AU656409B2

AU656409B2 - Vehicle roof rack

Info

Publication number: AU656409B2
Application number: AU23560/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Richard Cropley
Original assignee: Fetovu Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Rhino Rack Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1991-09-17
Filing date: 1992-09-11
Publication date: 1995-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2012-09-11
Also published as: AU2356092A

Description

656409 P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

J COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "VEHICLE ROOF RACK" I is it

I

t I The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to the Applicant:- This invention relates to vehicle roof racks, for the carriage of external loads, of the kind which sit upon and are secured to the roof gutter customarily found on cars and commercial vehicles. Such roof racks are well known, being widely used by tradesmen and others for j 5 the transport of ladders, lengths of pipe, timber planks and like relatively heavy articles which are too long for stowage within the vehicle.

Conventionally, roof racks of the kind in question comprise at least two assemblies spaced apart in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and each comprising a cross-beam adapted to span from side to side of the vehicle's roof, two legs, one at each side of the vehicle with their feet resting on the floor of the roof gutter, which support the cross-beam above the roof, and clamping means to hold the legs to the gutter.

;i4 Those clamping means conventionally comprise, in respect of each leg, a hook or claw shaped component slideably located on the leg which is adapted to engage the under side of the gutter and which may be drawn upwardly to clamp the floor of the gutter between itself and the foot of the leg. That component frequently takes the form of a hook bolt with its threaded stem extending upwardly through a tube or guide way on, or formed in, the leg. In any event, the movement of that component of the clamping means has hitherto been restricted to upward linear movement. This has limited the ability of the clamping means to adjust to variations in the sizes and shapes of vehicle gutters found in practice and to hold the roc' rack in position under emergency braking or crash conditions. Occasional accidental injury has occurred as a result of racks being dislodged under those conditions.

The present invention was devised to address that deficiency in 15 the prior art, and does so by providing clamping means wherein the hook shaped element is not only self aligning to some degree but also is loaded inwardly against the outer wall of the gutter as well as being loaded upwardly against the floor of the gutter.

S• The invention consists in a leg assembly for a vehicle roof rack comprising a rigid leg adapted to be fastened to a cross-beam and having a projecting inner edge flange adapted to enter a vehicle roof gutter to sit upon the floor thereof, a clamping element itself comprising a body adapted, in use, to bear against the outer surface of the g~tter wall and having a lower edge flange then projecting under the gutter and an upwardly extending upper edge flange having an upper part with a convex inner surface adapted to bear against an outwardly inclined camming surface on the outside of the leg, and at least one self- A L aligning draw bolt to draw the clamping element upwardly towards the f rp 3 leg, the line of action of the draw bolt extending through the clamping element intermediate of said edge flanges, wherein towards the end of the tightening action the contact between the convex surface of the clamping element and the camming surface moves the upper part of the clamping element outwardly to bring a lower inner face of the clamping element body into firm engagement with the wall of the gutter, thereby enabling the clamping element to be loaded inwardly against the outer i wall of the gutter as well as being loaded upwardly against the floor of the gutter.

Preferably the leg assembly may comprise a leg, a clamping element and two draw-bolts each extending through cylindrical nuts, each nut conveniently received in a part cylindrical cradle formation enabling it to rotate about its cylindrical axis to a limited extent.

Preferably the leg may comprise a substantial columnar portion with a SI 15 channel shaped upper end portion adapted to receive a roof rack crossbar and a bottom end adapted to present a more or less downwardly I directed central end face, flanked by more nearly upright marginal faces.

SOne marginal face may be the outer face of an inner edge flange 2 adapted to enter a vehicle roof gutter with the free end of the flange ii 20 resting on the floor of the gutter and the lower part of the marginal face contacting the inner surface of the gutter wall.

Further another marginal face may be concave outwardly so that at least its upper part is inclined outwardly of the axis of the draw bolt, that surface constituting a camming surface, as that term is used herein.

.b d-, oVT r 4 Further the convex inner surface of the upper edge flange bears against the camming surface of the leg so that when the parts are assembled and the draw bolts are tightened, the clamping element is drawn upwardly towards the leg so as to bear against the gutter. Towards the end of the tightening action the contact between the convex surface of the clamping element and the camming surface moves the upper part of the clamping element outwardly to bring the lower inner face into firm engagement with the wall of the gutter. That movement is enabled because of the ability of the draw bolts to align themselves as needed.

10 By way of example, an embodiment of the above described invention is described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a leg assembly according to the invention shown in use, with the vehicle gutter and the rack cross-beam shown in ghost.

*f Figure 2 is a perspective view of a clamping element, being a component of the leg assembly of figure 1 drawn to a smaller scale.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a roof rack leg, being a component of the leg assembly of figure 1 drawn to a smaller scale.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the clamping element and a bottom part of the leg of the assembly of figure 1 taken through a draw-bolt thereof, drawn to a larger scale.

The illustrated embodiment comprises a leg 5, a clamping element 6 AtAI~ and two draw-bolts 7 each extending through cylindrical nuts 8.

The leg 5 is a rigid plastics moulding, for example an injection moulding of glass filled nylon, and comprises a substantial columnar portion 9 with a channel shaped upper end portion 10 adapted to receive a roof rack cross-bar 11. The bar 11 may be any conventional bar and may be secured to the leg 5 by conventional clamping bolts (not shown) extending through the floor of the channel in leg portion As may best be seen in figure 4, the bottom end of the leg 5 presents a more or less downwardly directed central end face 12, flanked by more nearly upright marginal faces 13 and 14 respectively. Marginal face 13 10 is the outer face of an inner edge flange 15 adapted to enter a vehicle roof gutter 16 with the free end of the flange 15 resting on the floor of the gutter 16 and the lower part of the marginal face 13 contacting the a inner surface of the gutter wall.

The marginal face 14 is concave outwardly so that at least its upper part is inclined outwardly of the axis of the draw bolt 7, that surface constitutes a camming surface, as that term is used herein.

It will be seen that the nut 8 is received in a part cylindrical cradle formation enabling it to rotate about its cylindrical axis to a limited extent.

The cdamping element 6 comprises a body 17 pierced by tapered clearance holes for the bolts 7. The lower inner face 18 of the body 17 is adapted to bear against the outer surface of the wall of the gutter 16, while a lower edge flange 19 extends under the gutter to bear against the floor thereof.

~I

MMk L L I _I 6 An upper edge flange 20 has a convex inner surface 21 adapted to bear against the camming surface 14 of the leg 6.

When the parts are assembled as seen in figures 1 and 4, and the draw bolts 7 are tightened, the clamping element 6 is drawn upwardly towards the leg 5 so as to bear against the gutter. Towards the end of the tightening action the contact between the clamping element and the camming surface moves the upper part of the clamping element outwardly to bring the lower inner face 18 into firm engagement with the wall of the gutter 16. That movement is enabled because of the ability of the draw bolts 7 to align themselves as needed.

i t a Ci a a atat *28

Claims

1. A leg assembly for a vehicle roof rack comprising a rigid leg adapted to be fastened to a cross-beam and having projecting inner edge flange adapted to enter a vehicle roof gutter to sit upon the floor thereof, a clamping element itself comprising a body adapted, in use, to bear against the outer surface of the gutter wall and having a lower edge flange then projecting under the gutter and an upwardly extending upper edge flange having an upper part with a convex inner surface adapted to bear against an outwardly inclined camming surface on the outside of the leg, and at least one self-aligning draw bolt to draw the clamping element upwardly towards the leg; the line of action of the draw bolt extending through the clamping element intermediate of said i:i edge flanges, wherein towards the end of the tightening action the contact between the convex surface of the clamping element and the 4 t I caroming surface moves the upper part of the clamping element outwardly to bring a lower inner face of the clamping element body into firm engagement with the wall of the gutter, thereby enabling the clamping element to be loaded inwardly against the outer wall of the gutter as well as being loaded upwardly against the floor of the gutter. 20

2. A leg assembly according to Claim 1 wherein the outwardly inclined camming surface of the leg is concave.

3. A leg assembly according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising at least one part cylindrical cradle formation in the leg each adapted to receive a cylindrical nut through which said at least one draw bolt extends. ZB r| r 8

4. A leg assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the leg further comprises a substantial columnar portion with a channel shaped upper end portion adapted to receive a roof rack cross- bar.

5. A leg assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the leg further comprises a bottom end adapted to present a more or less downwardly directed central end face, flanked by more nearly upright marginal faces.

6. A leg assembly according to claim 5 wherein one marginal face is 10 the outer face of an inner edge flange adapted to enter a vehicle roof gutter with the free end of the flange resting on the floor of the gutter o and the lower part of the marginal face contacting the inner surface of the gutter wall.

7. A leg assembly according to any one of claims 5 or 6 wherein 15 another marginal face is concave outwardly so that at least its upper part is inclined outwardly of the axis of the draw bolt, that surface constituting said camming surface. F' 1

8. A leg assembly according to any one of the preceding claims I wherein the clamping element body is pierced by tapered clearance holes for the bolts.

9. A leg assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Applicant FETOVU PTY. LTD. Date 11 November 1994 Attorney GENNARO SIMONETTA F.I.P.A.A. of CARTER SMITH BEADLE *s ,:1 "i ABSTRACT A leg assembly for a vehicle roof rack comprises a rigid leg adapted at its top end 10 to be fastened to a cross-beam 11 and terminating at its bottom end in a downwardly projecting inner edge flange 15 adapted to enter a vehicle roof gutter 16 to sit upon the floor thereof, a clamping element 6 itself comprising a body 17 having a lower inner face 18 adapted, in use, to bear against the outer surface of the gutter wall and having a lower edge flange 19 then projecting under the gutter and an upwardly extending upper edge flange 20 having an upper part 21 adapted to bear against an outwardly inclined camming surface 14 on the outside of the leg, and self-aligning draw bolts 7 to draw the 44* 0 o "o"clamping element 6 upwardly towards the leg 5; the line of action of the draw bolts 7 extending through the clamping element 6 intermediate of said edge flanges 19 and 20 thereby enabling the clamping element to 15 be loaded inwardly against the outer wall of the gutter as well as being loaded upwardly against the floor of the gutter. When the parts are 4 o*assembled and the draw bolts 7 are tightened, the clamping element 6 is drawn upwardly towards the leg 5 so as to bear against the gutter. Towards the end of the tightening action the contact between the clamping element 6 and the camming surface 14 moves the upper part of the clamping element outwardly to bring the lower inner face 18 into firm engagement with the wall of the gutter 16.