Vehicle roof rack structure

A vehicle roof rack structure includes a first clamp assembly, a second clamp assembly and a driving member. The first clamp assembly has a first positioning member. The second clamp assembly, aside to the first clamp assembly, has a second positioning member with a second-clamp-assembly bevel surface. The driving member for driving the second clamp assembly includes a screw bar, a driving block and a vehicle-roof bar. The screw bar engages the first and the second positioning members. The driving block, engaging the screw bar, has a driving-block bevel surface to contact the second-clamp-assembly bevel surface. The vehicle-roof bar has an end to mount the first and the second clamp assemblies. When the screw bar rotates, the screw bar drives the driving block to drive the first and the second clamp assemblies to clamp or release the vehicle-roof mounting rack in between.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates in general to a vehicle roof rack structure, and more particularly to the vehicle roof rack structure that is furnished with an anti-self-locking sliding pair for effectively locking and easily assembling/disassembling.

BACKGROUND

In the art, the conventional vehicle roof rack structure is formed by a plurality of crossed bars including longitudinal bars and transverse bars. The longitudinal bars are mounted to the right and the left rims of a vehicle roof, while each of the transverse bars is structured to connect the two parallel longitudinal bars by crossing spatially the vehicle roof. By providing such a formulation of the longitudinal bars and the transverse bars, a carrier space such as a luggage tray, a luggage box, a carrying frame or a ski rack can be formed for on top or roof of the vehicle.

Referring to Taiwan (R.O.C) Patent Publication Number M267119, a locking structure of a vehicle roof rack structure is disclosed. In this disclosure, a fixation block and a fixation plate are furnished with individual clamping portions. On top of the clamping portion of the fixation block, a slot is structured to mount fixedly a transverse bar. In addition, a plurality of anchoring grooves are disposed under the slot to receive insert protrusions of the fixation plate. By having bolts to screw-fix the fixation plate and the fixation block, the whole assembly can be mounted onto the longitudinal bars via the clamping portions. In particular, the insert protrusions are disposed above the clamping portion, and screw holes for engaging the bolts are disposed under the clamping portions. While the clamping portions are applied to fix the longitudinal bars, the bolts penetrate through the fixation block to engage the fixation plate. By having the fixation block and the fixation plate to clamp firmly the corresponding longitudinal bar, two opposing ends of the transverse bar are located into the corresponding slots of the fixation blocks, the bolts then penetrate the respective fixation blocks to further engage the corresponding ends of the transverse bar, and thus the transverse bar can be fixed between the two longitudinal bars.

Nevertheless, the aforesaid vehicle roof rack structure does have the shortcomings as follows.

1. Insufficient locking: vulnerable to get loose, and hard to be fixed

2. Inconvenience for assembling: While in assembling the longitudinal bars and the transverse bars, different bolts shall be applied for structural fixation. Namely, during assembling or dis-assembling, many different bolts are required to complete structurally the fixation or locking, from which the inconvenience arises.

3. Extended labor time for assembly and/or dis-assembly: Due to difficulty in assembling/dis-assembling, plenty of labor time is inevitable.

Accordingly, an improved vehicle roof rack structure that can be effectively and sufficiently locked and conveniently assembled/dis-assembled is definitely welcome and urgent to the skill in the art.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment of this disclosure, a vehicle roof rack structure includes:

a first clamp assembly, having a first positioning member;

a second clamp assembly, disposed aside to the first clamp assembly, having a second positioning member, the second positioning member furnished with a second-clamp-assembly bevel surface at a side thereof, wherein a space for passing a vehicle-roof mounting rack is formed between the first clamp assembly and the second clamp assembly; and

a driving member, used for driving the second clamp assembly to displace, including:

a screw bar, passing through the first positioning member and the second positioning member;

a driving block, disposed at an axial end of the screw bar, engaging the screw bar with threads, furnished with a driving-block bevel surface to face the second-clamp-assembly bevel surface, the driving-block bevel surface and the second-clamp-assembly bevel surface having approximately the same slope; and

a vehicle-roof bar, having an end to mount the first clamp assembly and the second clamp assembly;

wherein, when the screw bar rotates in either direction about a center axis thereof, the screw bar drives the driving block to displace so as to drive or release the second clamp assembly, so that the first clamp assembly and the second clamp assembly clamp or release the vehicle-roof mounting rack in between.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the vehicle roof rack structure1includes a vehicle-roof bar30. Below each end of the vehicle-roof bar30, a combination consisted of a first clamp assembly10and a second clamp assembly20are furnished, and the two combinations at opposing ends of the vehicle-roof bar30are symmetrically disposed. As shown, in the same combination, the second clamp assembly20is disposed aside to the first clamp assembly10. In the following description, only one combination of the first clamp assembly10and the second clamp assembly2at one end side of the vehicle-roof bar30is raise form concise explanation.

Referring now toFIG. 1throughFIG. 3, the vehicle-roof bar30includes a main bar structure31, a protective strip32, and two end caps33. The main bar structure31defines a longitudinal direction F1. An engagement groove311is constructed at a side of the main bar structure31by extending thereof in the longitudinal direction F1. The protective strip32, also extending in the longitudinal direction F1, is disposed at another side of the main bar structure31by opposing the engagement groove311. The two end caps33are furnished to two opposing axial ends of the main bar structure31in the longitudinal direction F1, and each of the two end caps33has an anchoring protrusion331to be hooked inside a receiving hole312of the main bar structure31.

Referring now toFIG. 2andFIG. 3, the vehicle-roof bar30further includes two fitting members34(only one shown inFIG. 2andFIG. 3), and each of the fitting members34is to pair one of the two end caps33. The fitting member34includes two opposing flanges341and a middle lip342. The two flanges341are to match the two corresponding anchoring protrusions331located at the two respective sides of the end cap33. As shown, the lip342are disposed to a lower middle portion between the two flanges341. By applying a force F to the lip342, the two flanges341can move synchronously to pull the anchoring protrusions331inside the receiving holes312so as to retrieve the anchoring protrusions331from the respective receiving holes312of the main bar structure31, such that the end cap33can be dis-assembled from the main bar structure31.

In this disclosure, a material for producing the main bar structure31can be, but not limited to, a metallic material with substantial stiffness. In addition, the protective strip32, the end caps33and the fitting members34can be made of plastic or rubber materials.

Referring now toFIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the first clamp assembly10includes a first outer housing11, a first inner housing12, a first supportive member13and a first positioning member14.

The first inner housing12and the first outer housing11are detachably engaged. In this embodiment, the first inner housing12is furnished, on a top thereof, with two opposing sliding protrusions121for engaging respective sliding slots111located at the first outer housing11.

The first supportive member13, to be clamped between the first outer housing11and the first inner housing12, can be screwed to the first outer housing11by a plurality of bolts15(two shown in this embodiment). The first positioning member14, disposed on top of the first supportive member13, protrudes out of the first outer housing11and the first inner housing12, and can be screwed to the first supportive member13by a plurality of bolts16(two shown in this embodiment). The first positioning member14is furnished with a receiving hole141for a screw bar41to penetrate therethrough. Details about the screw bar41would be described later.

The first clamp assembly10further includes a protective glove17, disposed at a side of the first supportive member13by opposing the first positioning member14, protrudes into a space S formed by the first clamp assembly10and the second clamp assembly20. In this embodiment, the space S allows the vehicle-roof mounting rack50to pass through (referring toFIG. 9).

In this disclosure, a material for producing the first outer housing11, the first inner housing12, the first supportive member13and the first positioning member14can be, but not limited to, a plastic or rubber material. In addition, the first supportive member13can be made of a metallic material with substantial stiffness.

In this embodiment, the first outer housing11further includes a lock18for pairing a key181. A shield cover19, located outside and thus shielding the lock18engaged with the first outer housing11, is applied to shield the first outer housing11so as to keep neatly the first clamp assembly10.

Referring now toFIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the second clamp assembly20includes a second outer housing21, a second inner housing22, a second supportive member23and a second positioning member24.

The second inner housing22and the second outer housing21are detachably engaged. In this embodiment, the second inner housing22is furnished, on a top thereof, with two opposing sliding protrusions221for engaging respective sliding slots211located at the second outer housing21.

The second supportive member23, to be clamped between the second outer housing21and the second inner housing22, can be screwed to the second outer housing21by a plurality of bolts25(two shown in this embodiment). The second positioning member24, disposed on top of the second supportive member23, protrudes out of the second outer housing21and the second inner housing22, and can be screwed to the second supportive member23by a plurality of bolts26(two shown in this embodiment). The second positioning member24is furnished with a second-clamp-assembly bevel surface241at a side thereof by opposing to the first positioning member14. The second positioning member24further has a receiving hole242for the screw bar41ofFIG. 4orFIG. 5to penetrate therethrough. Details about the screw bar41would be elucidated thereafter.

In this disclosure, a material for producing the second outer housing21, the second inner housing22, the second supportive member23and the second positioning member24can be, but not limited to, a plastic or rubber material. In addition, the second supportive member23can be made of a metallic material with substantial stiffness.

Referring now toFIGS. 2, 4-6, the vehicle roof rack structure1provided by this disclosure further includes a driving member40for moving the second clamp assembly20. The driving member40further includes a screw bar41and a driving block42. The screw bar41passes through consecutively both the receiving holes141and241of the first positioning member14and the second positioning member24, respectively. In this embodiment, the screw bar41, the first positioning member14and the second positioning member24are not physically interfered to each other.

The driving block42, disposed at an axial end of the screw bar41, engages the screw bar41with threads43. In addition, the driving block42is furnished with a driving-block bevel surface421to face the second-clamp-assembly bevel surface241, in which the slope of the driving-block bevel surface421is approximately the same as that of the second-clamp-assembly bevel surface241. Since the engagement between the screw bar41and the driving block42is made through the threads43, thus, whenever the screw bar41rotates in either direction about a center axis of the screw bar41, the screw bar41would drive the driving block42to displace along the center axis of the screw bar41.

In addition, as shown inFIG. 2, the shield cover19can shield or cover the screw bar41as well as the lock18. With the protection provided by the lock18, unexpected moves to dis-assemble the structures via directly unscrewing the screw bar41can be avoided.

In this embodiment, the driving block42is disposed at one end of a protective plate44, and the protective plate44provides thereon a plurality of tabs441for inserting corresponding cavities (not shown in the figure) at the driving block42, such that the driving block42and the protective plate44can be engaged. The protective plate44, disposed inside the engagement groove311of the main bar structure31, is to mount thereon the driving block42. Since a groove (not shown in the figure) furnished to the main bar structure31in a manner to meet a displacement stroke of the driving block42could cause substantial wind noises, thus the protective plate44covering the groove can avoid effectively the wind noises.

In this disclosure, materials for producing the screw bar41, the driving block42and the protective plate44are not limited. For example, the screw bar41can be made of a metallic material with substantial stiffness, and the driving block42and the protective plate44can be made of a plastic or rubber material.

Referring now toFIGS. 2, 7 and 8, the first positioning member14, the second positioning member24, the driving block42and the protective plate44are all disposed inside the engagement groove311of the main bar structure31so as to slide along and inside the engagement groove311in the longitudinal direction F1.

When the screw bar41is rotated about the center axis by a tool such as a screw driver, the screw bar41can drive the driving block42to displace along the center axis of the screw bar41(i.e., in the longitudinal direction F1). As the driving-block bevel surface421contacts, by adhering to, the second-clamp-assembly bevel surface241, the driving block42would drive the second positioning member24to displace, and also to displace the entire second clamp assembly20, as shown inFIG. 8.

Referring now toFIG. 8andFIG. 9, the screw bar41keeps rotating to have the first clamp assembly10and the second clamp assembly20to clamp the vehicle-roof mounting rack50in between. At this time, the side of the first supportive member13having the protective glove17would hook a bottom edge of the vehicle-roof mounting rack50.

Through the contact pair provided by the driving-block bevel surface421and the second-clamp-assembly bevel surface241and the position constraint provided by the engagement groove311, the driving block42can firmly lock the second positioning member24in both the longitudinal direction F1and the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction F1. In addition, the driving-block bevel surface421can contact and slide along the second-clamp-assembly bevel surface241, and thus no self-locking would occur.

As described above, the shield cover19can cover the screw bar41, and, through the protection of the lock18, unexpected or theft moves to dis-assemble the structures via directly unscrewing the screw bar41can be avoided.

Similarly, in the case that the screw bar41is rotated reversely, then the driving block42would be separated from the second positioning member24. Namely, the second clamp assembly20is released to separate the first clamp assembly10and the second clamp assembly20to the state shown inFIG. 2. In this state, the vehicle-roof mounting rack50is relieved.

In summary, by providing the vehicle roof rack structure of this disclosure, the screw bar is utilized to control the driving-block bevel surface to push or separate from the second-clamp-assembly bevel surface, and thereby effective and sufficient locking and convenient assembling/dis-assembling can be achieved.