GB2490244A

GB2490244A - Bicycle transport bag

Info

Publication number: GB2490244A
Application number: GB201206959A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Forshaw
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-04-19
Filing date: 2012-04-19
Publication date: 2012-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 2032-04-19
Also published as: GB201106588D0; GB2490244B; GB201206959D0

Abstract

A bicycle 1 is laid in a taxi against the division 2 between the passenger compartment and the driver's compartment. The bicycle 1 is enclosed in a bag 11 of synthetic canvas material with a draw string 12 and retaining fastener 14 at the mouth 15 of the bag. Its bottom edge 16 is curved to allow it to conform to the wheels 4 of a typical bicycle. The bottom edge is also upwardly concavely shaped 17 to be clear of the floor 5 of the taxi by some 300mm centrally of the wheels in the region of the bicycle's pedals 6. Dickey seat belts 7 are drawn from the B pillars of the taxi and passed under the concavely shaped region 17 of the bag and their tangs 8 engaged with the latches 9 between the dickey seats. Drawing the belts tight secures the bicycle against the division 2, with the front, steerable wheel of the bicycle pulled by the belt around it into approximate alignment with the division. In alternative embodiments, the bicycle may be contained in two bags (figure 7) and/or apertures (figure 2) may be provided to allow the passage of seat belt buckles in place of the concave bottom edge.

Description

BICYCLE TRANSPORThR The present invention relates to a bicycle transporter particularly though not exclusively for carrying bicycles in London Taxis London taxis are spacious vehicles with room in the passenger compartment for four passengers, two on the rear, forwards-facing, bench seat and two on rear facing, fold-away, dickey seats There is plenty of room for a bicycle against the dickey seats, but for carrying the bicycle there it needs to be held securely and the jo. ihterior trint and flor of the taxi needs pEOtection. . The object of the present invention is to provide a transporter enabling a bicycle to be carried in a London taxi is According to the invention there is provided a bicycle transporter for carrying a bicycle inside a transport vehicle, the transporter comprising at least one bag for at least the lower halves of the bicycle wheels and the pedals and chain of the bicycle, the bag being adapted for securement of the bicycle to fittings in the vehicle The transporter can comprise a single bag lot covering both the front and back wheels of the bicycle Alternatively the transporter can comprise two bags one for covering the front * wheel of the bicycle and the other for covenng the back wheel *::* 25 Conveniently, the bicycle can be secured in a taxi, as the transport vehicle, by the seat belts for the dickey seat These are diagonal and lap belts from the B pillar of * ** . . * the taxi to central latches between the seats The latches are spaced above the floor, typically at or above the level of the bicycle's pedal shaft Accordingly the bag is preferably scalloped at its bottom to allow the seat belts to pass beneath it for engagement of their tangs in the latches Alternatively, the bag may be provided with apertures in both sides, whereby the belts can pass through the bag In this alternative, a sleeve is provided to extend from one side to the other for the belts to pasithrough an. be.protëcted from the chain oil. . * Alternatively or additionally, the bag or one of them can have a seat belt extender and the bag being adapted to have the extender pass through its sides on opposite sides of the bagged bicycle, its adaptation for securement being provided by the extender, with a bulkhead seat belt of the vehicle passing around the bagged bicycle and being clipped into the extender and the extender Preferably, the mouth of the bag is provided with a draw string whereby the bag can be drawn tight over the wheels and these kept from dirtying the trim of the to taxi The bag can be provided with one or more straps for securing to other fittings of the taxi, such as the grab handle at the nearside door to the passenger compartment, for further assuring that the bicycle remains upright In one embodiment, the or each bag has at least one tower moulded bicycle wheel receiving portion and fabric upper portion(s) In another embodiment, the or each bag has * a moulded foot portion, * a fabric cover portion providing two bag sides and attached to one side of the moulded foot portion and * means for securing a free edge of the other bag side of the cover portion to the * **s** foot portion with the cover portion passing over a bicycle * Preferably in this embodiment * ** * a moulded top portion is included between the two bag side portions and the moulded top portion has at least one aperture through which the bicycle * fl canberasc�. * * * * * * To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings3 in wlich: * * * 2 Figure 1 is a side view of a bicycle in a bag in accordance with the invention installed in a taxi for transport; Figure 2 is a similar view of a bag with a variant; Figure 3 is a similar view of a third bicycle bag of the invention; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view o ii the line Ill-Ill in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure I of a fourth bicycle bag of the invention; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line V-V in Figure 5; and Figure 7 is another view similar to Figure 1 of a dual bag of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a bicycle us shown in a taxi laid against the division 2 between the passenger compartment and the driver's compartment, speoifically against the folded up bases 3 of the dickey seats provided at the division.

The bicycle 1 is substantially enclosed in a bag 11 of synthetic canvas matenal with a draw string 12 and retaihing fastener 14 at the mouth 15 of the bag. Its bottom edge 16 is curved to allow it to conform to the wheels 4 of a typical bicycle The bottom edge is also upwardly concavely shaped 17 to be clear of the floor 5 of the taxi by some 300mm centrally of the wheels in the region of the bicycle's pedals 6 20: H In use the bicycle is placed in the bag as it is manoeuvred mto the taxi For sliding on the floor, the lower portion of the bag is reinforced with low friction fabric patches 18. Once the bicycle i bentrally placed, the dickey seat belts 7 are drawn * from the B pillars of the taxi arid passed under the concavely shaped region 17 of the bag and their tangs 8 engaged in the latches 9 between the dickey seats Drawing the belts tight secures the bicycle against the division 2, with the front, steerable wheel of the bicycle pulled by the belt around it into approximate alignment with the division. * *

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* To nher assure that the bicycle remains upright, a strap 19 is provided for its securernent to the passenger. grab handle 10 at the nearside B pillar.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. For instance, as shown in Figure 2, the bottom of the bag is straight instead of being curved and each side of the bag is provided with an aperture 21, with a sleeve 22 being provided stitched to one a$rture and ble to be drawn through the other. This arrangement allows the seat belts to be passed through the sides of the bag above the pedals and be secured without risk of being dirtied by oil on the bicycle chain.

Alternatively to being of canvas and closed with a drawstring, the bag could be Of other materials, such as non-woven textile possibly lined with a foam inner layer, also the drawstring could be replaced by a sliding clasp fastener or hook and loops straps Also as shown, the bag is sufficiently high to enclose the seat and handle bars of the bicycle It can be padded in the region the handle bar's contact with the division. Alternatively, it can be lower, beihg only as high as the tops of 4e wheels with wings provided with pockets in the manner of oven gloves for placing over the handlebars Again, provided that securement against tipping is provided, as by the strap 19 to the grab handle, the bottom of the bag can be secured by means of connection to the wheel chair fastening provided at floor level in a taxis * 20 *.** *** ** Turning to Figures 3 and 4 the bag ill thereshown is again of synthetic * * canvas material, but with moulded plastics material wheel receiving bottom portions * 151 These can be stitched or heat welded onto the sides 152 of the bag As in Figure * S. S.* * I, the bottom edge of the canvas portion is concavely shaped 117 for the seat belts to *::: 25 pass to the latches The top edge of the bag 111 has a sliding clasp fastener 153, *:. enabling it to be opened for introducing the bicycle A hook and loop fastener could be used instead Handles 154 are provided for handling the bagged bicycle in and out ::::; of the taxi A strap 119 for securing the bag to a grab handle is also provided A fourth bag 211 of the invention is shown in Figures 5 and 6 It has a moulded plastics material bottom 251 in the form of a channel to receive the bicycle's wheels A back side 2521 of canvas is attached to one flange of the channel The top of the back side is similarly attached to a moulded top 253. For handling the bicycle, the top has cut-outs 254 giving access tO the seat and handle bars. A front side 2522 has a free edge 255. This is connected to the other flange, of the bottom by releasable fasteners 256. Further fasteners 257 areprovided at the ends of the sides. Another feature'of this bag is seat belt extensions 258, which are secured to the front side 2522 in a position such that they can be passed through side apertures 221 to the latches, with the seat belts being latched Onto the extensions.

The final embodiment is that shown in Figure 7 and comprises separate draw string bags 3111 and 3112 for the front and back wheels, respectively enveloping the handlebars and the seat,'pedals and chain. The back wheelbag has a grab handle ito strap 319 Where they come close to each other, the bags have strap guiding loops 330 for the seat belts to pass through in securing the position of the bagged bicycle in the taxi. *. S

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Claims

CLAIMS: I. A bicycle transporter for carrying a bicycle inside a transport vehicle, the transporter comprising at least one bag for at least the lower halves of the bicycle wheels and the pedals and chain of the bicycle, the bag being adapted for securement of the bicycle to fittings in the vehicle.
2. A bicycle transporter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transporter comprises a single bag for covering both the front and back wheels of the bicycle.
3. A bicycle transportS as claimed in claim 11, wherein the transporter comprises two bags one for Covering the front wheel of the bicycle and the other for covering the io back wheel.
4. A bicycle transporter as claimed in claim I, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the bag or * one of them has a scalloped lower edge, its adaptation for securement being provided * by the scalloped lower edge, whereby a bulkhead seat belt of the vehicle can pass * around the bagged bicycle'and be clipped into its latch.is*
5. A bicycle transporter as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the bag or one of them has respective apertures in its sides on oppOsite sides of the bagged bicycle, its adaptation for securement being provided by the apertures, whereby a bulkhead seat belt of the vehicle can pass around the bagged bicycle via the apertures and be clipped * into its latôh.6 A bicycle transporter as claimed in claim 5, wherein a sleeve is provided internally Of the bag at one of the apertures for passage of the seat belt through the bag. H 7. A biCycle transporter as claimed in claim I, claim 2 or oiaim,3, wherein the, bag or 5sss*S * one of them has a seat belt extender arid the baa is adapted to have the extender pass 25' through its sides on opposite sides of the bagged bicycle, its adaptation for securement being provided by the extender, with a bulkhead seat belt of the vehicle passing around the bagged bicycle and being clipped into the extender and the extender being clipped into the belt's latch.8. A bicycle transporter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bag or one or both of them has/have, a strap providing its securement to a grab handle of the vehicle.9. A bicycle transporter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each bag has at least one lower moulded bicycle wheel receiving portion and fabric upper portion(s).* 10. A bicycle transporter.as claimed in claim 9, wherein the or each bag has a draw * string or a sliding dasp fastener or a hook and loop:fastener, whcreby. the bag can be drawn tight over the wheels and these kept from dirtying the trim of the taxi 11 A bicycle transporter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including s carrying handles 12 A bicycle transporter as claimed in any one of claims I to 8, wherein the or each bäghas: : *: * a moulded foot portion, * a fabric cover portion providing two bag sides and attached to one side of the moulded foot portrnn and * means for securing a free edge of the other bag side of the cover portion to the foot portion with the cover portion passing over a bicycle 13 A bicycle transporter as claimed in claim 12 including a moulded top portion between the two bag side portions is 14 A bicycle transporter as claimed in claim 13, wherein the nioulded top portion has at least onéapex±uftthtoügh whichthë bicycle can be gràspcl. * ** *. . * . ** * S.. iS * U. * Si * 5.5 * 45-S *s5-a* 5555 * S S'S. S. * * * S.