Rooftop cargo carrier

A rooftop cargo carrier having a rack that can be mounted on the roof of an automotive vehicle and on which a linear rail is disposed, along which linear rail a support structure for an object to be transported can be moved between a transport position, in which the support structure is disposed above the linear rail, and an intermediate position, in which the support structure is disposed on the side as an extension of the linear rail. The configuration comprising the linear rail and the support structure can be pivoted between the intermediate position and a loading position, in which the linear rail and the support structure are disposed at a blunt angle relative to the rack. The rooftop cargo carrier also includes a retainer that allows joint pivoting movement of the linear rail and the support structure relative to the rack only after the intermediate position has been reached.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rooftop cargo carrier.

BACKGROUND

This type of rooftop cargo carrier serves predominantly to transport objects, in particular ladders, on the roof of a vehicle. Because of the bulk and unwieldiness of ladders, problems of stowing ladders within the transporting space of the vehicle arise.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,824 A discloses a so-called ladder lift that is mounted by means of carrier rails on the roof of a vehicle. The ladder lift comprises two slide rails extending parallel to each other, which slide rails can be telescopically extended outwardly in the horizontal direction, with the slide rails at one end being disengaged from their lock-in position. This allows the slide rails, along with the guide frame, to be pivoted about an axis of rotation.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,630,565 B2 discloses a loading system for loading an object on and unloading it from the roof of a vehicle, with the loading system comprising a base frame for connection to the vehicle. The loading system also comprises a stowage frame that is connected to the base frame and that can be pivoted about an axis of rotation relative to the base frame. The stowage frame comprises an idler link that is arranged so as to be able to rotate about an idler axis relative to the base frame.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,914,400 B1 discloses a rooftop cargo carrier comprising a rack that can be mounted on the roof of an automotive vehicle and on which a linear guide is disposed, along which linear guide a support structure for an object to be transported can be moved between a transport position and an intermediate position, with the configuration comprising the linear guide and the support structure being able to pivot between the intermediate position and a loading position in which the linear guide and the support structure are disposed at a blunt angle relative to the rack. Also provided is a retaining means for jointly pivoting the linear guide and the support structure relative to the rack only after the intermediate position has been reached.

GB 2 454 680 A1 discloses a ladder lift comprising two sliding rails and a frame, wherein the two sliding rails in the frame of the ladder lift can be moved outwardly. When the two sliding rails are in the outwardly extended position, they can be pivoted downwardly.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the disclosure relates to a generic device to ensure the safe and convenient transport of ladders and other long objects.

Other embodiments are also disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2show a linear rail8that can be mounted via a rack2on the roof of an automotive vehicle, along which linear rail8a support structure3for the object to be transported, for example, a ladder, can be slidingly moved. The support structure3as well as the linear rail8is a profile, especially an aluminum or steel profile. The connection between the support structure3and the linear rail8is designed to ensure that only a sliding movement, but not a tilting movement, between the support structure3and the linear rail8is made possible. As a result, the support structure3and the linear rail8are invariably colinear, i.e., in each of the positions discussed below.

The linear rail8is disposed on a rack2that is secured by means of securing means known in the art on the roof of an automotive vehicle. These securing means can be permanently secured by screwing the rack to the roof of the automotive vehicle or they can be temporarily secured in that the rack can be screwed to the roof, e.g., to a roof railing or to drip rails on the roof.

AsFIG. 3indicates, an upwardly extending tubular section4in the form of a rectangular tube is stationarily secured to the rack2, which rectangular tube reaches through an opening in the linear rail8. At its two oppositely lying ends that, relative to the transverse direction as seen when looking in the travel direction of the vehicle, extend outwardly, the tubular section4, details of which are shown inFIG. 5, has two projections6.

A lug7extending upwardly from the tubular section4, as seen when looking in the direction of the outside of the vehicle, is disposed on the rack.

In the transport position shown inFIGS. 1 and 5, the profile of the support structure3engages the projections on the tubular section4from below, thereby making it impossible for the linear rail8to pivot relative to the rack2because the linear rail8and the support structure3are colinearly connected to each other by means of profiles that are matched to each other.

Disposed on the linear rail8next to the opening for the tubular section4in the direction of the outside of the vehicle is a rocker5that, when in the transport position shown inFIG. 2, is pushed downwardly in that the left side of the rocker, as shown in the drawing, rests on the lug7, which causes the side of the rocker5shown on the right side of the figure to be pushed downwardly because the pivot axis of the rocker5is disposed in between and oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In this manner, the rocker5can be engaged from above by the profile of the support structure3, which profile, in the transport position, is disposed above the rocker5as well as above the tubular section4.

To move from the transport position shown inFIG. 1to the intermediate position shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, the support structure3is pulled outwardly by means of a handle (not shown), which releases first the tubular section4and subsequently the rocker5. However, because the rocker5is blocked by the lug7on the tubular section4, the rocker initially does not yet move. After the profile of the support structure3has been pulled over the projections6of the tubular section4, the support structure3, along with the linear rail8, can be tilted about the axis of rotation9, which is oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This corresponds to the intermediate position shown inFIG. 2. The configuration comprising the linear rail8and the support structure3can subsequently be tilted downwardly via the slightly tilted position shown inFIG. 3to the loading position shown inFIG. 4, in which case the configuration comprising the linear rail8and the support structure3is nearly vertically oriented in the upward direction.

By subsequently moving the configuration comprising the linear rail8and the support structure3from the loading position back in the direction of the intermediate position, the rocker5thereby actuated prevents the support structure3from being pushed farther on the linear rail8because the rocker projects upwardly as long as the linear rail8, relative to the rack2, is in an angled position. Only once the configuration comprising the linear rail8and the support structure3has been pushed downwardly to the point that the linear rail8is again disposed completely horizontally on the rack2is the left side of the rocker5actuated by the lug7, and the right side pivots downwardly and thus unblocks the path for pushing the support structure3farther on the linear rail8. The support structure3can subsequently be easily pushed over the rocker5and the tubular section4, and the profile of the support structure3again engages the projections6of the tubular section4from below. This prevents the configuration from being tipped over again.

To prevent the support structure3in the transport position shown inFIG. 1from accidentally slipping out of position relative to the linear rail8, the rooftop cargo carrier according to the present invention has a securing hook disposed near the handle. This hook is an annular spring-loaded hook that, when the support structure3is completely pushed into the linear rail8, is pushed over a counterplate having a recess, with the barbed hook of the securing hook engaging in the recess and remaining in this position by means of the spring force.

To release the securing hook, the hook must be manually pivoted upwardly against the force of the annular spring. Because the barbed hook engages in the opening stationarily disposed in the linear rail, the support structure must be pushed slightly toward the middle of the vehicle by means of the handle. The support structure can subsequently be pulled outwardly by means of the handle.

The rooftop cargo carrier according to the present invention is preferably part of a rooftop cargo carrier configuration that comprises two rooftop cargo carriers of the same type, wherein the two rooftop cargo carriers of the configuration can be mounted on the roof of an automotive vehicle and jointly hold the long objects to be transported.