Abstract:
The present invention relates to a ladder rack for holding a ladder, the ladder rack comprising an arm extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end; a slidable member which is slidably mounted on the arm; a first clamp fixed to the arm; a second clamp fixed to the slidable member at a distance from the first clamp; a handle pivotally connected to the distal end of the arm; a pivoting member pivotally connected on one end to the handle and on another end to the slidable member; whereby upon pivoting the handle upwardly, the pivoting member is forced to pivot at both ends thereof and to push on the slidable member, which translates toward the proximal end, reducing the distance between the first clamp and the second clamp.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit or priority of U.S. Provisional application No. 62/308,545 filed Mar. 15, 2016, the specification of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Field 
         [0003]    The subject matter disclosed generally relates to ladder racks. More specifically, it relates to clamps for holding a ladder. 
         [0004]    Related Prior Art 
         [0005]    There exist rack systems for holding ladders and other similar equipment on the side of vehicles. 
         [0006]    Existing side ladder racks for vehicles usually clamp ladders from the outside, inwardly. The width of the clamps is usually not adjustable, which means that it can be difficult to change the type of ladder being clamped. Moreover, the clamps are often rotatable; this movement can weaken the clamping by creating imperfections in the clamping and therefore gaps which cause the ladder not to be secured well. This difficulty implies that the ladder further needs to be strapped, which is inconvenient. 
         [0007]    Moreover, prior art rack systems often involve two arms of a different length, since the width of the ladder to be clamped can change along the height of the ladder. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a ladder rack for holding a ladder. The ladder rack comprises an arm extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end and a slidable member which is slidably mounted on the arm. A first clamp is fixed to the arm and a second clamp is fixed to the slidable member at a distance from the first clamp. A handle is pivotally connected to the distal end of the arm. There is further provided a pivoting member pivotally connected on one end to the handle and on another end to the slidable member, whereby upon pivoting the handle upwardly, the pivoting member is forced to pivot and both ends thereof and to push on the slidable member, which translates toward the proximal end, reducing the distance between the first clamp and the second clamp. 
         [0009]    According to an embodiment, the first clamp and the second clamp are adapted to clamp the ladder from inward outwardly. 
         [0010]    According to an embodiment, the ladder rack is provided as a pair of identical ladder racks for holding the ladder. 
         [0011]    According to an embodiment, the ladder rack is for installation on one of: an outer side of a vehicle, an inner side of the vehicle, an inner rear of the vehicle, an outer rear of the vehicle, and an inner roof of a vehicle. 
         [0012]    As will be realized, the subject matter disclosed and claimed is capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive and the full scope of the subject matter is set forth in the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a picture illustrating a side ladder rack in a locked position, according to the prior art; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a picture illustrating a side ladder rack in an unlocked position, according to the prior art; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is another picture illustrating a side ladder rack in a locked position, according to the prior art; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a picture illustrating a side ladder rack in a locked position, according to an embodiment; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a picture illustrating a side ladder rack in an unlocked position, according to an embodiment; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is another picture illustrating a side ladder rack in a locked position, according to an embodiment; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a comparative picture illustrating side ladder racks in a locked position, according to the prior art and according to an embodiment; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is another comparative picture illustrating side ladder racks in a locked position, according to the prior art and according to an embodiment; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a side view illustrating a side ladder rack in a locked position, according to an embodiment; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a side view illustrating a side ladder rack in an unlocked position, according to an embodiment; 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view illustrating a side ladder rack in a locked position, according to an embodiment; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is another perspective view illustrating a side ladder rack in a locked position, according to an embodiment; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a side view illustrating a side ladder rack being used with a ladder in an unlocked position, according to an embodiment; 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is a side view illustrating a side ladder rack being used with a ladder in a locked position, according to an embodiment; 
       
    
    
       [0028]    It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0029]    A prior art rack system is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , and further shown in comparative pictures of  FIGS. 7-8 . There is provided a first arm  18  and a second arm  19 , which have a different length in order to clamp a ladder at two different heights, some ladders or step-ladders being wider toward the bottom thereof. Having no choice but to provide two racks of different lengths can be inconvenient since it requires different pieces and processes to manufacture. 
         [0030]    The prior art racks comprise a first clamp  11  and a second clamp  12 , which clamp the ladder from the outward inwardly. The distance between the first clamp  11  and the second clamp  12  is not readily adjustable. A rod  16  is provided in parallel with the arms  18 ,  19 . A handle  15 , actionable by a user, is pivotally connected to both the rod  16  and the arms  18 ,  19 , in order to change the length between the clamps  11 ,  12  to switch from the locked and unlocked positions. When in the locked position, the handle  15  is maintained in its position by a metallic blade, pin, spring or screw, which provides a rather loose locking of the handle  15 . Since the first clamps  11  can rotate on themselves (as seen by comparing  FIGS. 1 and 2 ), weaknesses in the clamping may exist and aggravate the looseness of the clamping. 
         [0031]    In embodiments there are disclosed a rack  100  for holding a ladder (or any other equivalent) thereon. The rack  100  is specifically illustrated in  FIGS. 4-6 and 9-14 , as well as in the comparative pictures of  FIGS. 7-8  (where the rack  100  is shown along with a prior art rack system). The clamps can clamp a ladder from inward outwardly, as seen in  FIGS. 13-14 . 
         [0032]    It should be noted that unlike the prior art rack briefly described above, the rack  100  can be provided as a pair of identical racks  100  for holding both the upper portion and the lower portion of a ladder  25 , even though the ladder  25  can be wider towards the bottom thereof (a notable feature of step-ladders, for example). Instead of comprising two racks of different lengths, the pair comprises identical racks  100 ; only one of them needs to be described since they are advantageously the same. Indeed, the greater adjustability of the length between clamps ensures that a single type of rack can adapt to all reasonable circumstances (i.e., various types of ladders) in which it should be used. It should also be noted that it is always possible to manufacture a pair of racks  100  having different lengths, which can be desirable in some circumstances. Having either identical or different lengths for the two racks in a pair is therefore possible. 
         [0033]    The rack  100  is an arm, i.e., a solid piece of material having an elongated shape, having a proximal end and a distal end where a handle  130  is provided. The rack  100  comprises a rail  101  adapted for sliding a complementary device thereon. The rail  101  can be provided on one or two sides of the arm of the rack  100 , and/or can be provided on top of the arm of the rack  100 . For example, the rail  101  may be made of a longitudinally extending groove or slot, in which a conforming projection can fit, thereby providing the capability of a sliding movement of the projection inside the groove or slot along the longitudinal direction (i.e., the direction along which the arm of the rack  100  extends). 
         [0034]    According to an embodiment, connectors  102 ,  104  are provided to fix the arm of the rack  100  to the side of a vehicle. 
         [0035]    A slidable member  160  is shown in  FIGS. 9-12 . The slidable member substantially covers a part of the arm of the rack  100  and is slidably mounted thereon: it comprises projections that fit inside the rail  101 , as described above, to provide slidability. The slidable member  160  is used to change the length between clamps (described further below), and its movement is driven by a user-actionable handle  130  at a distal end of the arm of the rack  100 . According to an embodiment, the slidable clamp  120  is fixed on the slidable member  160 , which slides on the rail  101 . 
         [0036]    Clamps  110 ,  120  are the elements that hold the ladder  25 ; the first clamp is a fixed clamp  110  while the second clamp is a slidable clamp  120 . Clamps have a surface extending substantially perpendicularly from the arm of the rack  100 , this surface being adapted to hold the ladder, i.e., the clamps  110 ,  120  should have a size adapted to clamp the sides  26 ,  27  of the ladder  25  and may advantageously be provided with a non-skid pad to avoid slipping of the ladder  25  being held by the clamps  110 ,  120 . According to an embodiment, the clamps  110 ,  120  include an inclined portion at an end thereof (as shown in the figures), inclined toward the ladder  25 , to better hold the ladder  25  therein. 
         [0037]    The clamps  110 ,  120  are provided with an attachment  111 ,  121  (respectively) that project into and fit within the rail  101 , as discussed above. The slidable clamp  120  is located closer to the handle than the fixed clamp  110  (i.e., distally from clamp  110 ). 
         [0038]    According to an embodiment, the attachment  111  of the fixed clamp  110  is a fixed attachment (e.g., a screw), that can be fixed or secured to the rail  101  without being able to slide therein. The rail  101  may thus be provided with portions in which a screw or other type of fixed attachment may be definitively fixed to secure the fixed clamp  110  at a definite location on the arm of the rack  100 . However, this fixed attachment may be removed on purpose in order to relocate the fixed clamp  110  at another fixed location on the arm of the rack  100 . 
         [0039]    By contrast, the slidable clamp  120  is not definitively fixed to the arm of the rack  100 . In other words, the attachment  121  of the slidable clamp  120  is not fixed to the rail; it slides therein. This allows the slidable clamp  120  to be relocated easily by simply moving it along the rail  101  to locate it at the desired position without any effort or without having to unscrew an attachment (as for the fixed clamp  110 ). This slidable movement allows for adjustability of the length between both clamps  110 ,  120 . It further allows for the possibility to lock (clamp the ladder  25 ) or unlock (unclamp the ladder  25 ) by a sliding movement. 
         [0040]    However, if one of the clamps is slidably moveable along a longitudinal axis of the arm of the rack  100 , there should be a way to impede any movement of both clamps  110 ,  120  when the ladder  25  is being held by these clamps  110 ,  120 . A locking/unlocking mechanism that works in conjunction with the slidable clamp  120  will now be described. 
         [0041]    The user is expected to use a handle  130  to lock and unlock the clamps  110 ,  120 . The handle is a solid piece of material extending from the rack  100  that can be grabbed by the user and pivoted up and down under a force (torque) exerted by the user. 
         [0042]    According to an embodiment, and as shown in  FIGS. 4-14 , the elongated portion of the handle  130  comprises a Y-shaped portion  131  (i.e., the portion of the handle  130  which connected to the remainder of the arm of the rack  100 ) that is pivotally connected to a pivoting member  150  that will be described further below. The handle  130  can be made of a metallic material such as stainless steel, and covered by a vinyl sheath or any suitable equivalent for improved gripping by the user. 
         [0043]    The pivoting member  150  is a piece of material upon which the user may not act directly. The pivoting member  150 , as its name suggests, is pivotable. The pivoting member extends substantially along the arm of the rack  100 , and has two pivots, as shown in  FIGS. 9-13 : a first pivotal connection  152 , which pivotally connects the pivoting member  150  to the a sliding member  160  provided on the arm of the rack  100 ; and a second pivotal connection  154 , which pivotally connects the pivoting member  150  to the handle  130 , more specifically to its Y-shaped portion  131 . The Y-shaped portion  131  of the handle  130  is further pivotally connected to the arm of the rack  100  at the distal end thereof via a pivotal connection  156 . (Even though the pivotal connection are referred to in the singular form, they are usually provided in pairs on either sides of the arm of the rack  100 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , hence the Y-shape of the portion  131  extending from the handle  130 ). The pivotal connections  152 ,  154 ,  156  may be provided in the form of a pin, small rod or screw that extends along apertures in the various parts that pivot therearound. According to an embodiment, the pivoting member  150  may comprise an opening  157 , which is a groove that allows the pivoting member  150  to pivot close to the pivotal connection  156  without mechanically interfering (i.e., entering in contact) therewith. 
         [0044]    The difference between the locked and unlocked positions is well illustrated in  FIGS. 9-10 . In  FIG. 9 , illustrating the locked position, the handle  130  is kept down, and the pivoting member extends along the longitudinally axis of the arm of the rack  100 . 
         [0045]    Upon exerting a torque on the handle  130  to lift it up, the handle  130  (more specifically, its Y-shaped portion  131 ) pivots around its pivot  156 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . Since the handle  130  is further pivotally connected to the pivoting member  150  by the second pivotal connection  154 , the lifting-up of the handle  130  by the user drives up the distal end of the pivoting member  150  (the end pivotally connected to the handle  130 ). Moreover, the distal end of the pivoting member  150  is pushed toward the proximal end of the arm of the rack  100 . The proximal portion of the pivoting member (the end pivotally connected to the sliding member  160 ) can rotate around its pivotal connection  152  to partially compensate, but the fact that the pivoting member  150  is pushed toward the proximal end of the arm of the rack  100  implies that the pivotal connection  152  will further transmit a translation force on the sliding member  160  to which it is pivotally connected. 
         [0046]    By this movement, the sliding member  160 , when the handle  130  is being lifted up, receives a force that drives it in a translation movement toward the proximal end of the arm of the rack  100 . Since the sliding member  160  is adapted to slide on the rail  101 , it will undergo a sliding movement that will further drive the clamp  120 , with which it is solidary, toward the proximal end of the arm of the rack  100 . This action reduces the length between both clamps  110 ,  120 . The clamps that were clamping the ladder  25  from the inside are thus not clamping the ladder  25  anymore, since at least one of the clamps  110 ,  120  does not touch the ladder  25  anymore (as shown in  FIG. 13 ). From a locked position, the rack  100  is brought to an unlocked position, in which the ladder  25  that was being held can be removed and a new ladder  25  can be installed. 
         [0047]    Once the ladder  25  to be clamped is in place (i.e., the sides  26 ,  27  of the ladder  25  are on either sides of the clamps  110 ,  120 ), the user can bring down the handle  130  to lock the clamps and bring the rack in its locked position. When the handle  130  is brought down, the distal portion of the pivoting member  150  is brought back down on the arm of the rack  100 , and away from the clamp  110 . This movement is permitted by a pivotal movement of the pivotal connection  152 , which further brings the slidable member  160  away from the clamp  110  (the slidable member  160  moves in translation by sliding on the rail  101  away from the clamp  110 ). This movement extends or increases the length between the clamps  110 ,  120  until this length is approximately the same as the width between both sides  26 ,  27  of the ladder  25  (as shown in  FIG. 14 ). When the distance between the clamps is approximately the same as the width between both sides  26 ,  27  of the ladder  25 , the clamping can be effective. If the clamping surface of the clamps (i.e., the outward surface) comprises a pad made of a resilient material, the capacity of the material to be slightly compressed allows for the length between the clamps  110 ,  120  to be slightly more than the width between both sides  26 ,  27  of the ladder  25  without rendering the clamping impossible (in fact, it can be more firmly secured). 
         [0048]    The embodiments described above are advantageous in that they are adjustable for all ladder sizes. Indeed, since the locations of the clamps  110 ,  120  are adjustable on the rack  100 , the width therebetween can be adjusted to the desired length to fit within any ladder. The slidability of the slidable clamp  120  and the fact that the fixed clamp  110  can be unscrewed and screwed at a new and more appropriate location mean that any ladder can be effectively clamped. 
         [0049]    Moreover, the clamps  110 ,  120  in the embodiments described above are high enough to be able to clamp ladders of any thickness. For example, double or triple ladders can be secured by the clamps. Stepladders can also be secured by the clamps even though they can have more irregular shapes. 
         [0050]    Furthermore, as noted above with respect to prior art rack systems, ladder racks are conventionally asymmetrical: the first and second racks do not have the same length, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . However, in the embodiments described above, both the first and second racks can have the same length; they can be identical. In this case, manufacture, use and maintenance of these rack systems are thereby facilitated. Providing different lengths for the pair of arms of racks  100  is also possible, which implies more choice and flexibility in the possibilities of operation. A rack system comprising only one arm of rack  100  (instead of a pair thereof) is also possible. 
         [0051]    It should be noted that the handle  130 , when positioned in the locked position, ensures a proper locking of the clamps  110 ,  120  (auto locking). In prior art rack systems, the auto locking is usually provided by a metallic blade, a spring or a screw, which can become loose, in which case the auto locking capability is lost. This inconvenience in prior art systems is emphasized by the fact that the rotation of the clamps (as seen by comparing first clamps  11  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) can cause looseness in the clamping (i.e., a spacing may be created between the clamps and the ladder due to the rotation). This looseness causes the ladder not to be secured properly. Since the clamps of the embodiments described above are not rotatable, and since the locking is not provided by a metallic blade or pin, this inconvenience does not arise. 
         [0052]    Finally, no strap needs to be provided to further secure the ladder in the clamps, as in the prior art; the ladder should be sufficiently secured. However, the embodiments described herein can be advantageously complemented by a padlock to prevent withdrawal of the ladder by an inappropriate person. 
         [0053]    While preferred embodiments have been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made without departing from this disclosure. Such modifications are considered as possible variants comprised in the scope of the disclosure.