GB2455088A

GB2455088A - Load carrying apparatus for a vehicle roof

Info

Publication number: GB2455088A
Application number: GB0723199A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Torsten Gerhardt; John K Harding; Stephen David Fleming
Original assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2007-11-27
Filing date: 2007-11-27
Publication date: 2009-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 2027-11-27
Also published as: CN101445130B; GB0723199D0; CN101445130A; GB2455088B

Abstract

A motor vehicle has a pair of stowable roof bars 10 attached to a roof structure 5 of the motor vehicle 1. Each of the roof bars 10 is constructed so as to stow flat on the roof 5 of the motor vehicle 1 and, due to its construction, each roof bar 10 is thin when stowed. The roof 5 of the motor vehicle 1 includes two open ended channels 8 each of which is used to accommodate part of a stowed roof bar 10. The channels 8 are positioned above the level of two drainage ditches 9 that extend longitudinally along opposite edges of a central roof panel 7 so as to ensure drainage of the roof 5 is not compromised.

Description

A Motor Vehicle This invention relates to a motor vehicle and in particular to a motor vehicle having one or more load carrying devices mounted on a roof of the motor vehicle.

It is known to provide a motor vehicle with two or more removable roof bars or a removable roof mounted luggage rack in order to carry objects on the roof of a motor vehicle.

It is a problem with such a roof bar or roof rack that when in use the roof bar or roof rack greatly increases the overall height of the vehicle to which it is fitted and considerable time and effort required to fit or remove the roof bar or roof rack from the vehicle.

Such removable roof bars and removable roof mounted luggage racks are therefore not ideal for use on a light commercial vehicle such as a van where it is desirable to keep the height of the vehicle below the height restrictions commonly imposed at car park entrances when no load is to be carried on the roof but which frequently require the provision of roof carrying capacity to carry items such as, for example, a ladder, scaffold poles, scaffold planks and long lengths of timber. This is because the time and effort required to fit and remove such removable carriers make this type of roof mounted load carrier a practical solution only for occasional use.

One known solution is to provide a pair of deployable roof bars which are bolted to the vehicle roof and may be collapsed and raised as required. This solution however only partially solves the problem as the structure required to support each roof bar remains proud of the roof surface when the roof bar is collapsed and is ungainly and obstructive to height restriction barriers because it increases the height of the vehicle.

It has also been proposed in US patent publication 2004/0195866A1 to provide a moveable rack mechanism which in a stowed position is at least partially below a surface of the roof and is moveable to a deployed position where it stands well above the roof surface. The shape of the longitudinal and transverse elements forming the roof rack conforms to the surface of the roof to provide a substantially continuous surface when in the stowed position.

This prior art solution is disadvantageous for use on a van because of the package requirements of the stowed rack itself and of the consequential drainage channels. That is to say, such a solution requires the vehicle structure to be adapted by providing deep depressions in the roof that will significantly reduce the interior space of the vehicle and so will reduce the cargo carrying capacity of the vehicle.

In addition, such deep depressions are not self draining and require additional drainage. That is to say, compared to a standard roof, additional depressions or channels in the rear header structure of the vehicle are required for drain channels. These additional drain channels reduce the load aperture and/or rigidity of the body structure.

It is an object of this invention to provide a stowable roof bar for a motor vehicle that is quick and easy to deploy or stow and does not increase the overall height of the vehicle when it is stowed.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a motor vehicle having a roof and at least one roof mounted load carrying apparatus mounted on the roof for movement between stowed and deployed positions, the roof comprising a central roof panel, a drainage ditch extending along each longitudinal side of the central roof panel to collect and transport, in use, water draining from the central roof panel and at least one open ended channel extending between the two drainage ditches wherein at least part of each stowed roof mounted load carrying apparatus is stowed in a respective open ended channel so that there is no increase in overall vehicle height due to the presence of the stowed roof mounted load carrying apparatus and each open ended channel is positioned no lower than the level of the drainage ditches.

The vehicle may have an interior space having a height defined between a floor of the motor vehicle and an interior roof structure of the motor vehicle and the depth of each open channel has no reducing effect on the height of the interior space.

The central roof panel may be convex roof panel.

The convex roof panel may have a crown located on a central longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle.

The height of the crown above a horizontal plane extending between the two drainage ditches may be in the range of 15 to 20mm.

Each roof mounted load carrying apparatus may be stowed completely in a respective open ended channel.

Alternatively, each roof mounted load carrying apparatus may be stowed partially in a respective open ended channel and partially in an adjacent portion of each drainage ditch.

Each roof mounted load carrying apparatus may be a stowable roof bar and includes an elongate load carrying crossbar which is stowed in a respective open ended channel.

Each elongate load carrying crossbar may be connected at each end to the roof by a respective end support used to space the elongate load carrying crossbar away from the central roof panel when the roof bar is in the deployed position and at least part of each end support may be stowed in a respective drainage ditch.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a stowable roof bar for mounting on the roof of a motor vehicle comprising an elongate load carrying crossbar that extends in use across the width of the motor vehicle, the elongate cross bar being formed from at least two thin elongate plates hingedly connected together so as to enable the roof bar to be moved from a deployed state in which a support surface of the elongate crossbar is spaced well above the roof of the motor vehicle to a stowed state in which the at least two elongate plates are folded flat on the roof of the motor vehicle so as to minimise the stowed height of the roof bar.

The roof bar may further comprise a latch mechanism located at each end of the roof bar to selectively hold the roof bar in the deployed state.

The two latch mechanisms may be linked together so that operating one latch mechanism automatically operates the other latch mechanism.

The elongate load carrying crossbar may be formed from upper, lower, front and rear thin elongate plates hingedly connected together so as to form a collapsible parallelogram.

The elongate load carrying crossbar may be fastened at each end to the roof by a collapsible upright used to space the support surface formed by the upper plate of the elongate crossbar from the roof when the roof bar is in the deployed state wherein each of the collapsible uprights is formed from upper, lower, front and rear thin plates hingedly connected together so as to form a collapsible parallelogram.

The front and rear thin elongate plates used to form the elongate crossbar may be U-shaped, each plate having two end portions joined by a central bridge portion.

The end portions of the front and rear U-shaped elongate plates may form the front and rear plates of the collapsible uprights and the upper plate of the elongate crossbar may form the upper plates of the collapsible uprights.

The upper plate may be hingedly connected on one edge to the front elongate plate, may be hingedly connected on an opposite edge to the rear elongate plate, the front and rear elongate plates may be hingedly connected to respective opposite edges of the lower elongate plate of the elongate crossbar and to respective opposite edges of the lower plates forming the collapsible uprights.

The lower plates of the collapsible uprights may be used to fasten the roof bar to the roof of the motor vehicle.

Each of the lower plates may be fastened to the roof by a base plate and a corresponding latch mechanism on the same end of the roof bar may be secured to the roof of the motor vehicle by the same base plate.

The roof bar may alternatively be formed by first and second thin support plates hingedly connected so as to form a collapsible A- frame the arrangement of the first and second plates being such that, in the deployed state, the first and second support plates are angularly disposed with respect to one another and, in the stowed state, the first and second support plates are folded flat one upon the other on top of the roof of the vehicle.

A third thin plate may be hingedly connected to the first support plate, the third plate being engageable with the second thin plate so as to form in the deployed state the support surface.

In the deployed state, the first and second support plates may be angularly disposed with respect to one another and, in the stowed state, the first and second support plates may be folded flat one upon the other on top of the roof of the vehicle and the third plate may be folded flat on top of the roof of the vehicle.

A linkage mechanism may connect the third plate to the second support plate so as to control the motion of the third plate when the first and second support plates are moved between the stowed and raised states.

The third plate member may be engaged with an edge of the second elongate plate member when the roof bar is in the deployed state so as to form in combination with the first and second elongate plates a load carrying crossbar.

A bracket may be fastened to the roof of the vehicle at each end of the roof bar, each of the brackets is hingedly connected to a respective end of the first support plate and is engageable with a corresponding respective end of the second thin plate so as to hold the first and second support plates in the deployed state.

Each of the first and second support plates may be bent over along one edge where they are hingedly connected so as to form, when the roof bar is in the deployed state, the support surface.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing of which:-Fig.l is a side view of a motor vehicle according to the invention; Fig.2 is rear view of the motor vehicle shown in Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a pictorial schematic view of a roof of the vehicle shown in Figs.l and 2 showing two transverse open ended channels and a roof bar according to the invention in deployed and stowed states; Figs.4a to 4c are scrap transverse partial cross sections of various roof forms; Fig.5 is a pictorial view of the roof similar to that of Fig.3 but with no roof bars in place; Fig.6a is a pictorial view of the roof shown in Fig.5 showing a cut plane p1 located in a drainage ditch of the roof; Fig.6b is a pictorial view of the roof shown in Fig.5 with the material to the right of the plane p1 on Fig.6a removed; Fig.7a is a pictorial view of the roof shown in Fig.5 showing a cut plane p2 located approximately on a longitudinal centre line of the vehicle; Fig.7b is a pictorial view of the roof shown in Fig.5 with the material to the right of the plane p2 on Fig.7a removed; Fig.8a is a transverse section through the roof shown in Fig.5 through one of the two channels; Fig.8b is a transverse section through the roof shown in Fig.5 between the two channels; Fig.8c is a transverse section as shown in Fig.8a but showing only the bottom of the channel not the un-sectioned roof; Fig.9 is a pictorial view of the roof bar shown schematically in Figs.1 to 3 showing the roof bar in a deployed state; Fig.1O is a pictorial view of the roof bar shown schematically in Figs.1 to 3 showing the roof bar in a stowed state; Fig.11 is an enlarged reverse pictorial view of part of the roof bar shown in Fig.1O showing a latch means when the roof bar is in the stowed state; Fig.12 is a view similar to that of Fig.11 but showing the latch means when the roof bar is in the deployed state; Fig.13 is a pictorial view of a second embodiment of roof bar in a deployed state; Fig.14 is a pictorial view of the roof bar shown in Fig.13 when the roof bar is in a stowed state; Fig.15 is an enlarged pictorial view in the direction of the arrow R on Fig.13 showing a linkage mechanism; Fig.16 is a pictorial view of another alternative embodiment of a roof bar according to the invention showing the roof bar in a deployed state; and Fig.17 is an end view of the roof bar shown in Fig.16; With particular reference to Figs 1 to 8c there is shown a motor vehicle 1 having a roof 5 upon which is mounted two identical stowable roof bars 10.

Each of the roof bars 10 is reversibly moveable between a stowed state, indicated by the reference numeral lOs on Fig.3, to a deployed state, indicated by the reference numeral lOd on Fig.3, where it is retainable by a latch mechanism.

In Figs.1 to 3 the motor vehicle in the form of a van 1 is shown with two roof bars 10 fitted to its roof 5 but it will be appreciated that more than two roof bars 10 could be fitted to the roof 5 and it would be possible to apply the invention to a roof 5 to which three or four roof bars 10 are fitted. In each case the roof 5 will have at least the same number of channels 8 as there are roof bars 10 as these channels 8 are used to assist with stowage of the roof bars 10. However, for manufacturing purposes, the roof 5 may be made with three channels 8 even though a purchaser decides to fit only two roof bars 10 or all roofs may be manufactured with five channels so that a purchaser of the van 1 can choose to have two, three or four roof bars 10 fitted depending upon the expected loads to be carried.

-10 -Figs 4a to 4c show a right hand half of three common vehicle roof forms as viewed when a transverse cross section is taken through the roof. Other roof shapes are also possible and the invention is not limited to these roof shapes.

In each case, the curvature and dimensions of the roof have been exaggerated in Figs, 4a to 4c so as to show more clearly the differences between the roofs and the vertical line C/L represents the centre line of the motor vehicle to which the roof is fitted.

In Fig.4a the roof comprises of a central convex roof panel 7 bounded on each longitudinal edge by a drainage ditch 9 and a lip or ridge 6 running longitudinally along the outer edge of the roof formed either as part of the roof panel 7 or as part of the body outer panel joined to the roof panel 7 by a weld in the drainage ditch 9. The central roof panel 7 has a high point or crown c' located on the centre line C/L of the vehicle. With this type of roof shape, the maximum height of the vehicle "V'1 is equal to the top surface of the two ridges 6 and the drainage ditch 9 is a distinct flat bottomed strip running along the longitudinal edges of the central roof panel 7.

In Fig.4b the roof comprises of a central convex roof panel 7 bounded on each longitudinal edge by a drainage ditch 9 but there is no raised lip or ridge running longitudinally along the outer edge of the roof. In this example the maximum height of the vehicle "V" is equal to the height of the highest point or crown c' of the central roof panel 7 above the ground.

In Fig.4c the roof comprises of a central convex roof panel 7 bounded on each longitudinal edge by a drainage ditch 9 and a lip or ridge 6 running longitudinally along the outer edge of the roof. The central roof panel 7 has a -11 -high point or crown c' located on the centre line C/L of the vehicle. In this example the maximum height of the vehicle "V'1 is equal to the height of the highest point or crown c' of the central roof panel 7 above the ground and the drainage ditch 9 is the lowest point of the central roof panel 7 where it meets the ridge 6.

In Figs.4a to 4c the dimension z' is the maximum height above the height of the drainage ditches 9 that a stowed roof bar can have if it is not to increase the overall maximum height V1 of the motor vehicle. Therefore, although in the case of a roof constructed as shown in Fig.4a it is theoretically possible to stow a roof bar 10 on the central roof panel 7 without increasing the maximum height V1 of the vehicle in practice the distance between the height of the crown c' of the roof and the maximum height V'of the vehicle is too small to accommodate a roof bar having sufficient strength. The inventors have therefore realised that in order to package such a stowed roof bar an open ended channel 8 must be formed in the central roof panel to at least partially accommodate a stowed roof bar 10.

Therefore, in accordance with this invention, one or more transverse open ended channels 8 is formed in the central roof panel 7 in order to accommodate at least part of a stowed roof bar 10. In each case, the lowest point of the open ended channel is located no lower than the height of the drainage ditches 9 to ensure that water falling in the open ended channel 8 can drain into one or other of the drainage ditches 9. By using a channel 8 having a depth limited by the height of the drainage ditches 9, the channel 8 will normally not reduce the height of the interior of the motor vehicle. This is because, most vehicles have transverse strengthening beams or bows located in the interior of the motor vehicle so that their cross-section or vertical depth is normally at least equal to the depth of -12 -the open ended channel 8. The creation of an open ended channel 8 adjacent to a roof bow will not therefore reduce the available maximum height of the interior. This is an important fact when the type of motor vehicle is a van, because the cargo space is critical in a van and any reduction in carrying volume is to be avoided. This invention is therefore particularly advantageous when applied to use on a van.

Referring now to Figs.3 and 5 the roof 5 shown is similar in shape to that shown in Fig.4c and has a central portion 7, two longitudinally extending drainage ditches 9 located one on each side of the central roof panel 7 and two ridges 6, one on each side of the roof 5. j-5

Each of the channels 8 has a base or bottom surface 8b bounded on each side by an inclined wall 8w and is open at both ends so that at one end it communicates with the drainage ditch 9 on the right hand side of the central roof panel 7 and at the other end it communicates with the drainage ditch 9 on the left hand side of the central roof panel 7.

Each of the open ended channels 8 is positioned such that its bottom surface 8b is located no lower than the level of the drainage ditches 9 with which it' communicates so as to ensure that any water falling into the channel 8 can drain into one of the drainage ditches 9.

Each of the open ended channels 8 is sized so as to accommodate part of a stowed roof bar 10. This allows the stowed thickness of roof bar 10 to be greater without increasing the overall height V1 of the van 1 than it would be if the roof bar 10 is stowed on top of the central roof panel 7.

-13 -The arrangement of the channels 8 and the thickness of the members used to form the roof bar 10 is arranged such that at least part of each stowed roof bar 10 is stowed in a respective one of the open ended channels 8 so that there is no increase in overall vehicle height due to the presence of the stowed roof bar 8. The bottom surface 8b of each of the open ended channels 8 is positioned no lower than the level of the drainage ditches 9.

The van 1 has an interior space or cargo volume having a height defined between a floor (not shown) of the van 1 and an interior roof structure such as a roof bow (not shown) of the van 1 and the depth of each of the two open channels 8 has no reducing effect on the height of the interior space because the roof bow and the open ended channel 8 will be located adjacent to each other rather than stacked one over the other. This adjacency of roof bow and channel 8 also forms a constraint on the rack fixing, as the rack fixing must be located at a reinforced location, normally and preferably being formed as part of the roof bow, thereby requiring that the rack lies in an open ended channel 8 adjacent to the roof bow, but fixed to reinforcements within the envelope of the roof bow. The design of the roof bars 10 in the shape of an H or an inverted U then allows the cross bar 15 to be stowed in an open-ended channel 8 whilst the lower end of the support 16 can be fixed to the roof by means of the plates 17 at a reinforced location without the open-ended channel 8 reducing the interior space In a typical roof 5 of the type shown in Fig.5, the height of the crown c' above a horizontal plane extending between the two drainage ditches 9 is in the range of 15 to 20mm thereby requiring a roof bar 10 having a stowed thickness corresponding to this dimension.

-14 -For example, if the height of the crown c' above a horizontal plane extending between the two drainage ditches 9 is 20 mm then the stowed thickness of the roof bar 10 may be up to 20 mm without increasing the height of the van 1.

The roof bars 10 shown in Figs.1 to 3 are stowed partially in a respective one of the open ended channels 8 and partially in an adjacent portion of each drainage ditch 9 however, it will be appreciated that each roof bar could be stowed completely in a respective one of the one open ended channels 8.

As can be seen in Fig.3 each roof bar 10 includes an elongate load carrying crossbar 15 which is stowed in a respective one of the open ended channels 8 and each elongate load carrying crossbar 15 is connected at each end to the roof 5 by a respective end support 16 used to space the elongate load carrying crossbar 15 away from the central roof panel 7 when the roof bar 10 is in the deployed position. At least part of each end support 16 is stowed in a respective drainage ditch 9 and, in the embodiment shown, the entire end support 16 is so stowed.

Referring now to Figs.9 to 12 the right hand end of one of the roof bars 10 is shown in greater detail. It will be appreciated that the left hand end is similarly constructed.

The stowable roof bar 10 comprises of the elongate load carrying crossbar 15 that extends in use across the width of the van 1 and is formed from four thin elongate plates 11, 12, 13, 14 hingedly connected together so as to enable the roof bar 10 to be moved from a deployed state in which a support surface 11 of the elongate crossbar 15 is spaced well above the central roof panel 7 of the roof 5 of the van 1 to a stowed state in which the four elongate plates 11, 12, 13 and 14 are folded flat on the roof 5 of the van 1 so as to minimise the stowed height of the roof bar 10.

-15 -The elongate load carrying crossbar 15 is formed from an upper thin elongate plate 11, a lower thin elongate plate 12, a front thin elongate plate 13 and a rear thin elongate plate 14 all of which are hingedly connected together so as to form a collapsible parallelogram.

The elongate load carrying crossbar 15 is fastened at each end to the roof by a respective collapsible upright 16 used to space the support surface formed by the upper plate 11 of the elongate crossbar 15 from the roof when the roof bar 10 is in the deployed state.

Each of the collapsible uprights 16 is formed from an upper thin plate 11, a lower thin plate 17 and front and rear thin plates 13 and 14 hingedly connected together so as to form a collapsible parallelogram. As can best be seen on Figs. 9 and 12, the front and rear thin elongate plates 13 and 14 used to form the elongate crossbar 15 are U-shaped and each elongate plate 13, 14 has two end portions joined by a central bridge portion so that the end portions of the front and rear U-shaped elongate plates 13 and 14 form the front and rear plates of the collapsible uprights 16. The upper elongate plate 11 of the elongate crossbar 15 also forms the upper plates of the two collapsible uprights 16.

The arrangement of the thin elongate plates 11, 12, 13, 14 forming the cross bar 15 is such that the upper plate 11 is hingedly connected on one edge to the front elongate plate 13, is hingedly connected on an opposite edge to the rear elongate plate 14, the front and rear elongate plates 13 and 14 are hingedly connected to respective opposite edges of the lower elongate plate 12 of the elongate crossbar 15.

-16 -The front and rear elongate plates 13 and 14 are also hingedly connected to respective opposite edges of the lower plates 17 forming the collapsible uprights 16.

The lower plates 17 of the collapsible uprights 16 are used to fasten the roof bar 10 to the roof of the van 1 by means of suitable fastening means 28 which fix the lower plates 17 to separate base plates (not shown) secured to the roof.

The roof bar 10 further comprises a latch mechanism 20 located at each end of the roof bar 10 to selectively hold the roof bar 10 in the deployed state.

As can best be seen in Figs.11 and 12 the latch mechanism 20 has a first bar 21 pivotally connected to an upper end of the front elongate plate 13 by a rod (not shown) that extends along the entire length of the roof bar so as to link the two latch mechanisms together. The rod therefore operates such that operating one latch mechanism will automatically operates the latch mechanism at the other end of the roof bar 10. The first bar 21 is hingedly connected to a second U-shaped bar 22 and the second U-shaped bar 22 is pivotally attached to the roof of the van 1 by a bracket 23 fastened to the roof by the same base plates used to secure the lower plates 17 the roof. The first and second bars 21 and 22 form in combination an overcentre locking mechanism that is used to hold the roof bar 10 in its deployed state or can be released to permit the roof bar 10 to be folded flat on the roof of the van 1 as shown in Fig.10. In the folded state the elongate cross bar 15 is housed within one of the channels 8 and the stowed thickness of the roof bar 10 is less than the maximum depth of the channel 8 in which the elongate crossbar 15 is stowed.

In the stowed state, the lower and rear elongate plates 12 and 14 are folded flat onto the roof of the van 1, the -17 -front elongate plate 13 is folded onto the lower elongate plate and the upper elongate plate is folded onto the rear elongate plate 14. Because the width of the front elongate plate 13 is different from the width of the lower elongate plate 12 and the width of the upper plate 11 is different than the width of the rear elongate plate 14 the hinged joints between the lower and rear elongate plates 12 and 14 and between the upper and front elongates plates 11 and 13 do not lie one upon the other but are offset thereby further reducing the thickness of the stowed roof bar 10.

When the roof bar 10 is moved to the deployed state the upper plate 11 forms a support surface for items to be carried on the roof 5 of the van 1 and is spaced approximately 100 to 200 mm above the central roof panel 7.

The roof bar 10 is constructed from a number of thin plates and provides a simple to use roof mounted load carrying structure that can be quickly and simply deployed or stowed and that, when stowed, does not increase the height of the van 1, decrease the interior space of the van 1 or place any additional drainage or structural reinforcement requirements on the body of the van 1.

With reference to Figs.13 to 15 there is shown another embodiment of a roof bar constructed from a number of thin plates hingedly connected together so as to permit the roof bar 110 to be folded flat on the roof 5 of the van 1. The roof bar 110 is intended to be a direct replacement for the roof bar 10 previously described.

The roof bar 110 is formed by first and second thin support plates 114 and 113 which are hingedly connected together so as to form a collapsible A-frame. The arrangement of the first and second plates 114 and 113 is such that, in the deployed state, the first and second support plates 114 and 113 are angularly disposed with -18 -respect to one another and, in the stowed state, the first and second support plates 114 and 113 are folded flat one upon the other on top of the roof of the van 1. In the stowed state, the first support plate 114 lies directly on the roof of the van 1 and the second support plate 113 is folded on top of the first support plate 114.

The roof bar 110 comprises of an elongate crossbar portion 115 and two end uprights 116 used to space a support surface formed by a third plate 111 of the elongate crossbar from the roof when the roof bar 110 is in the deployed state.

The third thin plate 111 is hingedly connected to the first support plate 114 along one edge thereof and is engageable with an edge of the second support plate 113 so as to form in the deployed state the support surface. The third plate has a U-shaped end portion 130 with which the edge of the second support plate 113 is engaged when the roof bar 110 is in the deployed state so as to form in combination with the first and second elongate plates 114 and 113 the load carrying crossbar 115.

The third plate 111 is also folded flat on top of the roof of the van 1 and lies directly on the roof of the van 1 so that it rests upon the bottom surface 8b of one of the channels 8 and extends away from the stowed first support plate 114 which also lies on the bottom surface 8b of the respective channel 8.

It will be appreciated that means are provided to prevent rattling of the stowed plates 111, 113, 144 and to prevent corrosion or abrasion of the plates 111, 113, 144 due to relative movement therebetween and consequential abrasion or corrosion of the surface of the roof.

-19 -A linkage mechanism in the form of an arm 140 connects the third plate 111 at each end to the second support plate 113 so as to control the motion of the third plate 111 when the first and second support plates 114 and 113 are moved between the stowed and raised states. Both of the arms 140 are fixed to a common rod (not shown) pivotally supported at each by a respective boss on the second support plate 113.

The movement of the two arms 140 is therefore synchronised so that they move in unison.

Each of the two end portions of the second support plate 113 that form the upright portions 116 of the roof bar have a turned out end 113u for engagement with a respective hooked end 123 of a latch means formed by a pair of brackets 122 fastened to the roof of the van 1 in the drainage ditch portions 9 of the roof. Each of the brackets 122 is hingedly connected at an opposite end to the hooked end 123 to the first support plate 114. By disengaging the turned out ends 113u of the second plate 113 from the hooked ends 123 of the two brackets 122 the roof bar 110 can be simply folded onto the roof of the van 1 and by a reverse procedure the roof bar 110 can be returned to the deployed state.

Referring now to Figs.l6 and 17 there is shown a third embodiment of a roof bar 210 that is intended to be a direct replacement for the roof bar 10 previously described. This third embodiment is in many respects a simplified form of the roof bar 110 previously described and comprises of first and second thin support plates 214 and 213 hingedly connected so as to form a collapsible A-frame. The arrangement of the first and second plates 214 and 213 is such that, in the deployed state, the first and second support plates 214 and 213 are angularly disposed with respect to one another and, in the stowed state, the first and second support plates 214 and 213 are folded flat one upon the other on top of the roof 5 of the van 1.

-20 -As before, a pair of brackets 222 is fastened to the roof 5 of the van 1 one at each end of the roof bar 210.

Each of the brackets 222 is hingedly connected to a respective end of the first support plate 214 and is engageable by means of a hooked end 223 with a corresponding respective end of the second thin plate 213 so as to hold the first and second support plates 214 and 213 in the deployed state.

However, instead of there being a third plate to form a support surface, each of the first and second support plates 214 and 213 is bent over along one edge where they are hingedly connected so as to form, when the roof bar 210 is in the deployed state, a support surface 211.

As before, each of the first and second support plates 214 and 213 has a central cross bar portion 215 and two end support portins 216 and when stowed the crossbar portion 215 of the roof bar 210 is stowed in one of the channels 8 in the roof 5 of the van 1 and the end support portions 216 are partially or entirely stowed in the drainage ditches 9.

By disengaging the second plate 113 from the hooked ends 223 of the two brackets 222 the roof bar 210 can be simply folded onto the roof of the van 1 and by a reverse procedure the roof bar 110 can be returned to the deployed state.

The stowed thickness of the roof bar 210 in combination with the depth of the respective channel 8 in which it is stowed ensures that the overall height of the van 1 is not increased when the roof bar 210 is in the stowed state.

In addition, and as previously mentioned, the depth of each channel is such that it lies level with or above the -21 -height of the drainage ditches and does not reduce the interior height of the van 1.

The roof bars 10, 110 and 210 can all be simply and cost effectively manufactured from sheet material or extruded material.

Although the invention has been described with respect to three specific embodiments of roof bar it will be appreciated that it is applicable to other roof bar constructions that are thin when folded flat thereby enabling at least a crossbar portion of the roof bar to be stowed in one of the shallow open ended channels formed in the roof without increasing the overall height of the motor vehicle.

Therefore in summary, the inventors have come to the realisation that, since all vehicle roofs have some minor shape to them due to body construction and stiffness requirements, there exists a limited amount of space which is neither above nor below the roof surfaces but within its boundaries that can be used to at least partially accommodate a stowed roof bar. This space, as defined by the roof curvature and the depth of the drain ditch, provides the only package envelope for a deployable, drainage independent roof bar.

Because all vehicle roofs are designed to be self-draining (i.e. no vehicle roof is designed to retain puddles) any space utilised to accommodate a roof bar must be self draining and a space that does not require additional drainage cannot be below the roof surface or to be more precise below the level of the drainage ditches.

Consequently, the inventors have defined a space in which to stow a rack which meets customer requirements of not protruding above the roof when not in use and meets the -22 -requirements of vehicle body construction such as low cost and minimal impact on vehicle structure.

As a result, the invention provides a vehicle construction and roof bar mechanism that enables the roof bar to collapse into a space provided by the roof curvature and the drain ditch depth, the total of which will, without limitation, typically be in the region of 15-20mm, while having no negative affect on vehicle height or interior roof height as opposed to a mechanism such as suggested in the prior art which collapses/lowers into a space provided by deep depressions at least partially below the roof surface which are not self draining.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although the invention has been described by way of example with reference to one or more embodiments it is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and that one or more modifications to the disclosed embodiments or alternative embodiments could be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

-23 -Claims 1. A motor vehicle having a roof and at least one roof mounted load carrying apparatus mounted on the roof for movement between stowed and deployed positions, the roof comprising a central roof panel, a drainage ditch extending along each longitudinal side of the central roof panel to collect and transport, in use, water draining from the central roof panel and at least one open ended channel extending between the two drainage ditches wherein at least part of each stowed roof mounted load carrying apparatus is stowed in a respective open ended channel so that there is no increase in overall vehicle height due to the presence of the stowed roof mounted load carrying apparatus and each open ended channel is positioned no lower than the level of the drainage ditches.
2. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vehicle has an interior space having a height defined between a floor of the motor vehicle and an interior roof structure of the motor vehicle and the depth of each open channel has no reducing effect on the height of the interior space.
3. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or in claim 2 wherein the central roof panel is convex roof panel.
4. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein the convex roof panel has a crown located on a central longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle.
5. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 4 wherein the height of the crown above a horizontal plane extending between the two drainage ditches is in the range of 15 to 20mm.

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6. A motor vehicle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein each roof mounted load carrying apparatus is stowed completely in a respective open ended channel.
7. A motor vehicle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein each roof mounted load carrying apparatus is stowed partially in a respective open ended channel and partially in an adjacent portion of each drainage ditch.
8. A motor vehicle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein each roof mounted load carrying apparatus is a stowable roof bar and includes an elongate load carrying crossbar which is stowed in a respective open ended channel.
9. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 8 when claim 8 is dependent upon claim 7 wherein each elongate load carrying crossbar is connected at each end to the roof by a respective end support used to space the elongate load carrying crossbar away from the central roof panel when the roof bar is in the deployed position and at least part of each end support is stowed in a respective drainage ditch.
10. A stowable roof bar for mounting on the roof of a motor vehicle comprising an elongate load carrying crossbar that extends in use across the width of the motor vehicle, the elongate cross bar being formed from at least two thin elongate plates hingedly connected together so as to enable the roof bar to be moved from a deployed state in which a support surface of the elongate crossbar is spaced well above the roof of the motor vehicle to a stowed state in which the at least two elongate plates are folded flat on the roof of the motor vehicle so as to minimise the stowed height of the roof bar.
11. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 10 wherein the roof bar further comprises a latch mechanism located at -25 -each end of the roof bar to selectively hold the roof bar in the deployed state.
12. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 11 wherein the two latch mechanisms are linked together so that operating one latch mechanism automatically operates the other latch mechanism.
13. A stowable roof bar as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12 wherein the elongate load carrying crossbar is formed *from upper, lower, front and rear thin elongate plates hingedly connected together so as to form a collapsible parallelogram.
14. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 13 in which the elongate load carrying crossbar is fastened at each end to the roof by a collapsible upright used to space the support surface formed by the upper plate of the elongate crossbar from the roof when the roof bar is in the deployed state wherein each of the collapsible uprights is formed from upper, lower, front and rear thin plates hingedly connected together so as to form a collapsible parallelogram.
15. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 14 wherein the front and rear thin elongate plates used to form the elongate crossbar are U-shaped, each plate having two end portions joined by a central bridge portion.
16. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 15 wherein the end portions of the front and rear U-shaped elongate plates form the front and rear plates of the collapsible uprights and the upper plate of the elongate crossbar forms the upper plates of the collapsible uprights.
17. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 16 wherein the upper plate is hingedly connected on one edge to the -26 -front elongate plate, is hingedly connected on an opposite edge to the rear elongate plate, the front and rear elongate plates are hingedly connected to respective opposite edges of the lower elongate plate of the elongate crossbar and to respective opposite edges of the lower plates forming the collapsible uprights.
18. A stowable roof bar as claimed in any of claims 14 to 17 wherein the lower plates of the collapsible uprights are used to fasten the roof bar to the roof of the motor vehicle.
19. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 18 wherein each of the lower plates is fastened to the roof by a base plate and a corresponding latch mechanism on the same end of the roof bar is secured to the roof of the motor vehicle by the same base plate.
20. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 10 or in claim 11 wherein the roof bar is formed by first and second thin support plates hingedly connected so as to form a collapsible A-frame the arrangement of the first and second plates being such that, in the deployed state, the first and second support plates are angularly disposed with respect to one another and, in the stowed state, the first and second support plates are folded flat one upon the other on top of the roof of the vehicle.
21. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 20 wherein a third thin plate is hingedly connected to the first support plate, the third plate being engageable with the second thin plate so as to form in the deployed state the support surface.
22. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 21 wherein, in the deployed state, the first and second support plates are angularly disposed with respect to one another -27 -and, in the stowed state, the first and second support plates are folded flat one upon the other on top of the roof of the vehicle and the third plate is folded flat on top of the roof of the vehicle.
23. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 21 or in claim 22 wherein a linkage mechanism connects the third plate to the second support plate so as to control the motion of the third plate when the first and second support plates are moved between the stowed and raised states.
24. A stowable roof bar as claimed in any of claims 21 to 23 wherein the third plate member is engaged with an edge of the second elongate plate member when the roof bar is in the deployed state so as to form in combination with the first and second elongate plates a load carrying crossbar.
25. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 20 wherein a bracket is fastened to the roof of the vehicle at each end of the roof bar, each of the brackets is hingedly connected to a respective end of the first support plate and is engageable with a corresponding respective end of the second thin plate so as to hold the first and second support plates in the deployed state.

26. A stowable roof bar as claimed in claim 25 wherein each of the first and second support plates is bent over along one edge where they are hingedly connected so as to form, when the roof bar is in the deployed state, the support surface.
26. A motor vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to Figs.1 to 8c of the accompanying drawing.
27. A stowable roof bar substantially as described herein with reference to Figs.9 to 12 of the accompanying drawing.

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28 - 28. A stowable roof bar substantially as described herein with reference to Figs.13 to 15 of the accompanying drawing.
29. A stowable roof bar substantially as described herein with reference to Figs.16 and 17 of the accompanying drawing.