DE102015207667B4 - Load carrier for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

Load carrier for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, with a frame, a clamping device (7) for clamping the frame to a ball head (6) of a trailer hitch (3) being attached to the frame, the clamping device (7) comprising: (i ) a lower clamping jaw (8) with a concave first recess (9) designed to correspond to the geometry of the ball head (6),(ii) an upper clamping jaw (11) with a concave second recess designed to correspond to the geometry of the ball head (6), wherein the upper clamping jaw (11) is connected to the lower clamping jaw (8) by means of a linear guide (18, 19), and (iii) a toggle lever mechanism with two toggle lever arrangements (K1, K2), each toggle lever arrangement (K1, K2) having a tension element ( 12a, 12b) and at least one toggle member (14a, 14b) for urging the upper jaw (11) towards the lower jaw (8), the frame being rigidly connected to the toggle members (14a, 14b) so that the toggle mechanism by Pivoting of the frame can be actuated.

Description

The invention relates to a load carrier for a motor vehicle, in particular for a passenger car.

Such a load carrier is from the DE 10 2007 026 375 B3 known. The well-known load carrier includes a clamping device attached to a cross member for clamping a frame to a ball head of a trailer hitch. The clamp assembly includes a toggle mechanism for forcing a lower jaw against an upper jaw fixedly attached to the cross bar. To apply a sufficient clamping force, a manually operated, relatively long clamping or toggle lever is provided. When the clamping device is in the clamped state, the toggle lever is located between two longitudinal bars of the frame, which extend from the transverse bar. Pivotable support devices for supporting bicycles to be transported are usually attached to the longitudinal bars of the frame. The support devices can be pivoted from a first position in the area between the two longitudinal beams into a second position outside of the two longitudinal beams. Because of the toggle lever extending between the longitudinal beams, it is disadvantageously not possible to completely fold the support devices into an area between the two longitudinal beams. As a result, the known load carrier has a relatively large pack size.

From the EP 2 669 099 A1 a load carrier for a motor vehicle is known, with a frame on which a clamping device for clamping the frame is attached to a ball head of a trailer hitch. The clamping device comprises a first clamping jaw and a second clamping jaw. A toggle mechanism includes a toggle lever to urge the second jaw toward the first jaw.

A load carrier for a motor vehicle with a toggle mechanism is also from FR 2 688 178 A1 known.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, a load carrier that can be produced as simply as possible is to be specified, which can be folded up to a particularly compact packing size.

This object is solved by the features of patent claim 1. Expedient refinements of the invention result from the features of patent claims 2 to 14.

According to the invention, a load carrier for a motor vehicle is proposed, with a frame, a clamping device for clamping the frame to a ball head of a trailer hitch being attached to the frame, the clamping device comprising: (i) a lower clamping jaw with a corresponding geometry of the ball head, (ii) an upper clamping jaw with a concave second recess designed to correspond to the geometry of the ball head, the upper clamping jaw being connected to the lower clamping jaw by means of a linear guide, and (iii) a toggle lever mechanism with two toggle lever arrangements, wherein each toggle assembly comprises a pull member and at least one toggle member for urging the upper jaw toward the lower jaw, the frame being fixedly connected to the toggle members such that the toggle mechanism is operable by pivoting of the frame.

In a departure from the prior art, the toggle lever mechanism is no longer designed in the manner of a separate clamping lever to be operated manually, but is firmly connected to the frame. The toggle lever mechanism can therefore be made particularly short. It ends e.g. B. on a cross member of the frame. As a result, a space between the longitudinal beams remains free. This space can be used to fully fold in support devices that are pivotably attached to the longitudinal beams. A pack size of the load carrier proposed according to the invention is therefore particularly compact.

For the purposes of the present invention, a “toggle lever mechanism” is understood to mean a mechanism that uses the toggle lever effect. A toggle mechanism includes two levers which are pivotally connected at their one ends. The other ends of the two levers are also pivotally mounted. With a toggle mechanism, it is possible to change a distance between "other ends" of the levers that are not pivotally connected to each other. When the lever is pivoted, the change in distance increases more and more slowly in proportion to the sine. In the toggle lever mechanism, the distance between the clamping jaws decreases with increasing pivoting of the toggle lever. A clamping force that can be generated between the clamping jaws increases in proportion to the negative cosecant.

In contrast to the prior art, the clamping device is also designed in such a way that the upper clamping jaw is no longer firmly connected to the frame. In the present invention, the frame is pivotable relative to both jaws.

The proposed load carrier can be manufactured with less effort. The load carrier is particularly easy to attach to the ball head of a trailer hitch. It is no longer necessary to first slide the frame and the attached clamping device horizontally onto the trailer hitch, then bend over the frame and finally tighten the toggle lever. In the load carrier according to the invention, the clamping device can be pushed onto the ball head of the trailer hitch when the frame is oriented substantially vertically. The clamping device can then be tensioned by simply pivoting the frame into a horizontal position and the load carrier can thus be clamped to the trailer hitch.

In an advantageous embodiment, the frame has a transverse beam. In this case, the toggle lever elements are firmly connected to the cross bar. Longitudinal bars extend from the cross bar, via which a load absorbed thereon is transferred to the cross bar and from there to the trailer hitch.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the toggle lever mechanism comprises two toggle lever arrangements, which are each articulated pivotably on opposing side walls of the lower and upper clamping jaws. Each of the toggle assemblies includes a pull member attached to a side wall of the lower jaw and a toggle or toggle member pivotally connected thereto. In a departure from the prior art, the toggle lever element is firmly connected to the frame. In particular, the toggle lever element does not protrude beyond a cross member of the frame into an area between the longitudinal bars of the frame.

The toggle mechanism comprises two tension members, each of which is pivotally attached at its first end to a side wall of the lower jaw, and the two toggle members, each of which has a first pivoted lever portion connected to a second pivoted lever portion via a central portion, the first pivoted lever portion forms an angle of 85° to 100° with the second pivoting lever section, each toggle element being pivotally attached in the central section to another side wall of the upper jaw, and a second end of each tension element being pivotally attached to the first pivoting lever section of a respective toggle lever element.

The proposed toggle mechanism has a compact design. Both in the tensioned and in the relaxed state, the toggle lever mechanism protrudes only slightly into a space between the ball head of the trailer hitch and a rear bumper of the passenger car. This makes it possible to use the proposed load carrier in particular for those passenger cars in which there is only a small gap between the ball head and the rear bumper.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the first ends of the tension elements are each held pivotably about first axle bolts in two opposing legs of a U-profile forming the side wall of the lower clamping jaw. Since the ends of the tension elements are each held in two legs located opposite one another, it is possible to achieve a particularly firm, pivotable attachment of the tension elements to the lower clamping jaw, in particular with respect to tensile stress.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the second ends of the tension elements are pivotably connected to the first pivoted lever sections by means of a second axle bolt. The central sections of the toggle-lever elements are advantageously connected to the upper clamping jaws by means of a third pivot bolt which passes through the upper clamping jaws. - It can be achieved with a particularly compact design of the toggle mechanism.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, a securing section extending therefrom for securing the third axle bolt is provided at the second end of each tension element. The securing section is designed in such a way that it at least partially covers one end of the third axle bolt both in the clamped position and in the relaxed position of the toggle lever mechanism. The securing section also covers the end of the third axle bolt during movement from the uncocked to the cocked position.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, a connecting section for connection to the transverse member extends from the second pivoted lever section of each toggle lever element at an angle of 85° to 100°. The connecting section and the first pivoting lever section extend in approximately opposite directions. The connection section is in particular designed such that when the toggle mechanism is tensioned, it rests against a rear side of the first clamping jaw opposite the slot. i.e. the connecting portion and the back of the lower jaw act as a stop in the cocked position of the toggle mechanism.

According to the invention, the upper clamping jaw is connected to the lower clamping jaw by means of a linear guide. A relative movement of the two clamping jaws to one another caused by the toggle lever mechanism is thus reduced to a linear movement. An undesired pivoting movement of the clamping jaws relative to one another can be avoided.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a bolt for securing the toggle lever mechanism in the clamped state is provided on the connecting section. The bolt can be pivoted against a spring bias. Furthermore, a lock can be provided for selectively blocking a movement of the bolt. This makes it possible to secure the load carrier against theft when it is mounted on the motor vehicle.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the lower clamping jaw and/or the upper clamping jaw is made from an extruded aluminum profile. A complex geometry, in particular U-profiles and the like, can thus be provided in a simple manner. Aluminum profiles can also be machined with relatively little effort.

In one embodiment, the lower clamping jaw has a slot extending into the first recess from a mounting side, the width of the slot being greater than a diameter of a coupling neck and smaller than a diameter of the ball head of the trailer coupling. - The slot extending into the first recess has two parallel banks. A length of the slot extending into the first recess is at least as great as the width of the slot. The length of the slot is expediently greater than the width of the slot.

• 1 eine erste perspektivische Ansicht einer Klemmvorrichtung,
• 2 eine zweite perspektivische Ansicht der Klemmvorrichtung gemäß 1,
• 3 eine Seitenansicht der Klemmvorrichtung im gespannten Zustand,
• 4 eine Seitenansicht der Klemmvorrichtung im halb geöffneten Zustand,
• 5 eine Seitenansicht der Klemmvorrichtung im geöffneten Zustand und
• 6 eine Schnittansicht durch die Klemmvorrichtung gemäß 4.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

• 1 a first perspective view of a clamping device,
• 2 a second perspective view of the clamping device according to FIG 1 ,
• 3 a side view of the clamping device in the clamped state,
• 4 a side view of the clamping device in the half-open state,
• 5 a side view of the clamping device in the open state and
• 6 a sectional view through the clamping device according to FIG 4 .

In the figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a z. B. made of a steel tube cross member of a (not shown here) frame of a load carrier referred to. Longitudinal bars 2 extend from the two ends of the transverse bar 1. The reference numeral 3 generally designates a trailer hitch of a motor vehicle (not shown in detail here) in which a coupling neck 5 extends from a shaft 4, on which a ball head 6 is attached. A clamping device generally designated by the reference numeral 7 comprises a lower clamping jaw 8 with a concave first recess 9 designed to correspond to the geometry of the ball head 6 and into which a slot 10 extends from a mounting side M of the lower clamping basin 8 . A width of the slot 10 is larger than a first diameter of the coupling neck 5 and smaller than a second diameter of the ball head 6.

An upper clamping jaw 11 has a concave second recess (not visible in the figures), which also corresponds to the geometry of the ball head 6 .

The lower clamping jaw 8 is connected to the upper clamping jaw 11 via a toggle lever mechanism in such a way that the upper clamping jaw 11 is forced against the lower clamping jaw 8 and the crossbeam 1 can thus be clamped onto the ball head 6 of the trailer hitch 3 .

The toggle lever mechanism includes two toggle lever arrangements K1 and K2, which are identical in construction.

Each of the toggle lever arrangements K1, K2 has a tension element 12a, 12b bent in a C-shape, the first end of which is held pivotable about first axle bolts 13c in two opposite legs 13a, 13b of a side wall S of the lower clamping jaw 8 designed as a U-profile .

The toggle lever assemblies K1, K2 also each include a z. B. made of a steel sheet, toggle element 14a, 14b. Like in particular 6 As can be seen, each toggle lever element 14a, 14b has a first pivoted lever section SA1, a second pivoted lever section SA2 and a first SA1 with the second pivoted lever section SA2 connecting central section ZA. The first pivoted lever section SA1 forms an angle of 80° to 90° with the second pivoted lever section SA2. A connecting section V extends from the second pivoted lever section SA2 and forms an angle of 80° to 90° with the second pivoted lever section SA2. The connecting portion V extends in a direction which is approximately opposite to the direction in which the first swing lever portion SA1 extends. At the connecting section V of the cross bar 1 is fixed, z. B. by means of welding Shen attached. As a result, the toggle lever elements 14a, 14b can be pivoted by pivoting the transverse beam 1 or the frame attached thereto.

A second end of z. B. made of a sheet steel, tension elements 12a, 12b is pivotally connected by means of a second pivot pin 15 to the first pivoted lever sections SA1 of the toggle lever elements 14a, 14b. The second axle bolt 15 extends through the first pivoting lever sections SA1 of the two toggle lever elements 14a, 14b and through the second ends of the tension elements 12a, 12b. The second axle bolt 15 forms the "knee" of the toggle lever mechanism.

The toggle lever elements 14a, 14b are also pivotally attached to the upper clamping jaw 11 in the central section ZA by means of a third axle bolt 16. The third axle bolt 16 passes through both the central sections ZA of the toggle lever elements 14a, 14b and the upper clamping jaws 11.

Reference numeral 17 designates a securing section, which extends from the second end of tension elements 12a, 12b, for securing third axle bolt 16. The securing sections 17 partially overlap the ends of the third axle bolt 16, so that its axial position is fixed with respect to the toggle lever elements 14a, 14b.

As in particular from the 5 and 6 As can be seen, a bolt 18 extends from the lower clamping jaw 8 in the direction of the upper clamping jaw 11 and is guided in a corresponding guide 19 provided on the upper clamping jaw 11 . The bolt 18 together with the guide 19 forms a linear guide which prevents the lower clamping jaw 8 and/or the upper clamping jaw 11 from tilting relative to one another. The reference numeral 20 designates a latch which is held pivotably on the connecting sections V of the toggle lever elements 14a, 14b. A third recess 21 is provided on the lower clamping jaw 8, in which the bolt 20 engages when the clamping device is in a clamped state. The reference numeral 22 designates a lock with which the bolt 20 can be secured in a locked position.

The lower clamping jaw 8 has a rear side R opposite the mounting side M. As in particular from the 1 and 3 As can be seen, the connecting section V of the toggle lever elements 14a, 14b rests against the rear side R of the lower clamping jaw 8 when the clamping device is in the tensioned state.

The function of the clamping device 7 is as follows:

The load carrier is first placed in the in 5 shown relaxed state on the ball head 6 of the trailer hitch 3 pushed. In the relaxed state, the longitudinal bars 2 of the frame are aligned approximately vertically. This facilitates the insertion of the lower clamping jaw 8 onto the coupling neck 5. The first pivot pin 13c, the second pivot pin 15 and the third pivot pin 16 form an approximately right-angled triangle (see 5 ).

Then the frame or the longitudinal beams 2 in the 1 until 3 pivoted horizontal position shown. The clamping device 7 is brought into the clamped state. The third pivot pin 16 is pivoted in the direction of a line L which connects a first axis running through the first pivot pin 13c to a second axis running through the second pivot pin 15 .

When the toggle lever elements 14a, 14b are pivoted, the interaction of the tension elements 12a, 12b with the first pivoted lever sections SA1 forces the upper clamping jaw 11 against the lower clamping jaw 8. A distance between the second pivot pin 15 and the third pivot pin 16 is matched to a distance between the first recess 9 in the lower clamping jaw 8 and the corresponding second recess in the upper clamping jaw 11 such that the tension elements 12a, 12b are stretched in the tensioned state. The clamping tension caused by the pivoting of the toggle lever elements 14a, 14b, with which the clamping jaws 8, 11 are forced against the ball head 6, increases as the third axis running through the third pivot pin 16 approaches the line L.

Like in particular 3 As can be seen, the axes of the first pivot bolt 13c, the second pivot bolt 15 and the third pivot bolt 16 lie approximately on the line L in the clamped state. The third axis through the third pivot bolt 16 is located approximately between the first and second axes in the clamped state, which each run through the two ends of the pulling elements 12a, 12b. The toggle lever mechanism is expediently designed in such a way that it is slightly overstretched in the tensioned state, i.e. another line L' connecting the third axis of the third pivot bolt 16 with the first axis of the first pivot bolt 13c ends with the line L (see Fig 3 ) an angle of 1° to 3°.

In the clamped state, the bolt 20 engages in the third recess 21 corresponding thereto in the lower clamping jaw 8 . The clamped state can therefore only be released again by pivoting the bolt 20 . The lock 22 can also be used to block the bolt 20 from pivoting, so that the load carrier can be secured against theft on the trailer hitch 3 in the tensioned state.

Reference List

1

cross bar

2

longitudinal beam

3

trailer hitch

4

shaft

5

coupling neck

6

ball head

7

clamping device

8th

lower jaws

9

first recess

10

slot

11

upper jaw

12a, 12b

tension element

13a, 13b

leg

13c

first axle bolt

14a, 14b

toggle element

15

second axle bolt

16

third axle bolt

17

fuse section

18

bolt

19

guide

20

bars

21

third recess

22

Lock

K1, K2

toggle assemblies

L

line

L'

another line

M

mounting side

R

back

S

Side wall

SA1

first pivot lever section

SA2

second pivot lever section

V

connection section

ZA

central section

Claims (14)

Load carrier for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, with a frame, a clamping device (7) for clamping the frame to a ball head (6) of a trailer hitch (3) is attached to the frame, wherein the clamping device (7) comprises: (i) a lower clamping jaw (8) with a concave first recess (9) designed to correspond to the geometry of the ball head (6), (ii) an upper clamping jaw (11) with a concave second recess designed to correspond to the geometry of the ball head (6), the upper clamping jaw (11) being connected to the lower clamping jaw (8) by means of a linear guide (18, 19), and (iii) a toggle lever mechanism with two toggle lever arrangements (K1, K2), each toggle lever arrangement (K1, K2) having a tension element (12a, 12b) and at least one toggle lever element (14a, 14b) for forcing the upper clamping jaw (11) in the direction of the lower Clamping jaw (8) includes, wherein the frame is firmly connected to the toggle lever elements (14a, 14b), so that the toggle lever mechanism can be actuated by pivoting the frame. porter after claim 1 , wherein the frame has a transverse beam (1), and the toggle lever elements (14a, 14b) are firmly connected to the transverse beam (1). porter after claim 1 or 2 , wherein the two toggle lever arrangements (K1, K2) are pivotally articulated on mutually opposite side walls (S) of the lower clamping jaw (8) and the upper clamping jaw (11). A load carrier according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the toggle mechanism comprises: the two tension members (12a, 12b), each of which is pivotally attached at its first end to a side wall (S) of the lower jaw (8), and the two toggle members ( 14a, 14b) where a first pivoted lever section (SA1) is connected to a second pivoted lever section (SA2) via a central section (ZA) and the first pivoted lever section (SA1) forms an angle of 85° to 100° with the second pivoted lever section (SA2), with each toggle lever element (14a, 14b) in the central section (ZA) on a further side wall of the upper clamping jaw (11), and wherein a second end of each pulling element (12a, 12b) is pivoted on the first pivoting lever section (SA1) of a toggle lever element (14a, 14b ) is pivotally mounted. porter after claim 4 , wherein the first ends of the tension elements (12a, 12b) are each held pivotably about first axle bolts (13c) in two opposing legs (13a, 13b) of a U-profile forming the side wall (S) of the lower clamping jaw (8). porter after claim 4 or 5 , wherein the second ends of the pulling elements (12a, 12b) are pivotally connected to the first pivoting lever sections (SA1) by means of a second axle bolt (15). Load carrier after one of Claims 4 until 6 , wherein the central sections (ZA) of the toggle lever elements (14a, 14b) are connected to the upper clamping jaw (11) by means of a third axle bolt (16) which passes through the upper clamping jaw (11). porter after claim 7 , wherein at the second end of the tension elements (12a, 12b) there is provided a securing section (17) extending therefrom for securing the third axle bolt (16). Load carrier after one of Claims 4 until 8th , wherein a connecting section (V) for connection to the transverse beam (1) extends from the second pivoting lever section (SA2) of each toggle lever element (14a, 14b) at an angle of 80° to 100°. porter after claim 9 , A bolt (20) for securing the toggle lever mechanism in the clamped state being provided on the connecting section (V). porter after claim 10 , wherein a lock (22) for selectively blocking a movement of the bolt (20) is provided. Load carrier according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower clamping jaw (8) and/or the upper clamping jaw (11) is or are made from an extruded aluminum profile. Load carrier according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower clamping jaw (8) has a slot (10) extending from a mounting side (M) into the first recess (9), the width of the slot (10) being greater than a diameter of a Coupling neck (5) and smaller than a diameter of the ball head (6) of the trailer hitch (3). porter after Claim 13 , wherein the connecting section (V) rests against a rear side (R) of the lower clamping jaw (8) opposite the slot (10) when the toggle lever mechanism is tensioned.

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