Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R9/00—Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like
  • B60R9/04—Carriers associated with vehicle roof

Definitions

• This invention relates to a luggage carrier apparatus for attachment to the roof of an automobile, and more particu ⁇ larly it relates to such an apparatus having improved compon ⁇ ents which render the apparatus easy to attach or detach from the automobile roof without damage to the finish.
• This invention relates to a luggage carrier apparatus for releaseable attachment to an automobile top holding longi ⁇ tudinal rain gutters thereon, characterized by having:
• each member having an upper surface and a lower surface and a longitudinal open channel in the upper surface;
• strap means adapted to lie in said channel members and extend laterally across the automobile top com ⁇ pressing said lower surfaces of said support members against said automobile top; and be adjustably attachable to said hook elements;
• a two-piece separable buckle member adapted to receive two ends respectively of said strap means each of which is adjustably positionable in said buckle member in frictional nonslipping engagement therewith while holding said two pieces together in nonseparable engagement.
• This invention also relates to such a luggage carrying apparatus having a strap engaging two-piece separ ⁇ able buckle comprising an inner element and an outer element which mutually interlock with each other, when positioned longitudinally, said outer element being generally rec ⁇ tangular and having a central lengthwise aperture of suffi ⁇ cient size for said inner element to pass therethrough edge ⁇ wise, said inner element being generally I-shaped with a midsection narrower than the width of said aperture and the two end sections wider than the width of said aperture, and cooperating means in both ends of both elements for threading a strap therethrough to hold the respective juxtaposed ends of said elements together and to cinch the strap in a nonslip frictional engagement with itself and holding said elements together in nonseparable engagement when said strap extends longitudinally from each end of said buckle and is under tensile force.
• This invention also relates to such a luggage carrying apparatus having a strap engaging hook for attach ⁇ ment to an automobile roof gutter comprising a leg portion, a foot portion at substantially right angles to said leg portion, and a toe portion at substantially right angles to said foot portion, said leg portion including at least three strap-engaging slots, said hook having the inside roof gutter engaging surface of the hook covered with a material non- abrasive to paint.
• This invention also relates to such a luggage carrying apparatus comprising two combinations of a buckle, a strap, two channel support members, and two automobile roof gutter engaging hooks, the combinations characterized by a strap threaded through said two spaced hooks being nonabra- sive to paint and having at least three spaced parallel strap receiving slots for fixing said hooks by frictional engage ⁇ ment into a nonslip selected position on said strap; two cooperating buckle elements attached to said strap at the ends thereof, said buckle elements being fastenable to each other by passing one element edgewise halfway through a central aperture in the other element and rotating the one element 90° to lock the two elements together when under tensile force, said elements being attached to said strap by threading said strap through slots and around bars aligned with said slots and around juxtaposed ends of said elements to produce frictional nonslip engagement of said strap with it ⁇ self and to fasten the two elements together in a nonsepar ⁇ able engagement; and two elongated compressible resilient expanded elastomeric channel support members being generally rectangular in cross section and
• FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the luggage carrier of this invention attached to an automobile.
• FIG. 2- is a perspective view of the buckle of this invention.
• FIG. 3- is a cross-sectional view taken at A-A of FIG. 2 and showing the path of the strap threaded through * the buckle in assembled and locked position.
• FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the inner element of the buckle of FIG. 2.
• FIG. 5. is an end elevational view of the element of FIG. 4.
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken at B-B of FIG. 4.
• FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the outer element of the buckle of FIG. 2.
• FIG. 8' is an end elevational view of the element of FIG. 7.
• FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken at C-C of FIG. 7.
• FIG. 10 is an- end elevational view of the hook member of this invention.
• FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken at D-D of FIG. 10 with a strap threaded through the member.
• FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the channel
• FIG. 13 is an end elevational view of the channel support member of FIG. 12.
• FIG. 14 is a rear elevational view of the system of this invention on the top of an automobile.
• FIG. 1 An automobile 10 with a longitudinal rain gutter 11 running along each side of the automobile top 12 is the vehicle illustrated for attachment of the luggage carrier of this invention.
• Two identical combinations 13 of equip ⁇ ment are generally fastened laterally across the automobile top 12/ one across the front of top 12 and one across the rear of top 12, the spacing between the two being sufficient to provide a stable seating for luggage 14.
• Each combination 13 includes two channel support members 15, two hook members 16, a buckle 17, and a strap 18.
• Channel support members 15 are spaced apart laterally across automobile top 12 with their channels aligned so that strap 18 may be laid therein to press members 15 against automobile top 12.
• Luggage 14 rests on the top surfaces of members 15 without the necessity (in most instances) for any platform.
• Channel members 15 are compressible resilient articles preferably made of a foamed or expanded plastic or elastomer, such as foamed or expanded polyethylene or foamed or expanded polyurethane. Then mater ⁇ ials are not abrasive to the enamel finish of the automobile and therefore may be placed directly on the finish.
• Buckle 17 comprises an inner element 19 and an outer element 20 which nest together when assembled (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) to assume the shape of a regular prism.
• Each element 19 and 20 is generally rectangular in shape and they are assembled or disassembled by rotating inner element 19 approximately 90° from the position shown in FIG. 2 which allows inner element 19 to pass edgewise through central- aperture 21 of outer element 20.
• elements 19 and 20 will not separate because of the configurations of these two elements as de ⁇ scribed below.
• Inner element 19 is shown in detail in FIGS. 4-6.
• This portion of buckle 17 has a first end portion 24 and a second end portion 25 joined by a connecting idsection 26.
• End portions 24 and 25 are parallel to each other but are not coplanar; each is at a different elevation.
• the two end portions 24 and 25 are joined to each other by an angularly disposed midsection 26, generally forming a stair step configuration.
• Element 19, when viewed from above (see FIG. 4) has a narrower midsection 26 than end portions 24 and 25, generally forming an I-shaped piece.
• first end portion 24 there is a lateral slot 27 through end portion 24 to serve as a passageway for strap 18.
• second end portion 25 there also is a lateral slot 28 through end portion 25 to serve as a passageway for strap 18.
• Slot 27 is narrower than slot 28 for reasons which will become apparent in the description of FIG. 3 below.
• First end portion 24 also has two outwardly projecting lugs 29 which fit around the ends of wall 33 and allow surface 67 to bear against surface 30 when buckle 17 is tightly cinched, but leaves a space 31 for threading strap 18 therethrough before cinching.
• Outer element 20 is shown in detail in FIGS. 7-9.
• This element comprises two lengthwise side walls 32 and two lateral end walls 33 enclosing a generally rectangular cen ⁇ tral aperture 21.
• outer element 20 has a first end portion 34 and a second end portion 35 joined by an angularly disposed con ⁇ necting midsection 36.
• the angularly disposed midsections 26 of element 19 and 36 of element 20 are oriented in opposite directions from each other so they may be nested together in a locked position when assembled as in FIGS. 2 and 3.
• End portions 34 and 35 are generally parallel to each other but not coplanar.
• Element 20 has two lugs 39 at the junctures of walls 32 and 33 in second end portion 35 which permits sur ⁇ face 40 of wall 33 to be in line with slot 28 of element 19 when assembled. This feature is important in threading strap 18 through buckle 17 as explained below.
• Element 20 also preferably includes tongue 41 projecting outwardly from wall 33 of end portion 34.
• Tongue 41 serves as a finger grip tab for releasing the tension on strap 18 so that it may be dis ⁇ assembled from buckle 17, and also is a convenient location for a trademark or other identification of the manufacturer.
• Central aperture 21 has a greater length 42 than the width 43 of element 19 which permits element 19 to be inserted edgewise halfway into aperture 21 and then rotated so as to be nested with element 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
• shoulders 44 of element bear against forward surface 45 of midsection 36 of element 20 and shoulders 46 bear against the rear surface 47 of midsection 36 of element 20 to prevent elements 19 and 20 from separation.
• This fastening arrangement is made into a strong locking engagement when strap 18 is threaded through the appropriate openings to lash elements 19 and 20 together as shown in FIG. 3.
• Strap portions 48 represent a length of strap 18 that extends from each side of buckle 17 around the luggage 14, through two gutter hooks 16, and across two resilient channel members 15 as depicted in FIG. 1.
• Strap ends 49 and 50 are the free ends of strap 18. Strap end 50 is threaded upward through slot 28, past the inside surface 53 of rear end wall 33, down the outside surface of rear end wall 33 through slot 28, upward around the outside of end portions 25 and 35, and downward over the outside of strap 18 on inside surface 53 and out through slot 28. This first threading of strap 18 through buckle 17 need not be done while there is any tensile force on strap 18.
• buckle 17 wedging action is produced be ⁇ tween surface 67 and surface 30 at one end of buckle 17 as well as between the opposing portions at 68 at the other end of buckle 17. It is to be noted that even though certain solid portions of buckle 17 were to break while strap 18 is fully threaded therethrough, the buckle will not separate. For example, if one of walls 32 were to break the buckle would still not separate because of the lashing of inner element 19 to outer element 20.
• Hook members 16 for engagement with the rain gutters 11 on an automobile are shown in detail in FIGS. 10 and 11.
• Metal hook member 54 is covered on its inside surface and it.s edges by nonabrasive coating member 55.
• a preferred embodi ⁇ ment is for hook member 54 and coating member 55 to comprise a leg portion 56, a foot portion 57 approximately at right angles to leg portion 56, and a to ⁇ e portion 58 approximately at right angles to foot portion 57 so as to form an L-shaped article.
• leg portion 56 there are a plurality (three shown in FIGS. 10-11) of slots 59 of a size to receive strap 18 threaded therethrough as shown in FIG. 11.
• Hook member ' 54 preferably is made of steel for strength and comprises a wide flat strip bent in two.
• Nonabrasive cover 55 is preferably made of polyethylene or any other moldable thermoplastic or elastomeric material that is not abrasive to paint. Cover 55 fits over the inside surface and the edges of hook member 54, and preferably is attached to hook member 54 by a snap-on fastening. In the embodiment shown here there are two tongues 60 which project backwards from stiffening ribs 61 and engage the edges of two of slots 59. Furthermore, cover 55 is fashioned with edges 62 to engage the respective edges of hook member 54 and also to protect against any possibility that the edges of hook member 54 will scratch the finish of the automobile top. For ease in manufacture and in assembly of cover 55 onto hook member 54, the corners of cover 55 are made of thin sections 63 that bend easily and function as a
• FIGS. 12-13 there is shown the structure of channel support members 15.
• These members are generally long pieces of rectangular cross section with a longitudinal open channel 64 on upper surface 65 of the member. Lower surface 66 rests on the automobile top 12.
• the width of channel 64 is sufficient to receive strap 18 therein.
• the height of member 15 (i.e., distance from lower surface 66 to upper surface 65) is sufficient to support the luggage thereon without sufficient distortion of member 15 to make channel unusable as a keeper for strap 18 or as a support for luggage 14.
• support member 15 is made of expanded polyethylene, expanded polyurethane or other -stiff foamed elastomeric ma ⁇ terial, as is preferable, these members are about 12 inches long with a rectangular cross section of about 2-3 inches on a side.
• FIG. 14 shows how the various component parts of the apparatus of this invention are assembled to carry luggage on an automobile top.
• Two or more channel support members 15 are placed in line laterally across automobile top 12 with strap 18 laid in channel 64 of members 15. Strap 18 is threaded through two hook members 16 which are engaged with respective roof gutters 11 on either side of automobile top 12 and pulled tight. Slots 59 engage strap 18 in a nonslip fashion so that strap 18 may be tightened between hook mem ⁇ bers 16 to compress channel support members 15 against auto ⁇ mobile top 12 before luggage is loaded onto members 15 and before any cinching of strap 18 through buckle 17. End 50 of strap 18 is then passed over the top of luggage 14 and attached to buckle 17 as described above.
• End 49 of strap 18 is then threaded through buckle 17 and pulled tight to cinch strap 18 in buckle 17 with luggage 14 tightly pressed against support members 15.
• the compressible resiliency of members 15 will permit the upper surface 65 of members 15 to exactly match the contours of the lower part of luggage 14 and lower surface 65 of support members 15 to exactly match the contour of automobile top 12. This provides an unusually stable support for carrying luggage.
• An added feature of stability is that as strap 18 is tightened it pulls the free ends of hook members 16 against automobile top 12 with a portion of strap 18 between hook member 16 and top 12. The tighter strap 18 is pulled the more pressure is applied by hook member 16 to strap 18 providing an even greater nonslip strength.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Fittings On The Vehicle Exterior For Carrying Loads, And Devices For Holding Or Mounting Articles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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Family Cites Families (6)

• 1984
  • 1984-05-30 EP EP19840902398 patent/EP0190118A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1984-05-30 WO PCT/US1984/000832 patent/WO1985004844A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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