Abstract:
A tower device for supporting a crossbar over the roof of a vehicle includes a tower body, a clip retention mechanism and a clip selected to adapt to a particular vehicle profile. Various mechanisms may be used to secure the clip to the clip receiving mechanism. For example, a lock body may insert through coinciding apertures in a clip and clip receiver. A spring retainer may slide into slots or grooves in the lock body to prevent the lock body from disengaging. Other mechanism employ lock mounts that pivot to swing lock bodies through apertures in the clip and clip receiver.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/572,589 filed May 18, 2004 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
   This application also incorporates by reference in their entirety for all purposes the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,496,089; 4,809,943; 4,993,615; 5,038,988; 5,104,020; 5,366,128; 5,366,195; 5,865,356; 5,871,190; 5,988,471; 6,116,486; 6,264,082; 6,305,589; 6,516,985; and 6,641,012 

   BACKGROUND 
   Top-mounted vehicle racks provide a versatile platform for transporting bicycles, skis, snowboards, boats, cargo boxes, gear racks, and other items. However, many vehicles do not come equipped with racks that are capable of carrying such a wide range of items. Therefore, many vehicle owners install after market racks. Many such racks include one or more crossbars that extend side-to-side across the top of a vehicle. The crossbars are typically supported on each side of the vehicle&#39;s roof by a tower. 
   To accommodate the variety of vehicles to which racks can be installed, some top-mounted racks include a standard tower design that can be used on a wide range of different vehicle models. Such towers may be configured to cooperate with clips that are specifically designed to fit the tower to a particular vehicle model. This approach works well for consumers, who need only buy vehicle specific clips to fit a standard tower on a variety of different vehicle models. The approach also may decrease cost and/or ease distribution for manufacturers, who do not need to design a tower for every different vehicle model, but rather can provide a common tower design with a variety of relatively simple vehicle specific clips. 
   Universal tower assemblies are available. However, tower assemblies for accommodating different clips are somewhat complicated to implement and may involve combinations of unassembled parts. The tower design must enable locking of the clip in place when the tower is installed, and should preferably not require complicated combinations of parts or assembly instructions. 
   SUMMARY 
   A tower for supporting one end of a crossbar includes a main body for receiving a crossbar, and a clip holder for securing a clip configured for mounting on a particular vehicle profile. The clip holder includes a clip retention mechanism. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view of a vehicle equipped with a roof rack. 
       FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the tower assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a clip holder portion of the tower assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate an alternative clip holder using a modified clip retention mechanism. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show an alternative clip holder using a different clip retention mechanism. 
       FIGS. 8-10  are perspective and sectional views of an alternative clip holder design. 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  are perspective views of another clip holder design. 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a clip insert used in a clip holder assembly shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  shows an example of a tower assembly  14  configured to support a crossbar  15  above vehicle  16 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , tower assembly  14  includes tower body  17 . Tower body  17  has a foot portion  18  that may contact the top of vehicle  16 . Tower body  17  also has a bar support portion  19  configured to hold crossbar  15  in place. As shown in  FIG. 2 , bar support portion  19  has an aperture near the top of tower body  17  through which crossbar  15  passes. In other embodiments, the tower body may include virtually any other arrangement for holding a crossbar in place. Tower body  12  also includes a threaded receiver  19   a , or similar device, for securing clip retention mechanism  20  to tower body  17 . Clip retention mechanism  20  includes a clip receiver  21  configured to receive clip  22  that has been specifically designed to make tower body  17  compatible with a particular vehicle model. Clip retention mechanism  20  includes a bolt seat  23  through which a bolt  26  may be positioned and screwed into threaded receiver  19   a  of tower body  17 , thus securing clip retention mechanism  20  to tower body  17 . Clip retention mechanism  20  may be secured to tower body  17  in any suitable way, and threaded bolt  26  is provided as a nonlimiting example. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , clip  22  includes a tower interface portion  32 , vehicle interface portion  34 , and aperture  36 . Clip  22  is configured to hold the tower body to a particular vehicle model. A variety of different clips may be produced so that the tower may work with a corresponding variety of different vehicle models. Tower interface portion  32  of clip  22  is substantially the same on all clips so that all clips may be used with a common tower design. Vehicle interface portion  34  of each clip may be individually configured to fit a particular vehicle model.  FIG. 3  shows how clip retention mechanism  20  may be secured to tower body  17 . As shown, clip retention mechanism  20  receives clip  22 . Cover portion  40  folds down to cover clip retention mechanism  20 . 
   Clip  22  may be inserted into clip retention mechanism  20  so that aperture  36  of the clip is aligned with aperture  42  of clip retention mechanism  20 . Lock insert  50  may be selectively positioned through the aligned apertures, thus effectively holding clip  22  in clip retention mechanism  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , lock insert  50  has a slot  50   a  for receiving a key. A fastener  52  may be slid around lock insert  50 , thus holding lock insert  50  in place. Lock insert  50  may include divots or slots on its base for receiving and retaining fastener  52 . Fastener  52  is adapted to slide along clip retention mechanism  20  in an integrated fashion so that fastener  52  is automatically aligned to engage lock insert  50 . Integrating fastener  52  with clip retention mechanism  20  virtually eliminates the chance that the fastener will be lost and simplifies the installation process. 
   Other types of fasteners may be used to secure a lock insert in place. Fastener  52  is provided only as a nonlimiting example. Other examples are illustrated and described below. To aid alignment and/or prevent loss of the fastener, some fasteners may be integrated into the lock insert and other fasteners can be integrated into the clip retention mechanism. Furthermore, lock insert  50  is provided as a nonlimiting example of a structure that may be used to hold the clip in the clip retention mechanism. Other structures may be used. A lock insert or similar structure can be a free component, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , or the lock insert may be integrated into the clip retention mechanism. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  show another embodiment of a clip retention mechanism  100  for a tower assembly configured to support a crossbar above a vehicle. Similar to the embodiment of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , clip retention mechanism  100  receives clip  106 . Lock insert  108  is an integrated component that pivots about hinge  110  on a lock mount  112 . Lock mount  112  is configured to automatically direct lock insert  108  into aperture  114  of clip retention mechanism  100 . Clip retention mechanism  100  includes fastener  116  that fits over lock insert  108 , fitting into grooves, slots, or divots, thus holding lock insert  108  in place and securing clip  106  in an engaged relationship with clip retention mechanism  100 . As illustrated, fastener  116  is a resilient wire sized to tightly engage lock insert  108 . Lock insert  108  may include one or more recesses to “catch” fastener  116  when it fits over lock insert  108 . It should be understood that fastener  52 , or any other suitable fastener, could be used with this embodiment. Similarly, fastener  116  could be used with the clip retention mechanism of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     FIGS. 6 and 7  show another example of a clip retention mechanism  200  for use with a tower assembly that is configured to support a crossbar above a vehicle. This embodiment includes lock mount  202  that pivots on hinge  203 , similar to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  FIG. 7  shows a portion of lock mount  202  that is adapted to receive a fastener  206 . Fastener  206  may be dialed or rotated around axis XX. Fastener  206  has a knob or protrusion  207 . When protrusion  207  extends over the edge of clip receiver  208 , then lock mount  202  is prevented from pivoting away from clip receiver  208 , thus retaining lock insert  210  in coinciding apertures of clip  212  and clip receiver  208 , thereby securing coupled engagement between clip retention mechanism  200  and clip  212 . Similar concepts may be implemented in a variety of ways, and the illustrated embodiment is provided as a nonlimiting example. For example, instead of a fastener that rotates on a portion of the lock mount, a fastener that slides on a portion of the lock mount could be used. 
     FIGS. 8-10  show an embodiment that is similar to the ones shown in  FIGS. 4-7 . Clip retention mechanism  290  includes lock mount (plastic carrier)  300  that pivots on hinge  302 . Resilient fastener (finger)  304  is connected to lock mount  300 . Finger  304  includes two barbs  306  and  308  that serve to hold the lock mount in two different positions. When barb  306  is indexed against clip receiver  310 , lock mount  300  is held away from clip receiver  310  with lock insert  312  clear of the aperture. In this position, a clip may be received by clip receiver  310 . When barb  308  is indexed against clip receiver  310 , then lock mount  300  is held near clip receiver  310  with lock insert  312  extending through the apertures in the clip (not shown) and clip receiver  310 , thus holding the clip securely fastened to the tower. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10  show how follower  320  may be used to hold lock mount  300  in place. Follower  320 , or a similar mechanism, helps hold lock insert  312  through the aperture in clip receiver  310 , thus retaining a clip in a received position. Follower  320  can be moved and held in position by a cam mechanism  322  that is activated when a cover (such as 40 of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) is moved to a closed position. The illustrated follower/cam assembly is provided as a nonlimiting example. It should be understood that such a structure may be used on arrangements other than that shown in  FIGS. 8-10 . 
     FIGS. 11-13  show another example of a clip retention mechanism  400 . Fastener  402  is embodied in the form of a lock insert which may be connected to clip  404 . Lock insert  402  includes a cantilevered barb  406  that allows the insert to be pushed through aperture  408  of clip  404 . Barb  406  is configured to catch on clip  404  once lock insert  402  is pushed through aperture  408 , holding lock insert  402  in place inside of aperture. The clip/lock insert assembly may then be loaded into clip receiver  410  in a first direction AA until the lock insert clears clip receiver  410 . The assembly may then be moved in a second direction BB so that tab  412  of fastener  402  effectively catches over an edge of clip receiver  410 , thus securing clip  404  in clip receiving mechanism  400 . 
   Although the present disclosure has been provided with reference to the foregoing operational principles and embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances. Where the disclosure recites “a,” “a first,” or “another” element, or the equivalent thereof, it should be interpreted to include one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Furthermore, any aspect shown or described with reference to a particular embodiment should be interpreted to be compatible with any other embodiment, alternative, modification, or variance.