{
  "patent_number": "US 12145678",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Bicycle Racks Keep Their Lights Visible While Moving",
  "original_title": "Equipment rack with lighting",
  "summary": "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_does": "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_does_not_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."
  ],
  "filed": "2022-01-18",
  "granted": "2024-11-19",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Kuat Innovations LLC",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/kuat-innovations-llc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Austin Harrill",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/austin-harrill"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jordan Bowles",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/jordan-bowles"
    },
    {
      "name": "Luke Kuschmeader",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/luke-kuschmeader"
    },
    {
      "name": "Aaron Houston",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/aaron-houston"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 1,
  "tags": [
    "automotive",
    "mechanical",
    "consumer_electronics"
  ],
  "abstract": "An equipment rack is described with an integrated lighting system. The integrated lighting system may connect to the vehicle's electrical system to provide tail light, brake light, hazard, reverse light, and turn signal functions. The lighting system may include an automatic connection for lighting attached to a rack extension when the rack extension is attached to a base rack. The lighting may also be visible on a pivoting rack when the rack is stowed or in use to carry bicycles. The lighting elements may be disposed on or inside the equipment rack and may be provided with internal wiring to connect the lights to the vehicle's electrical system.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12145678/falcon-heavy",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12145678/falcon-heavy/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12145678",
  "relatedPatents": []
}