How Bicycle Racks Keep Their Lights Visible While Moving

A bicycle rack that keeps its lights pointed backward whether the rack is folded up against the car or lowered to carry bikes.

What it covers

This patent describes a bicycle rack for vehicles that includes built-in lights, such as brake or turn signals. The key innovation is that the light housing is fixed to the rack's support member in a way that it never needs to be manually adjusted. Because of the specific lens design and mounting, the light remains visible to drivers behind the car regardless of whether the rack is in its 'operational' position (carrying bikes) or its 'stowed' position (folded up against the vehicle). The wiring for these lights is tucked inside the rack's frame to protect it from weather and damage.

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover racks where the user must manually rotate or reposition the light housing when folding the rack.
• —Does not cover lighting systems that rely on external, removable light bars that are not integrated into the rack's support structure.
• —Does not cover racks that lack a pivoting mechanism for moving between stowed and operational configurations.

The clever bit

By using a lens that scatters light across a wide arc rather than a single point, the rack maintains visibility in two different rack positions without any moving parts or manual adjustments.

Why it matters

Safety is a major concern for vehicle-mounted racks, as they often block the car's original tail lights. This design ensures that the rack itself acts as a compliant, visible signaling device without requiring the driver to perform extra setup steps every time they fold the rack away.

Real-world examples

• 1.Kuat Piston Pro series racks
• 2.Hitch-mounted bicycle carriers with integrated LED lighting