US 12,384,302 B2
Bicycle carrier with damper
Charles Blake Owen, Alpine, UT (US); and Bryce Allen Owen, Highland, UT (US)
Assigned to East Mountain Outfitters LLC, Lehi, UT (US)
Filed by EAST MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS LLC, Lehi, UT (US)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/913,005.
Application 18/913,005 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/737,079, filed on Jun. 7, 2024.
Application 18/737,079 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/155,696, filed on Jan. 17, 2023, granted, now 12,005,866, issued on Jun. 11, 2024.
Application 18/155,696 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/339,562, filed on Jun. 4, 2021, granted, now 11,554,724, issued on Jan. 17, 2023.
Application 17/339,562 is a continuation of application No. 17/003,094, filed on Aug. 26, 2020, granted, now 11,572,022, issued on Feb. 7, 2023.
Application 17/003,094 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2019/044865, filed on Aug. 2, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/626,355, filed on Jan. 29, 2024.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/715,203, filed on Aug. 6, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/841,933, filed on May 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2025/0033573 A1, Jan. 30, 2025
Int. Cl. B60R 9/10 (2006.01); B60R 9/06 (2006.01); B62H 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 9/10 (2013.01) [B60R 9/06 (2013.01); B62H 3/12 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bicycle carrier with a hitch mount, comprising:
a hitch bar configured to mount to a vehicle trailer hitch receiver;
a hinge assembly operatively coupled to the hitch bar, the hinge assembly including a damper operatively coupled to a support post and the hitch bar, the damper being configured to limit a rate of rotation of the support post relative to the hitch bar;
the support post having a proximal end and a distal end, the support post being operatively coupled to the hinge assembly at the proximal end, the support post being rotatable relative to the hitch bar through an arc in a vertical plane defined by the hinge assembly between a lowered position and a raised position;
a first support member operatively coupled to the distal end of the support post; and
a wheel-receiving member coupled to the first support member, the wheel-receiving member being formed and configured to receive a wheel of a bicycle such that the bicycle is suspended vertically while the wheel is in the wheel-receiving member, the wheel-receiving member being further formed and configured to receive the wheel at any wheel angle within a continuous range of wheel angles with respect to the support post, the range of wheel angles including at least all angles between and including an angle substantially parallel to the support post and an acute angle with respect to the support post.