Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-28
2001-04-17
Vidovich, Gregory M. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid
C224S322000, C224S326000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216928
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to article carriers for vehicles.
2. Description of the Art
A variety of different article or cargo carriers have been devised to transport articles or cargo on the exterior surfaces of vehicles, such as on the roof or trunk of an automotive vehicle. Such carriers typically include a pair of side rails fixed to and extending longitudinally of the vehicle exterior panel. At least a pair of cross rails are connected to and extend laterally between the side rails for supporting a load on the article carrier and to provide convenient tie-down of the load or cargo. Such cross rails are typically supported above the vehicle exterior surface by stanchions mounted on opposite ends of each cross rail which slidably engage the side rails.
In order to facilitate the transport of different sized loads or cargo, slidable and even removable cross rails have been provided in vehicle article carriers. At least one and, frequently, all of the cross rails on a vehicle article carrier are provided with stanchions which slide within a side rail and include a releasable latch which engages the side rail in one of a number of discrete positions or at any variably selected position along the length of the side rail. Such latch mechanisms are mounted in each stanchion and include rotatable knobs, cam levers, clamps and pivotal hooks which releasably engage a side rail.
While the use of stanchions and latch means provides an effective sliding, lockable adjustment of cross rails at selective positions along the length of longitudinally extending side rails, such a structure is not without its drawbacks. As each cross rail includes a pair of stanchions, one mounted at each end and movably engaging opposed side rails, movement of the cross rail requires the release of the latches in each stanchion before the cross rail can be moved along the side rails to the desired position. These unlatch and subsequent re-latch operations require two people, one on each side of the vehicle, or requires a single person to circle between both sides of the vehicle several times to first release the latches and move the cross rail to the desired position and then to re-latch the latches to fix the cross rail in the desired position along the side rails. This is a time consuming task for a single individual and makes adjustment of the cross rail difficult and undesirable. Further, it is difficult for a single person to move a cross rail squarely along the side rail when only exerting force on the cross rail from one side of the vehicle.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a vehicle article carrier with adjustable cross rail which overcomes the drawbacks of previously devised article carriers having movable cross rails. It would also be desirable to provide a vehicle article carrier with a cross rail which is movable along the length of the side rails from only one side of the vehicle and by only a single operator. It would also be desirable to provide a vehicle article carrier in which a cross rail is movable along the length of the side rails from either side of the vehicle without requiring the operator to move between opposite sides of the vehicle. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a vehicle article carrier with a movable cross rail which insures that the cross rail remains square to the side rails between all longitudinal movement of the cross rail along the side rails even though the operator exerts moving force on the cross rail from only one side of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an article carrier for a vehicle having a generally horizontally extending exterior body surface. The article carrier comprises a pair of spaced side rails mounted on the exterior body surface and extending longitudinally of the vehicle. Each side rail has a longitudinally extending opening formed therein. At least one cross rail extends laterally between the pair of side rails. A pair of stanchions, each extending from opposite ends of the cross rail, slidably engage and are variably positionable along the longitudinal opening in the side rails. Latch means are formed on each stanchion and each side rail for selectively and adjustably latching the stanchions to the side rails in one of a plurality of selected positions along the length of the side rails. Actuator means are coupled to the latch means and associated with each stanchion and are operable from a position adjacent to one side of the vehicle for simultaneously moving each latch means between a latch position in which the latch means fixedly engages the associated side rail and an unlatch position in which the latch means is disengaged from the side rail permitting longitudinal movement of the cross rail along the side rails.
In one embodiment adapted for push/pull release and engagement of the latch means with the side rails, the latch means comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures formed in at least one of the side rails. A pin or tab is mounted in and extends outward from at least one of the stanchions to releasably engage one of the apertures in the side rail. The actuator means moves the pin or tab into and out of engagement with one of the apertures in the side rail.
In this embodiment, a slider means is mounted on each stanchion for slidably engaging the longitudinal opening in each stanchion. An opening is formed in each side rail which has a cross section larger than the cross section of the slider means to permit selective lateral movement of the slider means within the opening in the side rail. Biasing means are mounted between each stanchion and the associated side rail for biasing each stanchion and the cross rail extending therebetween toward a first normal lateral direction with respect to the side rails bringing the pin into engagement with one of the apertures in the side rail and, yet, allows the cross rail and the stanchions to be manually urged in an opposite direction, overcoming the force of the biasing means, to disengage the pin from the aperture in the side rail and permitting longitudinal movement of the cross rail along the side rails. The slider includes at least one roller mounted about the end of a stanchion which rollably engages the side rail in the opening in the side rail. The pin and the biasing means are mounted in the end of the stanchion and extend outward from the roller.
In alternate embodiments, the roller is oriented in a substantially horizontally extending position and is connected to the end of the stanchion by a vertically extending leg extending through an opening in the top surface of the side rail or through a leg extending inward and upward through an opening formed in a bottom, inward edge of each side rail.
In another main embodiment of the present article carrier, a roller is mounted on the end of each stanchion and rollably engages a complimentarily formed groove in the opening in each side rail. Biasing means, mounted in each stanchion, normally biases a pin outward from each stanchion into one of a plurality of discrete linearly spaced apertures formed in each side rail. The actuator means comprises a movable operator mounted in one of the stanchions and cable means extending from the operator to the pin. Preferably, a pin is mounted in each stanchion on opposite ends of a cross rail and connected by cables to the single operator. The operator is movable from a first position in which the operator positions the cables such that pins connected thereto extend outward under the force of the biasing means into an aperture in each side rail to a second position in which the cables retract the pins from the apertures in the side rails permitting longitudinal movement of the cross rail with respect to the side rails. In one embodiment, the operator comprises a knob rotatably mounted in one stanchion. In another embodiment, the operator comprises a pivotal lever mounted in one stanchion.
In another embodiment, an operator is depressibly mounted in each stanchion. A single cable extends betwee
Blankenburg Karl
Blankenburg Karl Van
Buhlinger Henry
Rode Duane
Brevaro Maerena W.
The American Team
Vidovich Gregory M.
Young & Basile PC
LandOfFree
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