Yakima Products, Inc.

Lyle R Hilk

Scott R Allen

Joseph J Settelmayer

Duncan G Robins

Stephen J Cole

A strap for securing cargo on a vehicle includes a strap and a buckle. The buckle has a releasable strap gripping device, and a cushioning material at least partially surrounding the buckle without obstructing accessibility to the gripping device.

Load carrier system

An apparatus for carrying a load behind a bicycle. The apparatus includes a carriage adapted to carry a load, and at least one wheel rotatably connected to the carriage. A hitch assembly is coupled to the carriage and includes at least one latch mechanism removably connectable to a bicycle to couple the carriage to the bicycle. The latch mechanism is adapted to removably connect to a skewer assembly receivable in the hub of a rear wheel of the bicycle.

Apparatus for carrying a load behind a bicycle

A surrogate top tube for use in attaching bicycle without top tubes to vehicle-mounted carriers. The top tube includes yokes at each end for selective attachment to the seat tube and a vertical portion of the handlebars. The top tube may includes structure to prevent the yokes from rotating relative to each other about an axis extending therebetween. The yokes may also include a safety retainer to prevent the yoke from accidentally opening.

Surrogate top tube

A load-bearing frame assembly for coupling to a roof of a vehicle is provided. The load-bearing frame assembly comprises a front frame section adapted to be coupled to the vehicle roof toward the front of the vehicle roof, a rear frame section adapted to be coupled to the vehicle roof toward the rear of the vehicle roof, and a frame extension section adapted to be coupled to the roof of the vehicle between the front frame section and the rear frame section. The front frame section includes a first connector and a first load bar for supporting a sports equipment mount. The rear frame section includes a second connector complementary to the first connector so that the rear frame section is joinable to the front frame section to form a first, smaller load bearing frame. The frame extension section is adapted to be coupled to the roof of the vehicle between the front and the rear frame section to form a second, larger load-bearing frame. The rack also includes a second load bar for supporting a sports equipment mount movably coupled to one of the front frame section, the rear frame section or the frame extension section such that the position of the second load bar relative to the first load bar is adjustable.

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Eureka, CA, United States of America

Lyle R Hilk