Bike Grocery Bag Porter

Abstract

These devices are screens and hooks to be attached to a rack, or bike frame itself. In all instances, rack and frame are available in market place by others. As a practical matter, best racks would be marketed with product, with product claims, recommended use and general instructions starting there, but other racks could be used with information to customer that capacities and performance may be more limited. The handles of grocery bags are engaged on gently rounded hooks and/or handlebars. The bike screens hang down outside the wheel to prevent the grocery bags from engaging on the tread or spokes of wheels of the bicycle. The screens are configured to both visually and mechanically outline the maximum available hanging space. The hooks are configured to provide maximum utilization of that available hanging space for all most commonly used sizes and configurations of grocery and other shopping bags.

Claims

1. The number one claim is that these devices address an underserved utilitarian need, and fulfill a gaping hole in the current marketplace for bicycle cargo load maximizers. Of course, they are also easy to useif they weren't, then they likely would not be fully utilizedand then they would no longer be cargo load maximizers. They are comprised of screens and hooks configured to both visually and mechanically outline and apply the maximum the available hanging space. All other claims are components and details to make that happen.

2. Screens and hooks for mounting to generic bicycle rear cargo platforms, of which there are many in the marketplace, by others, comprising: left and right screens mounted on said platform rack, said screens being positioned to inhibit shopping bags, engaged on said hooks, from engaging the rear wheel of the bicycle, said screens being mounted to said platform rack for easier attachment and detachment.

3. Front screensleft and right screens mounted on front fork, said screens being positioned to inhibit shopping bags, engaged on handlebars, from engaging front wheel.

4. The bicycle screens of claim 2 contain curved loops (or some form of segmented arc) along the top edge for engaging shopping bags approximating a double S configuration with radii of to 2 inches or 1 to 5 cm (diagram dimension a). Two outer loops are spaced 8 to 13 inches or 20 to 33 cm apart (b) for bags to rest against each other but still remain vertically plumb (from side view). A third loop, centered on the other two, may be included for a third bag, more lightly packed, to plumb out from the other two, or accommodate a single extra wide bag.

5. The bicycle screens of claim 2 configured as roughly parallelograms 18 to 24 inches or 46 to 61 cm wide (c) by 12 to 17 inches or 30 to 43 cm high (d) bounded front and rear by S curves (or some form of segmented arcs) sloping backward from connections at top bar towards rear of bike, order to follow and clear the back of pedaling foot motion (heel) at front of screen, and to follow the rear tire at the back of screen (approximatelyas configurations of full-sized bike in common use vary somewhat), and bounded top and bottom with horizontal bars. The radii of the side S curves are all 15 to 30 inches or 38 to 76 cm (e).

6. The bicycle screens of claim 3 are to be outlined in roughly the shape of an American football, bounded top and bottom by curves (or some form of segmented arcs) with radii to be 15 to 30 inches or 38 to 76 cm (f), with overall dimensions of 12 to 22 inches or 30 to 56 cm wide (g) by 6 to 16 inches or 15 to 41 cm high (h). The inner curves shown in diagram 3rear half configured to help form a moment connection to almost any angle bike fork (working prototype uses rubber coated pipe clamps) and the front half of inner curves are for perimeter stock to cross face of fork at least twice for mechanical reinforcementare to be concentric and approximate radii of 3 to 13 inches or 76 mm to 33 cm (i) and 4 to 14 inches or 114 mm to 36 cm (j) respectively.

7. The bicycle screens of claim 2 and claim 3 could be framed by any sufficiently stiff and durable material; however, as a practical matter, in order to make claimed configurations, they will probably be metal rod stock. The screening material will be anything stiff enough or tight enough (and manufacture of different versions anticipated), being at least 50% open to air flow (exclusive of various logo panels), which will securely attach to the rod stock securely in an aesthetically presentable manner. All connections (other than rear screen hooks claimed above and front screen bar stock configuration for attachment to various bike front forks) are open to ongoing engineering and do not in themselves constitute any preliminary proprietary claims.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle, with front and rear-mounted bike screens and hooks for supporting grocery bags and similar bags mounted thereon. Sample grocery bags dotted in.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a side profile of a rear-mounted bike screen and hooks with key dimensions as per claims referenced.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a side profile of a front-mounted bike screen with key dimensions as per claims referenced.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a promotional logo, which also happens to highlight some key utilitarian product related lifestyle benefits.