Article carrier

Abstract: An article carrier for an automobile includes a plurality of parallel slats (12) fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface (10). A pair of bracket members (16) are disposed upon selected slats (12) and a restraining bar extends laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to the bracket members (16). A latching mechanism (44) is disposed within each of the bracket members (16) and cooperates with the slat (12) for detachably securing and longitudinally adjusting the bracket members (16) and the restraining bar upon the slats (12).

Description: The present invention relates to an article carrier for an automotive vehicle, more particularly to, an adjustable cross bar for an article carrier on an automotive vehicle. Automobile luggage racks frequently employ two separate sub assemblies or portions: a rectangular framework which surrounds the load to be carried and a plurality of slats which rest on the roof or other automobile body surface and carry the weight of the load. In such constructions, the framework and the slats are often secured to the automobile body independently of one another. In still another automobile luggage or article carrier, a cross bar replaces the framework as the means for confining the luggage upon the slats. In US-A-4 182 471 there is disclosed an article carrier for automotive vehicles having cross bars which can be adjusted on the slats and are easily removed, interchanged or adjusted in position on the slats in accordance with the needs of the user. This construction has achieved significant commercial success. Nevertheless, some problems have been experienced in providing an aesthetically more pleasing and simple to use bracket. Therefore, it is believed that a need exists for a crossbar which has an attractive appearance of modern luggage carriers but which possesses a degree of adjustability and ease of operation. US-A-4 982 886, upon which the preamble of claim 1 is based, also discloses an article carrier. According to the present invention there is provided an article carrier for an automobile, comprising: a plurality of slats fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface; a pair of bracket members disposed upon selected ones of said slats; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to said bracket members, said restraining bar being located above the automobile body surface and said slats, and each said selected slat including a plurality of selectable longitudinally spaced apertures extending through a wall of said slat disposed generally parallel to the automobile body surface; and a locking assembly on each of said bracket members for cooperating with said apertures of said selected slats for detachably securing and longitudinally adjusting said bracket members and said restraining bar upon said selected slats, each locking assembly including a latching member and an associated manually operable actuating member, said latching member being disposed generally perpendicular to the automobile body surface and including a shoulder portion formed thereon and protruding generally laterally of said latching member, and its associated said actuating member being moveable linearly generally parallel to said selected slats and generally perpendicular to its associated said latching member for cooperating with said associated latching member to cause or permit movement of said latching member into and out of engagement with said apertures; each said actuating member including a sloped portion adapted to engage an undersurface of the shoulder portion of its associated said latching member, said sloped portion being arranged to urge said associated latching member out of latching engagement with one of said apertures when said actuating member is moved linearly in a first direction, and to allow said latching member into engagement with said one aperture when said actuating member is moved linearly in a second direction; characterised in that said sloped portion of each said actuating member extends into an upper horizontal portion onto which the shoulder portion of its associated said latching member is slidable when said actuating member is moved fully in said first direction, to hold its associated said latching member in a position in which it is out of latching engagement with a said aperture. An embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an article carrier mounted on a portion of an automobile and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1 taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 3. Figure 3 is an elevational view with a portion partially broken away of the structure illustrated in Figure 1 taken in the direction of the arrow 3 therein showing a latching member in an engaged position; and Figure 4 is a view of the structure similarly illustrated in Figure 3 showing the latching member in a disengaged position. Figure 1 depicts a generally horizontal exterior body portion 10 of an automobile such as a trunk lid or automobile roof. A slat 12 such as a side rail is mounted on the body portion 10 in a known manner. Typically, a plurality of identical, parallel, transversely spaced slats 12 are mounted on the body portion 10. Mounted on a pair of slats 12 is a raised tubular cross bar 14 which is fitted at its opposite ends onto brackets 16. Each bracket 16 rests on a broad upwardly facing supporting surface 18 on the top of the slats 12. Referring to Figure 2, the slat 12 has a pair of transversely spaced side walls 20 extending upwardly from the body portion 10. An upper wall 22 extends inwardly from the side walls 20 toward each other. The upper surface 18 is generally horizontal or flat on the top of upper wall 22. The upper wall 22 wraps back on itself and extends toward the side wall 20 to form an interior wall portion 23. An inner wall 24 extends downwardly toward the body portion 10 from the interior wall portion 23 of the upper wall 22. The inner walls 24 extend inwardly toward each other to form a bottom wall 28. The walls 20, 22, 23, 24, and 28 are preferably integral. The walls 23, 24, and 28 form a groove or channel 30 which is wider at its bottom than at its top. The channel 30 extends the length of the slat 12. The slat 12 includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings or apertures 32 to allow the bracket 16 to be located at various predetermined positions along the length of the slat 12. The bracket 16 includes a generally vertical and arcuate outer wall 34 connected to a generally horizontal bottom wall 36 which rests upon the upper surface 18 of slat 12. Preferably, the outer wall 34 and bottom wall 36 are integral. The bottom wall 36 abuts a generally vertical and arcuate inner wall 37 which also abuts the outer wall 34 along surface 38. The inner wall 37 is connected to the outer wall 34 by means such as fasteners 39 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The bracket 16 also includes a pair of longitudinally spaced foot or base portions 40 having an inverted "T" shape to prevent the bracket 16 from separating vertically with the slat 12. This is accomplished by a groove or slot 41 formed in the base portion 40 in which a portion of walls 22 and 23 are disposed. The outer 34, bottom 36 and inner wall 37 form a cavity 42. A latching member 44 is disposed vertically in the cavity 42. The bracket 16 is adjustable and moveable along the slat 12 by means of the latching member 44. The latching member 44 disengages the bracket 16 from the slat 12 to allow the bracket 16 to be moved along the slat 12. When the bracket 16 is placed in a desired location along slat 12, the latching member 44 is moved or actuated to engage the bracket 16 with the slat 12 to retain the bracket 16 in position on the slat 12. The latching member 44 is formed as a circular shaft or dowel and has one end 45 which extends through an aperture 46 in the bottom wall 36. The end 45 engages and disengages the aperture 32 of the slat 12. The latching member 44 includes a shoulder portion 48 which is greater in diameter than the rest of the latching member 44. A spring 50 is disposed about the latching member 44 at its other end between the shoulder portion 48 and a shoulder 52 formed near the top of the cavity 40. The spring 50 biases the latching member 44 toward the slat 12 such that the end 45 engages the aperture 32. The shoulder portion 48 also includes a camming surface 54 which is arcuate or hemi-spherical and its function will be described subsequently herein. An actuating member 56 is also disposed within the cavity 42. The actuating member 56 is generally L-shaped and has a generally vertical wall 58 and a horizontal wall 60. The actuating member 56 includes a handle portion 62 connected to the vertical wall 58 and extending through a generally rectangular aperture 64 in the outer wall 34 of the bracket 16. The handle portion 62 is grasped and manually moved by an operator to actuate the latching member 44. The horizontal wall 60 rests upon the bottom wall 36 of the bracket 16. The horizontal wall 60 slides along the bottom wall 36 when the handle portion 62 is manually moved by the operator. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the horizontal wall 60 includes a lower horizontal portion 66, an upper horizontal portion 68, and an inclined or ramp portions 70 interconnecting the upper 68 and lower 66 horizontal portions. The upper 68 and lower 66 horizontal portions include detents 72 and 74, respectively. The ramp portion 70 operatively cooperates with the camming surface 54 of the latching member 44 to move the latching member 44 upwardly and downwardly to disengage and engage the aperture 32 of the slat 12, respectively. In operation, an operator grasps the handle portion 62 the latching member 44 is in the engaged position with its end 45 disposed in aperture 32 of slat 12 as illustrated in Figure 3. The operator begins to move the handle portion 62 longitudinally. This causes the camming surface 54 to cooperate with the detent 72 and push the latching member 44 upward against the force of the spring 50. As the handle portion 62 continues to move longitudinally, the camming surface 54 moves upwardly along the ramp portion 70 against the force of the spring 50. When the handle portion 62 is stopped near a wall defining the aperture 64, the camming surface 54 rests in the detent 74 and is held in there by the spring 50. As illustrated in Figure 4, the latching member 44 is in the disengaged position with its end 45 disposed above and out of the aperture 32 of the slat 12. The bracket 16 may then by moved and positioned at another predetermined location along the slat 12 with the end 45 of the latching member 44 vertically aligned with a corresponding aperture 32 in the slat 12. The operation is reversed for engaging the latching member 44 with the slat 12.

Claims: An article carrier for an automobile, comprising: a plurality of slats (12) fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface (10); a pair of bracket members (16) disposed upon selected ones of said slats (12); a restraining bar (14) extending laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to said bracket members (16), said restraining bar (14) being located above the automobile body surface and said slats (12), and each said selected slat including a plurality of selectable longitudinally spaced apertures (32) extending through a wall (28) of said slat disposed generally parallel to the automobile body surface (10); and a locking assembly (56,44) on each of said bracket members (16) for cooperating with said apertures (32) of said selected slats (12) for detachably securing and longitudinally adjusting said bracket members and said restraining bar (14) upon said selected slats, each locking assembly including a latching member (44) and an associated manually operable actuating member (56), said latching member (44) being disposed generally perpendicular to the automobile body surface (10) and including a shoulder portion (48) formed thereon and protruding generally laterally of said latching member, and its associated said actuating member (56) being moveable linearly generally parallel to said selected slats (12) and generally perpendicular to its associated said latching member (44) for cooperating with said associated latching member to cause or permit movement of said latching member into and out of engagement with said apertures (32); each said actuating member (56) including a sloped portion (70) adapted to engage an undersurface of the shoulder portion (48) of its associated said latching member (44), said sloped portion (70) being arranged to urge said associated latching member out of latching engagement with one of said apertures (32) when said actuating member (56) is moved linearly in a first direction, and to allow said latching member (44) into engagement with said one aperture (32) when said actuating member is moved linearly in a second direction; characterised in that said sloped portion (70) of each said actuating member (56) extends into an upper horizontal portion (68) onto which the shoulder portion (48) of its associated said latching member (44) is slidable when said actuating member (56) is moved fully in said first direction, to hold its associated said latching member (44) in a position in which it is out of latching engagement with a said aperture (32). The article carrier of claim 1, wherein the sloped portion (70) of each said actuating member (56) includes a pair of sloped surfaces (70) each adapted to engage the undersurface of the shoulder portion (48) of its associated said latching member (44), said associated said latching member extending between said two sloped surfaces. The article carrier of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each locking assembly further includes a biasing member (50) for biasing one end of its said latching member (44) into engagement with a said aperture (32). The article carrier of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said actuating member (56) has a generally L-shaped configuration, a handle portion (62) adapted to be grasped and manually moved by an operator, a horizontal wall (60) and a vertical wall (58), said handle portion being connected to said vertical wall. The article carrier of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sloped portion (70) of each said actuating member (56) also extends into a lower horizontal portion (66) at the opposite end of the sloped portion to its said upper horizontal portion (68). The article carrier of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said shoulder portion (48) of each said latching member (44) includes a camming surface (54) cooperable with the sloped portion (70) of its associated actuating member (56) to move said latching member vertically as said actuating member is moved. The article carrier of claim 6, wherein each said upper horizontal portion (68) includes a detent (74) for receiving the camming surface (54) of its associated said latching member (44) to prevent further movement of said latching member. The article carrier of claim 7 when dependent on claim 5, wherein each said lower horizontal portion (66) includes a detent (72) for receiving the camming surface (54) of its associated said latching member (44) to prevent further movement of said latching member.

Inventors: BOTT JOHN ANTHONY, CUCHERAN JOHN STEPHEN, BOTT, JOHN ANTHONY, CUCHERAN, JOHN STEPHEN
Applicants: JAC PRODUCTS INC, JAC PRODUCTS, INC.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B60R9
IPC codes: B60R9