LOAD HOLDER DEVICE FOR VEHICLES

Abstract: A load holder support leg device (101) for mounting of load holders to vehicles. The device comprises a stay (109) having an abutting face (113) which, when the support leg (101) is mounted onto a vehicle roof (114), bears onto the latter relative to both the said vehicle roof and the support leg (101) with its carrying element (108) or the like.

Description: LOAD HOLDER DEVICE FOR VEHICLES The present invention relates to a load holder for vehicles, and in particular to an arrangement of them, whereby load holders, that are normally latchably engaged with the drip- moulding of the vehicle, also can be used for vehicles without such a drip-moulding. Preferably for aesthetic reasons manufacturers of private cars have started to omit the drip moulding, which earlier in most cases used to exist along the edges of the car roofs between the roof and the sides of the vehicle. This has led to the fact that conventional top carriers and load holders cannot be used for vehicles deprived of this drip moulding without special arrangements being made to enable the use of top carriers and load holders. Some car manufacturers initially provide their cars with special holders for carriers on the car roof, while other car manufacturers have those holders as additional accessories, which are fastened by welding, screwing or the like. In both cases special load holders have to be used for each type of vehicle, to fit into the attachments. There are also top carriers and load holders with specially made support legs intended for certain types of vehicles. Many load holders of a universal type have a large programme of accessories from ski-holders to packing cases and for a car owner, who has once invested in such a load holder with acces¬ sories apted to his needs, it is a large and unnecessary ex¬ pense to have to change both load holders and accessories when purchasing another car make. There are for some vehicle types specially made load holders, the accessories of which may not always be available in any larger amount. Since, in addition, the series of such specially made load holders are small they tend to be expensive and can be used solely in connection with the car types for which they were intended. The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above problem. This purpose is attained by an arrangement specified in the claims, from which it also appears what in particular is characteristic of the invention. The invention is described hereafter in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective sideview of a device which is part of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective sideview of the device according to Fig. 1 in conjunction with a support leg, Fig. 3 is partially cut-away endview illustrating the position of the device of Fig. 1 and of a support leg after being mounted on a vehicle without the drip moulding, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic endview of an alternative embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1 illustrates the device or the fastener 1 which in pro¬ file is essentially L-shaped with a relatively short gripping element 2 and a supporting element 3. The supporting element 3 is somewhat arched corresponding to the arch defined by a vehicle roof adjacent the walls of the vehicle. As appears from Fig. 3 the supporting element 3 has, when in use, a cushion 24 resting against the vehicle roof 23, over which it distributes the force. It is apparent from Fig. 2 how the gripping element 2, when in use, carries a cover 21. The sup¬ porting element 3 is on the outside provided with reinforce¬ ment ridges 4. The gripping element 2 has a smaller extension than the support element 3, whereby a relatively high surface pressure occurs at the gripping element 2 while a lower sur¬ face pressure occurs at the more extended supporting element 3. An intermediate portion of the longitudinal, free edge of the supporting element 3 is bent straight outwardly and this bent portion 5 has an elongated, through recess 5a parallel with and adjacent to the supporting element 3. At each end of the bent portion 5 protrusions 6 extend from the supporting ele¬ ment 3. A bar 7 is attached by a rivet 8 or the like to the supporting element 3 adjacent to its edge at the gripping element 2. In Fig. 2 it is shown how the fastener 1 of Fig. 1 is intended to co-operate with a kind of support leg 9. The tensioning hook 10 of the support leg 9, which normally is hooked under the drip moulding, has in this case been hooked in the recess 5a and the lower edge 11 of the support leg 9 is bearing onto the protrusion 6 on each side of the bent portion 5. The bar 7 has at its free end a stud 12, which is shown in the cut-away portion of the free end of the bar 7, and this stud 12 is in¬ serted in an aperture 13 at the front of the support leg 9. The support leg 9 of Fig. 2 has the same basic construction and function as the one described in the Swedish Patent No. 8204548-5. This means that by depressing the operating arm 14 the tensioning hook 10 is pulled into the leg 9. In addition, with the operating arm in a depressed position it covers the free or upper part of the bar 7 so that, when the operating arm is latched, as shown, the stud 12 cannot be pulled out of the aperture 13. Therefore, in this position, the support leg 9 cannot be removed from the vehicle. The shown support leg 9 furthermore comprises a clamp 15, which extends inwardly over the vehicle roof and which is re¬ movably attached to the leg 9 by the means of a couple of screws with locking knobs 16. This clamp 15 is intended for the fastening and tensioning of a connecting rod between two opposite support legs 9, which could be useful with some applications . The upper part of the support leg 9 includes a sleeve 17, and a clamping yoke 18 for the reception of a carrying element which extends between two support legs. The sleeve 17 is fixed while the clamping yoke 18 is mobile and is actuated by the mechanism of the tensioning hook 10 so that by tensioning the hook also the clamping yoke 18 is tensioned for a firm engage¬ ment with the carrying element. It appears in Fig. 3 how a support leg 9 is attached to a vehicle, the roof of which is lacking a drip moulding, the holding taking place by the co-operation between two opposite support legs 9 connected to a carrying element 20. The faste¬ ner 1 is placed with its gripping element 2, which is sur¬ rounded by a cover 21, engaging the inside of the door opening 22 and a support element 3 engaging the diagrammatically shown car roof 23, a cushion 24 being placed in between. The ten¬ sioning hook 10 is hooked in the recess 5a and the bar 7 ex¬ tends between the fastening 8 in the fastener 1 and to the aperture 13 in the leg 9, where the stud 12 is inserted. The clamping yoke. 18 is tensioned. around the carrying element 20. The fastener 1 is used with a support leg 9 of shown kind in the following way: The fastener 1 is placed, one at each side of the vehicle and with the gripping element 2 against the inside of the door openings 22 respectively and with the supporting element 3 with an underlying cushion 24 against the roof 23 of the vehicle. A support leg 9 is mounted adjacent to each fastener 1, allowing a carrying element 20 to connect the two support legs 9 in question. Since the procedure is the same for both support legs 9, a description is given for only one of them. The support leg 9 is placed with its lower edge 11 resting on the protrusions 6 and with the tensioning hook 10 inserted in the recess 5a of the bent portion 5. In this position, i.e. before the tensioning, the lower edge of the support leg 9 is spaced away from the bent portion 5. The bar 7 is fit into such a position that its stud 12 enters the aperture 13 of the leg 9, thereby making the fastener 1 and the leg 9 form one unit. By depressing the operation arm 14 to the position shown in Fig. 3 the tensioning hook 10 is pulled inwardly in the leg; first the clamping yoke 18 is pulled over the carrying element 20 thereby attaching the leg 9 to it, and then the lower edge 11 of the leg 9 is pulled along the protrusions 6 until the edge rests partly against the protrusions 6 and partly against the bent portion 5. Once one of the legs 9 with its fastener 1 has been tensioned according to what is stated above, the tensioning of the other leg will result in that the second leg 9 is locked by the clamping yoke 18 in a position located a little inside of the position where the leg 9 would be in a free position, i.e. the leg 9 will adopt the shown position of Fig. 2. As the tensio¬ ning proceeds the lower edge 11 of the leg 9 is forced to move towards the bent portion 5, which gives rise to a force in the fastener 1 that acts inwardly towards- the roof 23 of the vehicle and this force is taken up by the carrying element 20, which curves slightly downward. This deflection of the carrying element 20 is very little and unimportant to the function of the carrying element 20 as a load carrier. Due to the fastener 1 being in a locked engagement relative to the leg 9 at the bent portion 5 a torsional force would also be affecting the fastener 1 causing the gripping element 2 to turn outwardly and upwardly. This is, however, counteracted by the bar 7, which when the leg 9 is moved towards the bent portion 5, is exposed to a pressure force, that is transferred to the fastener 1 at its outer edge adjacent to the gripping ele-ment 2 causing an inward force for the gripping element 2. With the shown embodiment the arm 14 is pulled over the upper part of the bar 7 and when the arm 14 is locked in a depressed position, as shown in Fig. 3, this bar 7 cannot be removed without resorting to violence and thus the load holder cannot be removed from the vehicle. The combination of the fastener 1 and the shown support leg results in the fact that it is also impossible to latch the load holder so firmly that it causes damage to the vehicle. Despite the force of tensioning from the mechanism in the leg 9, this force is absorbed solely by the fastener 1. For some special types of vehicles there is an interest to additionally secure the latching of the load holders. In that case a connection rod or the equivalent could be tensioned be¬ tween the two clamps 15 on each leg 9 so that the two opposite legs 9 get biased to each other. This also results in the pressure from the deflection forces being relieved on the carrying element 20. In Fig. 4 there is shown an alternative arrangement according to the invention. The support leg 101, which has the same basic construction and function as the one described in the Swedish Patent No. 82 04548-5, consists of a piece of bent plate of a rather conventional design. There is disclosed a tensioning mechanism, that is operated by means of a lever arm 102,. From the tensioning mechanism there is protruding a hook-shaped tensioning portion 103, i.e. downwardly in the mounted position of the support leg. This portion 103 is in this case somewhat longer than normal and its hook 104 or side-oriented portion can be forced into the opening of the vehicle door and engage the upper part 105 of the door frame. The support leg 101 includes at its upper part an elongated, pipe-like member 107 for the reception of a carrying element 108. The pipe-like member 107 has the same form but is somewhat larger than the carrying element 108, so that it can be received therein. In regard to the length of the pipe-like member 107a good steering of the support leg 101 relative to the carrying element 108 is provided, so that the angle be¬ tween these parts becomes definite. A stay 109 has an essentially vertical portion 110 extended parallel with the outer side of the support leg 101, and its upper end is clamped by a clamp bolt 111 at the under side of the pipe-like member 107. A protrusion 112 from the upper part of the stay 109 is forced by the means of the bolt 111 up against the under side of the carrying element 108, thereby locking the support leg in a definite position relative to the carrying element 108. The vertical portion 110 of the stay 109 continues at the lower end in a sloping portion 113 inclined outwardly and is intended to bear onto the vehicle roof 114 where it meets the door. Between the outwardly inclined portion 113 and the car roof 114 covers (not shown) and forming elements are suitably fitted, partly in order to pro¬ tect the paint of the roof and partly to get the outwardly inclined portion 113 to abut with the whole of its surface on to the car roof 114. The foot 106 on the support leg 101, which normally is engaged with the drip moulding, is here engaged in a groove 115, which is comprised by the outer free part of the ou-twardly inclined portin 113. Since the position for the two support legs 101, which carry a carrying element 108, is defined by the locking of the legs 101 at the carrying element 108 and since the angle between the support legs 101 and the carrying element 108 is fixed by the pipe-like member 107 each support leg 101 constitutes one unit, where the abutting surface 113 steadily bears onto the actual vehicle roof 114. With the tensioning of the hook-shaped tensioning portion 103 by pulling the lever arm 102 the support leg or the load holder will be steadily locked to the vehicle. It is to be understood that many modifications can be made. Thus it is indifferent how the tensioning portion 3 is biased for the latching of the load holder and the same thing applies to the latching of the stay 109. The essential is that the above-stated conditions prevail, so that an abutting face bears on to the vehicle roof and that this abutting face is practically immobile relative to the support leg and that after the tensioning of the leg it is basically held tightly.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Load holder device adapted to be mounted on the roof of a vehicle not having a drip moulding or the like, wherein each support leg (9, 101) has a tensioning means (10, 103), which by latching directly or indirectly engages the door frame (22, 105) of the vehicle, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by a stay (109) with an abutting face (113), which is attachable to the sup¬ port, leg (101), in that the abutting face (113) is adapted to bear on to the vehicle roof (114) and in , that the abutting face (113) has a secured position relative to both the vehicle roof (114). and the support leg (1) with its carrying element (10 # 8) at least after latching of the tensioning means (10, 103) against the door frame (22, 105). 2. Load holder device according to claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the stay (109) is attached to the support leg (101) in such a way that the position of the carrying element (108) relative to the support leg (101) is fixed. 3. Load holder device according to claim 1 or 2, c h a - r a c t e r i z e d in that the stay (109) at the free end of the abutting face (113) has a groove (115) for the reception of the foot (106) of the support leg (101). 4. Load holder device according to claim 1, comprising one in profile essentially L-shaped element having a gripping ele¬ ment (2) adapted to engage against the inside of a door ope¬ ning (22), and a support element (3) adapted to bear on to the vehicle roof (23), c h a r a c t e r i z e d by an opening (5a) provided at the free edge of the supporting element (3) for the reception of a tensioning hook (10) of a support leg (9), a protrusion (6) at each end of the opening (5), against which the lower part (11) of the support leg (9) is to rest, and a bar (7), one end of which is attached to the supporting element (3) adjacent to the gripping element (2) and the second end of which is detachable at the support leg (9).

Inventors: EKLUND TORE, EKLUND, TORE
Applicants: EK TORE AB, TORE-EK AB
Application year: 1985
Main classification: B60R9
IPC codes: B60R9