical position and the horizontal position.

[0034] At the vertical position, the distance between the socket formations 3OA and 3OB is at a maximum extent, and this distance is indicated, in Figure 3, as "X". In the

horizontal position, the distance between the socket formations is at a minimum extent, and this distance is indicated (Figure 3) as "Y".

[0035] Variance in the limiting engagement of the actuator arms 2OA and 2OB to respective clamping arms 18A and 18B, between the vertical position and the horizontal position is caused, firstly, by the rigid inflexible nature of each actuator arm and, secondly, by the construction of the stand 10 whereby the hub 16 and the clamping arms rotate about the first axis 26, and the actuator arms rotate about the second axis 34.

[0036] The axial projections 32A and 32B of an axis of the wheel are orientated, with respective socket formations 3OA and 3OB when the clamping arms 18A and 18B are substantially in vertical positions, in such a way as to facilitate the eventual clamping of the wheel. In the vertical positions, the socket formations are wide enough apart to allow the wheel, at the axis thereof, to be placed between the socket formations (see Figure 4).

[0037] Rotating the clamping arms 18A and 18B downwardly, from the vertical positions towards the horizontal positions (see Figure 4), coincidentally with the wheel, results in pivotal motion of the clamping arms, about respective pivot points 28A and 28B, inwardly towards each other, the effect of which is to engage and cup the axial projections 32A and 32B with respective socket formations 3OA and 3OB, to an increasing extent.

[0038] This downward rotation of the clamping arms 18A and 18B is finally "stopped", prior to the clamping arms reaching the horizontal positions, by the inability of the clamping arms to move further inwardly due to the interposed, and now clamped, wheel. In this clamped configuration, the axial projections 32A and 32B of the wheel are fully and tightly engaged with respective socket formations 3OA and 3OB, and the wheel is wholly raised off the ground (see Figure 4).

[0039] The downward rotation of the clamping arms 18A and 18B to the clamped configuration is aided by the mass of the two-wheeled vehicle, and the momentum generated when set in motion coincidentally with the clamping arms. Consequently, the stand will operate just as effectively if the stand 10 is wall-mounted, a possibility contemplated within the scope of this invention.

[0040] Disengaging the wheel from its clamped position requires upward rotational motion, causing the clamping arms 18A and 18B to pivot outwardly away from each other and resulting in the socket formations 3OA and 3OB disengaging from respective axial projections 32A and 32B to an increasing extent until, finally, when the clamping arms are substantially in the vertical position, the wheel can be freed from the stand 10 (see Figure 4).

[0041] An advantage of having the wheel raised wholly from the ground, when in the clamped configuration, is that the wheel can then be freely rotated, allowing at least a chain and a sprocket set of the bicycle to be conveniently cleaned, maintained and repaired.

[0042] The use of the stand 10 for clamping a wheel of a bicycle in a manner substantially in accordance with the method described above has a number of other advantages. Firstly, the stand 10 does away with the need for a hook or a projection of a stand to engage with and hold a bicycle, thus reducing damage to the bicycle. Secondly, the stand 10 does not require a screw mechanism to facilitate engagement of a clamp with a bicycle, thus allowing the bicycle to be more easily clamped and disengaged from the stand.