GB2258200A

GB2258200A - A luggage rack

Info

Publication number: GB2258200A
Application number: GB9209383D
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ewan Callam Vessey-Macpherson; Mark Jonathan Welbourne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-08-01
Filing date: 1992-04-30
Publication date: 1993-02-03

Description

A LUGGAGE RACK The present invention relates to a luggage rack and more particularly to a luggage rack which may be mounted at the rear of a car.

Previously, it has been a problem that at certain times, the luggage space of some cars is insufficient. Past attempts to overcome this problem have included providing luggage racks which are mounted on the roof or the rear boot of the car. Such an arrangement has several drawbacks such as when the racks are not in use, they either have to be removed, which is inconvenient, or remain on the car as an unsightly feature. In loading and unloading luggage from the rack, the bodywork is also liable to be damaged as a result of the luggage or the racks themselves. When carrying bicycles, the problem is particularly acute.

An improved way of carrying bicycles has been proposed wherein a framework is attached to the tow-bar assembly of a car and is adapted to carry one or more bicycles behind the rear of the car. Such an apparatus is not without its own problems, namely that on a small car, the bicycle or bicycles tend to stand high in the rear window thus obscuring the driver's vision and also, the proximity of the framework to the rear boot or the hatchback makes access to these compartments difficult if not impossible.

Thus despite these developments, the problem still exists of how one might conveniently carry additional luggage.

Hence, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved luggage rack.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a luggage rack for carrying luggage on a car, said luggage rack comprising mounting means adapted for mounting on a bumper at the rear of a car, or mounting means adapted to be secured to a towing assembly at the rear of a car, extension means attached at one end to said mounting means and, in use, extending substantially vertically upwards from said mounting means behind the car, and carrying means mounted on said extension means capable of carrying luggage.

Thus the present invention provides convenient additional carrying capacity, reduces the chance of damaging the body of a car when loading luggage and allows additional luggage to be stored with a hatchback as well as a booted car.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a luggage rack for carrying luggage on a car, said luggage rack comprising mounting means adapted for mounting on the rear of a car, extension means attached at one end to said mounting means and, in use, extending substantially vertically upwards from said mounting means behind the car, and carrying means capable of carrying luggage, adjustably and detachably mountable on to the extension means such that, in use, said carrying means may be mounted at the rear of a car at an adjustable height relative to the car.

Hence, the height at which the luggage is stored may be conveniently adjusted according to the car such that the driver's visibility is improved compared to previous fixed type racks.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a luggage rack for carrying luggage on a car, said luggage rack comprising mounting means adapted for mounting on the rear of a car, extension means pivotally attached at one end to said mounting means and, in use, extending substantially vertically upwards from said mounting means behind the car and carrying means mounted on said extension means capable of carrying luggage.

Hence, the luggage rack may be pivoted so as to allow easy access to the rear of the car without the need to remove the luggage and the luggage rack.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a luggage rack for carrying luggage on a car, said luggage rack comprising mounting means adapted for mounting on the rear of a car, extension means attached at one end to said mounting means and, in use, extending substantially vertically upwards from said mounting means behind the car and a plurality of carrying means to be mounted simultaneously to the extension means and, in use, to extend respectively forwards and rearwards of the extension means.

Hence two sets of luggage may be mounted at the rear of the car, one of which might comprise one or more bicycles and the other a set of suitcases.

One or more of the above aspects may advantageously be combined together.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the luggage rack with a tow-bar mounting.

Figure 2 is a side view of the luggage rack of Figure 1 with a bumper mounting.

Figure 3 shows the tow-bar mounting plate of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows the extension member of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 show perspective, front and side views of a second embodiment of the luggage rack with a tow-bar mounting.

Figure 8 is a side view of the luggage rack of Figures 5 to 7 with a bumper mounting.

Figure 9 shows a luggage type carrying means of the embodiment of Figure 1 and 5.

Figure 10 shows a bicycle type carrying means of the embodiment of Figure 1 and 5.

Figure 11 shows the bumper mounting of Figure 8 without any strap attachments.

Figure 12 shows the bumper mounting of Figures 2 or 8 without the extension member plates.

Figure 13 shows the upper strap of Figures 2 and 8.

Figures 1 and 5 to 7 illustrate respectively first and second embodiments of a luggage rack in use with a tow-bar mount which comprises a plate 12 which may be attached to a plate (not shown) of a tow-bar assembly of a vehicle and Figures 2 and 8 illustrate the embodiments in use with a bumper mount 50. The luggage rack comprises an extension means 2 which extends upwardly behind the rear of the vehicle, normally a car. The extension means comprises two extension members 2 on which carrying means 26,28 may be mounted. In the Figures, two types of carrying means are illustrated. One 26,28 extends forwards over the rear of the car and is suitable for carrying general luggage. The other 26 extends rearwards (possibly over a trailer) and is suitable for carrying bicycles.Both types of carrying means are provided with tubular sections 22 which may slide over the extension members 2 such that either carrying means may be mounted forward or rearward of the extension means and at any height.

Considering the first embodiment and referring to Figure 4, the extension members 2 of the first embodiment have, one or more interconnecting cross members 6 and locking plates 8 which extend inwardly and are provided with holes 10 to be opposite holes 20 of the tow-bar mounting plate 12 or bumper mounting 50 (to be described below). In order that access may be gained to the boot or hatch back of the car in question, the extension means may be pivotally mounted to the mounting means by pins in holes 4. Further, in this case, a locking means may be provided which may pass through respective holes 10,20.

When the extension members 2 are in their upright position, a hinged section of the locking member is moved such that the locking member will no longer pass through the holes 10, thereby locking the extension members 2 in their upright position. Further, the locking member may be dimensioned such that its ends will not pass through holes 10,20 so that, even in its unlocked state, the extension members 2 may only pivot through a predetermined amount such that the luggage is prevented from moving all the way to the ground or trailer.

The extension members 2 will have to carry substantial loads at times and therefore, they are preferably of at least 25 mm diameter and made of steel. They are preferably spaced 175 mm between centres and have 8.5 mm diameter holes 4. However, other materials and dimensions will also suffice.

Referring to Figure 9, a preferred carrying means of the luggage type is shown. This comprises two tubular sections 22 of a size to slide over the extension members 2.

The tubular sections 22 have preferably a knurled knob 24 screwed radially in their side to grip against the extension members 2. Attached to the tubular sections 22 are one or more members forming a flat plane with possibly one or more lips between which luggage may be carried. However, preferably and according to Figure 9, there are two rods 26 which carry an oval-shaped tube 28 for supporting luggage. Rods 26 and oval tube 28 are positioned so as to be angled to the horizontal when the extension members 2 are in their upright position.

Figure 10 illustrates another type of carrying means in which only rods 26 are provided, these being suitable for carrying bicycles.

The carrying means may be fitted to extend in a forward or rearward direction and by means of the tubular sections 22 and knobs 24 may be secured at any position along the length of the extension members 2. The apparatus is particularly advantageous when a bicycle carrying means is positioned rearwardly of the extension members and a luggage carrying means positioned forwardly of the extension members.

Alternatively, several carrying means may be mounted at once and, when mounted rearwardly, may be lowered to below the bottom of the rear screen so as not to impair the driver's vision.

The luggage carrying means may be used with a hatch back car and may be adjusted to rest just above the rear glass screen of the car.

Referring to Figure 3 which illustrates the tow-bar mounting means of the first embodiment, a mounting plate 12 is provided which may be bolted to the tow-bar mount of a car.

When a tow-bar is secured to the car, its securing bolts may pass through holes 14, thereby clamping the mounting plate 12 in position. Two pairs of plates 16 are provided perpendicular to the mounting plate 12. These have holes 18 which operate in conjunction with pins and holes 4 of the extension members 2 in order pivotally to mount the extension members 2 to the plate 12.

In contrast to the extension members 2 of the first embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the extension members 2 of the second embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 to 7, do not have an inter-connecting cross member or locking plates and may be made of stainless steel to reduce corrosion. The tow-bar mounting means of the second embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 5, comprises a similar mounting plate 12 to that of the first embodiment, but has two pairs of plates 36 between which the extension means 2 are fixed with pins 30,32. Thus by removing the upper pin 32, which is equivalent to the locking member of the first embodiment, the extension members and, therefore luggage rack, may be pivoted from their vertical position in the same way as with the first embodiment.

Further, straps 34 may be attached to the mounting plate 12 or bumper mount 50 (to be described below) so as to limit the extent by which the extension members 2 pivot. Preferably, for reasons of strength of attachment, the straps 34 are attached to the back of plate 12 i.e. the opposite face to that on which the extension members are mounted.

The extension members of the first and second embodiments are easily detachable from their mountings by means of removal of the attaching pins and, therefore, the luggage racks of either embodiment may be used inter-changeably with either tow-bar mounting means 12 or bumper mounting means 50.

However, other integral arrangements are also contemplated.

Referring to Figures 2 and 18, the bumper mount 50 comprises a substantially right angled section 52 which, in use, is placed over the lip of a bumper at the rear of a car.

Padding 54 may be provided under the angled section 52 in order to spread the load over the bumper and the luggage rack may be attached by means of plates 16 and holes 10,20 like those of Figure 3 for the first embodiment or plates 36, illustrated in Figure 11, and pins 30,32 for the second embodiment.

In use, the bumper mount 50 is held in place by at least two straps 56,58, the upper strap(s) 56 being secured above the bumper and the lower strap(s) 58 having an attachment 59 hooking around a lower section of the car as illustrated in Figures 2 and 8.

The upper straps 56 may be secured by means of hooks or clips attached to a convenient part of the car such as the inside of the boot or hatch or onto the boot/hatch lip.

However, preferably it is proposed to use a bar 60 located within the rear luggage space. This bar 60, illustrated in Figure 12, is of adjustable length and may be secured at a desired length by means of a knurled knob 62 screwed into its side. The bar 60 is conveniently located in the rear space of the car and adjusted to a length suitable to secure it in position, for instance, across the bottom of the hatch back opening at a length greater than that opening. Strap 56 is then tightened by a buckle 64, such as a cam buckle, which is attached to the angled section 52. Although only one strap 56 and buckle 64 is illustrated in Figure 12, preferably, a further symmetrically placed strap and buckle is used attached to the other side of plate 52. Then the lower strap 58 may be tightened by means of ratchet 66, mounted on bracket 67, such that, in use, with the bumper mount held in place, the straps are tightened to secure the bumper mount in position.

Preferably an additional strap 68, as illustrated in Figure 13, is attached to the two extension members 2 and hooked around an appropriate part of the car eg. the forward lip of its boot or hatchback door.

When used with the second embodiment, straps 34 may also be attached to the bar 60 or its equivalent hooks/clips described above.

It will be appreciated that other arrangements of straps, buckles and ratchets are also envisaged.

Claims

1. A luggage rack for carrying luggage on a car, said luggage rack comprising mounting means adapted for mounting on a bumper at the rear of a car, or mounting means adapted to be secured to a towing assembly at the rear of a car, extension means attached at one end to said mounting means and, in use, extending substantially vertically upwards from said mounting means behind the car, and carrying means mounted on said extension means capable of carrying luggage.

2. A luggage rack according to claim 1 wherein said carrying means are adjustably and detachably mountable on to the extension means such that, in use, said carrying means may be mounted at the rear of a car at an adjustable height relative to the car.

3. A luggage rack according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said extension means are pivotally attached at one end to said mounting means.

4. A luggage rack according to claim 3 wherein said mounting means are provided with a lock to releasibly secure the extension means from pivoting.

5. A luggage rack according to claim 4 wherein the lock comprises a pin which may be positioned through corresponding apertures in said extension means and said mounting means.

6. A luggage rack according to any one of claims 3 to 5 comprising limit means for limiting the angle through which the extension means may pivot.

7. A luggage rack according to claim 6 wherein said limit means comprise at least one strap of a predetermined length attached at one end to said extension means and at the other end to said mounting means.

8. A luggage rack according to any preceding claim comprising a plurality of carrying means to be mounted simultaneously to the extension means and, in use, to extend respectively forwards and rearwards of the extension means.

9. A luggage rack according to any preceding claim wherein said carrying means comprises two substantially parallel bars suitable for carrying at least one bicycle.

10. A luggage rack according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said carrying means comprises a platform in substantially one plain suitable for carrying boxes and the like thereon.

11. A luggage rack according to any preceding claim comprising mounting means adapted to be secured to a towing assembly at the rear of a car.

12. A luggage rack according to any one of claims 1 to 10 comprising mounting means adapted for mounting on a bumper at the rear of a car.

13. A luggage rack according to any preceding claim wherein said extension means is detachable from said mounting means.

14. A luggage rack according to claim 13 comprising mounting means adapted to be secured to a towing assembly at the rear of a car and mounting means adapted for mounting on a bumper at the rear of a car.

15. A luggage rack according to claim 12 or 14 wherein said mounting means adapted for mounting on a bumper comprises a plate having a flange, in use, being positioned against the rear and upper faces of a rear bumper of a car and further comprising at least one tensionable flexible elongate member having attachment means for attaching to the car, such that, in use, said elongate member is attached to the car above and beneath the plate and is attached to the mounting means adapted for mounting on a bumper so as to hold the plate in the mounted position.

16. A luggage rack according to claim 15 wherein said elongate member comprises at least two straps, each attached at one end to said mounting means adapted for mounting on a bumper and each having at the other end at least one attachment means.

17. A luggage rack according to claim 16 wherein at least one of said straps is attached to said mounting means by means of a ratchet mechanism.

18. A luggage rack according to claim 15, 16 or 17 wherein said attachment means comprises a hook.

19. A luggage rack according to claim 15, 16 or 17 wherein said attachment means comprises a bar of adjustable length to be positioned, in use, across the rear luggage space of the car.

20. A luggage rack according to any preceding claim further comprising at least one strap, in use, attached at one end to an upper portion of said extension means and attached at the other end to the car by means of a hook portion.

21. A luggage rack constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1, 3 to 7, 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A luggage rack constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 2, 4 and 8 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.