Wall-mountable holder

Abstract

A wall-mountable holder ( 1 ) for retaining an article such as a bicycle. The holder ( 1 ) comprises a support frame ( 2 ) having a wall-mounting bracket ( 6 ), and a pair of jaws ( 3, 4 ) pivotally mounted to the support frame ( 2 ) to define an article-receiving region between the jaws ( 3, 4 ). The jaws ( 3, 4 ) are moveable between an open position and a closed position, and the jaws ( 3, 4 ) can releasably lock to the support frame ( 2 ) when in the closed position. When a bicycle wheel is urged against proximal ends of the jaws ( 3, 4 ), the jaws ( 3, 4 ) pivot to the closed position, the jaws ( 3, 4 ) lock to the support frame ( 2 ) and the jaws ( 3, 4 ) retain the wheel. When the wheel is pulled away from the proximal ends, the jaws ( 3, 4 ) pivot to the open position and enable the wheel to be removed.

1 . A wall-mountable article holder comprising: 
 a wall-mountable support frame; and    a pair of jaws pivotally mounted to the support frame to define an article-receiving region between the jaws, the jaws being moveable between an open position and a closed position, each jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, and at least one of the jaws releasably locking to the support frame when in the closed position;    wherein when an article is urged against the proximal ends of the jaws, the jaws pivot to the closed position and retain the article, and when the article is urged against the distal ends, the jaws pivot to the open position and enable the article to be removed.    
     
     
         2 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein both jaws releasably lock to the support frame.  
     
     
         3 . The holder of  claim 2 , wherein the proximal ends of the jaws are connected together with a hinge.  
     
     
         4 . The holder of  claim 3 , wherein the support frame has a retainer located between the proximal ends of the jaws and a wall-mounting region of the support frame, and each jaw has a flexibly resilient leg adapted to lock behind a shoulder of the retainer when the jaws are in the closed position.  
     
     
         5 . The holder of  claim 4 , wherein the retainer is wedge-shaped, the wedge of the retainer tapers towards the proximal ends of the jaws, and each leg has a hooked end that locks behind a said shoulder of the retainer.  
     
     
         6 . The holder of  claim 4 , wherein the wall-mounting region comprises a bracket having apertures adapted to receive fasteners.  
     
     
         7 . The holder of  claim 6 , wherein the support frame has arms that project outwardly from the bracket and the wall to which the holder is mounted, and each of the jaws is pivotally mounted to a projecting end of a said arm.  
     
     
         8 . The holder of  claim 7 , wherein each jaw has a pin and each arm has an elongated socket within which can pivot the pin.  
     
     
         9 . The holder of  claim 8 , wherein the arms of the support frame are flexibly resilient and said arms flex away from one another when the hinge is brought into temporary alignment with the pin of each arm when moving the jaws between the open and closed positions.  
     
     
         10 . The holder of  claim 8 , wherein the support frame has a ledge extending partway over the legs and an end of each socket is blind such that the pins cannot disengage the sockets by accident.  
     
     
         11 . The holder of  claim 5 , wherein the hinge is provided by way of each jaw having a pair of collars that interleaf with one another and a hinge pin extending through the collars.  
     
     
         12 . The holder of  claim 11 , wherein the collars are situated within a groove of the retainer when the jaws are in the closed position.  
     
     
         13 . The holder of  claim 1 , further having locking means for locking the distal ends of the jaws together.  
     
     
         14 . The holder of  claim 13 , wherein the distal end of each jaw has an aperture through which can extend a locking bolt of a padlock.  
     
     
         15 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the jaws are shaped to retain a bicycle and the distal ends are adapted to extend behind a rim or between spokes of the bicycle wheel when the jaws are in the closed position.