Abstract:
A hinged utility rack disposed on and external to a vehicle having a temporary top or roof. The utility rack has a bed that supports objects especially for transportation. First and second support bars are attached to the vehicle and support the bed. The second support bar is releasably connected to the bed, supporting the bed when connected. A hinge pivotally connects the first support bar to the bed, enabling the bed to pivot about the first support bar. The bed pivots between (a) a closed position in which the bed covers the vehicle top and the second support bar is connected to the bed, and (b) an open position in which the second support bar is disconnected from the bed and the bed is disposed away from the second support bar thereby rendering the top accessible for removal or retraction.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/310,666, filed on Aug. 7, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated in this application by reference. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a vehicle utility rack and, more particularly, to a hinged utility rack that allows the temporary roof of a vehicle to be removed without disengaging the utility rack from the vehicle.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Even as vehicles become larger and provide increased storage space, the desire to carry more cargo in or on the vehicle remains. One response to that desire is a cargo rack, which is placed on the vehicle outside the passenger compartment. Cargo racks generally are adapted to carry skis, bicycles, storage units, and other items.  
           [0004]    The art is replete with different designs and styles of cargo racks. One common feature of these racks is that they are typically secured to the vehicle roof. More specifically, they are rigidly mounted in a fixed position to the roof of the vehicle. The advantages of roof racks are many: they maintain sight lines, minimize aesthetic drawbacks, avoid interference with doors and windows, and allow maximum use of passenger space inside the vehicle.  
           [0005]    In basic form, the roof rack has a pair of spaced parallel rails or load bars, fixedly attached to the roof and aligned parallel to the centerline of the roof or transversely to it. The rails are elevated a slight distance from the roof surface, generally three to five inches. The ends of the rails have end brackets which attach to the roof by sheet metal screws or the like and hold the rails at the predetermined height. In a common configuration, the brackets for the two transverse rails are adjustably mounted in fixed linear tracks along each side edge of the roof, allowing the user to set the spacing between the two rails. After-market versions of these generalized or multipurpose roof racks are provided that can be installed and removed from the vehicle and may include end brackets that screw into the roof gutters of the vehicle or clamp into the top of the side door openings.  
           [0006]    Each particular type of cargo roof rack addresses a specific problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,873 issued to Won et al. teaches a roof rack assembly that enhances and improves the overall appearance and aerodynamics of a vehicle with the roof rack. The roof of the vehicle contains grooves making it possible to retract the roof rack to a stored position when not in use. Although aesthetically and aerodynamically improved, this roof rack requires extensive modifications to the vehicle roof.  
           [0007]    Another problem presented by roof racks is the difficulty experienced by users when securing or storing cargo to or in the rack. Most vehicles are sufficiently tall that the roof is inaccessible to individuals of normal height. U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,874 issued to Kim et al. provides a roof rack that slides down the rear of the vehicle to allow a user to access the stowed cargo while standing on ground level. This rack eliminates the need for an elevation mechanism such as a step stool. The portion of the rack which does not slide must still be securely mounted to the vehicle roof.  
           [0008]    The roof is a stable structure, and can support a conventional roof rack, in most vehicles. In some vehicles, however, the roof is removable, is not structurally sound, or both. Most vehicles having removable roofs are designed to allow open-air enjoyment. Such roofs can be either removable “hard” tops (i.e., temporary shells) or “soft” tops made of fabric, coated canvas, tarps, and the like. By removing the soft or hard top roofs, the enclosed vehicle is converted into an open-air vehicle.  
           [0009]    Among the various types of convertible vehicles, sport-utility vehicles (SUV&#39;s) and all-terrain vehicles (ATV&#39;s) have gained widespread popularity in recent years. Generally, these vehicles have a box-shaped cab and include various features such as four-wheel drive and heavy-duty suspensions which allow them to be used in most environments including the off-road environment. Therefore, vehicles of these types are particularly well suited for transporting passengers to remote locations for participation in outdoor sports. Examples of such outdoor sports include skiing, snowboarding, canoeing, bicycling, fishing, and camping.  
           [0010]    Many of these sports require specialized equipment for their participants. Among other bulky equipment, bicycling requires a bicycle; fishing requires fishing poles; canoeing requires a canoe; skiing requires the skis, poles, and boots; snowboarding requires a snowboard; and camping requires a tent. Such specialized equipment must be carried along with the user to the remote outdoor location.  
           [0011]    A major disadvantage of such SUV&#39;s and ATV&#39;s is their relative lack of cargo space. Space within the passenger compartment is limited. For situations where large items are desired to be transported, the interior space of most SUV&#39;s and ATV&#39;s is inadequate. Given both the limited interior space and the size and shape of the equipment which owners of SUV&#39;s and ATV&#39;s desire to transport, such equipment is most effectively carried outside the vehicle on roof-mounted racks. Thus, roof racks are common on SUV&#39;s and on ATV&#39;s.  
           [0012]    As outlined above, the art is replete with different designs and styles of roof racks. Nevertheless, relatively few solutions exist for convertible SUV&#39;s and ATV&#39;s. This shortage exists because most vehicle roof racks must be mounted to the roof of a hardtop vehicle for support. Convertible SUV&#39;s and ATV&#39;s do not have hard tops and, therefore, most conventional roof racks cannot be used with these vehicles. A fixed roof rack that requires mounting the rack to the vehicle roof is simply impractical with removable soft or hard top roofs. Although these difficulties are inherent for vehicle types known as SUV&#39;s and ATV&#39;s, the same problems exist with convertible automobiles and with vans and pickup trucks having caps or removable hardtops installed over their cargo decks.  
           [0013]    Roof racks that do not require mounting to the roof do exist. Such roof racks present their own set of problems. The roof rack may be affixed to the vehicle through longitudinal support bars as taught, for example, by U.S. Design Pat. No. 415,718 issued to Aghaci. The longitudinal support bars are affixed to the front, sides, or back of the vehicle and travel up the vehicle frame to the vehicle roof. The roof rack bed is mounted to the longitudinal support bars with secure fixtures. The roof rack bed is not affixed to the vehicle roof and, therefore, the roof rack bed and longitudinal support bar connections are critical load-bearing, structural joints. As a consequence, the roof rack bed and longitudinal bars are commonly a continuous structure welded together for maximum strength. Once affixed to the vehicle, these roof racks are tedious to remove and are impractical for use with vehicles having soft or hard top roofs because opening, closing, removal, and replacement of the roof is difficult.  
           [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,168 issued to Kreisler discloses a vehicle rack assembly for mounting on a vehicle having a rollbar. The assembly offers a unitary rack member having side walls and a floor and bracket members for mounting the floor of the rack to the rollbar of the vehicle. For use with a convertible SUV or ATV having a roof, the assembly can further have grommet assemblies with seals for mounting around holes formed in the roof of the vehicle for receiving a portion of the bracket members so that the roof of the vehicle passes between the rollbar and the unitary rack member. Thus, modification of the roof (holes and seals must be provided) is required for the rack assembly to engage the rollbar.  
           [0015]    None of these conventional solutions permits a removable soft top to be raised and lowered easily or a removable hard top to be removed and replaced easily. To overcome these shortcomings of a roof rack that requires modifications to the vehicle in order to mount the roof rack or a roof rack that impedes removal of a soft or hard top roof, a new hinged utility rack is provided. A principal object of the invention is to provide a hinged utility rack that can be raised and lowered thereby facilitating operation of the removable roof of the vehicle. A related object of the present invention is to provide an improved utility rack assembly that allows the temporary hard or soft top roof of a vehicle to be removed without having to remove the utility rack assembly. Another object is to provide a utility rack assembly that is designed so as not to impinge upon the vehicle roof.  
           [0016]    It is still another object of the present invention to provide a utility rack assembly that is attractive and does not require any aesthetically undesirable supports. A further object is to provide a utility rack assembly constructed of substantially rust-proof, durable, light-weight material able to support weight from cargo. Still yet a further object is to provide a utility rack assembly designed in component parts for ease of shipping and installation. Another object of the invention is to provide a utility rack assembly which is relatively inexpensive to construct and maintain.  
           [0017]    The invention also seeks to provide a utility rack which can accommodate one or more lights. An additional object of the present invention is to provide a utility rack which may be manually lowered or raised and locked. A related object is to provide such a device which may be electromechanically lowered or raised and locked. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a utility rack which can be fitted to a variety of vehicle roof sizes and shapes.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0018]    To achieve these and other objects and in view of its purposes, the present invention provides a utility rack for a vehicle having a temporary (i.e., a removable or retractable hard or soft) top or roof and holes for mounting conventional vehicle components. The utility rack is adapted to be disposed on and external to the vehicle. Included in the utility rack is a bed for holding and transporting cargo and for supporting objects and people. A first support bar includes a first horizontal support section and two first vertical mounting sections attached to the vehicle by first mounting plate assemblies using the existing holes of the vehicle, and supports the bed. A second support bar includes a second horizontal support section and two second vertical mounting sections attached to the vehicle by second mounting plate assemblies using the existing holes of the vehicle, and supports the bed when connected to the bed.  
           [0019]    A hinge pivotally connects the first horizontal support section of the first support bar to the bed, enabling the bed to pivot about the first horizontal support section of the first support bar. A clamping knob assembly releasably connects the second horizontal support section of the second support bar to the bed. Thus, the bed pivots between (a) a closed position in which the bed covers the roof or top of the vehicle and the clamping knob assembly connects the second horizontal support section of the second support bar to the bed, and (b) an open position in which the clamping knob assembly is disconnected and the bed is disposed away from the second horizontal support section of the second support bar thereby rendering the roof or top accessible for removal or retraction.  
           [0020]    The two first vertical mounting sections and the two second vertical mounting sections are bent to position the utility rack with respect to the vehicle. A gas spring assembly is attached to the bed and to the first support bar for facilitating pivot of the bed between the open and closed positions. An additional and optional component of the utility rack is at least one floodlight mounted to the second support bar. Of import is that the utility rack nowhere contacts the roof or top of the vehicle but permits removal or retraction of the roof or top when the bed is in the open position.  
           [0021]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0022]    The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawing are not to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. Included in the drawing are the following figures:  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the utility rack of the present invention mounted to a vehicle showing how the utility rack is releasably attached to the front support bar and pivots about the rear support bar;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a front view of the utility rack shown in FIG. 1, highlighting the optional floodlights, mounted on a vehicle according to the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 is a rear view of the utility rack shown in FIG. 1 mounted on a vehicle;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 is a front view of the front support bar of the vehicle utility rack according to the present invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 is a side view of the front support bar of the vehicle utility rack shown in FIG. 4;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 6 is a front view of one embodiment of the rear support bar of the vehicle utility rack according to the present invention;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 7 is a top view of the rear support bar shown in FIG. 6;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 8 is a side view of the rear support bar of the vehicle utility rack shown in FIG. 6;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of one embodiment of the rear mounting assembly according to the present invention;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of one embodiment of the front mounting assembly according to the present invention;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-section of one embodiment of the hinge mechanism according to the present invention;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the gas spring and its related mounting brackets according to the present invention;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 13 is a side view of one embodiment, a clamping knob assembly, used to releasably attach the bed to the front support bar of the utility rack according to the present invention; and  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 14 is a side view of another embodiment of the utility rack of the present invention mounted to a vehicle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0037]    Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout the various figures that comprise the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a utility rack  1  for a vehicle  100 , such as a SUV or an ATV, with a removable top or roof. The vehicle top can be a hard or a soft top and can be either entirely removable or retractable from a closed into an open position. The top may cover one or both of a passenger and a cargo compartment.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the utility rack  1  mounted to a vehicle  100 . The utility rack  1  has a front U-shaped support bar  10 . The front U-shaped support bar  10  has a horizontal support section  12  and two, mirror-image, left- and right-hand side, vertical mounting sections  14  and  16 . The vertical mounting sections  14  and  16 , of the front U-shaped support bar  10 , are attached to the vehicle  100  by front mounting plate assemblies  18 .  
         [0039]    The utility rack  1  also has a rear U-shaped support bar  20 . The rear U-shaped support bar  20  has a horizontal support section  22  and two, mirror-image, left- and right-hand side, vertical mounting sections  24  and  26 .  
         [0040]    The vertical mounting sections  24  and  26 , of the rear U-shaped support bar  20 , are attached to the vehicle  100  by rear mounting plate assemblies  28 . The front and rear U-shaped support bars  10  and  20 , respectively, support a bed  30 . The bed  30  is attached in a releasable fashion to the front horizontal support section  12  of the front U-shaped support bar  10 . Conventional hardware such as clamps, brackets, and snap-fittings may be used to releasably attach the bed  30  to the front horizontal support section  12 . The rear of the bed  30  is pivotally mounted to the rear horizontal support section  22  of the rear U-shaped support bar  20 .  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 13 is a side view of one embodiment, a clamping knob assembly  90 , used to releasably attach the bed  30  to the front horizontal support section  12  of the utility rack  1  according to the present invention. The clamping knob assembly  90  has four components: a clamp knob  92  suitable for easy rotation by the user, a threaded rod  94  integral with the clamp knob  92  and rotated upon rotation of the clamp knob  92 , a locking wing nut  96  which engages the end of the threaded rod  94  and locks the clamping knob assembly  90  in position, and a threaded insert  98 . With the locking wing nut  96  removed, the threaded rod  94  passes through an opening provided in the bed  30  and engages the threaded insert  98  which is positioned in a corresponding opening in the front horizontal support section  12 . The user rotates the threaded rod  94 , by turning the clamp knob  92 , until the threaded rod  94  fully engages and partially protrudes from the threaded insert  98 . Application by the user of the locking wing nut  96  to the portion of the threaded rod  94  protruding from the threaded insert  98  locks the clamping knob assembly  90  in position and secures the bed  30  to the front horizontal support section  12  of the utility rack  1 . Removal by the user of the locking wing nut  96  allows removal of the threaded rod  94  from the threaded insert  98  in the front horizontal support section  12  and from the opening in the bed  30  and, therefore, releases the bed  30  from attachment to the front horizontal support section  12 .  
         [0042]    A saddle  88  may be provided as a component of the utility rack  1 . As illustrated in FIG. 13, the saddle  88  has a flat front face and a semicircular portion. The semicircular portion is positioned between the bed  30  and the front horizontal support section  12 , and follows the contour of the bed  30 . The flat front face is positioned against the outside surfaces of the bed  30  and the front horizontal support section  12 . Thus, the saddle  88  can be used to align and space the bed  30  and the front horizontal support section  12 .  
         [0043]    Returning to FIG. 1, the bed  30  is shown in two positions. In its first and closed position, the bed  30  is attached to the front horizontal support section  12  of the front U-shaped support bar  10  and sits horizontally over and a few inches above the roof of the vehicle  100 . In its second and open position, the bed  30  is detached from the front horizontal support section  12  of the front U-shaped support bar  10  and pivots upwardly away from the roof of the vehicle  100 . The user gains easy access to the roof of the vehicle when the bed  30  is in its open position. Moreover, the roof can be removed or retracted by the user as desired with the bed  30  in its open position and still attached to the vehicle  100 . This desirable attribute of the utility rack  1  is attained, in part, because no structure of the utility rack  1  is attached to or otherwise directly contacts the roof of the vehicle  100 .  
         [0044]    A gas spring assembly  40  is attached to the rear vertical mounting sections  24  and  26  and to the bed  30 . The gas spring assembly  40  facilitates pivoting the bed  30  about the rear horizontal support section  22  of the rear U-shaped support bar  20  between the closed and open positions. Preferably, two gas assist shocks  42  are included in the gas spring assembly  40 . The size of the shocks  42  will depend upon the application (including the weight to be placed on the bed  30 ) and the preference of the user; a pair of shocks  42  each rated at about 200 pounds will often suffice. The shocks  42  are mounted to the utility rack  1  and are located on either side of the vehicle  100 . The bed  30  is supported by and pivotally mounted with a hinge  50  to the horizontal support section  22  of the rear U-shaped support bar  20 .  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the gas spring  40  and its related components according to the present invention. In the specific embodiment shown, the gas spring  40  includes a gas assist shock  42  on either end of which is provided a mounting bracket. Front mounting bracket  44  is adapted to be secured to the bed  30 ; rear mounting bracket  46  is adapted to be secured to one of the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26  of the rear U-shaped support bar  20 . The gas spring  40  allows the user to push the bed  30  upward, using the helpful force of the gas assist shocks  42 , toward the open position. Upon full extension of the gas assist shocks  42 , the bed  30  will reach, maintain, and essentially lock in a fully open position. The user pulls down on the bed  30 , against the force of the gas assist shocks  42  but using the help of gravity, to bring the bed  30  into its closed position. The bed  30  can then be affixed to the front horizontal support section  12  of the front U-shaped support bar  10  using the clamping knob assembly  90 . Of course, an electric motor (not shown) might be provided to assist the user with raising and lowering the bed  30  between its open and closed positions.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 2 is a front view of another embodiment of the utility rack  1  mounted on the vehicle  100 . FIG. 2 shows the front mounting plate assemblies  18  preferably mounted to existing holes in the side panel, without blocking the doors or other components, of the vehicle  100 . Conventional fasteners such as screws or bolts are inserted through holes in the front mounting plate assemblies  18  and through the corresponding holes that exist in the vehicle  100 . As noted above, the front mounting plate assemblies  18  are attached to the vertical mounting sections  14  and  16  of the front U-shaped support bar  10 .  
         [0047]    Floodlights  60  may optionally be mounted to the front horizontal support section  12  of the front U-shaped support bar  10 . It may be desirable in some applications or for some users not to have any floodlights  60  mounted on the front horizontal support section  12 . In fact, some states do not permit floodlights  60 . Alternatively, as many floodlights  60  as desired may be mounted on the front horizontal support section  12  depending on the size of the individual floodlights  60  and the width of the vehicle  100 . Preferably, two to five floodlights  60  are mounted. Still more preferably, five floodlights  60  are mounted as illustrated in FIG. 2. Floodlights  60  are typically off-road lights and may be provided with a remote control switch.  
         [0048]    Because the floodlights  60  are mounted to the front horizontal support section  12  of the front U-shaped support bar  10 , the front horizontal support section  12  might also be called a “light bar.” It is important to note that the floodlights  60  and the front horizontal support section  12 , to which the floodlights  60  are mounted, are both disposed above all components (especially the window) of the vehicle  100 . Such disposition ensures that the utility rack  1  does not interfere with the normal operation of the vehicle  1 , which includes raising and lowering of the windshield as desired.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 3 is a rear view of the utility rack  1  mounted on the vehicle  100  according to the present invention. The rear view of FIG. 3 shows the rear U-shaped support bar  20  with the horizontal support section  22  connected to the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26 . Rear mounting plate assemblies  28  support the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26 . The rear mounting plate assemblies  28  are preferably adapted to be mounted to the existing bolt holes of the tail lights, without blocking the tail lights, spare tire, or other components, of the vehicle  100 . Additional holes may be formed in the vehicle  100  to accommodate the rear mounting plate assemblies  28 ; if formed, such additional holes are preferably sufficiently few that the rear mounting plate assemblies  28  can be attached to the vehicle  100  without substantial modification to the vehicle  100 . Conventional fasteners such as screws or bolts are inserted through holes in the rear mounting plate assemblies  28  and through the corresponding holes that exist in the vehicle  100 .  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 4 is a front view of the front U-shaped support bar  10  of the vehicle utility rack  1  according to the present invention. FIG. 4 shows the horizontal support section  12  and the vertical mounting sections  14  and  16 . Also shown are the front mounting plate assemblies  18  attached to the vertical mounting sections  14  and  16 .  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 5 is a side view of the front U-shaped support bar  10  of the vehicle utility rack  1  according to the present invention. The side view of FIG. 5 shows how, in this particular embodiment, the vertical mounting sections  14  and  16  are slightly bent. The bent shape of the vertical mounting sections  14  and  16  allows the horizontal support bar  12  to be separated from, supported on, and positioned best with respect to the vehicle  100 . The bent shape of the vertical mounting sections  14  and  16  also allows for the optional floodlights  60  to be mounted on the front horizontal support bar  12  in a suitable position with respect to the vehicle  100 .  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 6 is a front view of the rear U-shaped support bar  20  of the vehicle utility rack  1  according to the present invention. The rear mounting plate assemblies  28  support the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26 . Illustrated on the rear mounting plate assemblies  28  are a series of openings  34  used to affix the utility rack  1  to the rear of the vehicle  100 . Attached to the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26  is the rear horizontal support section  22 . The rear horizontal support section  22  has apertures  32  which are adapted to connect the pivoting mechanism for the bed  30 .  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 7 is a top view of the rear U-shaped support bar  20  of the vehicle utility rack  1  according to the present invention. FIG. 7 shows the rear mounting plate assemblies  28 , which support the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26 . This view also illustrates that the junction between the rear mounting plate assemblies  28  and the vehicle  100 , and the back edge of the rear horizontal support section  22 , lies in substantially the same vertical plane.  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 8 is a side view of the rear U-shaped support bar  20  of the vehicle utility rack  1  according to the present invention. FIG. 8 shows the rear mounting plate assemblies  28  supporting the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26  attached to the rear horizontal support section  22 . The side view of FIG. 8 shows how, in this particular embodiment, the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26  are bent at two points to create a slight “S” shape. The bent shape of the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26  allows the horizontal support section  22  to be separated from, supported on, and positioned best with respect to the vehicle  100 .  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of an embodiment of the rear mounting plate assembly  28  according to the present invention. The rear mounting plate assembly  28  is adapted to attach to existing bolt holes of the tail lights  102  of the vehicle  100 . In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, a few additional holes have been formed in the vehicle  100  (without substantial modification to the vehicle  100 ) and the rear mounting plate assembly  28  has three components: an outside mounting plate  70 , a top inside mounting plate  72 , and a bottom inside mounting plate  74 . The outside mounting plate  70  has a pair of flanges  76 , each forming a bore  78  that receives one of the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26  (as shown in FIGS.  6 - 8 ). Provided in the outside mounting plate  70  is a passage  80  (see FIG. 6) permitting the electrical conduit  104  of the tail light  102  to access the vehicle  100 . A plurality of conventional fasteners  82  are used to connect the three components of the rear mounting plate assembly  28  to each other and to the vehicle  100 .  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of an embodiment of the front mounting plate assembly  18  according the present invention. The front mounting plate assembly  18  is adapted to attach to existing bolt holes in the vehicle  100 . In a preferred embodiment, the front mounting plate assembly  18  is designed to attach to existing bolt holes just below the front windshield hinge of the vehicle  100 . Thus, the utility rack  1  permits full operation of the windshield (e.g., lowering and raising). The front mounting plate assembly  18  includes one or more holes  84  positioned and configured to correspond with suitable holes in the vehicle  100 .  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-section of an embodiment of the hinge  50  which allows the bed  30  to pivot about the rear horizontal support section  22  of the rear U-shaped support bar  20  at the top of the vertical mounting sections  24  and  26 . The hinge  50  of FIG. 11 is adapted to be bolted, screwed, or otherwise affixed to both the bed  30  and the rear horizontal support section  22 . Alternatively, the hinge  50  may be an integral, continuous, monolithic part of the bed  30  and the rear horizontal support section  22 .  
         [0058]    By allowing rotation between components, the hinge  50  allows the front of the bed  30  to be lifted from the front horizontal support section  12  of the front U-shaped support bar  10 . In this particular embodiment of the present invention, the bed  30  pivots on the rear horizontal support section  22 . In other embodiments, the bed  30  may pivot on the front horizontal support section  12  or on a side support bar. In any embodiment, the pivoting bed  30  will not impinge upon the removal of the hard or soft temporary top or roof of the vehicle  100 .  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 14 is a side view of another embodiment of the utility rack  1  mounted to a vehicle  100 . In this embodiment of the utility rack  1 , one additional component is provided and one of the components illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1 has been modified. The additional component is a side stiffening bar  38 . Two side stiffening bars  38  may be provided, one on each side of the utility rack  1 . The side stiffening bars  38  are affixed to and extend between the front support bar  10  and the rear support bar  20 . Thus, the side stiffening bars  38  add rigidity and structural support to the utility rack  1 .  
         [0060]    The modified component is the gas spring assembly  40 . As illustrated in FIG. 12, the gas spring assembly  40  has a front mounting bracket  44  secured to the bed  30  and a rear mounting bracket  46  secured to the rear support bar  20 . The inclusion of the side stiffening bars  38  in the embodiment of FIG. 14 allows the gas spring assemblies  40  to be attached to the side stiffening bars  38  rather than to the rear support bar  20 . Therefore, the gas spring assembly  40  does not need a rear mounting bracket  46  and none is shown in FIG. 14. The side stiffening bars  38  thus function to mount the gas spring assemblies  40 .  
         [0061]    The utility rack  1  of the present invention may be constructed of durable, lightweight material. Such material may include but is not limited to aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, composite, or other suitable material. The utility rack  1  may be made of a high-impact plastic, and may also be molded in part or in its entirety. Preferably the material has rust-resistant properties or is imparted with a rust-resistant coating. In one embodiment, the utility rack  1  is made of 1.5 inch diameter steel tubing that is welded for strength.  
         [0062]    The present invention may be constructed as a unitary, monolithic, welded rack providing maximum strength and eliminating rattling from bolt-loosening present in the prior art. Alternatively, the utility rack  1  of the present invention may include separate components that may be bolted, threaded, or preferable welded together. This alternative allows the various components to be transported and installed more easily. It also offers other advantages: specifically, the light bar may be marketed and provided as an entirely standalone component. In either case, whether unitary or formed of separate components, the utility rack  1  of the present invention may be provided assembled on a new vehicle or provided as a separate kit suitable for retroactively upgrading a used vehicle.  
         [0063]    Although illustrated and described above with reference to certain specific embodiments, the present invention is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the figures depict rounded bars and illustrate the front and rear support bars configured in a U-shape; other cross sections and shapes may also be used.