VEHICLE ROOF RACK

Abstract: A roof rack for use with automobiles. The roof rack comprises a bar (10) of constant cross-section throughout its length, the bar being shaped such that when in place on a moving vehicle it acts as an inverted aerofoil. The bar (10) also includes a longitudinally extending groove (18) for slidably receiving accessories to facilitate attachment of articles to the bar (10). An engagement means (20) is provided below the longitudinally extending groove (18) for locating accessories at a desired position along the bar (10). The aerodynamic shape of the bar and internal attachment method reduces wind noise and drag on the roof rack while providing an aesthetically pleasing and secure attachment device.

Description: "VEHICLE ROOF RACK" Technical Field of the Invention This invention relates to load carrying racks for vehicles and in particular roof racks for use with automobiles. Background Art In order to enable goods to be carried on the roof of a motor car, it is common practice to provide removable roof racks in the form of bars, usually two, which extend transversely across the roof of the car being secured at either end either by clamping to the roof gutter or to the roof itself. These roof racks are usually formed with circular, oval, ellipsical or square cross-section bars so as to give sufficient mechanical strength to bear the load to be carried. When such roof racks are in place on a moving vehicle, however, air moving over and around these racks or bars creates substantial wind noise. In severe cases these racks may even alter the performance of the motor vehicle in terms of handling, fuel economy etc. due to the disturbance of the normally smooth airflow over the vehicle. In addition, while these prior art roof racks provide sufficient mechanical strength, their bulky appearance is unsightly especially when compared to the sleek lines of a high performance sports car for example. A further problem with previously designed roof racks is the way in which accessories intended to facilitate the securing of loads, are attached to the rack. Normally, devices such as clamps, belts etc. are attached to the roof rack by external fastenings such as bolts e.g., U-bolts, welding etc. Such attachment methods contribute to the unsightly appearance of the roof rack and increase wind noise generated by the rack. In an effort to ameliorate the disadvantages of the prior art, it is proposed to provide a roof rack which offers a choice over the prior art and which, at least in the preferred embodiments, has particular aesthetic appeal and has minimal effect on airflow over the roof of the vehicle thus reducing air resistance and wind noise. Disclosure of the Invention In a first aspect, the present invention comprises a vehicle roof rack comprising a bar of uniform cross-section throughout its length, said bar being adapted to extend across a roof of a vehicle, each end of said bar being adapted to be attached to said vehicle wherein, said cross-section is shaped such that when said bar is connected to said vehicle, said bar acts as an inverted aerofoil. In a second aspect, the present invention comprises a vehicle roof rack comprising a bar of uniform cross-section throughout its length, said bar being adapted to extend across the roof of said vehicle, each end of said bar being adapted to be attached to said vehicle, wherein said bar includes on its upper surface a longitudinally extending groove adapted to slidingly receive an insert for use in attaching articles to said bar, engagement means being provided below said groove for locating said insert at a desired position along said bar. In a third aspect, the present invention consists in a roof rack comprising a bar adapted to extend across the roof of a vehicle to each end of which is attached an end member being adapted to be secured to the vehicle, wherein said bar is an extruded section of uniform shape throughout its length, portions of each end member being a push fit into the extruded section, the extruded section including on its upper surface a longitudinal extending groove, being adapted to receive slidingly any one of a variety of inserts for use in the attachment of articles to the bar, the section including a portion below the said groove providing a means for the engagement of screws from said inserts.at any one of a large number of positions along the length of the bar, whereby said inserts may be located at a variety of positions along the bar. The present invention provides a roof rack which, in use, is substantially quieter than previous roof racks due to the smooth passage of air over and around the rack. Also, the internal fitment of accessories for attaching articles to the bar, allows these accessories to be easily moved along the bar and provides greater security from theft than previously used external fittings. The streamlined nature of the rack along with the provision for internally attaching accessories, produces a roof rack with high aesthetic appeal, blending in neatly with the aerodynamic design of most of today's automobiles. In a preferred embodiment, the engagement means comprises a second longitudinally extending groove adapted to receive a fastening means for fixing said insert at a desired position along said bar. In another embodiment, said bar is extendible. Such an extendible bar may be used on vehicles with varying roof widths. In a further embodiment, the ends of said bar are adapted to receive end members, said end members being removably attached to said vehicle. In yet a further embodiment, said insert comprises a lockable holder means being adapted to receive resilient gripping means to secure articles to said bar. In yet another embodiment, said second longitudinally extending groove is formed with a series of longitudinally extending fine ridges being adapted to engage the threads of said screw. In still another embodiment, said insert comprises a tab with an aperture therethrough, said tab normally residing within said groove, at least a portion of said tab being diεplaceable upwardly to expose said aperture above an upper surface of said bar. In yet another embodiment, said engagement means comprises a plurality of downwardly extending threaded bores. In a further embodiment, said second longitudinally extending groove includes a plurality of fastening means, slidable within said second groove. In still a further embodiment, set fastening means comprises threaded screws or bolts. Brief Description of Drawings In order that the nature of the present invention may be more clearly understood, preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a roof rack according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a roof rack according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a rack bar according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the rack bar of Fig. 2, together with accessories for attaching articles to the rack; Figs. 5-5D are perspective views of various accessories for attaching articles to the roof rack; Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the end member of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a roof rack according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Industrial Applicability As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a vehicle roof rack according to the present invention comprises a bar 10 adapted to extend transversely across the roof of a motor vehicle, particularly a car, and end members such as 11 and 12 of Fig. 1 or 13 and 14 of Fig. 2. The end members 11 and 12 are intended for direct attachment to a vehicle roof in the manner illustrated and described in Fig. 6. End members 13 and 14, however, are intended for attachment to the roof gutter. of a car, as shown i Fig. 4. Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of a bar 10 in accordance with the present invention. The bar 10 is of constant cross-section throughout its length. Bar 10 is shaped such that when in place on a moving vehicle, it acts as an inverted aerofoil. To explain, when bar 10 is in place on a moving vehicle, air passes over the section from the left to the right of Fig. 3. Air passing over the upper surface of bar 10 travel slower than air passing under the bottom surface of the bar since the upper surface is shorter than the lower surface. The bar section 10 therefore acts in a matter inverse to tha of an aircraft wing and a pressure differential is produced causing a downward pressure to be exerted on the bar. This downward pressure assists in reliable connection of the rack to the vehicle. Additionally, the aerodynamic shape of the bar 10 considerably reduces wind noise as compared to previous roof racks and the smooth flow of air over the bar reduces possible adverse effects on the performance of the vehicle to which the bar 10 is attached. A further aspect of the present invention lies in the method of connecting various accessories to bar 10. Bar 10 includes longitudinally extending groove 18 which extends th entire length of bar 10, as shown in Fig. 4. Groove 18 is adapted to slidingly receive a variety of accessories to facilitate attachment of articles to the rack. One such accessory comprises strip 23 and lug 25. Strip 23 is adapted to be slidingly received in groove 18, small grooves in the sides of strip 23 engaging tongues 19 formed on the sides of groove 18 (see Fig. 3). Fastening means 24, in this case a screw, locates and fixes strip 23 a a desired position on bar 10 by engaging a second longitudinal groove 20, below groove 18. In this case, groove 20 has sidewalls formed with a series of ridges 21 which mate with the threads of screw 24. It should be noted however, that the present invention also envisages groove 20 as including any means to engage fastening means 24 such as a plurality of nuts which may be slidable in groove 20 and mate with screw or bolt 24 or alternatively a plurality of threaded holes extending downwardly from groove 18. Once strip 23 is in the desired position on bar 10, lug 25 which preferably has an aperture 27 therethrough, may be press fitted through aperture 26 in strip 23. This lug would normally rest with its upper surface level with strip 23. It may, however, be raised by hand or by engaging recess 28 with a screwdriver for example, to expose aperture 27. A rope or any other device may then be used in conjunction with aperture 27 to attach articles to bar 10. Another type of accessory to facilitate attachment of articles to bar 10, is holder 30 which is shown more clearly in Fig. 5. The bottom surface 31 of holder 30 is slidable in groove 18. The holder may be fixed at a desired position by means of screw 32 in a manner similar to that described above in relation to fastening means 24. Turning to Fig. 5, the holder 30 comprises bottom surface 31 and uprights 34 and 35 connected at their upper ends by lockable member 33. Holder 30 is formed so as to receive a variety of inserts 40 to grip various articles. Examples of these inserts 40 are shown in Figs. 5A to 5D. These inserts, usually made from rubber, synthetic rubber or similar resilient material may be formed to reliably grip various articles such as pushbikes (Fig. 5A) , mountain bikes (Fig. 5B), fishing rods (Fig. 5C) and skis (Fig. 5D). All inserts are preferably split at one point so that they may be opened to receive the article to be carried. The insert is slidably received between uprights 34 and 35 and the holder 30 locked by member 33 to securely attach the article to bar 10. By connecting these accessories to the bar 10 at a position below groove 18, no attachment points are exposed. This not only reduces wind noise due to the smooth flow of air over the rack, it also increases the security of the attached articles since it is difficult to easily gain access to the attachment points. As shown in Fig. 4, those portions of groove 18 which are not covered by accessories, may be covered by strip 22 to prevent entry of foreign objects or water into grooves 18 and 20 thereby enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the rack and ensuring a smooth flow of air over the upper surface of bar 10. Figs. 4 and 6 show preferred embodiments of end members 13 and 11 respectively, for attachment of bar 10 to a vehicle. In Fig. 4, end member 13 comprises gutter engaging portion 15 threadably secured by means of screws 16. Protrusions 17 provide a tight push fit into the end of bar 10. In Fig. 6, end member 11 also comprises protrusions 17 but is connected to rail member 40 by means of screws 16, rail member 40 being permanently connected to the roof of a vehicle by any appropriate means. Fig. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention in which bar 10 comprises two pieces joined by sleeve member 41 such that bar 10 is extendible to allow the rack to be used on several different vehicles. From the foregoing it should be apparent that the invention encompasses an advantageous advantage in the art or at least a commercial alternative to the prior art. Further, it should be clear that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope or the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. A vehicle roof rack comprising a bar of uniform cross-section throughout its length, said bar being adapted to extend across a roof of a vehicle, each end of said bar being adapted to the attached said vehicle wherein, cross-section is shaped such that when said bar is connected to said vehicle, said bar acts as an inverted aerofoil. 2. A vehicle roof rack comprising a bar of uniform cross-section throughout its length, said bar being adapted to extend across the roof of said vehicle, each end of said bar being adapted to be attached to said vehicle wherein, said bar includes on its upper surface a longitudinally extending groove, adapted to slidingly receive an insert for use in attaching articles to said bar, engagement means being provided below said groove for locating said insert in a desired position along said bar. 3. A vehicle roof rack comprising a bar adapted to extend across the roof of a vehicle to each end of which is attached an end member, being adapted to be secured to the vehicle, wherein the bar is an extruded section of uniform shaped throughout its length, a portion of each end member being pushed into the extruded section, the extruded section including on its upper surface a longitudinally extending groove being adapted to receive slidingly any one of a variety of inserts for use in the attachment of articles to the bar, the section including a portion below said groove, providing a means for the engagement of screws from said insert at any one of a large number of positions along the length of the bar, whereby said inserts may be located at a variety of positions along the bar. 4. A vehicle roof rack as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein engagement means comprises a second longitudinal extending groove adapted to receive fastening means for fixing said insert at a desiςed position along said bar. 5. A roof rack as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein said end members are removeably attached to said vehicle. 6. A roof rack as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein said insert comprises a lockable holder means adapted to receive resilient gripping means to secure articles to said bar. 7. A roof rack as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein said second longitudinally extending groove is formed with a series of longitudinally extending fine ridges being adapted to engage the threads of a screw. 8. A roof rack as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein said insert comprises a tab with an aperture therethrough, at least a portion of said tab being displaceable from a position below an upper surface of said bar to a position above said bar to expose said aperture. 9. A roof rack as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein engagement means comprises a plurality of downwardly extending threaded bores. 10. A roof rack as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein said bar is extendable.

Inventors: HARRIS DOUGLAS RAWSON, HARRIS, DOUGLAS, RAWSON
Applicants: GOODCART PTY LTD, GOODCART PTY. LIMITED
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B60R9
IPC codes: B60R9