Article carrier mounted to license plate receiver of a motor vehicle

Claim 2

A carrier mounted to the license plate receiver of a motor vehicle for carrying items, said carrier comprising a substantially planar mounting plate for attachment to the license plate receiver using the attachment means employed in attaching a license plate to the license plate receiver, with the license plate mounted over the mounting plate; a substantially planar support plate firmly connected to the bottom edge of said mounting plate to extend substantially perpendicular from the mounting plate away from the license plate receiver; an elongate post; means for removably mounting the post generally upright from said support plate; a cross bar mounted adjacent to the upper end of said post, said cross bar extending substantially transversely of the post; means for mounting the items to be carried to said cross bar; and an adjustable foot means associated with said support plate, said foot means extending downwardly from said support plate to rest on a surface of a bumper of the motor vehicle and support the outwardly extending end of said support plate.

Claim 3

A carrier in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foot means comprises at least one threaded rod engaged in a respective internally threaded bore in said support plate, with the lower end of said threaded rod having a foot plate for engagement with the bumper of the motor vehicle, said threaded rod further having means at its upper end for turning the rod so as to move the foot plate in an adjustable movement toward or away from the bumper of the motor vehicle.

Claim 4

A carrier in accordance with claim 1, wherein the item to be carried is a bicycle, and the means for mounting the bicycle to said cross bar comprises two elongate rods attached to said cross bar and spaced from each other, with the rods extending in a direction generally away from said mounting plate and support plate to support a bicycle suspended therefrom; and an elongate clamp bar removably coupled to the post and cross bar to extend outwardly from the cross bar in substantially the same direction as said rods, said clamp bar being positioned between said rods to engage the portion of a bicycle supported between said rods and firmly hold the bicycle suspended on said rods.

Claim 5

A carrier in accordance with claim 3, wherein said elongate post is hollow; said cross bar is mounted to an upper side edge of said post such that the hollow upper end of said post is open; said elongate clamp bar has a mounting stud extending from one end thereof substantially transverse to the elongate axis of said clamp bar, said mounting stud being adapted to be inserted within and withdrawn from the open end of said post; at least one transverse opening through the upper end of said post; at least one transverse opening through said mounting stud for alignment with the transverse opening in the upper end of said post; and a pin for engaging the aligned openings in said mounting stud and the upper end of said post to retain said mounting stud in the hollow, open end of said post.

Claim 6

A carrier in accordance with claim 3, wherein said foot means comprises at least one threaded rod engaged in a respective internally threaded bore in said support plate, with the lower end of said threaded rod having a foot plate for engagement with the bumper of the motor vehicle, said threaded rod further having means at its upper end for turning the rod so as to move the foot plate in an adjustable movement toward or away from the bumper of the motor vehicle.

Claim 7

A carrier in accordance with claim 3, wherein the mounting plate has at least one pair of cross-shaped, spaced apart openings therein for alignment with the threaded receptacles in the license plate receiver of the motor vehicle to accommodate threaded attachment members which extend through said openings and are received in the threaded receptacles for mounting the mounting plate to the license plate receiver.

Claim 8

A carrier in accordance with claim 3, wherein the means for mounting the post from said support plate comprises a hollow conduit attached to said support plate and extending upwardly therefrom, with a lower end of said post being removably received longitudinally within said hollow conduit.

Claim 9

A carrier in accordance claim 7, wherein the hollow conduit is oriented with its longitudinal axis slanting in a direction away from said mounting plate such that the longitudinal axis forms an acute angle with said support plate of at least about 80 degrees.

Claim 10

A carrier in accordance with claim 7, wherein there is further provided a transverse opening through the hollow conduit; a corresponding transverse opening through the lower end of said post for alignment with the transverse opening in said hollow conduit; and a pin for engaging the aligned openings in said hollow conduit and the lower end of said posts to retain said post in said hollow conduit.

Claim 11

A carrier in accordance with claim 3 further including ski carrying means comprising at least one two prong fork member extending outwardly from the cross bar in substantially the same direction as said rods, with the fork member being spaced from said rods, said fork member having the shape of a block "U" so as to receive a pair of skis therewithin in upright, face-to-face orientation; and releasable closing means for closing the free ends of the fork member adjacent to skis received in the fork member, such that the skis cannot be removed from the free ends of the fork member unless the releasable closing means is released.

Claim 12

A carrier in accordance with claim 10, further comprising an elongate connecting member extending from said post in a direction generally away from said mounting plate and support plate; a cross piece mounted to the outer end of said connecting member, said cross piece being oriented substantially transverse to the connecting member; and at least one strap attached to said cross piece for strapping lower ends of a pair of skis to said cross piece.

Claim 13

A carrier mounted to the license plate receiver of a motor vehicle for carrying skis, said carrier comprising a substantially planar mounting plate for attachment to the license plate receiver using the attachment means employed in attaching a license plate to the license plate receiver, with the license plate mounted over the mounting plate; a substantially planar support plate firmly connected to the bottom edge of said mounting plate to extend substantially perpendicular from the mounting plate away from the license plate receiver; an elongate post; means for removably mounting the post generally upright from said support plate; a cross bar mounted adjacent to the upper end of said post, said cross bar extending substantially transversely of the post; and means for mounting the skis to said cross bar comprising at least one two prong fork member extending outwardly from the cross bar in a direction generally away from said mounting plate and support plate, said fork member having the shape of a block "U" so as to receive a pair of skis therewithin in upright, face-to-face orientation; and releasable closing means for closing the free ends of the fork member adjacent to the skis received in the fork member, such that the skis cannot be removed from the free ends of the fork member unless the releasable closing means is released.

Claim 14

A carrier mounted to the license plate receiver of a motor vehicle for carrying skis, said carrier comprising a substantially planar mounting plate for attachment to the license plate receiver using the attachment means employed in attaching a license plate to the license plate receiver, with the license plate mounted over the mounting plate; a substantially planar support plate firmly connected to the bottom edge of said mounting plate to extend substantially perpendicular from the mounting plate away from the license plate receiver; an elongate post; means for removably mounting the post generally upright from said support plate; a cross bar mounted adjacent to the upper end of said post, said cross bar extending substantially transversely of the post; and means for mounting the skis to said cross bar comprising at least one two prong fork member extending outwardly from the cross bar in a direction generally away from said mounting plate and support plate, said fork member having the shape of a block "U" so as to receive a pair of skis therewithin in upright, face-to-face orientation; and releasable closing means for closing the free ends of the fork member adjacent to the skis received in the fork member, such that the skis cannot be removed from the free ends of the fork member unless the releasable closing means is released.

Claim 15

A carrier in accordance with claim 12, further comprising an elongate connecting member extending from said post in a direction generally away from said mounting plate and support plate; a cross piece mounted to the outer end of said connecting member, said cross piece being oriented substantially transverse to the connecting member; and at least one strap attached to said cross piece for strapping lower ends of a pair of skis to said cross piece.

Claim 16

A carrier in accordance with claim 12, wherein there is further provided adjustable foot means associated with said support plate, said foot means extending downwardly from said support plate to rest on a surface of a bumper of the motor vehicle and support the outwardly extending end of said support plate.

Claim 17

A carrier in accordance with claim 14, wherein said foot means comprises at least one threaded rod engaged in a respective internally threaded bore in said support plate, with the lower end of said threaded rod having a foot plate for engagement with the bumper of the motor vehicle, said threaded rod further having means at its upper end for turning the rod so as to move the foot plate in an adjustable movement toward or away from the bumper of the motor vehicle.

Claim 18

A carrier in accordance with claim 12, wherein the mounting plate has at least one pair of cross-shaped, spaced apart openings therein for alignment with the threaded receptacles in the license plate receiver of the motor vehicle to accommodate threaded attachment members which extend through said openings and are received in the threaded receptacles for mounting the mounting plate to the license plate receiver.

Claim 19

A carrier in accordance with claim 12, wherein the means for mounting the post from said support plate comprises a hollow conduit attached to said support plate and extending upwardly therefrom, with a lower end of said post being removably received longitudinally within said hollow conduit.

Claim 20

A carrier in accordance with claim 17, wherein the hollow conduit is oriented with its longitudinal axis slanting in a direction away from said mounting plate such that the longitudinal axis forms an acute angle with said support plate of at least about 80 degrees.

Claim 21

A carrier in accordance with claim 17, wherein there is further provided a transverse opening through the hollow conduit; a corresponding transverse opening through the lower end of said post for alignment with the transverse opening in said hollow conduit; and a pin for engaging the aligned openings in said hollow conduit and the lower end of said posts to retain said post in said hollow conduit.

Claim 22

A carrier in accordance with claim 12, wherein said elongate post is hollow; said cross bar is mounted to an upper side edge of said post such that the hollow upper end of said post is open and said releasable closing means comprises an elongate mounting bar having a mounting stud extending from one end thereof substantially transverse to the elongate axis of said mounting bar, said mounting stud being adapted to be inserted within and withdrawn from the open end of said post; at least one transverse opening through the upper end of said post; at least one transverse opening through said mounting stud for alignment with the transverse opening in the upper end of said post; a pin for engaging the aligned openings in said mounting stud and the upper end of said post to retain said mounting stud in the hollow, open end of said post; a retainer plate; means for mounting the retainer plate to said mounting bar for movement back and forth in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of said mounting bar, with said retainer plate being oriented substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of said mounting bar; transverse openings through said retainer plate which are in alignment with and receive respective prongs of said fork members for sliding movement along said prongs as said retainer plate moves relative to said mounting bar; and means for releasably securing said retainer plate securely to said mounting bar at adjustable positions in the travel of said retainer plate relative to said mounting bar.