Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R9/00—Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like
  • B60R9/06—Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like at vehicle front or rear

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a load carrier which is designed to be mounted at the rear of a vehicle and which comprises a carrier which has a rearwardly projecting bracket device for carrying a load and which, with a lower portion, is fixable on the vehicle, and a forwardly directed connecting device which is rigidly connected to the carrier and is provided with an anchorage for engagement with the vehicle in the region of an edge portion of the boot lid of the vehicle.
• a load carrier which, with a lower portion, is supportable on the rear bumper or fender of the vehicle or the upper edge of the rear defining wall of the vehicle at the boot lid.
• the load carrier is further provided with a forwardly directed apparatus which is fixable in the region of the forward/upper edge of the boot lid.
• the present invention has for its object to realize a load carrier of the type disclosed by way of introduction, the load carrier being designed so that it reliably and efficiently is capable of carrying its load, that it both simply and conveniently may be dismounted from the vehicle when not needed, but that it can, at the same time, be mounted in place in such a manner as not to prevent opening of the boot lid of the vehicle - nor does it risk damaging the vehicle, and in particular its gloss paint surfaces.
• the present invention further has for its object to realize a load carrier which may be manufactured both simply and economically, which may be packed in compact dimensions and which may also be collapsed and stored without large space requirements when it is not needed on the vehicle.
• Fig. 1 schematically illustrates in perspective a rear portion of an automobile of the sedan type, with a load carrier according to the present invention mounted thereon;
• Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the load carrier according to the present invention shown in greater detail.
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the load carrier.
• reference numeral 1 relates to a vehicle which, in the illustrated embodiment, is of the sedan model type.
• vehicle 1 has a rear boot lid which is not shown in detail on the Drawing, but whose forward edge is intimated at the line 2.
• the Drawing further shows an adapter 3 which is secured on a rear or lower portion of- the boot lid and which may preferably be secured to the vehicle via the same screws as those employed for mounting the licence plates of the vehicle.
• the subject matter of the present invention comprises an approximately vertical carrier 4 which has a rearwardly projecting bracket device 5 for carrying and retaining the load in question, primarily one or more bicycles. Furthermore, the carrier 4 has, at its lower end, engagement means which are designed for engagement with corresponding engagement means 6 on the adapter 3. In the carrier 4, there is secured a connecting device 7 with an anchorage 8 for engagement with the vehicle in the region of a forward or upper ' edge portion of the boot lid of the vehicle.
• the connecting device 7 and the carrier 4 are mutually interconnected via a clamping device 9 which is arranged to draw the connecting device 7 and the carrier 4 towards one another.
• the connecting device 7 is pivotally secured in an upper portion ⁇ of the carrier 4, the pivot axis being approximately horizontal and transversely directed in relation to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
• the clamping device 9 will, on activation, strive to pivot the connecting device in towards the carrier 4 so that the angle between these parts is reduced-
• the subject matter of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle of the sedan model type.
• the carrier 4 will be substantially vertical but may, depending upon the design of the vehicle body (and also on its own adjustment setting), vary from an angle position of 10 to 30° ahead of a vertical plane to an at least equally large angle value behind the vertical plane.
• the connecting device 7 is, in this mounting alternative, directed so that it extends from the carrier 4 obliquely downwards and forwards to the boot lid.
• the angle of inclination may vary considerably depending upon the adjustment setting of the load carrier according to the present invention and also depending upon the appearance of the vehicle body.
• the carrier 4 will incline rearwardly within the above-described inclination range while, on the other hand, the connecting device will extend obliquely upwards from the carrier in order to grasp about the upper edge of the rear door or boot lid.
• the anchorage of the carrier 4 in the adapter 3 is pivotal about a substantially horizontal axis which is approximately parallel with the pivot axis between the carrier 4 and the connecting device 7.
• the carrier 4 is in the form of an approximately inverted U-shaped arc with an upper, substantially horizontal portion 10 with two substantially downwardly directed legs 11 and 12.
• the bracket device 5 is designed as an arm or hook projecting rearwardly from each leg and pivotally secured in each respective leg so that the arm may be collapsed in towards the leg when the load carrier is not in use.
• the pivot axes are horizontal and approximately parallel with the pivot axis between the connecting device 7 and the carrier 4.
• the anchorage of the arms 5 in the carrier 4 is adjustable so that the arms can be given substantially horizontal positions irrespective of the inclination position of the carrier 4.
• the connecting device 7 is designed as a telescopically adjustable arm with a rear tube 15 and a forward tube 16.
• the forward tube 16 carries in its free end the anchorage 8 which has a catch which is intended to grasp about the edge of the boot lid of the vehicle.
• the arm consisting of the tubes 15 and 16 is, counting from the anchorage in the carrier 4, pivotal within an angular range in which it slopes approximately 30° downwards to ' a position where it slopes approximately 80° upwards from the horizontal plane.
• the arm On mounting of the load carrier on a vehicle of the sedan type, the arm will be somewhat downwardly directed seen from the upper side of the carrier to the anchorage 8, while, when the load carrier is mounted on a vehicle of the station wagon type,- the arm will be directed obliquely upwards and the anchorage 8 will grasp about the upper edge of the rear door.
• An intermediate position occurs when the load carrier is employed on a vehicle of the so-called hatchback type.
• the arm consisting of the tubes 15 and 16 is rigidly connected with an anchorage 17 which consists of an upper half and a lower half.
• the anchorage is approximately T-shaped and has a transverse bore in which the upper portion 10 of the carrier 4 is pivotally accommodated.
• the arm consisting of the tubes 15 and 16 has a length-adjusting device 18 by means of which the connection point of the clamping device 9 with the arm can be adjusted along the longitudinal length of the arm.
• the length- adjusting device consists of a longitudinal flange fixed to the rear tube 15 and provided with a series of apertures for fixedly catching the clamping device 9.
• the adapter 3 includes a plate which-is intended to be placed, for example, behind the licence plate of the vehicle and which can thereby be fixed in place using the same screws as those employed for fixing the licence plate.
• the adapter has, at each end, a rearwardly directed flange 19 which carries the engagement means 6 for cooperation with the carrier 4.
• the engagement means comprise holes 20 which are intended for accommodating corresponding pins 21 on the insides of the lower ends of the legs 11 and 12 of the carrier 4.
• the carrier may be pivoted as described above.
• the load carrier is secured in the vehicle at three anchorage points, namely the both pairs of engagement means 20 and 21 and the anchorage 8. This provides for a stable anchorage and avoids any possible play between the load carrier and the vehicle.
• the clamping device, 9 includes two stays 22 and 23 which, with their one ends, are secured in the carrier 4, preferably in its downwardly directed legs 11 and 12, and suitably approximately in the central region counting in the vertical direction.
• the stays 22 and 23 have curved outer end portions which engage from above in corresponding apertures in the legs 11 and 12.
• the other ends of the stays 22 and 23 are connected to a coupling device to which a drawbar 24 is also coupled which, with its other end, engages in one of the holes in the length-adjusting device 18.
• the coupling device suitably includes a lug in each end of the two stays.22 and 23, and the drawbar 24 extends with a threaded portion through these lugs and has a nut 25 on the side of these lugs facing away from the length- adjusting device 18.
• Fig. 3 there is shown one alternative embodiment of the carrier 4 and, in particular, the lower ends of its legs 11 and 12.
• the legs in this embodiment are completely straight and, on each leg, there is secured a flange 26 with a bent upper edge 27.
• the engagement means of the carrier 4, i.e. its pins 21 project out at right angles to the flanges from the lower portions thereof and in a downward direction, i.e. in a direction which is opposed to that which applied to the embodiment according to Fig. 2.
• the upper, bent edges 27 of the flanges 26 are intended to cooperate with the flanges 19 projecting rearwards from the adapter 3.
• the carrier 4 When the carrier 4 is mounted on the adapter 3, it is held in a position where it inclines more rearwardly than that which applies in the ready-mounted position, whereafter the pins 21 are moved in to corresponding apertures in the adapter.
• the carrier When the carrier is then pivoted upwards and forwards, the bent edges 27 on the flanges 26 will grasp about the flanges 19 of the adapter 3. Anchorage of the pins 21 in the apertures 20 will hereby be ensured.
• the carrier is in the form of an approximately rectangular frame which is preferably divisible in that it is provided, in its upper, substantially horizontal portion 10 and its lower portion, with insert connections.
• the anchorage 17 is designed in such a manner that, in the mounted state, it prevents access to and removal of that pin which is passed through the mutually engaging ends portions of the mutually connected ends of the carrier.
• these ends may suitably, in the joint region, have a circumferential recess in which a corresponding flange engages interiorly in the anchorage 17 so that thereby the anchorage is locked in the longitudinal direction of the upper horizontal portion 10 of the carrier 4, at the same time as full pivotal capacity between the anchorage and the carrier is guaranteed.
• the engagement means of the carrier 4 are further placed on the lower, substantially horizontal portion of the carrier and are in the form of forwardly directed projections provided with catches, the projections being intended to be hooked in corresponding apertures in an adapter which, along its under edge, has a rearwardly projecting portion.
• the drawbar 24 may also be passed through the hole series in the two tubes 15 and 16 which are employed for the telescopic length adjustability thereof.
• the drawbar 24 may also be fixedly caught in a hook or lug which extends through one of the apertures in these series.
• this can be approximately triangular, with but a single lower anchorage point while, in its upper end, it has two forwardly directed arms each with an anchorage for engagement with the forward edge of the boot lid.
• the design of the adapter 3 for placing on the boot lid, in particular behind the licence plate is extremely advantageous in that the load carrier can remain mounted in place on the boot lid and accompany the lid in its movements, it is also possible to place the adapter on another part of the vehicle body, for example on its fender or bumper, or possibly on the ball of a drawing hitch.

Landscapes

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

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20385620

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Citations (4)

• 1992
  • 1992-03-16 SE SE9200789A patent/SE469831B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1992-12-21 WO PCT/SE1992/000884 patent/WO1993018941A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1992-12-21 DE DE4294817T patent/DE4294817T1/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (4)

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