Abstract:
A load carrying basket for attachment to a vehicle roof is movable between a deployed position and a stowed position. The stowed position facilitates entry of the vehicle into garages, parking lots and the like, having limited overhead clearance. The load carrier includes a plurality of pivotally mounted support members which are pivotally attached to an upper frame and a lower frame. At least one of the support members is a clamping member to clamp the carrier in the deployed position. Advantageously, the clamping member also clamps the load carrier in the stowed position.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to the field of carriers mounted on the roof of a vehicle. In particular, this invention relates to the field of open basket carriers mounted on a vehicle roof. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Typically many vehicles on the road today involve a roof rack system. Generally speaking, the roof rack system involves a pair of longitudinal rails extending aft from aft of the windshield along the roof. Although not necessarily permanently mounted to the longitudinal rails, there are often a plurality of transverse rails extending across the vehicle roof. When it is desired to carry a load on the roof of a vehicle, the load itself may be secured to the roof rack system. Alternatively, it may be possible to secure a carrier basket to the roof rack system of the vehicle. Roof rack systems of the type discussed above typically are installed on vehicles some times referred to as station wagons, and also on mini vans, SUVS or pick-up trucks. Generally speaking, such systems are installed on vehicles that have relatively elongate roofs extending over the vehicle cargo area. However, this invention is not limited to those types of vehicles as the invention may be applied to a more typical passenger car having a roof having a shorter longitudinal extent. The invention is also applicable to other roof rack systems such as those having a plurality of mounting pads on the vehicle roof. 
   Generally speaking when loads are carried on the roof, it is desirable to give the carrier as large a volumetric capacity as possible so as to enhance the load carrying capacity of the vehicle. Given this desirability, a load carrier is desirably as large as possible to accommodate the loads. However, a problem may then exist in that if the vehicle is to be parked in any kind of a height limited parking space whether a garage or other similar space, the height added to the vehicle by the load carrier basket may be detrimental to access by the vehicle. Accordingly, in order to handle this problem, systems have been developed to provide a collapsible carrier that is movable between a deployed, in use position and a folded, storage position. 
   Typical of prior art patents showing such systems, is U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,422 issued Aug. 26, 1975. In that patent entitled Folding Car Top Carrier, the device appears to move between a load carrying position and a folded position by use of a number of sliding, telescopically arranged tubular members. 
   It would be desirable to have a basket which is movable between a load carrying position and a storage position which does not make use of telescopic sliding tubular members. Such telescopic sliding tubular members may be subject to failure as a result of debris being deposited in the sliding tubular connection as the vehicle is driven. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with the present invention, the invention comprises a load carrier for use with a vehicle having a vehicle roof. The load carrier is adapted for mounting to the exterior of the vehicle roof. The load carrier is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The load carrier has a load floor, a bottom frame and a top frame. The top frame has left and right sides and front and back sides. The bottom frame has left and right sides and front and back sides. The load carrier has a plurality of support members. The support members have first and second ends. The first ends of the support members are pivotally connected to a bottom frame side and the second ends of the support members are pivotally connected to a corresponding top frame side and at least one of the support members includes a clamping member. 
   The load carrier may include a front deflection wall. The front deflection wall may be adapted for relative pivotal movement between the front wall and the load floor. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the clamping members include clamping passages to clamp the top frame and the bottom frame both when in the deployed position and the stowed position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A better understanding of the invention may be obtained from reviewing the attached drawings which illustrate one embodiment in accordance with the invention, and in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle having a carrier in accordance with the invention, showing the carrier in the deployed position; 
       FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  showing the carrier of  FIG. 1  in the stowed position; 
       FIG. 3  is a planar sectional view along section line A-A of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a planar sectional view along section line B-B of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a planar sectional view along section line C-C of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of one of the components of the carrier of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 7A  is a sectional view along section line A-A of  FIG. 6  showing the components in a closed configuration; 
       FIG. 7B  is similar to  FIG. 7A  but showing the components in the open position; 
       FIG. 8A  is a sectional view along line B-B of  FIG. 6  showing the components in a closed position; 
       FIG. 8B  is similar to  FIG. 8A  showing the components in open position; 
       FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the components show in  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a phantom side elevational view of the components of  FIG. 9  in the assembled configuration; 
       FIG. 11  is a front view of the components of  FIG. 9  when in the assembled condition with the carrier being deployed; 
       FIG. 12A  is a front view of the components of  FIG. 9  when in the assembled condition, but when in the stowed position with the components open; 
       FIG. 12B  is similar to  FIG. 12A  but showing the components in the closed position; 
       FIG. 13A  is a partial top view of the components of  FIG. 9  illustrating the components in the closed position; 
       FIG. 13B  is a view similar to  FIG. 13A  but showing the components in the open position; 
       FIG. 14  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  but illustrating a second embodiment in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 15  is an exploded view of the load carrier of  FIG. 14 , and 
       FIG. 16  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  but showing an alternative mounting embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , the carrier  10  is illustrated mounted on a vehicle  12 . The vehicle  12  includes a vehicle roof  14 . The vehicle roof  14  is fitted with a pair of longitudinally extending load rails  16  and  18 . Mounted to the longitudinal load carrying rails  16  and  18  there are a plurality of cross members  20  and  22 . The load carrier  10  is attached to and supported by the cross members  20  and  22 . 
     FIG. 2  shows the same components of  FIG. 1  but in the stowed position. 
   Further, with respect to  FIG. 1 , the carrier  10  includes a load floor  30 . The carrier  10  also includes a front deflector wall  32  and advantageously, a rear wall  34 . From reference to  FIG. 3 , in this particular embodiment, the load floor  30 , the front deflector wall  32  and the rear wall  34  may all be made from a single component. Advantageously, this is a thermoformed component. The thickness of the material and the configuration of the material is selected such that there is a front living hinge  36  between the front wall  32  and the load floor  30 . There is a second living hinge  38  between the rear wall  34  and the load floor  30 . Accordingly, the front wall  32  and the rear wall  34  may deflect about the living hinges  36  and  38  respectively when the load carrier is moved between the deployed configuration and the stowed configuration. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the load floor  30  of the carrier  10  is affixed to the vehicle by mounting clamps  50  and  52 . The mounting clamps  50  and  52  respectively form a joint between the load carrier  10  and the vehicle cross members  20  and  22 . An alternative mounting system is shown in  FIG. 16 . In that embodiment the carrier  10  includes mounting pads  17 . The load carrier may be mounted to the mounting pads  17  and the mounting pads  17  in turn may be mounted directly to the vehicle roof. This system may be used when the vehicle does not have a pre-existing roof rack system. 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , the load carrier  10  comprises an upper frame  60  and a lower frame  62 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the upper frame  60  is a generally rectangular shaped tubular member. While shown in  FIG. 1  as a single member, the upper frame  60  can be made from a plurality of parts such as for instance two side members and front and rear members. The upper frame is advantageously a tubular component that may be either metallic or thermoformed plastic. 
   Similarly, the lower frame  62  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  is a generally rectangular shaped tubular component. The lower frame may also have separate components, for instance left and right side members together with front and rear members. The lower frame may also be metallic or thermoformed. The lower frame  62  may be affixed to the front deflector wall  32  and the rear wall  34  by rivets. The upper frame may be “snap fit” into the front wall  32  and rear wall  34  as shown in  FIG. 3 . This will facilitate the necessary relative rotation on moving from the deployed position to the stowed position. 
   Further, with reference to  FIG. 1 , it will be noted that the carrier  10  includes a plurality of support members. Two such support members,  70  and  72  are illustrated on the vehicle left side. The support member  72  is a comparatively simple pivoting support which is pivotally connected to the upper frame  60  and the lower frame  62 . 
   Support member  70  is a clamping member. The clamping member  70  as illustrated in the Figures serves to clamp the upper frame  60  with respect to the lower frame  62  so as to maintain the carrier  10  in the deployed position as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   Advantageously, the carrier  10  includes at least one clamping member  70 . However, if desired, the carrier  10  can include two clamping members  70 , one on each of the left and right sides of the carrier. Even more advantageously, a plurality of clamping members  70  may be deployed on each side of the carrier  10 . A perspective view of a vehicle having a plurality of such clamping members is illustrated in  FIGS. 14 and 15 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the carrier  10  advantageously has a load floor  30 . The load floor  30  is preferably manufactured from a thermoforming process applied to a plastic resin. The particular resin chosen may be any of the available resins. To provide strength to the load floor  30 , advantageously, the load floor  30  includes a plurality of longitudinally extending stiffening ribs  80 . Also advantageously, the load floor  30  comprises a pair of longitudinally extending side ribs  82 . The side ribs  82  provide a structural function providing strength to the floor and also add a retainer function to support loads carried within the load carrier in the lateral direction. Height of the structural ribs  82  may be chosen as selected but should not be so high as to inhibit the desired configuration when in the stowed position as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     FIG. 5  illustrates a view similar to  FIG. 4 . However with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , it will be noted, that the load floor  30  has a cut out or clearance space  86  at the location of the section line C-C. The clearance space  86  on either side provides clearance for the operation of the clamping members  70 , as will be explained more fully below. 
   The clamping member  70  is illustrated in perspective view in  FIG. 6 . The clamping member  70  comprises a pair of clamp halves  90  and  92 . The clamping member  70  also includes a cam lever  94 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 6 , the clamping member  70  is shown in the deployed condition as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . With the clamping member  70  in place, the upper frame  60  extends generally transversely through the clamping member  70 . Similarly, the lower frame  62  extends generally transversely of the clamping member  70 . The clamping member  70  includes a generally transversely extending passage  96  which accommodates the top frame  60  when in the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The clamping member  70  also includes a generally transversely extending passage  98  which accommodates lower frame member  62  when in the clamped deployed position. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the clamping member  70  also includes a first generally longitudinally extending passage  100  and a second generally longitudinally extending passage  102 . The longitudinally extending passageway  100  accommodates the upper frame  60  when in the stowed position. The second longitudinally extending passage  102  accommodates the lower frame  62  when in the stowed position. 
   In reference to  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B,  8 A and  8 B, it will be noted that the clamping member  70  includes a generally horizontally extending pin  110 . The pin  110  is fixed into clamp half  90  and extends through a boss to guide the movement of clamp half  92  with respect to clamp half  90 . The clamping member  70  also includes a spring  112 . The spring  112  is mounted axially, circumferentially around the pin  110  and is located within the mounting bosses of clamp halves  90  and  92  respectively. The spring is a compression spring and urges the clamp halves  90  and  92  into the open position as shown in  FIG. 7B . The pin  110 , is attached to the cam lever  94  by means of a hinge pin  120 . Movement of the cam lever  94 , effects relative movement of the clamp halves  90  and  92  toward and away from each other as shown in  FIGS. 13A and 13B . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , the clamp halves  90  and  92  clamp about the upper frame member  60  when in the closed position,  FIG. 8A , and release upper frame member  60  when in the open position as shown in  FIG. 8B . The top frame member  60  is attached to the clamp halves  90  and  92  by a pin  130 . While not illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the lower frame member  62  is also attached to the clamp halves  90  and  92  in a similar fashion by reason of a transversely extending pin  132 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the pins  130  and  132  are fore and aft offset from one another for purposes which will become apparent as set out below. 
     FIG. 9  illustrates in exploded fashion the components of the clamp in association with the upper frame  60  and the lower frame  62 . 
     FIG. 10  illustrates the clamping member  70  in phantom side view with the clamping member  70  positioned so that the carrier would be in the deployed position. The axis of the transversely extending channel  96  is illustrated at  96 A. The axis of the transverse channel  98  is illustrated at  98 A. The longitudinally extending channel  100  has an axis shown at  100 A. The longitudinally extending channel  102  has an axis  102 A. With respect to  FIG. 10 , when it is desired clamp the carrier in the deployed position, the top frame  60  extends through the passageway  96  along the axis  96 A while the lower frame  62  extends through the passageway  98  along the axis  98 A. The support clamp is then moved to the closed position by means of the cam lever  94  thereby tightly capturing the upper frame and lower frame. This provides the necessary rigidity to maintain the load carrier in the deployed position as shown in  FIG. 1 . Also from review of  FIG. 10 , it will be noted that the axis of pin  130  is arranged to be transverse to the axes of both passageways  96  and  100 . The pin  132  is arranged to be transverse to both the axes  98 A and  102 A. In each case the pins  130  and  132  are located at the intersection of their respective longitudinal and transverse axes. When it is desired to move the carrier to the stowed position as shown in  FIG. 2 , the cam lever  90  is moved to the position shown in  FIGS. 7B and 13B . At that time the spring  112  separates the cam halves  90  and  92 . With the cam halves in the separated condition, the clamping member  70  is free to rotate about the pins  130  and  132  respectively to move a clamping member  70  to a generally horizontal configuration as compared to the orientation shown in  FIG. 10 . At this time, the upper frame  60  will then lie along the passageway  100  while the lower frame  62  will lie along passageway  102 . By operation of the cam lever  94  to the position as shown in  FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 13A , the clamp halves  90  and  92  move together to tightly clamp the upper frame and lower frame in the stowed position. 
   The clamping member  70  may be made from any suitable material. The clamping member may be metallic. However, the clamping member advantageously, may be made from a resin material which can be molded through any convenient plastic molding process. Similarly, the cam lever may also be metallic or may be a thermal formed material manufactured in a suitable mold. 
   In order to operate the device, each of the cam levers are moved to the open position as shown in  FIG. 13B . This may include cam levers on both the left and right hand sides of the vehicle. With all of the cam levers in the open position, the upper portion of the frame may be moved upwardly and forwardly pivoting around the pivotal connections of the support. When the support members have been pivoted to the generally vertical position, the clamping members may be moved to the position shown in  FIG. 13A , that is the closed position on either side of the vehicle. The basket is then ready for utilization. Upon entering a garage or other limited height facility or circumstance, the cam levers may be opened after the load is removed and the storage basket returned to the stowed position. 
   While the device has been disclosed above and discussed in connection with a device having both an upper frame and a lower frame, it is possible that the tubular frame members are not in fact required. In this case, additional structure may be added to the load floor  30 , the front wall  32  and the rear wall  34 . In those cases, the support members may be pivotally attached directly to the uppermost portions of the front wall and rear wall and convenient portions of the load floor. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the clamping member  70  may move in a pivotal range of motion with the inner clamp half  90  moving through the clearance slot  86 . 
   Although the invention has been shown and described by reference to embodiments in accordance with the invention, the invention is not to be limited to these specific embodiments. Other variations and substantial differences may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in this art. All such variations and changes are considered to be within the scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.