GB2534581B

GB2534581B - A roof rack for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2534581B
Application number: GB1501398.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Spooner John
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2015-01-28
Filing date: 2015-01-28
Publication date: 2019-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 2035-01-28
Also published as: GB2534581A; GB201501398D0

Description

A ROOF RACK FOR A VEHICLE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a roof rack for a vehicle; to a vehicle having a roof rack; and to a method of operating a roof rack.

BACKGROUND

There is sometimes a requirement for vehicle users to mount on roof racks long loads, such as kayaks or canoes. Roof racks are known which have been designed for such a purpose. For example, a roof rack is available in which the roof rack is slidable laterally (between one side and the other of the vehicle) relative to the vehicle to a position where it can tilt about a longitudinal axis (between front and back of the vehicle) relative to the vehicle to a steeply-inclined position generally parallel to the side of the vehicle. In this position, the user can lower a long load e.g. a canoe, onto cradles carried by the tilted rack. When the load has been made fast, the rack is tilted upwardly to a horizontal position, allowing it to be then slid laterally back to a central position above the vehicle roof, where it is secured. A disadvantage to this arrangement, and indeed to conventional roof racks which do not have this slide and tilt capability, is that a long load can interfere with access to the rear opening of a vehicle having a rear closure hinged at its top end (such as a tailgate).This will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, which shows in side view a known roof rack carrying a long load mounted on a vehicle with a rear closure hinged at its top end, the rear closure being shown in its closed position, the roof rack being shown schematically. A known roof rack 1 mounted to a vehicle 2 and carrying a long load 3 is shown in Figure 1. The roof rack 1 comprises a pair of laterally extending rails 4 (only the axes of which are shown). The rails 4 are each attached to the vehicle by means of pairs of feet 5 and 6, which are secured to the vehicle roof 7.

The rear closure 8 of the vehicle is hinged to the vehicle at its top end 9, and it can readily be seen that it would not be possible to pivot the rear closure 8 open far before it would contact the rear end of the long load. The rear closure can barely be opened beyond a position at which the rear closure 8 is horizontal, whereas the rear closure 8 could pivot up to a position inclined about 30 degrees to the horizontal if the long load was not there. This greatly restricts access to the rear opening of the vehicle.

It is an aim of the invention at least in certain embodiments to address at least some of the problems resulting from carrying long loads on roof racks. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION and

Aspects of the present invention relate to a roof rack for a vehicle; to a vehicle having a roof rack;

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a roof rack for a vehicle, including attachment means for attaching the roof rack to the vehicle, and tilting means for tilting the roof rack to enable the end of the roof rack that is in use nearer to the rear of the vehicle to be raised relative to the end of the roof rack that is in use nearer to the front of the vehicle.

The roof rack can be adapted for use with a vehicle having a rear closure hinged at its top end. The rear closure is a closure member which can, for example, be in the form of a rear door, a tailgate, portion of a tailgate (for example an upper portion of a split tailgate), or a boot (trunk) lid. The tilting means can be operative to tilt the roof rack when the rear closure is opened or closed. This can provide improved access to the rear opening of the vehicle, for example in the event that a long load is being carried on the roof rack. The tilting means can be in the form of a tilting mechanism. The tilting means can comprise one or more arms for pivotal connection to the rear closure. The tilting means can be configured to be operated manually or can be operated by a motor.

The attachment means can be in the form of an attachment apparatus for connecting to the roof of the vehicle. The attachment means can include a rear attachment for attachment to the rear closure. The rear attachment can comprise an arm or a bracket for mounting to the rear closure. In one embodiment, the rear attachment is a hinged coupling, for example, the axis of pivoting may be lateral with respect to the vehicle in use. The rear attachment may be mounted on an arm which offsets the rear attachment relative to a load-supporting region of the roof rack. The arm may extend downwardly relative to the load-supporting region of the roof rack, the length of the arm determining the offset, and influencing the amount by which the roof rack is tilted in use. The rear attachment may comprise a pair of attachments for connection to opposed sides of the rear closure. Each attachment may be coupled to a bracket carried by the rear closure. The rear attachment may be adapted to be coupled in the region of a spoiler at the upper region of the rear closure, for example, at a point close to the tip of the spoiler. Improved structural integrity may be achieved by including a bar extending across the rear closure between the attachments; such a bar could be concealed by the spoiler.

The attachment means includes a forward attachment for attachment to a forward region of the vehicle roof. The forward attachment permits a sliding movement of the roof rack relative to the roof in a longitudinal direction. This accommodates any translational movement imparted to the roof rack by the rear attachment when the rear closure is opened. The relative movement is permitted by a roller running in a channel, the channel being either mounted on the roof rack or mounted on the vehicle. Optionally, the forward attachment includes a pair of forward attachments for attachment to opposing sides of the forward region of the vehicle roof. Optionally, the forward attachment includes means for selectively locking the roof rack relative to the roof so as to prevent said movement in the longitudinal direction.

It is not even necessary for the tilting mechanism to be operated by the act of opening the rear closure. If desired, the tilting mechanism could be driven by a motor actuated when the rear closure is opened or closed. Alternatively, the rear of the roof rack could be lifted manually. A locking mechanism can be provided to lock the roof rack in a raised position.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle having a rear closure hinged at its top end, including a roof rack as described herein. The rear closure of the vehicle can comprise coupling means for cooperating with said attachment means. The coupling means could, for example, be connected to a hinge for the rear closure of the vehicle. The coupling means can be in the form of a bracket or a connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows in side view a known roof rack carrying a long load mounted on a vehicle with a rear closure hinged at its top end, the rear closure being shown in its closed position, and the roof rack being shown schematically;

Figure 2 shows in side view a roof rack according to an embodiment of the invention carrying a long load mounted on a vehicle with a rear closure hinged at its top end, the rear closure being shown in its closed position, and the roof rack being shown schematically;

Figure 3 shows the view of Figure 2, but with the rear closure of the vehicle being shown in its open position; and

Figure 4 shows a detailed front view of a part of the roof rack shown in Figures 2 and 3, as seen from the front of the vehicle, the roof rack being shown schematically.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A roof rack 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals have been given to like parts throughout all the figures.

The roof rack 1 is mounted to a vehicle 2 carrying a long load 3. The vehicle 2 in the present embodiment is a sports utility vehicle (SUV) having a rear closure (usually referred to as a tailgate) 8. The rear closure 8 is hinged at its top end 9.

The roof rack 1 comprises a load-supporting region made up of two rails 10, 11 (only rail 10 visible) which extend in a longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle, and two cross-bars 12, 13, secured to the rails, which cross-bars extend in lateral direction relative to the vehicle. The rails 10,11 are formed integrally with arms 10a, 11a which extend generally at right angles to the load-supporting region. Only the arm 10a on the vehicle nearside can be seen in the drawings.

The roof rack 1 is attached to the roof 7 of the vehicle by a front attachment shown generally by the reference numeral 14 and to the rear closure 8 of the vehicle by a rear attachment 15.

The front attachment comprises a pair of feet 14a, 14b secured to the roof 7 of the vehicle, one on each side of the roof. The feet may be secured in channels in the vehicle roof, to fixed attachment points, or clipped to the edges of front apertures defining left and right front doors. At their upper ends, the feet 14a, 14b carry rollers 14c, only that on the off-side of the vehicle being visible (Figure 4). The rollers carry channel-shaped regions 10b, 11b (only 11b visible in the drawings) at the forward regions of the rails 10, 11. It is envisaged that there may be provided a locking means (not shown) for selectively locking the rollers relative to the channels when the roof rack is not in the raised condition, that is to say, when the tailgate is closed. Such a locking means may be automatically released as the roof rack is tilted upwards when the tailgate is opened, or may require a separate operation by the user. Such a locking means may provide additional security for loads being transported on the roof rack, both when travelling and when parked.

The rear attachment comprises a pivotal connection between the ends of the arms 10a, 11a of the roof rack 1, and brackets on the vehicle secured to opposed sides of the rear closure 8 in the region of a tailgate mounted spoiler (not shown).

When the rear closure 8 is closed (Figure 2), the long load is accommodated on the roof rack 1 in the normal way. When it is desired to open the rear closure, as can be seen from Figure 3, the act of opening the rear closure 8 tilts the roof rack 1, so that the rear of the roof rack 1 is raised relative to the front of the roof rack 1. This provides sufficient clearance for the rear closure 8 to be fully opened, allowing full access to the rear opening of the vehicle.

It will be noted, comparing Figures 2 and 3, that the pivotal rear attachment 15 performs an upward but also a translational movement in response to the opening the rear closure. This translational movement is accommodated by the rolling of the rollers 14c in the channelshaped regions 10b, 11b.

Thus, the embodiment of the roof rack 1 described allows full opening of the tailgate when a long load is stowed on the roof rack 1, even when the tailgate is curved, and has a spoiler at its upper end, and even in the case of ‘swept-back’ roof styling where the roof line drops towards the rear of the vehicle.

The roof rack 1 may be provided as original equipment, or may be fitted as an aftermarket accessory.

In a variant, the roof rack 1 can rotate to a raised position without translating relative to the vehicle 2. The front of the rails 10, 11 can be pivotally mounted to the feet 14a, 14b. For example, the feet 14a, 14b can each carry a pivot pin (not shown) which cooperates with a bearing mounted to the respective rails 10, 11. The rails 10, 11 are thereby rotatable relative to the feet 14a, 14b. However, unlike the embodiment having rollers 14c, the rails 10, 11 cannot undergo translation relative to the feet 14a, 14b. At the rear of the roof rack 1, the arms 10a, 11a are pivotally connected to the rails 10, 11 and the ends of the arms 10a, 11a are pivotally connected to the rear closure 8. In use, the roof rack 1 can pivot about the pivot pins mounted to the feet 14a, 14b allowing the rear of the roof rack 1 to be raised. The arms 10a, 11 a function as pivoting links to accommodate the change in geometry as the rear closure 8 is opened and closed. This arrangement allows the roof rack 1 to be rotated relative to the vehicle 2 without undergoing translation. It will be understood that the pivot pins could be mounted to the rails 10, 11 for cooperating with a bearing mounted to the feet 14a, 14b.

Of course, many variations are within the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, the arms 10a, 11a need not be secured to the rear closure 8 in the position shown, but could instead be pivoted to a position lower down the rear closure 8. The illustrated position has the advantage that a spoiler would normally be attached in this region, and the spoiler could conceal a structural member extending across the rear closure 8, to which the brackets on which the arms 10a, 11a can be secured. Alternatively, if the spoiler is an exterior trim member secured to the roof rather than the tailgate it will remain static relative to the vehicle roof as the tailgate is opened. To accommodate such an arrangement, an alternative example (not shown) is provided with arms 10a, 10b formed to fit around the spoiler and arranged to secure to the tailgate without touching the spoiler throughout the entire range of tailgate movement from fully open to closed. In this way, potential for damage to the static, roof-mounted spoiler is avoided by forming the arms with a cranked or curved form sufficient to clear an uppermost and/or rearmost edge or tip of the spoiler.

In another alternative example (not shown), the roof rack is provided with a mechanism arranged to permit tilting of the roof rack without relying on a lifting force being provided by the user lifting open the tailgate. In this alternative example, it is not even necessary for the tilting mechanism to be operated by the act of opening the rear closure. If desired, the tilting mechanism could be driven by an actuator such as a spring or motor which could be actuated when the rear closure is opened or closed. In this way, the force required to tilt the roof rack and any load secured thereto is provided, at least in part by said actuator. This actuator may be activated by a pressure switch located between the tailgate and the arms 10a, 10b or by some other control switch operable by the user which may be remote control.

The roof rack 1 of the invention could also be used on a hatchback vehicle, or even a saloon car, since although a long load is unlikely to block the boot compartment in such a case, nevertheless, the tilting of the rack would give more headroom to persons loading and unloading it. In this case, a motor-driven tilting mechanism could be used.

The roof rack 1 could comprise a support member for cooperating with the roof 7 of the vehicle 2 when in its lowered position. The support member could be mounted to the rails 10, 11 between the cross-bars 12, 13. In use, the support member could engage the lateral sides of the roof 2 when the roof rack 1 is lowered. This arrangement could reduce the operational loads transferred to the rear closure 8. The support member could comprise a locking member to fixedly lock the roof rack 1 in its lowered position. For example, the support member could releasably engage a pair of feet 14a, 14b fixedly mounted to the roof 7.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A roof rack for a vehicle, comprising attachment means for attaching the roof rack to the vehicle, and tilting means for tilting the roof rack to enable the end of the roof rack that is in use nearer to the rear of the vehicle to be raised relative to the end of the roof rack that is in use nearer to the front of the vehicle, in which the attachment means includes a forward attachment for attachment to a forward region of the vehicle roof, the forward attachment permitting movement of the roof rack relative to the roof in a longitudinal direction, the forward attachment being: a channel for receiving a roller mounted on the vehicle; or a roller for running in a channel mounted on the vehicle.

2. A roof rack as claimed in claim 1, in which the roof rack is adapted for use with a vehicle having a rear closure hinged at its top end, the tilting means being operative to tilt the roof rack when the rear closure is opened or closed.

3. A roof rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the attachment means includes a rear attachment for attaching to the rear closure.

4. A roof rack as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rear attachment includes a pivotal coupling.

5. A roof rack as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rear attachment is mounted on an arm which offsets the rear attachment relative to a load-supporting region of the roof rack.

6. A roof rack as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, in which the rear attachment is adapted to be coupled in the region of a spoiler at the upper region of the rear closure.

7. A roof rack as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, in which the rear attachment is adapted to be coupled to a bracket carried by the rear closure.

8. A roof rack as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, in which the rear attachment comprises a pair of attachments for connection to opposed sides of the rear closure.

9. A roof rack as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the forward attachment includes a pair of forward attachments for attachment to opposing sides of the forward region of the vehicle roof.

10. A roof rack as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the forward attachment includes means for selectively locking the roof rack relative to the roof so as to prevent said movement in the longitudinal direction.

11. A vehicle having a rear closure hinged at its top end, including a roof rack as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.