Abstract:
A vehicle article carrier adapted to be mounted to an outer body surface of a motor vehicle. The carrier has a pair of cross bars that can each be stowed on corresponding pairs of support elements when the cross are not needed for use without the need to completely detach either of the cross bars from their associated support elements. A rear one of the cross bars has a single sided release feature that enables both end supports at opposite ends of the rear cross bar to be simultaneously unlocked or locked from a rear pair of support elements from either end support. The rear cross bar can also be slidably positioned along the rear pair of support elements to better configure the cross bars to support variously sized articles thereon.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/934,491, filed Jun. 13, 2007, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to vehicle article carrier systems and methods, and more particularly to a vehicle article carrier system and method that includes a pair of cross bars that can be pivoted into stowed positions parallel to a pair of supporting rails when not needed, and where at least one of the cross bars has locking assemblies at opposite ends that can be simultaneously locked and unlocked from one end of the cross bar. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Vehicle article carriers are used in a variety of automotive applications to transport articles of various shapes and sizes above an outer body surface of a vehicle. Typically, a pair of elongated rails is secured to the outer body surface of the vehicle generally parallel to one another. One or more cross bars are then secured at opposite ends to the rails. Typically the cross bars are not stowable, meaning that even when the article carrier is not in use, the cross bars would be secured to the rails extending perpendicularly between the rails. Of course, if the cross bars are removable, then they could be removed entirely from the rails, but then this gives rise to the problem of storing the cross bars, as well as the inconvenience of having to physically disassemble the cross bars from the remainder of the vehicle article carrier. Often, external tools may be required for such disassembly, which further adds to the inconvenience for the user. Storage of such components within the vehicle can also be difficult and/or consume valuable and limited cargo space. Storing the cross bars separately from the vehicle may give rise to the inconvenient situation where a need arises to use the vehicle article carrier, while the user is away from home or work with the vehicle, but the cross bars are being stored at home or at a place of work. 
     If the cross bar is of the type that can be adjustably positioned on the rails, then it will typically have a locking mechanism at each end thereof. The locking mechanisms are used to secure the cross bar to the rails. Adjusting the positioning of the cross bar on the rails typically involves unlocking a first end support of the cross bar, then walking around to the other side of the vehicle and unlocking a second end support at the opposite end of the cross bar. Then the cross bar is moved to the desired position, and then the second end support would be locked. The user would then walk around to the opposite side of the vehicle and lock the end support at the first end. As will be appreciated, this process can be somewhat cumbersome for those individuals that use their article carrier systems frequently. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present system and method is directed to a vehicle article carrier having a pair of cross bars that may be stowed on associated pairs of fixedly secured support elements when the cross bars are not needed for use. Advantageously, there is no need to disassemble either of the cross bars from the support elements, nor are any special tools required for a user to move the cross bars between their stowed and operative positions. In addition, one of the cross bars may be positioned at a plurality of different longitudinal positions along a designated pair of the support elements. 
     In one specific implementation at least one of the cross bars has a single sided release locking mechanism that enables end supports at both ends of the cross bar to be simultaneously released from locking engagement with a designated pair of the support elements when a user actuates a locking mechanism at one end of the cross bar. Thus, this avoids the need for the user to first unlock a first end support, and then walk around the vehicle to the other side to perform the same action at a second end support of the cross bar, and then to repeat these operations to lock both end supports from their respective support elements. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle article carrier of the present disclosure mounted on a roof portion of a motor vehicle, with a pair of cross bars of the carrier in their operable (i.e., non-stowed) positions; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the vehicle article carrier of  FIG. 1  but with the two cross bars in their stowed positions; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the vehicle article carrier but without the cross bars positioned thereon; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of a first one of the forward support elements; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged plan view of a second one of the forward support elements; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view of a first one of the rear support elements; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the components at a first end of the forward cross bar; 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the components at the second end of the forward cross bar, in addition to the first one of the rear support elements; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross sectional side view illustrating the mounting of the locking member within the end support component of the end support shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of the components at the first end of the rear cross bar; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross sectional side view of the locking member mounted within the end support component of the end support shown in  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded perspective view of the components at the second end of the rear cross bar and the second rear support element; 
         FIG. 13  is a bottom view of the end support component shown in  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a bottom perspective view of the second end of the rear cross bar engaged with the second rear support element; 
         FIG. 15  is an enlarged perspective view of the second rear support element; 
         FIG. 16  is a cross sectional side view of the rear cross bar and the two rear support elements, with the locking members of the rear cross bar in their unlocked positions; 
         FIG. 17  is a view of the cross bar and support elements shown in  FIG. 16  but with the locking members in their locked positions; 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective, cross sectional view of the second end support of the front cross bar engaged with the second one of the forward support elements; and 
         FIG. 19  is a side partial cross sectional view of the first end support of the rear cross bar engaged with the second one of the forward support elements. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is shown a vehicle article carrier apparatus  10  mounted on an outer body surface  14  of a motor vehicle  12 . The apparatus  10  generally includes first and second forward support elements  16  and  18 , respectively, and first and second rear support elements  20  and  22 , respectively. In a first (i.e., “operative”) configuration, a forward cross bar  24  is supported from the forward support elements  16 , 18  and a rear cross bar  26  is supported from the rear support elements  20 , 22 . In a second (i.e., “stowed”) configuration, the forward cross bar  24  is supported from the support elements  16  and  20  while the rear cross bar  26  is supported from support elements  18  and  22 . In the stowed configuration shown in  FIG. 2 , the cross bars  24 , 26  are advantageously positioned to minimize aerodynamic drag. 
     With further reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first forward support element  16  includes a partial spherical recess  28  and a pair of holes  30 . The recess  28  is used to mount a first end support  24   a  of the forward cross bar  24  for pivoting movement as will be described further in the following paragraphs. The holes  30  enable external fastening elements to be used to secure a bracket (not shown) to the outer body surface  14  underneath the support element  16 , which also enables the support element  16  to be fixedly secured to the outer body surface  14 . The recess  28  also has a hole  32  that facilitates mounting of the end support  24   a  thereto, as will be described in more detail in the following paragraphs. 
       FIGS. 3 and 5  illustrate in greater detail the second forward support element  18 . Support element  18  includes an opening  34  that enables either a second end support  24   b  of the forward cross bar  24  or a first end support  26   a  of the rear cross bar  26  to be secured thereto. 
       FIGS. 3 and 6  illustrate the first rear support element  20  in greater detail. The support element  20  includes a plurality of spaced apart slots  36  each having a securing loop  38  aligned therewith. Any one of slots  36  may be used to facilitate engagement of the end support  26   a  of the rear cross bar  26  with the support element  20  when the rear cross bar  26  is in its operative position. This also enables adjustable positioning of the rear cross bar  26  along the rear support elements  20  and  22 . An opening  40  permits the end support  24   b  of the forward cross bar  24  to engage the support element  20  when the forward cross bar  24  is in its stowed position. A channel  42  allows sliding movement of the end support  26   a  therealong when the rear cross bar  26  is being re-positioned. Holes  44  in a bottom wall  42  nable external securing elements (not shown), for example RIVNUT® fasteners, to be used to secure the support element  20  to the outer body surface  14  of the vehicle  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the construction of end support  24   a  of the forward cross bar  24  is shown. The end support  24   a  includes an end support component  48  having a hole  50  through which a fastener  52  can be inserted. A spherical portion  54  is integrally formed with the end support component  48  and includes a slot  56  which enables the forward cross bar  24  to be lifted away from support element  18  at end support  24   b . The spherical portion  54  also enables pivoting movement of the forward cross bar  24  about the fastener  52 . The fastener  52  is secured to a bracket  58  through an opening  60  such that it cannot be readily removed from the bracket  58  once the end support  24   a  is assembled to the support element  16 . The bracket  58  may be held to the outer body surface of the vehicle  12  with a pair of fastening elements, for example RIVNUT® fasteners (not shown), that extend through holes  62  in a pair of flanges of the bracket  58 . The bracket  58 , being fixedly secured to the outer body surface  14 , provides a structurally strong point of attachment for the end support  24   a . A cap  53  may be used to provide a decorative covering for the hole  50 . 
     The end support component  48  may be secured to a first end  64   a  of a cross bar component  64  of the forward cross bar  24 . In this regard it will be appreciated the cross bar component  64  forms a tubular component that is preferably made from a structurally strong material, for example extruded or roll formed aluminum. Fastening elements  66  may extend through holes (not shown) in the first end  64   a  to engage openings (not shown) in the end support component  48  so that the end support component  48  is fixedly secured to the cross bar component  64 . 
     With further reference to  FIG. 7 , support element  16  may be positioned over a mounting pad  68  placed on the outer body surface  14  of the vehicle  12 . The mounting pad  68  may be made from rubber or any other suitable material that is able to protect the outer body surface  14  against scratching or marring during installation of the support element  16  thereto. An opening  70  provides clearance for the bracket  58 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the construction of the second end support  24   b  of the forward cross bar  24  is shown in greater detail. End support  24   b  includes an end support component  72  having a neck portion  74  and a base portion  76 . The neck portion  74  may be inserted into an end  64   b  of the cross bar component  64  of the forward cross bar  24  and then secured via one or more conventional fastening elements  75  that extend through holes (not shown) at end  64   b , and through holes (not shown) in neck portion  74 .  FIG. 8  also illustrates a pad  77  having a plurality of holes  77   a  that may be interposed between the support element  20  and the outer body surface  12   a . The holes  77   a  enables fastening elements (not shown) to extend therethrough, and through openings in the support element  20 , to secure the support element fixedly to the outer body surface  12   a.    
     The base portion  76  of the end support component  72  has an opening  78  that receives a locking member  80  therein. The locking member  80  includes a manually graspable portion  82  and a jaw portion  84 . A bore  86  receives a pivot pin  88 , which also extends through a bore  90  in the end support component  72 . In this manner the locking member  80  is pivotally supported within the opening  78  of the end support component  72 . 
     With brief reference to  FIG. 9 , a biasing element  92  is positioned over the pivot pin  88  and engages a surface  94  of the locking member  80  and an inner wall surface  96  of the end support component  72 . The biasing element  92  operates to bias the jaw portion  84  of the locking member  80  into a locked normally locked position as shown in  FIG. 17 . In the stowed position, the jaw portion  84  engages the opening  40  in the support element  20 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 10 , first end support  26   a  of the rear cross bar  26  is shown in greater detail. The first end support  26   a  includes an end support component  98  having a neck portion  100  and a base portion  102 . The neck portion  100  may be inserted into an end  103   a  of a tubular cross bar component  103  and secured thereto via a plurality of conventional threaded fastening elements  105 . The fastening elements  105  may extend through holes (not shown) in the cross bar component  103  and into threaded bores in the neck portion  100  of the end support component  98 . 
     The base portion  102  of the end support component  98  includes an opening  104  within which is positioned a locking member  106 . The locking member  106  includes a bore  108  that receives a pivot pin  110 , with the pivot pin also extending through a bore  112  in the base portion  102  so that the locking member  106  is pivotally supported within the opening  104 . With reference to  FIG. 11 , a biasing element  114  in the form of a torsion spring is positioned over the pivot pin  110  during assembly such that one leg abuts a surface  116  of the end support component  98  while the other leg of the biasing element  114  abuts an internal wall surface  118  of the locking member  106 . This serves to continuously bias the locking member  106  into a normally locked position as shown in  FIG. 17 . 
     With further reference to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the locking member  106  also includes a manually graspable portion  120  and a jaw portion  122 . The user may grasp the manually graspable portion  120  to urge the locking member  106  into an unlocked position, to thus permit the end support  26   a  to be disengaged from the support element to which it is attached (i.e., either support element  18  or support element  20 ). The jaw portion  122  serves to lock the end support  26   a  to either one of the support elements  18  or  20 . 
     With further reference to  FIG. 10 , a bracket  124  is positioned within the opening  34  and secured to the outer body surface  14  by a pair of conventional fastening elements  126  that extend through holes  128  in the bracket  124 . The fastening elements  126  may be RIVNUT® fasteners or any other suitable fastening members. The bracket includes a lip  130  that the jaw portion  84  of the end support  24   b  can engage when the forward cross bar  24  is in its operative position and locked to the support element  18 . A protective pad  132  is positioned on the outer body surface  14  to protect the surface. A cut-out  134  provides clearance for the bracket  124 . The end support component  98  further includes a wheel  136  held to the base portion  102  by a threaded fastener  138  that engages a hole (not shown) in the base portion  102 . The wheel  136  is able to rotate to help facilitate smooth sliding movement of the rear cross bar  26  when the end support  26   a  is engaged within the channel  42  of the rear support element  20 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 12 , the construction of the end support  26   b  is shown in greater detail. The end support  26   b  includes an end support component  140  having a base portion  142 , a spherical portion  144  and a neck portion  146 . During assembly the neck portion  146  is inserted into an end  103   b  of the cross bar component  103 . Conventional threaded fasteners  147  are inserted through holes in the cross bar component  103  and into threaded holes (not shown) in the end support component  140  to hold the end support component  140  securely to the cross bar component  103 . 
     The end support  26   b  also includes an opening  148  within which a locking member  150  is positioned. The locking member  150  has a base portion  152 , a manually graspable portion  154  and a jaw portion  156 . The base portion  152  further includes a bore  158  through which a pivot pin  160  may be inserted. The pivot pin  160  also is inserted through a bore  162  in the end support component  140 . Thus, the pivot pin  160  enables pivoting movement of the locking member  150  within the end support component  140 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 12 ,  14 ,  15  and  16 , the end support member  140  is also secured for pivoting movement by a mounting block  164  that is positioned within a channel  166  formed in the support element  22 . The channel  166  has semi-circular wall portions  168  that help to support the spherical portion  144  of the end support component  140  when the end support component  140  is assembled thereto. Openings  170  allow the mounting block  164  to be inserted into the channel  166 . The support element  22  includes a plurality of bottom wall portions  172  ( FIG. 14 ) that each have a hole  174  therein. Conventional fasteners, for example RIVNUT® fasteners, may be inserted through the holes  174  when fastening the support element  22  to the outer body surface  14  of the vehicle  12 . Securing loops  176  enable the jaw portion  156  of the locking member  150  to be engaged therein to secure the rear cross bar  26  against longitudinal movement when it is in its operative configuration. A rubber mounting pad  175  or other suitable protective form of pad may be disposed between the support element  22  and the outer body surface. Holes  175   a  permit fasteners, such as RIVNUT® fasteners, to extend through the mounting pad  175 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , the end support component  140  also includes a slot  178  that receives a partially threaded shaft of a retaining member  180 . An opening  179  allows the jaw portion  156  of the locking member  150  to project therethrough. A fastener  182 , either being threaded or press fit on to the shaft of the retaining member  180 , secures the end support component  140  to the mounting block  164  after the mounting block  164  has been positioned within the channel  166  of the support element  22 . The slot  178 , together with engagement of the spherical surface  144  and the mounting surface  166 , permits the rear cross bar  26   b  to be lifted at end support  26   a  as well as pivoted between its stowed and operative positions. The use of the slot  178  is highly advantageous because it enables the end support  26   a  to be lifted and lowered as the end support  26   a  is coupled to, or de-coupled from, either of the support elements  18  or  20 , and thus eliminates any clearance issues that would otherwise exist when moving the end support  26   a  between the two support elements  18  and  20 . 
     With further reference to  FIGS. 14-16 , the mounting block  164  is dimensioned such that it is able to slide within the channel  166  of the support element  22  without requiring any detachment of the rear cross bar  26  from the support element  22 . Thus, the rear cross bar  26  can with be moved longitudinally and re-positioned along the rear support elements  20  and  22  if needed. In this example, the securing loops  38  and  176  define four distinct longitudinal positions at which the rear cross bar  26  can be secured. 
     Referring further now to  FIGS. 10 ,  12 ,  16  and  17 , a cable  184  has a first end  184   a  secured to the locking member  106  of end support  26   a . The cable  184  may be made from steel or possibly from nylon or other suitably strong materials. The first end  184   a  is supported within a channel  186  in the locking member  106 , and an enlarged head portion  188  of the cable  184  prevents the cable from being withdrawn from the locking member  106 . Second end portion  184   b  of the cable  184  extends over an arcuate shoulder  190  in the locking member  150 , and an enlarged head portion  192  prevents the cable  184  from being withdrawn from the locking member  150 . A biasing element in the form of a coil spring  194  is positioned within a blind bore  196  in the neck portion  146  of the end support component  140 . The biasing element  194  abuts a block  198  ( FIGS. 16 and 17 ) that is crimped on or otherwise fixedly secured to the cable  184  so that it can exert tension on the cable that serves to help maintain the locking members  106  and  140  in their normally locked positions ( FIG. 16 ). 
     Referring further to  FIGS. 16 and 17 , when the rear cross bar  26  is to be moved between its operative and stowed configurations, or when it is to be repositioned longitudinally along the two rear support elements  20  and  22 , a user may manually grasp the manually engageable portion  120  or  154  of either of locking members  106  and  150 , respectively, and lift upwardly away from its associated end support component  98  or  140 , respectively. Cable  184  simultaneously causes pivoting of the other one of the locking members  106  or  150  into an unlocked position. While holding the selected locking member  106  or  150  in a lifted position, such as shown in  FIG. 16 , the entire rear cross bar  26  can be moved slidably along the rear support elements  20  and  22  to a new position defined by a different pair of the securing loops  38  and  176 . Alternatively, the rear cross bar  26  could be pivoted from its operative position to its stowed position with end support  26   a  positioned on support element  18 , as shown in  FIG. 19 . In this position the hook portion  122  of end support component  106  engages the opening  34  of the forward support element  18 . In either instance, the user is able to unlock and lock both end supports  26   a  and  26   b  from the support elements  20  and  22  from one side of the vehicle  12 . This eliminates the need for the user to walk back and forth between both sides of the vehicle  12  to accomplish repositioning of the rear cross bar  26 , or when moving the rear cross bar  26  between its stowed and operative positions. This significantly adds to the ease and convenience in using manipulating the rear cross bar  26 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 18 , when the front cross bar  24  is in its operative position, jaw portion  84  of locking member  80  extends through the opening  34  in the support element  18  to engage with flange  130  of the bracket  124  (the flange  130  also being visible in  FIG. 10 ). When the rear cross bar  26  is in its stowed position, the locking member  106  of end support  26   a  extends through opening  34  to engage the support element  18  ( FIG. 19 ). In their stowed positions, the cross bars  24  and  26  form a sleek, aesthetically pleasing component that bridges support element pairs  16 , 20  and  18 , 22 . Stowing the cross bars  24  and  26  also helps to even further improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle article carrier  10 . A particular advantage is that stowing of the cross bars  24  and  26  can be accomplished without any disassembly of the end supports  24   a , 24   b , 26   a  and  26   b  from any of the support elements  16 ,  18 ,  20  and  22 . Furthermore, no external tools are required to reposition the cross bars  24  and  26  in their stowed positioned or to move them from their stowed positions back into their operative positions. 
     From  FIG. 3 , it will also be apparent that in this example, the outer body surface  14  of the vehicle  12  is slightly wider at a forward portion of the vehicle  12   a  than at a rearward portion  12   b . However, the channels  42  and  166  in the support elements  20  and  22 , respectively, have been formed slightly non-parallel to outermost edges  200  and  202  of the rear support elements  20  and  22 . This enables the support elements  20  and  22  to be mounted generally parallel to the longitudinal side edges of the outer body surface  14 , while the channels  42  and  166  are maintained parallel to one another. The parallel positioning of the channels  42  and  166  enables the end supports  26   a  and  26   b  to be moved slidably along the channels  42  and  166  without binding. Furthermore, the slightly wider spacing of the forward support elements  16  and  18  means that the distance between the openings  28  and  34  will be slightly greater than the distance between the channels  42  and  166 . To account for this, the overall length of the front cross bar  24  is just slightly longer than overall length of the rear cross bar  26 . This also results in the longitudinal spacing between recess  28  in front support element  16  and opening  40  in the rear support element  20  being slightly greater than the spacing between the opening  34  in front support element  18  and the rearward most securing loop  176   a . Of course, if the spacing between the front support elements  16 , 18  and the spacing between the rear support elements  20 , 22  is the same, then the overall lengths of the cross bars  24  and  26  may be the same, which would also obviate the need to make the spacing between the end support securing points on the support element pairs  16 , 20  and  18 , 22  different. 
     The end support components  98  and  140 , as well as the locking members  106  and  150  may be made from high strength plastics or any other suitable strong and durable materials. The support elements  16 - 22  may also be made from high strength plastic, aluminum or any other suitably strong and durable materials. 
     While various embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications or variations which might be made without departing from the present disclosure. The examples illustrate the various embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, the description and claims should be interpreted liberally with only such limitation as is necessary in view of the pertinent prior art.