AU721576B2

AU721576B2 - Vehicle roof rack

Info

Publication number: AU721576B2
Application number: AU28424/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Michael John Kenter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-11-01
Filing date: 1997-06-25
Publication date: 2000-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-25
Also published as: AU2842497A

Description

VEHICLE ROOF RACK This invention relates to a vehicle roof rack which is particularly but not exclusively designed for carrying surfboards, surf skis or the like on the roof of a vehicle.

Many different roof racks are currently available for mounting on the roof of a vehicle for supporting articles on a vehicle roof. Most commonly, such roof racks are supported on the side gutters of the roof and secured in position by screws or bolts. Other forms of roof rack include suction cups which engage with the roof of a vehicle, however, those forms of roof rack still incorporate clamps which secure the rack to the gutter of a vehicle. A disadvantage of the above forms of roof rack *~is that they are normally a permanent or substantially permanent fixture on a vehicle and accordingly removal thereof is difficult. Generally also, the known roof racks tend to be relatively expensive. As the roof racks cannot be readily removed from the vehicle, they can be subject to tampering.

15 The present invention aims to provide an improved roof rack for a vehicle, particularly but not exclusively designed for carrying surfboards, surf skis or the like which may be easily mounted to or demounted from a vehicle. Other objects and S"advantages will become apparent from the following description.

The present invention thus provides a roof rack for a vehicle roof, said roof rack including a plurality of aligned suction cup assemblies, means extending between said suction cup assemblies and defining a support for an article and actuating means for simultaneously actuating said suction cup assemblies for securing said roof rack to said vehicle roof and for releasing said suction cup assemblies from said vehicle roof.

Preferably each said suction cup assembly is of the type having a suction cup or pad which is deformable so as to clamp onto the vehicle roof by vacuum pressure, the suction cup being deformable through actuation of a lever suitably by rotation of a camming lever. The actuating means for the plurality of suction cup assemblies interconnects the camming levers such that movement of the actuating means effects simultaneous movement of the lever of each suction cup assembly and 2 thus deformation of the suction cups.

The actuating means may comprise a shaft which extends through the respective suction cup assemblies and which is connected through camming means to the suction cups. Rotation of the shaft, in one direction, therefore causes simultaneous deformation of the suction cups to enable clamping of the suction cups to a vehicle roof by vacuum pressure. When rotated in the opposite direction, the shaft allows the suction cups to return to a non deformed position to release the vacuum.

To effect rotational movement of the shaft, it may be provided with a lever arm at one end which may be rotated clockwise and anticlockwise. Alternatively, the lever arm may be replaced by a rotatable knob or handle.

The support means may comprise a member secured to the suction cup 1. assemblies or formed integrally with the suction cup assemblies. The member may o° be padded or formed of a resilient material to prevent damage to an object being ou: .15 secured by the roof rack to the vehicle.

The actuating shaft for the suction cups may have projecting portions which extend beyond the ends of the opposite end suction cup assemblies.

0.0. Where designed for securing a surfboard or the like to a vehicle, a pair of roof racks are provided and secured in longitudinal alignment and at spaced apart positions to the vehicle roof. A surfboard or the like, may then span the respective roof racks to be supported by the support means. To secure the surfboard to each roof rack, strapping or belting may be provided. In one arrangement, the strapping or belting may extend between the projecting portions of the actuating shaft of each roof rack. The strapping may comprise webbing type strapping or alternatively may comprise resilient strapping, for example that known as octopus straps which may be locked about the projecting end portions.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein FIG. 1 illustrates a roof rack according to the present invention; and 3 FIG. 2 illustrates an application of the roof rack of Fig. 1 to a vehicle roof.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Fig. 1 there is illustrated a roof rack 10 according to the present invention including a plurality of suction cup assemblies 11 (in this instance four). Each suction cup assembly 11 is of the type having a suction cup or pad 12 which may be deformed by, for example a camming lever to cause the suction pad 12 to adopt a substantially concave attitude and thereby create a vacuum holding pressure on a surface on which the suction cup is located. Deformation of the suction pad 12 is usually effected by means of a camming lever which is arranged within the body 13 of each suction cup assembly.

10 In this instance, the actuating means for the respective camming levers and thus suction pads 12 comprises a common actuating rod 14 which extends through the body 13 of each suction cup assembly 11 and which is coupled to the canming levers or defines the camming levers for actuating each suction pad 12. The actuating rod 14 extends beyond one of the outer suction cup assemblies 11 at 15 and terminates in an actuating lever or armnn 16. The opposite end 17 of the rod extends beyond the opposite outer suction cup assembly 11.

An elongated support member 18 joins the respective suction cup assemblies 11 extending substantially parallel to the rod 14. The member 18 may comprise a resilient member, or a rigid member which may be provided with a ::20 resilient coating or padding. In one form also, the member 18 may be formed integrally with the housings 13 of the suction cup assemblies 11. The member 18 may also be of a streamline cross-section, for example foil shaped in cross-section as shown in dotted outline to reduce wind resistance.

In use, and as shown in Fig. 2, a pair of racks 10 are located at spaced apart positions on a vehicle roof 19 extending transversely of the roof but in longitudinal alignment. The respective levers 16 may then be rotated to the position shown so as to activate each suction cup assembly 11 to grip the roof 19. A surfboard 20 shown in dotted outline may then be placed on, to be supported by the respective members 18. The surfboard 20 may be secured in position by means of strapping 21 extending between and hooked onto the projecting ends 15 and 17 of the actuating member 14. The strapping 21 may be any suitable securing means such as webbing or resilient or elastic cords. The racks 10 may be simple removed by moving the levers 16 back to the position of Fig. 1 to release the vacuums created by the suction pads 12.

The components of the roof racks 10 may be made of any materials or combination thereof, such as plastics, rubber or metal. The levers 16, for actuating the suction cup assemblies 11 may be replaced by rotatable knobs 22 shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1.

To facilitate engagement of the holding strap 21, the ends 15 and 17 of the rod 14 may be provided with integrally formed loops or eyes to which the straps 21 may be hooked. In an alternative arrangement, the straps 21 may be hooked or qo:i secured to the support members 18 which also may be provided with anchor means in the form of eyes or apertures to receive ends of the strap. Other clamping *o arrangements may be provided for securing the object to the rack •15 To enable the suction cup assemblies 11 to engage with a roof surface, the member 18 may be constructed of a flexible material. Thus, if the surface of the roof 19 is curved, the suction cup assemblies 11 will be able to be seated firmly on *the roof surface.

The roof rack 10 is primarily designed for use in combination with a second rack 10, however, it may be used individually or in combination with more than one other rack 10, depending upon the nature of the load to be carried. The roof rack 10 is also capable of carrying any type of load.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A roof rack for a vehicle, said roof rack including a plurality of aligned suction cup assemblies, means extending between said suction cup assemblies and defining a support for an article and actuating means for simultaneously actuating said suction cup assemblies for securing said roof rack to said vehicle roof and for releasing said suction cup assemblies from said vehicle roof.

2. A roof rack according to claim 1 wherein each said suction cup assembly includes a suction cup or pad which is deformable so as to clamp onto the vehicle roof by vacuum pressure, the suction cups being deformable through actuation of a lever.

3. A roof rack according to claim 2 wherein the actuating lever cooperates with camming means to deform the suction pads.

4. A roof rack according to claim 3 wherein the lever actuating means for the plurality of suction cup assemblies interconnects with the camming means such that movement of the lever actuating means effects simultaneous movement of the camming means of each suction cup assembly and thus simultaneous deformation of the suction cups.

A roof rack according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the actuating means comprise a rotatable shaft which extends through the respective suction cup assemblies and which is connected through the camming means to the suction cups whereby in use, rotation of the shaft in one direction enables clamping of the suction cups to a vehicle roof by vacuum pressure, and rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction allows the suction cups to return to a non deformed position to release the vacuum.

6. A roof rack according to any preceding claim wherein the support means is 6 secured or formed integrally with the suction cup assemblies.

7. A roof rack according to any preceding claim wherein the support means is formed of a flexible material.

8. A roof rack according to any preceding claim including anchor means for anchoring a strap or the like for attaching articles to the roof rack.

9. A method of supporting articles on the roof of a car including securing a 10 plurality of roof racks constructed in accordance with any one of the preceding g claims on the roof of a vehicle in spaced alignment and supporting the article on the spaced roof racks. A roof rack substantially as herein before described with reference to the 15 accompanying drawings. S..Dated this day of 1997 o MICHAEL JOHN KENTER