One-piece end support and method of forming thereof

Details One-piece end support and method of forming thereof One-piece end support and method of forming thereof

1996-04-26

1998-06-16

Walczak, David J.

Package and article carriers

Vehicle attached

Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid

224325, 224309, B60R 900

Patent

active

057657378

ABSTRACT:
A vehicle article carrier having a pair of one-piece, integrally formed side rail members. Each side rail member has a side rail portion and a pair of end supports integrally formed with terminal ends of the side rail portion. The side rail portion includes a hollow area formed therein and extending along the entire length of the side rail portion. Each end support further includes an inaccessible hollow portion in communication with the hollow portion formed in the side rail portion. Each side rail member forms a lightweight yet rigid member which does not require molding lines, seams or other markings on any portion of the outer surface which is clearly visible to an observer once the side rail members are mounted on an outer body surface of a vehicle. The cost of manufacture is also reduced because the number of molding tools needed to manufacture the side rail member is reduced, as is the complexity and time to assemble the side rail members to an outer body surface of a vehicle. The method of manufacture of the invention further permits the side rail portions of the side rail members to be formed with varying shapes and functional features which would not be possible with conventional roll forming and extrusion techniques.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3724730 (1973-04-01), Olsen et al.
patent: 4342411 (1982-08-01), Bott
patent: 4988026 (1991-01-01), Rasor et al.
patent: 5069377 (1991-12-01), Baughman
patent: 5470003 (1995-11-01), Cucheran
patent: 5511708 (1996-04-01), Cronce et al.
patent: 5573159 (1996-11-01), Fisch et al.

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