Cargo bar with quick release

The cargo bar includes a toothed rod and a ratchet actuator. The ratchet actuator is composed of a carriage, a wrench bar with a handle, a main pawl, an auxiliary pawl and an elastic member. When the handle is reciprocated, the wrench bar drives the pawls to push teeth on the toothed rod, and then the toothed rod is elongated outwards. The carriage is disposed with a rotatable release key. When the release key is rotated in a specific direction, the auxiliary pawl and the main pawl will be pushed directly and indirectly by the release key, respectively, and then the two pawls withdraw from the toothed rod to make the toothed rod bidirectionally slidable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The invention relates to telescoping rods, particularly to ratchet type telescoping rods.

2. Related Art

A cargo bar is a telescoping rod used in pickup truck beds or sport utility vehicles for holding cargo therein. Typical cargo bars adopt a unidirectional ratchet mechanism such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,876. Briefly, '876 is composed of a toothed rod and a ratchet actuator. There are a series of slant teeth14on one side of the toothed rod10. The toothed rod10passes through the ratchet actuator. The ratchet actuator includes a wrench bar22, a main pawl26and an auxiliary pawl32, all of which are separately pivotally linked in a carriage16. The two pawls26,22are separately articulated to the wrench bar22with two shafts28, and engage with two different teeth14. An elastic member40is disposed between the two pawls26,32. An outer end of the wrench bar22is disposed with a handle24. When the handle24is reciprocated, the wrench bar22drives the pawls26,32to push the teeth14on the toothed rod10, and then the toothed rod10is elongated outwards.

A single reciprocation cycle of the wrench bar can only elongate the toothed rod by the length of one tooth. It is so hard to elongate a much longer distance. Thus a quick release mechanism for making the toothed rod freely movable by temporarily withdrawing the pawls from the toothed rod is required. In '876, however, the quick release mechanism is a quick release lever48pivotally linked in the wrench bar22by a shaft50and near the handle24. And a torsion spring56is put axially around the shaft50. Two ends of the torsion spring56bear against an outer end54of the quick release lever48and the wrench bar22, respectively. An inner end52of the quick release lever48bears against the elastic member40. When the quick release lever48is depressed, the inner end52will push the elastic member40to move the auxiliary pawl32upwards and then to withdraw from the teeth14. At this time, the toothed rod10can be freely moved.

Such a quick release mechanism is complicated in structure because it requires two elements—quick release lever48and torsion spring56.

Furthermore, its assembling process is also laborsome. Thus it is uneconomical for manufactures. On the other hand, because the quick release lever48must has a specific length for serving as a lever, it tends to be fractured or bent. Thus it is not durable enough for users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the invention is to provide a cargo bar with quick release, which only includes a single component. The structure is simplified and manufacturing cost is reduced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cargo bar with quick release, which has great durability because it does not adopt the lever principle.

To accomplish the above object, the cargo bar of the invention includes a toothed rod and a ratchet actuator. The ratchet actuator is composed of a carriage, a wrench bar with a handle, a main pawl, an auxiliary pawl and an elastic member. When the handle is reciprocated, the wrench bar drives the pawls to push teeth on the toothed rod, and then the toothed rod is elongated outwards. The carriage is disposed with a rotatable release key. When the release key is rotated in a specific direction, the auxiliary pawl and the main pawl will be pushed directly and indirectly by the release key, respectively, and then the two pawls withdraw from the toothed rod to make the toothed rod bidirectionally slidable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Please refer toFIG. 1. The cargo bar of the invention is composed of a stationary rod3, a toothed rod1and a ratchet actuator2. The stationary rod3is fastened to an end of the ratchet actuator2and the toothed rod1retractably passes through the ratchet actuator2and the stationary rod3. Two outer ends of the stationary rod3and toothed rod1are fixed with two pads (not shown) for bearing against walls of a cargo compartment. One side of the toothed rod1is disposed with a series of slant teeth11.

Please jointly refer toFIGS. 1 and 2. The ratchet actuator2includes a wrench bar22, a main pawl24and an auxiliary pawl25, all of which are separately pivotally linked in a carriage21. The two pawls24,25are separately articulated to the wrench bar22with a first shaft26and a second shaft27, respectively. The second shaft27penetrates through the carriage21to concurrently pivotally link the wrench bar22in the carriage21. Free ends of the two pawls24,25engage with two different teeth11. An elastic member29is disposed between the two pawls24,25. Two ends of the elastic member291,292are separately pivotally fixed to the main pawl24and auxiliary pawl25by two pins241,251. There is a handle23on an outer end of the wrench bar22for being held by a user.

Please refer toFIG. 3. One end of the stationary rod3is fastened to the ratchet actuator2. The toothed rod1can be elongated by the reciprocation of the handle23. As a result, a total length constituted by the stationary rod3and toothed rod1will be progressively elongated. Please refer toFIGS. 4 and 5. By means of the pressure from the elastic member29, the tips of the pawls24,25normally press two of the teeth11. When the handle23is moved upwards, the two pawls24,25concurrently push the toothed rod1to shift outwards (i.e. the left side in the figure) as shown inFIG. 4. When the handle23is moved downwards after top dead center, the two pawls24,25will be pulled back the original positions along by the teeth11to press another two of the teeth11. By this means, the toothed rod1can be elongated step by step.

Please refer back toFIG. 1. The quick release mechanism of the invention is a release key28penetrating through the carriage21. The release key28is formed by a shank281and a stick282. The stick282is flat, that is width of the stick282is larger than thickness thereof. The carriage21is disposed with a substantially L-shaped through hole211for receiving the stick282to penetrate and rotate about 90 degrees. A user may rotate the release key28to a horizontal or vertical position. The horizontal position and the vertical position may be defined as an ineffective position and a release position, respectively. The shank281extends from the stick280for being held to rotate. Additionally, the free end of the stick282, which protrudes from the carriage21, may be disposed with a block283for preventing the release key28from withdrawing from the carriage21.

The stick282is located between the auxiliary pawl25and the toothed rod1. When the release key28is rotated at the ineffective position, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, the release key28is not in contact with the toothed rod1and the auxiliary pawl25and does not interfere with the motion of the auxiliary pawl25. As a result, the elongating operation of the toothed rod1performed by the pawls24,25can be normally progressed. While when the release key28is rotated to the release position as shown inFIG. 6, the stick282will elevate the auxiliary pawl25to withdraw from the teeth11of the toothed rod1due to its width larger than thickness. Also, the main pawl24is concurrently elevated to withdraw from the teeth11due to the effect of the elastic member29. At this time, the toothed rod1will not be interfered by the pawls24,25to be freely bidirectionally slidable. Users can use this release status to proceed with a coarse adjustment or to cloak the toothed rod1in the stationary rod3.

As abovementioned, the invention can perform quick release by the single release key28. Not only is the structure simplified, but also it is very easy to be assembled. Furthermore, the key shape is so durable and is hard to be bent or fractured.