Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-14
2004-11-16
Young, Lee (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid
C224S322000, C224S323000, C224S330000, C224S331000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06817500
ABSTRACT:
The field of the invention is that of roof-racks for automobile vehicles. More precisely, the invention concerns roof-rack bars intended to be mounted on side rails or tracks provided for this purpose on the vehicle.
These types of system are generally intended to equip the roof of vehicles, for example estate or mini-van type vehicle They can also be mounted on another part of the body, for example the rear trunk or tailgate.
The roofs of vehicles are often provided with one or more predefined locations equipped with means for receiving and fastening the feet of the roof-rack bar.
An improvement to is technique has been proposed that consists in equipping tile roof with two parallel side rails that are perpendicular to the roof-rack bars to enable the latter (or at least one of them) to slide longitudinally on the roof. In particular, this enables at least two positions to be defined:
a working position in which two bars, a front and a rear bar, are on either side of the roof.
a stowed position in which the two bars are brought close to each other, for example such that they define an aerofoil at the roar of the roof.
In the latter configuration the rear bar may be immobile with only the front bar sliding along the side rails.
In this type of situation it is possible to define roof-rack bars suited to vehicles, both in terms of their appearance and their air resistance. The feet of the roof-rack bar can be formed directly in the axis of the transverse bar, streamlined and in the game material and/or same color as the body.
It is not however, always possible to provide longitudinal side rails that are parallel on the roof. In this event bars of different lengths are generally used that are each installed in a predefined, single, fixed position.
Older-style structures of roof-rack bars also be resorted to in which at least one of the feet slides along the transverse bar to enable the distance between the two feet to be modified.
This technique presents a number of drawbacks. Firstly, the ends of the transverse bar of the roof-rack bar can no longer be positioned in the actual axis of the feet because the position of said feet must be capable of varying along the transverse bar. The ends therefore extend above the feet, which is unacceptable by today's standards of appearance,
Furthermore, this type of roof-rack bar is very impractical in term of handling, particularly by a single person. In order X modify the position of the roof-rack bar the person must:
unlock both feet on either side of the vehicle;
displace the roof-rack bar, generally in several movements, moving around to the opposite side of the vehicle each time:
adjust the position of at least one of the feet to the new distance between the side rails;
lock both feet onto the side rails.
The production of roof-rack bar mechanisms, the length of which can vary, has also been envisaged that implements articulations on each foot associated with sliding means. This approach is, for example, described in European patent EP-0 664 241.
This technique is attractive in theory but presents several drawbacks in practice. The presence of sliding means and articulations requires a minimum of play which can lead to:
play even when the bar is in the locked position on the roof, particularly when the bar is loaded, therefore making the assembly unsafe;
vertical compression and/or traction play when the roof-rack is loaded and therefore a reduced maximum load;
rapid deterioration of the assembly and particularly the sliding means and articulations becoming jammed or broken;
difficulty in positioning the bar correctly once it has been displaced.
Moreover, and in addition to the weaknesses listed above, the large number of mobile components, and therefore the degrees of freedom, result in the roof-rack being complicated to produce (number of parts, assembly, maintenance, etc.) and consequently a high production cost.
Finally, this technique needs successive handling of each foot requiring the user to move back and forth between the opposite sides of the vehicle to unlock, displace and lock each foot.
The aim of the invention is to overcome these various drawbacks of the background art.
More precisely, one aim of the invention is to provide a roof-rack bar that can be easily displaced along two, non-parallel side rails by a single person who remains on one side of the vehicle.
In other words, one aim of the invention is to provide a roof-Tack bar that does not require complex and/or many handling operations to displace it along the side rails.
A further aim of the invention is to provide such a roof-rack bar that is effective, safe and capable of bearing a considerable load and that remains reliable over time.
In particular, one aim of the invention is to provide such a roof-rack bar that remains both easy to displace and reliable when a load is installed.
Another aim of the invention is to provide such a roof-rack bar that is suited to today's requirements in terms of appearance, body work and air resistance. For example, one aim of the invention is to enable the roof-rack obtained to be transformed into an aerofoil when it is not in use.
A further aim of the invention is to provide such a roof-rack bar that is relatively simple and inexpensive to produce and assemble arm that complies with tho stresses of loads the roof-rack bar must he capable of bearing.
These aims and others which will become apparent below are achieved using a roof-rack bar for automobile vehicles of the type comprising a transverse bar and two fastening feet mounted at the ends of said transverse bar and lying in the axis of the latter, said feet being provided to operate in conjunction with tho guidance and maintenance side rails mounted on said automobile vehicle and being capable of sliding along said side rails in an adjustment position, the angle between said transverse bar and each of said side rails remaining more or loss constant when the bar is displaced along side rails.
According to the invention at least one of said feet comprises a housing in which one end of said transverse bar can slide between two extreme positions in order to adapt to a variable distance between said side rails, said housing comprising first locking and/or reinforcement means capable of operating in conjunction with second additional locking and/or reinforcement means fitted on said transverse bar to immobilize or authorize the displacement of and end of the transverse bar in said housing.
Contrary to what those skilled in the art might expect, the inventors have verified that it is unnecessary to provide articulations in cash foot to enable a bar to be displaced along non-parallel side rails. This surprising result provides an effective, simple solution to the problem posed by non-parallel side rails or tracks.
A transverse bar of variable length is therefore obtained (“transverse bar” referring to all the parts connecting the two feet), the feet remaining positioned in the axis of the ends of the transverse bar. It is therefore ail advantageous solution both in functional terms and as far as appearance is concerned.
The presence of mobile components that enable parts to slide requires play which weakens the bar. Said bar risks being subjected to traction or compression stresses and of becoming damaged or jamming, for example when under considerable loads.
Means are therefore required to immobilize and reinforce the bar when it is in the working position. The transverse bar is therefore maintained in a given configuration and is held in a fixed, safe position irrespective of the loads it bears or the impact and knocks caused when the vehicle moves.
Advantageously, said second locking and/or reinforcement means fitted on said transverse bar operate when in the locked position in conjunction with said first looking and/or reinforcement means such as to eliminate or reduce the transversal play between said transverse bar and the surfaces of said housing.
Certain possible distortions, and particularly traction or compression, are therefore eliminated from the transverse bar
Brevard Maerena
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Wagon Automotives SNC
Young Lee
LandOfFree
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