GB2543287B

GB2543287B - Crossbars for vehicle roof racks

Info

Publication number: GB2543287B
Application number: GB1518081.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ambridge Alexander; Knowles Stephen
Original assignee: Van Guard Accessories Ltd
Current assignee: Van Guard Accessories Ltd
Priority date: 2015-10-13
Filing date: 2015-10-13
Publication date: 2019-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2035-10-13
Also published as: GB201518081D0; GB2543287A

Description

TITLE

Crossbars for vehicle roof racks

DESCRIPTION

Technical Field

The present invention relates to crossbars for vehicle roof racks, and in particular tocrossbars that include a locking mechanism to allow them to be easily and releasablysecured to a sidebar.

Summary of Invention

The present invention provides a crossbar for a vehicle roof rack, the crossbarcomprising a crossbar body and a locking mechanism for releasably securing one endof the crossbar body to a sidebar of the vehicle roof rack, wherein the lockingmechanism comprises: a housing fixedly secured to the crossbar body; a lever arm rotatably mounted on the housing and rotatable between a firstposition and a second position, wherein at least one of the housing and the lever armcomprises a cam member for moving the lever arm in a linear direction relative to thehousing as the lever arm is rotated from the first position towards the second position;and a locking member receivable in a substantially U-shaped locking channel of thesidebar in use and slidably mounted for linear movement with the lever arm betweenan unlocked position (i.e., where the locking member is not engaged with the lockingchannel) and a locked position (i.e., where the locking member is engaged with thelocking channel to secure the crossbar to the sidebar) when the lever arm is rotated fromthe first position to the second position; wherein the housing further comprises at least one engagement rib receivablewithin a substantially U-shaped engagement channel of the sidebar in use.

Typically, a first locking mechanism is provided at a first end of the crossbar body tosecure the crossbar to a first sidebar and a second locking mechanism is provided at asecond end of the crossbar body to secure the crossbar to a second sidebar. When secured together using the first and second locking mechanisms, the first and secondsidebars and one or more crossbars together define a vehicle roof rack that can besecured to the roof of a motor vehicle.

The locking member can be constrained against rotational movement by the housing.In one arrangement, the locking member contacts alignment ribs provided on a surfaceof the housing that ensure that the locking member is properly aligned with the lockingchannel as the locking mechanism is secured to the sidebar.

In addition to the locking channel, the sidebar includes one or more substantially tri-shaped engagement channels. The channels can be staggered and are typically definedby the outer profile of the sidebar body. In one arrangement, each channel is definedat least in part by a flange that extends from the outer profile of the sidebar body. Theflange that defines the locking channel can include an over-hanging engagementfeature.

The housing can include at least one rib adapted to be contactable with the flange thatdefines the locking channel when the locking mechanism is secured to the sidebar. Thehousing also includes a rib adapted to be receivable in the engagement channel. If twoor more engagement channels are provided, the housing can include a correspondingnumber of ribs, each rib being adapted to be received in a respective engagementchannel. The ribs strengthen the connection between the locking mechanism and thesidebar and distribute loading. In one arrangement a first substantially U-shapedengagement channel is positioned above the locking channel and a second substantiallyU-shaped engagement channel is positioned below the locking channel. The housingincludes three sets of correspondingly positioned ribs. The engagement channels canbe positioned behind and in front of the locking channel (when the sidebar is viewedalong the longitudinal axis) to improve the absorption of flexural loading.

The locking member can be a substantially L-shaped locking plate with a locking edgethat engages underneath the engagement feature of the locking channel when thelocking member is in the locked position and clamped up to the sidebar. The locking edge concentrates the locking force that is applied along the linear direction by therotation of the lever arm onto a specific area of the locking channel, and in particularonto the flange. If the locking member is made of a harder material than the part of thesidebar body that defines the U-shaped locking channel, the locking member can 'bite'into the sidebar body (i.e., into the flange) to increase the engagement between thelocking mechanism and the sidebar. The locking member can be made of galvanisedor anodised steel whereas the sidebar body can be made of anodised extrudedaluminium, for example.

The crossbar body can also be made of anodised extruded aluminium, for example.

The cam member preferably biases the lever arm towards the crossbar body as the leverarm is rotated from the first position towards the second position. The movement ofthe lever arm in the linear direction as it is rotated from the first position towards thesecond position biases the locking member from the unlocked position towards thelocked position.

The lever arm can include a mounting part and an arm part (optionally beingsubstantially L-shaped) that extends from the mounting part and is actuated by the userto rotate the lever arm from the first position towards the second position. When thelever arm is in the second positon, the arm part is preferably substantially flush with thecrossbar body and may have a matching profile. The distal end of the arm part caninclude an engagement feature which is adapted to engage with a complementaryengagement feature provided on the housing to retain the lever arm in the secondposition (and hence retain the locking member in the locked position) until it isdeliberately released by the user when the locking mechanism needs to be unsecuredfrom the sidebar. In one arrangement, the lever arm can only be released using asuitable tool. The complementary engagement features can also provide an audible'click' upon engagement so that the user knows that the lever arm is properly retainedin the second position.

The first and second positions can be separated by approximately 90 degrees. Rotationof the lever arm from the first position to the second position can cause the lever armto move about 2 mm in the linear direction.

The mounting part of the lever arm can include a mounting cylinder that locates on amounting hub of the housing. In particular, the mounting hub can be received withinthe mounting cylinder. At least one of the mounting part and the mounting hub caninclude at least one cam surface. Each cam surface can have two or more differentgradients. It will be readily appreciated that a steep gradient will cause the lever armto move further in the linear direction than a shallow gradient for the same degree ofrotation. Each cam surface can therefore be designed such that when the lever arm isinitially rotated from the first position towards an intermediate position it is made tomove further in the linear direction than when it is rotated from the intermediateposition to the second position. In this way the locking member can be moved intocontact with the locking channel by an initial rotation of the lever arm using a steepgradient and the movement in the linear direction can then be reduced by using ashallow gradient as the locking member starts to 'bite' into the locking channel therebyreducing the amount of force that is required to finally rotate the lever arm to the secondposition.

The housing can have a two-part construction with a first part and a second part. Thelever arm can be mounted between the first part and the second part.

The housing can be fixedly secured to the crossbar body using screws or othermechanical fixings.

One or more deformable ribs can be provided on the housing to hold the lever arm inthe first position for shipping. The one or more deformable ribs also ensure that thelocking member is in the unlocked position when the user first comes to assemble thecrossbar onto the locking channel of the sidebar. Without the deformable ribs, thelocking member would be free to slide between the locked and unlocked positions whenthe lever arm is in the first position. It will be readily appreciated that if the locking member is in the locked position it will not fit past the overhanging engagement featureon the locking channel. The ribs are deformed or crushed during the first activation ofthe locking mechanism.

To secure the crossbar to a sidebar, with the lever arm in the first position the lockingmechanism is positioned relative to the sidebar such that the locking member is receivedwithin the locking channel and the or each engagement rib is received within acorresponding engagement channel. The user then rotates the lever arm from the firstposition towards the second position. The cam member forces the lever arm and thelocking member to move in the linear direction such that the locking member movesfrom the unlocked position towards the locked position where the crossbar is securedto the sidebar by engagement between the locking member and the locking channel.When the lever arm reaches the second position it is preferably retained in the secondposition, e.g., by the complementary engagement features described above, until thecrossbar needs to be released from the sidebar. The locking mechanism prevents thecrossbar from being released from the sidebar and also prevents lateral movement ofthe crossbar along the sidebar.

To release the crossbar from the sidebar, the lever arm is rotated from the secondposition towards the first position such that the locking member is no longer retainedin the locked position by the lever arm and can move from the locked position to theunlocked position. The crossbar can then be lifted away from the sidebar with thelocking member being removed from the locking channel and the or each engagementrib being removed from the corresponding engagement channel.

The present invention further provides a vehicle roof rack comprising a sidebar havinga substantially U-shaped locking channel and one or more substantially U-shapedengagement channels, and a crossbar comprising a crossbar body and a lockingmechanism releasably securing one end of the crossbar body to the sidebar, wherein thelocking mechanism comprises: a housing fixedly secured to the crossbar body; a lever arm rotatably mounted on the housing and rotatable between a firstposition and a second position, wherein at least one of the housing and the lever armcomprises a cam member for moving the lever arm in a linear direction relative to thehousing as the lever arm is rotated from the first position towards the second position;and a locking member received in the locking channel of the sidebar and slidablymounted for linear movement with the lever arm between an unlocked position wherethe locking member is not engaged with the locking channel and a locked positionwhere the locking member is engaged with the locking channel to secure the crossbarto the sidebar when the lever arm is rotated from the first position to the second position; wherein the housing further comprises at least one engagement rib received ineach engagement channel.

Further details of the crossbar and the sidebar are as herein described.

The locking mechanism provides the following technical advantages: • On conventional flat-pack roof racks, the crossbars are secured to the sidebarsusing mechanical fixings such as nuts and bolts. The locking mechanismaccording to the present invention allows the crossbars to be secured to thesidebars in a quick and easy manner and without the need for special tools ormechanical fixings. • The locking mechanism will always connect the crossbar to the sidebar at thecorrect load. With mechanical fixings there is a risk that the connection will betoo tight or too loose which can result in failure under certain loadingconditions. • The locking mechanism allows for easy re-adjustment. If a crossbar isincorrectly secured to a sidebar the locking mechanism can be quickly andeasily released and the crossbar slid along to the correct position before beingre-secured. • The locking mechanism clamps to the sidebar profile and does not require anypositioning holes. Typically the sidebar profile will be the same along substantially the whole length of the sidebar so the locking mechanism cansecure the crossbar anywhere along the sidebar. • The locking mechanism is mechanically robust and the assembled vehicle roofrack is capable of withstanding significant loads.

Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle roof rack according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross section view through a lower bar of the vehicle roof rack of Figure1;

Figure 3 is a front exploded view of a locking mechanism used to secure a crossbar tothe lower bar of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a rear exploded view of the locking mechanism of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a front perspective view of a first housing part of the locking mechanism of

Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a rear perspective view of the first housing part of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a front perspective view of a lever arm of the locking mechanism of Figure3;

Figure 8 is a rear perspective view of the lever arm of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a cross section view through the assembled locking mechanism and lowerbar along an axis passing through the clinch stud with the locking plate in an unlockedposition;

Figure 10 is a cross section view through the assembled locking mechanism and lowerbar along an axis passing through one of the securing screws with the locking plate inan unlocked position;

Figure 11 is a cross section view through the assembled locking mechanism and lowerbar along an axis passing through the clinch stud with the locking plate in a lockedposition;

Figure 12 is a cross section view through the assembled locking mechanism and lowerbar along an axis passing through one of the securing screws with the locking plate ina locked position; and

Figure 13 is a perspective view of the assembled locking mechanism.

With reference to Figure 1, a vehicle roof rack 1 includes first and second sidebars 2,4and a plurality of crossbars 6 according to the present invention. Each crossbar 6 isreleasably secured to the first and second sidebars 2,4 by locking mechanisms 8 (or so-called 'click and lock' mechanisms).

The first and second sidebars 2,4 include an upper bar 10 and a lower bar 12 which arein the form of tubular anodised aluminium extrusions. A cross section profile of thelower bar 12 is shown in Figure 2 and includes an upper U-shaped engagement channel14, a U-shaped locking channel 16 and a lower U-shaped engagement channel 18. Thechannels are staggered as shown so that the upper engagement channel 14 is above andbehind the locking channel 16 and the lower engagement channel 18 is below and infront of the locking channel. The locking channel 16 is defined by a flange 20 thatincludes an over-hanging engagement feature 22.

The component parts of each locking mechanism 8 are shown in Figures 3 and 4. Eachcrossbar includes a crossbar body 24 in the form of a tubular anodised aluminiumextrusion. The crossbar body 24 includes screw-threaded openings 26 for receivingscrews 28 that fixedly secure each locking mechanism 8 to the end of the crossbar body.

Each locking mechanism 8 includes a first housing part 30, a second housing part 32, alever arm 34 and an L-shaped locking plate 36 with a locking edge 38.

With reference to Figures 5 and 6, the first housing part 30 includes an upper flange 40that projects outwardly from the main body and defines a pair of upper ribs 42 that areadapted to be received in the upper engagement channel 14. An intermediate rib 44 isadapted to contact the flange 20 of the lower bar 12. Lower ribs 46 are adapted to bereceived in the lower engagement channel 18.

Alignment ribs 48 underneath the upper flange 40 prevent the locking plate 36 fromrotating and ensure that the locking plate is properly aligned with the locking channel16 as the locking mechanism 8 is inserted into the lower bar 12. The alignment ribs 48also prevent the locking plate 36 from engaging the locking channel 16 at an angle.

Stop ribs 50 are provide on a front surface 52 of the first housing part 30 that facestowards the locking plate 36. The stop ribs 50 are dimensioned to come into contactwith the locking plate 36 when the locking plate is in the locked position to ensure thatthe locking plate remains parallel with the front surface 52. A mounting hub 54 is formed on a rear surface 56 of the first housing part 30. Themounting hub 54 includes a first ramp surface 58 and a second ramp surface 60. Thefirst and second ramp surfaces 58, 60 are offset by 180 degrees around the mountinghub 54 and, as described in more detail below, provide two contact points with first andsecond ramp surfaces 74, 76 provided on the mounting part of the lever arm 34 when itis received on the mounting hub.

Reinforcing ribs 62 are formed on the rear surface 56 around openings 64 for the screws28.

With reference to Figures 7 and 8, the lever arm 34 includes a mounting part 66 with acylindrical skirt 68 that is sized to receive the mounting hub 54 of the first housing part30 such that the lever arm 34 can rotate about the mounting hub between a first position(as shown in Figures 9,10 and 13) and a second position (shown in Figures 11 and 12).The front of the mounting part 66 also has an annular surface 70 that includes anopening 72, a first ramp surface 74 and a second ramp surface 76. The first and secondramp surfaces 74, 76 are offset 180 degrees around the annular surface 70. The firstand second ramp surfaces 74, 76 are inverted with respect to the first and second rampsurfaces 58, 60 of the mounting hub 54. The respective ramp surfaces together definefirst and second inclined cam surfaces such that relative rotation between the lever arm34 and the first housing part 30 causes the lever arm to move in the linear direction (i.e.,along the axis of rotation) away from the first housing part and towards the secondhousing part 32 and the crossbar body 24. In one arrangement, rotation of the lever arm34 through about 90 degrees from the first position to the second position causes thelever arm to move about 2.0 mm in the linear direction. As the lever arm 34 typicallyonly rotates through about 90 degrees there are flat (or non-inclined) areas adjacenteach ramp surface that do not form part of the above-mentioned inclined cam surfaces and play no part in causing the lever arm to move in the linear direction when it isrotated relative to the mounting hub 54.

Each ramp surface 58, 60 and 74, 76 has two different gradients. The first part of eachramp surface 58, 60 and 74, 76 has a steep gradient causing a large linear movementwhen the lever arm 34 is initially rotated from the first position towards an intermediateposition. During this initial rotation, the locking plate 36 needs to be moved into contactwith the flange 20 and only a small amount of force is needed to rotate the lever arm34. The second part of each ramp surface 58, 60 and 74, 76 has a shallow gradientcausing a small linear movement when the lever arm 34 is rotated from the intermediateposition to the second position. During this final rotation, the locking edge 38 of thelocking plate 36 starts to 'bite' into the flange 20 and clamp up to its final lockedposition. The clamping requires a larger amount of force to rotate the lever arm 34 butthis is mitigated by reducing the movement of the lever arm 34 in the linear directionby using a shallow gradient.

The rear of the mounting part 66 of the lever arm 34 defines a recessed cavity 78 asshown in Figure 8.

The lever arm 34 also includes an L-shaped arm part 80 that extends from the mountingpart 66 and is actuated by the user to rotate the lever arm from a first position towardsa second position. A distal part of the lever arm 34 includes an engagement feature 82that engages with a complementary engagement feature 84 (Figures 4, 6 and 13) on thefirst housing part 30 when the lever arm is in the second position. The engagementfeature 84 is defined by a recessed shoulder behind which the engagement feature 82engages when the lever arm 34 is in the second position. As the lever arm 34approaches the second position, the engagement feature 82 slides along an arcuatesurface defined by one of the reinforcing ribs 62. This causes the distal end of the leverarm 34 to flex slightly away from the mounting part 66. Part of the outer surface of thearm part 80 has the same profile as the crossbar body 24 and is aligned with the crossbarbody when the lever arm 34 is in the second position.

An opening 86 is provided through the first housing part 30 in the centre of themounting hub 54. The opening 86 is concentric with the mounting hub 54 and themounting part of the lever arm 34 and is aligned with the opening 72. A threaded clinchstud 88 is received through an opening 90 in the locking plate 36 and through thealigned openings 86, 72 in the first housing part 30 and lever arm 34, respectively. Aspacer 92 is received over the clinch stud 88 and contacts the face of the locking plate36. The spacer 92 is also received through the openings 86, 72 in the first housing part30 and the lever arm 34. A washer 94 is fitted over the clinch stud 88 and contacts theend of the spacer inside the recessed cavity 78 formed in the rear of the lever arm 34.A nut 96 is tightened onto the clinch stud 88 and contacts the washer 94. The spacer92 is therefore clamped between the washer 94 and the locking plate 36. The lockingplate 36 is slidably mounted relative to the first and second housing parts 30, 32 bymeans of the clinch stud 88 and the associated components. When the lever arm 34 isin the first position the locking plate 36 is not held. But when the lever arm 34 is rotatedfrom the first position towards the second position, the lever arm 34 is biased in thelinear direction by the cam surfaces away from the first housing part 30 and pulls thewasher 94 with it. The locking plate 36 is therefore moved with the lever arm 34 in thelinear direction from an unlocked position (shown in Figures 9, 10 and 13) to a lockedposition (shown in Figures 11 and 12) as the lever arm is rotated from the first positionto the second position.

The first and second housing parts 30, 32 are secured to the crossbar body 24 using thescrews 28 that are received through the openings 64 in the first housing part and alignedopenings 98 in the second housing part and are screwed into the openings 26 of thecrossbar body. The lever arm 34 is mounted on the mounting hub 54 and is positionedbetween the first and second housing parts 30, 32 as shown in Figures 9 to 12.

Figures 9 and 10 show the locking mechanism 8 mounted to the lower bar 12 such thatthe locking plate 36 is received in the locking channel 16, the upper ribs 42 are receivedin the upper engagement channel 14, the intermediate rib 44 is contacting the top of theflange 20 and the lower ribs 46 are received in the lower engagement channel 18. Thelever arm 34 is the first position and the locking plate 36 is in the unlocked position where it is spaced apart from the facing surface of the flange 20. The locking plate 36is properly aligned by the alignment ribs 48 on the underneath of the upper flange 40.

To secure the crossbar 6 to the lower bar 12 the user rotates the lever arm 34 towardsthe second position. The cam surfaces cause the lever arm 34 to move in the lineardirection away from the first housing part 30 and towards the second housing part 32and the crossbar body 24. The locking plate 36 is biased by the lever arm 34 in thelinear direction towards the first housing part 30 such that the locking edge 38 firstcomes into contact with the facing surface of the flange 20 and then, as the lever armapproaches the second position, actually 'bites' into the facing surface. When the leverarm 34 reaches the second position, the engagement feature 82 on the distal end of theL-shaped arm part 80 engages with the engagement feature 84 on the first housing part30, preferably with an audible 'click' so that the user knows that the lever arm is properlyengaged. The engagement features 82,84 retain the lever arm 34 securely in the secondposition until the user wants to release the crossbar 6 from the lower bar 12. In onearrangement, a blocking feature 100 can be provided to impede easy release of theengagement features 82, 84 and they can only be released using a suitable tool toprevent tampering. To release the lever arm 34 the distal end must be flexed away fromthe mounting part 66 to disengage the engagement part 82 from the engagement part 84on the first housing part 30.

When the lever arm 34 is in the second position, the locking plate 36 is in the lockedposition shown in Figures 11 and 12 where the locking edge 38 is engaged with thefacing surface of the flange 20 and is also positioned underneath the engagement feature22 to secure the crossbar 6 to the lower bar 12. In the locked position, the locking plate36 is in contact with the stop ribs 50 on the front surface 52 of the first housing part 30.

The crossbar 6 can be released from the lower bar 12 by releasing the engagementfeatures 82, 84 and rotating the lever arm 34 from the second position towards the firstposition to allow disengagement of the locking edge 38 of the locking plate 36 from thefacing surface of the flange 20 and to clear the engagement feature 22.

Claims

1. A crossbar for a vehicle roof rack, the crossbar comprising a crossbar body anda locking mechanism for releasably securing one end of the crossbar body to a sidebarof the vehicle roof rack, wherein the locking mechanism comprises: a housing fixedly secured to the crossbar body; a lever arm rotatably mounted on the housing and rotatable between a firstposition and a second position, wherein at least one of the housing and the lever armcomprises a cam member for moving the lever arm in a linear direction relative to thehousing as the lever arm is rotated from the first position towards the second position;and a locking member receivable in a substantially U-shaped locking channel of thesidebar in use and slidably mounted for linear movement with the lever arm betweenan unlocked position and a locked position when the lever arm is rotated from the firstposition to the second position; wherein the housing further comprises at least one engagement rib receivablewithin a substantially U-shaped engagement channel of the sidebar in use.

2. A crossbar according to claim 1, wherein the locking member is constrainedagainst rotational movement by the housing.

3. A crossbar according to claim 2, wherein the locking member contactsalignment ribs provided on a surface of the housing that align the locking member withthe locking channel.

4. A crossbar according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing furthercomprises at least one rib contactable with a flange that defines the locking channel ofthe sidebar in use.

5. A crossbar according to any preceding claim, wherein the locking member is asubstantially L-shaped locking plate with a locking edge.

6. A crossbar according to any preceding claim, wherein the cam member biasesthe lever arm towards the crossbar body as the lever arm is rotated from the first positiontowards the second position.

7. A crossbar according to any preceding claim, wherein the lever arm comprisesa mounting part and an arm part that extends from the mounting part and is actuated bythe user to rotate the lever arm from the first position towards the second position.

8. A crossbar according to claim 7, wherein a distal end of the arm part comprisesan engagement feature which is adapted to engage with a complementary engagementfeature provided on the housing to retain the lever arm in the second position.

9. A crossbar according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the mounting part of thelever arm is a mounting cylinder that locates on a mounting hub of the housing.

10. A crossbar according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the mounting part andthe mounting hub comprises at least one cam surface.

11. A crossbar according to claim 10, wherein each cam surface has two or moredifferent gradients.

12. A crossbar according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing has a two-part construction with a first part and a second part.

13. A crossbar according to claim 12, wherein the lever arm is mounted betweenthe first part and the second part.

14. A vehicle roof rack comprising: a sidebar having a substantially U-shaped locking channel and one or moresubstantially U-shaped engagement channels; and a crossbar comprising a crossbar body and a locking mechanism releasablysecuring one end of the crossbar body to the sidebar, wherein the locking mechanismcomprises: a housing fixedly secured to the crossbar body; a lever arm rotatably mounted on the housing and rotatable between a firstposition and a second position, wherein at least one of the housing and the lever armcomprises a cam member for moving the lever arm in a linear direction relative to thehousing as the lever arm is rotated from the first position towards the second position;and a locking member received in the locking channel of the sidebar and slidablymounted for linear movement with the lever arm between an unlocked position wherethe locking member is not engaged with the locking channel and a locked positionwhere the locking member is engaged with the locking channel to secure the crossbarto the sidebar when the lever arm is rotated from the first position to the second position; wherein the housing further comprises at least one engagement rib received ineach engagement channel.

15. A vehicle roof rack according to claim 14, wherein the channels are staggeredand are defined by the outer profile of the sidebar.

16. A vehicle roof rack according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein each channel isdefined by a flange that extends from the outer profile of the sidebar.

17. A vehicle roof rack according to claim 16, wherein the flange that defines thelocking channel further comprises an over-hanging engagement feature.

18. A vehicle roof rack according to claim 17, wherein the housing furthercomprises at least one rib that contacts the flange that defines the locking channel.

19. A vehicle roof rack according to any of claims 14 to 18, wherein a firstengagement channel is positioned above and behind the locking channel and a secondengagement channel is positioned below and in front of the locking channel.