CH662095A5 - Organ support for loads over with a plate of adaptation and support, with guys for the application to vehicles equipped with and without the gutter channel. - Google Patents

Description

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1. Supporting device for higher loads for cars, characterized in that it includes a pair of arched load-bearing elements, adjustable in width, having legs (28) with ends (25) suitable for insertion into gutter channels and with clamps ( 24) for tightening on them, since there are support plates (3, 30) shaped according to the side profile of the roof of cars without an eaves channel, each having a support element (4) curved upwards, within which said ends of said legs (28) can be inserted and blocked by said clamps (24) in place of said gutter channel in the cars that are lacking in it, since there is also an adjustable tensioning member of the aforementioned legs or of the support (5, 32).

Support member according to claim 1, characterized in that there are at least two pairs of plates (3) shaped according to the lateral profile of the roof of the car for which they are provided, the plates of each pair being connected together by means of said tensioning member (5), consisting of a tension rod (5 '), possibly with interposed elastic means, each being furthermore equipped with a shaped end portion (3a), suitable for coupling with re-entering parts of the bodywork of said car close to the sides of said roof and each carrying a support element (4) curved upwards, suitable to constitute a support and anchoring point for said legs of said supporting members of higher loads (2).

3. Supporting element according to claim 2, characterized in that said plates (3) are equipped with screw adjustable means (12, 13, 18, 20) suitable for tensioning said tie rod (5 '), said means being adjustable in the mounting position on the car roof.

Supporting member according to claim 3, characterized in that on said plates (3) there are covering elements (16, 17) of the regulating member of said adjustable means having screws (12, 13, 18, 20), said covering elements (16, 17) being kept in position of the legs of the arched load-bearing elements (2), being disassembled of the covering elements (16, 17) themselves without the preventive disassembly of the legs of said support members.

Support member according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said adjustable screw means (12, 13) are constituted for each plate (3) by a screw (12) acting with its head on a surface (10) integral with the plate itself and locked within a threaded body (13) integral with the end of said tie rod (5 '), the tightening of said screw (12) acting to bring the end of said tie rod (5) closer to said surface (10 ) integral with the plate (3), thus placing it under tension.

Support member according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said screw adjustable means (18, 20) are constituted for each plate by a threaded element (18) integral with the corresponding end of said tie rod (5 ') , said threaded element being connected by means of an adjustable nut (20) to a body (19) hinged to an eccentric cover lever (17), said lever, (17) being shaped so that, in the closed position, the tension of the said tie rod (5 ') cooperates to maintain said closure, furthermore being provided that the presence of the legs of said supporting members (2) prevents the opening movement of said lever (17).

Supporting member according to claims 5 or 6, characterized in that said tie rod (5 ') is made of metal material tape.

Support member according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said tie-rod is constituted by a synthetic material belt, tensionable and lockable under tension.

Support member according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is a protective gasket (8) interposed between said plates (3, 30) and the surface of the roof of the car. ^

Support member according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is a protective element (9) interposed between said tie rod (5 '), and its surface of the roof of the car, said protective element (9) being such as to fill any space between the tie rod (5 ') and the roof along the entire length of the tie rod.

Support member according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that projections (23) facing downwards, said projections (23, are present on them near the ends of said support elements (4) curved upwards. ) cooperating with the tightening clamps (24) of said load support legs (2) preventing their unthreading.

12. Supporting organ according to claim 1, characterized in that said adjustable tensioning member (32) connects together said legs (28) of said arched bearing elements (2), said support plates (30) and said members tensioners (32) constituting a group of specific adaptation parts for each type of car without a gutter channel, said arc elements (2) being detachable from said group of adaptation parts in cars with roof equipped with said gutter channel.

13. Supporting organ for higher loads for cars, according to claim 12, characterized in that each of said support plates (30) has a shaped end portion for coupling with recess of the bodywork present at said side edges of the car roof .

14. Supporting organ for higher loads for cars, according to claims 12, 13 characterized in that said tensioning members (32) each consist of a tie rod (37) made of metal tape, each of whose ends a nut is attached to threaded (36) into which a screw (35) passes through a hole (33) present in each of the legs (28) of each of said arched bearing elements and resting with its head against it, each of said screws (35) being able to be tightened within said threaded nut (36) by tensioning said tie rod (37) and binding said legs (28) of said arched element together.

In multiple circumstances there is the need to transport loads with cars that cannot be placed inside them and must therefore be placed outside, normally on the roof, making use of support organs for loads that are binding on said roof, such as luggage carriers and ski carriers.

For this purpose, usually said load support members find support within the gutter channels existing on the sides of the roof, and are tied to them.

However, many cars of recent production, for aesthetic reasons and for construction convenience, are devoid of such channels and require, for the constraint of said support members, that these are equipped with support and connection ends shaped according to the particular shape of the areas of constraint of the car in question.

It is therefore necessary to use a specially shaped upper support member for each of these cars, which cannot be used on different types of cars: this imposes on the user the need to purchase a new upper support member in the event of replacing their own car and requires that the dealer has a large number of different support organs in stock, to adapt to the different types of existing cars, requiring different attachments.

The problem therefore arises of providing a support element for higher loads for cars that can be used both on cars with a traditional gutter channel and on cars that do not have them, with the simple addition, for the latter, of adaptation elements , which can also remain permanently mounted on the car.

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This result is obtained from the present invention, which provides a support element for higher loads for cars which includes a pair of arched load-bearing elements, adjustable in width, having legs with ends suitable for insertion into gutter channels and with clamps for clamping on the same, since there are support plates shaped according to the lateral profile of the roof of cars without an eaves channel, each having a support element curved upwards, within which said ends of said legs can be inserted and locked from said clamps to replace said gutter channel in the cars that do not have them, since there is also an adjustable tensioning member of the aforesaid legs or of the support plates.

More specifically, at least two pairs of plates shaped according to the side profile of the roof of the car for which they are provided are conveniently provided, the plates of each pair being connected to each other by means of a tensioning tie rod, possibly with interposed elastic means, being moreover each equipped with a shaped end portion, suitable for coupling with re-entering parts of the bodywork of said car next to the sides of said roof and each carrying a support element curved upwardly capable of constituting a point of support and anchorage for said legs of said means for supporting higher loads.

In said arched load-bearing elements there are adjustable screw means suitable for tensioning said tie rod, said means being adjustable in the mounting position on the roof of the car.

Conveniently, covering elements of the adjusting member of said screw means can be present, said covering elements being held in position by said means for supporting higher loads, disassembly of the elements themselves is prevented without the prior dismantling of said support.

According to an embodiment, said adjustable screw means consist of a screw acting for each plate with its head on a surface integral with the plate itself and screwing into a threaded body integral with the end of said tie rod, the tightening of said screw acting to bring the end of said tie rod closer to said surface integral with the plate, thus placing it under tension.

According to a different embodiment, said screw adjustable means are constituted for each plate by a threaded element integral with the corresponding end of said tie rod, said threaded element being connected by means of an adjustable nut screw to a body hinged to an eccentric lever, said lever being shaped so that, in the closed position, the tension of said tie rod cooperates to maintain said closure, furthermore being provided that the presence of said load support means prevents the opening movement of said lever.

According to a construction typology, said tie rod can be made of metal material tape, such as steel; alternatively it can consist of a synthetic belt, tensionable and lockable under tension.

To prevent damage to the paint there is a protective element interposed between said plates and the surface of the car roof, also in order to avoid hisses or vibrations there is a protective element interposed between said tie rod and the surface of the car roof, said protective element being such as to fill the space possibly existing between tie rod and roof along the entire length of the tie rod.

Near the ends of said upwardly curved support elements there are projections facing downwards, said projections cooperating with the clamping clamps of said load support means preventing their unthreading.

According to a further convenient embodiment, the support member according to the invention is equipped with an adjustable tensioning member which connects said legs of each of said arched load-bearing elements, said support plates and said tensioning members constituting a group of specific adaptation parts for each type of car without gutter channel, said support member being usable without said group of adaptation parts in cars with roof equipped with said gutter channel.

In particular, said support plates have a shape suitable for coupling precisely with the side edge of the roof of the car for which they are provided, each having an end portion shaped to mate with recesses of the bodywork present at said side edges of the roof of the car.

Said tensioning members each consist of a tie rod made of metal tape at each of the ends of which a threaded nut is constrained into which a screw is inserted passing through a hole present in each of the legs of each of said arched bearing elements resting on the its head against it, each of said screws being able to be tightened within said threaded nut by tensioning said tie rod and constraining said legs of said arched element to each other.

Further details can be seen from the following description of some examples of embodiment of the invention, with reference to the attached drawings wherein it is shown:

in fig. 1 is a schematic view of a car with a higher load support member mounted by means of elements according to the invention;

in fig. 2 is a perspective view of an element according to an embodiment;

in fig. 3 a section of the element of fig. 2;

in fig. 4 is a perspective view of an element according to a different embodiment;

in fig. 5 a section of the element of fig. 4;

in fig. 6 shows in section the end of a roof of a car without a gutter channel provided with a support member according to the invention in a different embodiment.

As shown in fig. 1, there is a roof of car 1, without side gutter channels; for the application of a support element 2, for example consisting of a roof rack, equipped with traditional attachment elements, designed to be applied to the common gutter channels of the cars, a coupling device is provided which provides, for each of the arches resting on the car of the support member 2, a pair of shaped plates 3, each bearing a support portion 4, curved upwards, capable of replacing, in the support zone, the usual eaves channel.

The plates 3 are connected to each other by means of a tensioning member 5, consisting of a tie rod 5 'arranged above the roof of the car and they are coupled to a resistance of the car bodywork near the edges of the roof 1 by means of their end portion 3a.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the plates 3 are equipped with a shaped profile, able to faithfully follow the curvatures present in the roof 1 of the car and in particular the portion 3a is shaped so as to mate precisely with the recess 6 present at the edge of the roof 1, in the event that said recess is of limited depth, insufficient to offer an effective grip at the end 3a of the plate 3, it can be provided that this portion 3a is prolonged until it fits into the door hinging space 7 or in the squaring of a window, as shown with a dotted line with the reference 3b in fig. 3.

A protective gasket 8 is interposed between the lower surface of the plate 3 and the roof 1, the purpose of which is to prevent scratches on the roof paint; for the same purpose the tie rod 5 'for joining a pair of plates 3, conveniently constituted by a metal strip of limited thickness, is inserted in a protective element 9.

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Said protective element 9 also has the purpose of closing any slots that may be present between the tape constituting the tie rod 5 'and its surface of the roof 1, particularly in the areas adjacent to the plates 3, thus preventing this crack from causing of eddies, hisses, vibrations and the like during the race.

If the roof 1 is shaped so as to offer a grip limited to the end portion 3 a of the plate 3, such that the grip itself may be compromised by the deformability of the gasket 8, this gasket can be interrupted in the upper part of the roof and replaced under the terminal portion 3 a by a coating or painting the thickness of which is not harmful to the seal.

Figs. 2 and 3 show in detail a possible embodiment of the device for connecting the tie rod 5 'to the plates 3, and a system for tensioning it.

For this purpose, a shaped cover 10 is made integral with the plate 3 by means of fins 11. Said cover 10 has a hole inside which a screw 12 is placed, which is screwed into the nut 13, conveniently with a square section, after passing through the end portion folded 5a of the tie rod 5 '.

In this way it is possible to tension the tie rod 5 'of the desired entity, by screwing the screw 12 of one or both of the connected plates, while the nut 13 is held still by the tie rod 5' itself, so as to ensure a locking of the plates 3 to the roof of high solidity.

To improve this coupling, it may be convenient to provide for the introduction of an elastic connection between said tie rod 5 'and the plates 3, consisting of a steel spring or an elastomeric element; the elasticity of the connection can also be obtained by exploiting the elastic compressibility of the protective gasket 8.

For cars that have raised ribs, ribs or welded lines in the upper part of the roof 14, the plate 3 is provided with a portion of an arch 15, of suitable shape, which allows it to be stepped over.

In order to offer protection to the tensioning device and to prevent it from being loosened without the load support member 2 having been previously removed, for example if it is a ski carrier equipped with anti-theft means, it can be provided the presence of a cover plate 16, which can be hooked to the cover 10, and has a portion ending near the support foot of the support member 2, so that the presence of the latter prevents its removal .

The plate 16 can also have aesthetic and aerodynamic functions, in addition to protecting the tensioning screw 12 from the weather.

In Figs. 4 and 5, an alternative embodiment of the device is shown, particularly suitable for use with ski carriers equipped with anti-theft means.

According to this embodiment, there is an eccentric cover lever 17 hinged to the plate 3, to which the end of the tie rod 5 'is connected by means of a threaded element 18 passing through the rotating cylindrical body 19, blocked by the nut 20, which can be operated by hand or by key.

As shown in fig. 5 the positions relative to the rotation axes of the lever cover 17 and of the cylindrical body 19 are such that the tension of the tie rod 5 ', in the closed position, contributes to keeping the cover 17 closed.

In this way, even in the absence of a ski carrier 2a, the cover 17 remains stably closed and can be left stably on the roof of the car, without accidentally loosening it and also remaining aerodynamically faired.

When a ski carrier 2a is equipped with a lock 21 which locks a cover 22 which prevents access to the skis and to the fixing elements of the ski carrier to the car or to the plate 3, it is mounted, it rests with its support foot on the end of the cover 17 and in any case prevents its lifting, thus constituting a guarantee against theft.

In order to offer greater safety, in cases of high loads, the support portion 4 is provided, at the ends or in any case in lateral positions, with protrusions 23 facing downwards; these protrusions can constitute a blocking element to a possible sliding of the luggage rack from the support 4, thus preventing the sliding of the clamping jaw 24 of the support member.

For certain uses, it may be convenient to use, instead of a steel belt, for the realization of the tie rod 5 ', a belt in synthetic material, textile and the like, which can easily be brought to the desired tension, sufficient to guarantee a fastening that offers adequate guarantees of solidity, by means of known tensioning devices, commonly operated by a lever or the like, or by manual traction where this is possible.

These belts may not require the presence of the protective element 9 if they have a surface whose hardness does not damage the painting of the car roof.

In fig. 6 shows a further embodiment, particularly convenient if a support member is desired whose adapting members for roofs of cars without gutter channels do not remain permanently applied to the roof itself, but can be easily removed together with the said support organ.

As shown in fig. 6, there is a car whose roof 1, schematically represented, has no gutter channel.

The support member 2, which can be a roof rack, a ski rack and so on, has its own attachment ends to the car suitable for a traditional car, equipped with gutter channels, which comprise an edge 25, suitable for insertion into said channel and the closing terminal 24, lockable on the eaves channel by means of a screw 26.

The support member 2 generally comprises horizontal cross members 27, possibly shaped according to the specific requirements of use, on which the load rests, each carried by a pair of support legs 28.

In order to allow adjustment of the width, to adapt it to the dimensions of the roof of the car on which the support member 2 must be mounted, the connection between a pair of legs 28 and a cross member 27 is made by means of screws 29 or the like , inserted into slotted holes.

To allow the application of this support member on the roof 1, without a gutter channel, as said, a plate 30 is provided, shaped according to the curvature of the lateral end of said roof 1, so as to present a portion 30a resting on the upper surface of the roof and a portion 30b curved so as to fit precisely into the lateral recesses of the body plate, or in the hollow of a door 7, as previously described.

Said plate 30 has the support element 4, with the end turned upwards, in such a form as to replace, in the support area of the attachment end 25 of the support member, the eaves channel, thus allowing the constraint of said vehicle support member.

Below the plate 30 there is the presence of a protective gasket 31, whose purpose is to prevent damage or scratches to the roof 1, the thickness of which however is not such as to compromise the safety and precision of the support to the roof itself.

In order to prevent that, due to the effect of the upper load, vibrations and oscillations during travel or other causes, said plates 9 can move, particularly in the lateral direction, compromising the safety of the load support, between the legs 28 of said member there is a tensioning member 32 in support; in particular on the leg 28 there is a hole 33, surrounded by a flat supporting portion 34 inside which a screw 35 is inserted, coupled with a square nut 36 acting

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on the end of a tie rod 37, connected to the other end with a corresponding square nut, coupled with a screw inserted in the opposite leg of the tensioning member, resting on a plate coupled to the opposite side of the roof.

The tie rod 37 is conveniently constituted by a metal strip, or in other materials of adequate strength and rigidity.

The support member according to the invention can be mounted on the car with a roof without a gutter, first resting a pair of plates 30 in a corresponding position on the two sides of the roof and then arranging the ends 25 of the legs of the support member above the elements support 4; once the width between the legs 28 has been adjusted by means of the screws 29, the tensioning unit 32 is tightened by acting on the screw 34, until the necessary rigidity is obtained, finally closing the terminals 24.

The support member according to the invention can therefore be mounted both on cars with a traditional structure, with a roof equipped with a gutter channel, and on cars whose roof is devoid of them.

In fact in the first case the assembly can take place directly, without the use of the plates 3 or 30 of the relative tensioning members, using the existing channel; in the second case it is sufficient to prepare the plates 3 or 30 shaped according to the side profile of the car roof, and to use the tensioning elements of the corresponding length.

Therefore a user can purchase the support organ suitable for the car in his possession, with or without 5 gutter channels, and therefore, in case of changing the car, if different and without such channels, buy only the adaptation parts , comprising plates and tensioning members, suitable for the new shape, or directly mounting the support member without adapting parts, if the new car is equipped with said gutter channels.

On the other hand, a retailer can have support organs suitable for use on cars with a traditional eaves and provide adaptation parts for use on cars without such eaves, thus reducing the need for storage to meet 15 needs. of the different cars, for each type of which can only have the adaptation parts.

Many variations can be introduced, both in the tensioning system of the tensioning member, both in the aesthetics and aerodynamics of the elements, and in the conformation of the ends of coupling with the car, without however departing from the scope of the present invention.

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3 drawings sheets