Abstract:
A loader for loading a kayak or other article onto a roofrack carrier. Typically two carriers are mounted on a roofrack and loader is used for each carrier. Each loader has a loading cradle that is slidably mounted in a slide rail and an attachment plate for attaching the slide rail to a carrier. A kayak is supported in the two loading cradles. Each cradle is pushed up the slide rail to lift the kayak near to the carrier. The lifting can be done by a single person in steps. A locking mechanism holds the loading cradle in position on the slide rail and prevents it from sliding backward. The user may move from one loader to the other to sequentially push the loading cradles up the two slide rails, thereby bringing the kayak close to the carriers mounted on the roofrack and in position for loading into the carriers.

Description:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0001]    The invention relates to the field of roof carriers. More particularly, the invention relates to devices for loading objects onto a roofrack carrier. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention is a loading system for loading an article onto a vehicle roofrack. Typically, articles such as bicycles, kayaks, canoes, etc. are held in carriers that are mounted to crossbars of a roofrack. The carrier is often specifically adapted to carry a particular article. For example, a kayak carrier has a cradle section in which the kayak nests. Typically, a pair of carriers are mounted on the roofrack, so as to support the article at two locations. A well known example is the conventional method of transporting a kayak. Two carriers are mounted on the crossbars of the roofrack, one toward the front and one toward the rear of the vehicle. Kayaks and other articles transported on vehicle roofracks are bulky and often heavy, and it can be very difficult, particularly for a single person, to load the article into the carrier. 
         [0003]    The invention is a loading system for lifting an article to be transported on a vehicle roofrack into a carrier that is mounted on the roofrack. For purposes of illustration, the article to be transported is a kayak and two kayak carriers are mounted on two crossbars on the roofrack. It is understood, however, that the loading system according to the invention is not limited to loading kayaks. 
         [0004]    The loading system has a loading slide, a loading cradle, and an attachment plate. One loading system is attached to each carrier mounted on the roofrack. The attachment plate is used to attach the loading slide to the carrier. The loading cradle has a slide bar that is slidingly captured in the loading slide and allows the loading cradle to be moved up and down along the slide. A stop mechanism holds the loading cradle in position and prevents it from inadvertently sliding down the loading slide. 
         [0005]    In the following description of use of the system, it is assumed that the article to be transported is a kayak, although the system is well suited to load other types of articles, such as canoes. It is also assumed that two kayak carriers are mounted on the roofrack. To use the loading system, the loading cradle is moved to the lowest position on the loading slide of each loading system. The kayak is placed in the two loading cradles. The first cradle is then moved upward some distance and held in that position by the stop mechanism. At this point, the user may let go of the first loading cradle and turn to the second loading cradle; the first loading cradle will stay in position. Each loading cradle is moved up the loading slide alternately, or at the same time, if two people are available to manipulate the loading cradles at the same time. The cradles are moved up to the top of the loading slide. In this position, the kayak is now close to the carrier. Ideally, the carrier has a loading ramp and the user need only push the kayak up the loading ramp, until it drops into the cradle on the carrier. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. The drawings are not drawn to scale. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of the loading system according to the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the loading system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the loading system illustrating the attachment of the attachment plate to the slide rail to the loading ramp on the carrier and to the slide rail. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of the flat plate with cradle. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of the slide rail showing the stop button in its biased position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the loading cradle. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  shows the slide bar captured in the slide rail and partially depressing the stop button. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6A  shows a bearing block mounted on the slide rail. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6B  is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the slide rail, with a locking pin inserted into the slide rail. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  shows the loading system lowered into position for loading, with a kayak loaded into the loading cradles. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  shows the loading system raised to its uppermost position, with the kayak already pushed into the carrier cradles. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  illustrates a ramp track in the slide rail. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The present invention will now be described more fully in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention should not, however, be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  shows the loading system  100  according to the invention mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle is only partially shown. An article A is to be loaded into a carrier C. For purposes of illustration, the article is a kayak and the carrier is a kayak carrier having a cradle CC and a carrier loading ramp CR.  FIG. 2  is a side view of the loading system  100 . The loading system  100  comprises an attachment plate  10 , a loading slide  20 , and a loading cradle  30 . The attachment plate  10  is securely attached to the loading ramp CR by conventional fasteners  12 .  FIG. 2A  shows details of the attachment plate  10 . The loading ramp CR has two bores and anchor pins  14  are provided on the attachment plate  10  that fit into the bores and prevent the attachment plate  10  from rotating about the fastener  12 . The fastener shown is a threaded fastener with a knob for easy manual turning. The knob is on the back side of the plate and is not shown. The attachment plate  10  has a flexible hinge  15 , also referred to as a living hinge, to provide the necessary flexibility to accommodate the geometries of any vehicle on which the loading system  100  is mounted. Alternatively, the attachment plate  10  may be constructed as a bi-planar plate in which two ends of the plate are angled in a fixed relationship relative one another, so as to accommodate the geometries of most vehicles. The loading cradle  30  may be constructed in various ways, such as a bi-planar plate  36  shown in  FIG. 2A  and a curved bar  38  shown in  FIG. 2B . The curved bar  38  is mounted on a slide plate  37 . Side channels  25  on the slide rail  22  receive and capture keys formed on the slide plate  37 , such that the slide plate  37  is slidably movable along the slide rail  22 . An illustration of this slide mounting on a rail is shown below with the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . A protective covering  39  may be pulled over the bar  38  to provide a cushion and prevent damage or marring of the article A when it is supported on the bar. Suitable types of coverings include a rubber or plastic covering, a foam tube, or other suitable cushioning and non-slip material. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows details of one embodiment of the loading slide  20 , which comprises a slide rail  22 , a slide channel  24 , and a stop mechanism  40 . In this embodiment, the stop mechanism  40  is a stop button  42  that is attached to a spring  44  that is mounted in a lower channel of the rail  22 . The upper channel is the slide channel  24 . The spring  44  biases the stop button  42  to extend into the slide channel  24 . Other suitable stop mechanisms are discussed below. locking pin The rear side of the slide rail  22  is ideally backed with a foam or other type of shock absorbing material  28 , to protect the article A from damage. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the loading cradle  30 , which comprises a support cradle  36  and a slide bar  32 .  FIG. 5  is a top planar view of the slide bar  32  in the slide rail  22 . The slide bar  32  has slide extensions  34  that are slidably captured in the slide channel  24 . The upper end of the slide bar  32  has a sloped surface  33 . As the slide bar  32  is pushed along the slide rail  22 , the sloped surface  33  approaches the stop button  42  gradually, allowing the slide bar  32  to depress and continue to slide over the button  42 . Once the bottom edge of the slide bar  32  has passed the button  42 , it returns to its biased position, thereby preventing the loading cradle  30  from sliding back down the slide rail  22 . In the embodiment shown, the slide bar  32  is fixedly mounted to the support cradle  36  by means of a bracket  35  by means of rivets or threaded fasteners or some other suitable fastening system. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  show details of a second embodiment of the loading slide  20  that includes a rail support means  50  that includes a suction device  52  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) mounted on a bearing block  54 . The slide rail  22  in this embodiment is a T-slot extruded rail with channels  25  for receiving slide keys  56  provided on the bearing block  64 . In the embodiment shown, the bearing block has four keys  56  that fit into the four channels  25  provided in the slide rail  22 . It is understood, however, that the bearing block  54  may have only two keys  56 , the two for engaging the channels either along the sides or along the upper surface of the slide rail. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the rail support means  50  is shown attached to the side of the vehicle on which the loading system  100  is mounted. The bearing block  54  fits on the slide rail  22  with a slight friction fit, so that it stays in place on the rail  22  under normal conditions, but slides along the slide rail  22  to any desired position, when a small amount of force applied to it. Thus, the rail support means  60  is easily adjustable for any type of vehicle on which the loading system  100  is mounted. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , only one rail support means  50  is provided on the slide rail  22 , although it is understood that two or more such devices may be implemented. The purpose of the rail support means  50  is to stabilize the loading system  100  during loading and unloading operations. When loading or unloading an article A onto the carrier C, the weight of the article A exerts a downward force on the slide rail  22 . Depending on how the article A is balanced in the cradle  30 , the downward force may have a horizontal component to it, which could force the slide rail  22  to swing to one side or the other. Applying the suction device  52  to the side of the vehicle stabilizes the slide rail  20  sufficiently, to prevent the rail from tilting to the side when the article A is being loaded. The suction device  52  also eliminates the need for the anchors and bores  14  mentioned above, which simplifies the construction of the attachment plate  10  and the mating carrier C. More importantly, the slidable construction of the bearing block  64  on the slide rail  22  allows the rail  22  to slide through the bearing block  54  under the downward force exerted by the weight of the article A. This prevents the force from being transferred to the vehicle and, thus, prevents damage, such as dents, on the vehicle. Alternatively, a pad of compressible, non-slip material may be used as the rail support means  50 . The bearing block  54  is mounted on the side of the slide rail  22  that is opposite the cradle  30 . For illustration purposes,  FIG. 6A  shows the bearing block  54  and the suction device  52  from the side that attaches to the vehicle. 
         [0024]      FIG. 9  shows another embodiment of the loading slide  20  and the stop mechanism  40 . The slide plate  37  is mounted on the slide rail  22 . The slide rail  22  is similar to the rail shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  but with a central portion of the upper rib removed to form an open central recess. A ramp track  49  is assembled in this central recess. The stop mechanism  40  includes the ramp track  49 , which includes a series of ramps, and the locking pin  47  that is assembled in the loading cradle  30 . Each ramp has a stop surface  49 A, which serves to prevent the locking pin  47  and the slide plate  37  from slipping downward. The locking pin  47  is ideally a spring-biased, plunger type locking pin. The spring-biased locking pin  47  and the orientation of the ramps  49  allow the user to slide the slide plate  37  over the individual ramps in the ramp track  49  in the upward direction, without having to pull against the spring-biasing mechanism on the locking pin  47 . The pin  47  and the slide plate  37 , however, are prevented from inadvertently sliding down the slide rail  22  by the stop surface  49 A of the ramp  49  that is below the pin. The user slides the slide plate  37  downward along the slide rail  22  by pulling the locking pin  47  away from the ramp track  49 . In another embodiment of the lock mechanism  40 , a series of holes  43  may be provided on the slide rail  22  for receiving the locking pin  47 . A single hole  43  is shown in  FIG. 6B , and it is understood that a series of holes  43  may be provided along the slide rail  22  similarly to the stop buttons  42  shown in  FIG. 2B . 
         [0025]      FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate the loading system  100  in use. In  FIG. 7 , two loading systems  100  are attached to two carriers C. The slide rail  20  is fully extended, bringing the loading cradle  30  down close to the ground or to a comfortable loading height. The kayak is placed in the loading cradles  30  of both loading systems  100 . The user goes to a first loading system and slides one of the loading cradles  30  upward over the next higher stop button  42  on the loading slide  20  until the button pops out beneath the lower edge of the support cradle  36 . The user then goes to the second loading system and slides the loading cradle  30  up on that loading slide  20  until next higher stop button pops out beneath the support cradle  36 . The user now goes back to the first loading system  100  and slides the loading cradle  30  up another step and repeats these steps on the first and second loading systems  100  until the slide bar  32  is as far as it can go on the loading slide  20 . At this point, the kayak is position just below the loading ramp CR on the carrier C. The kayak is then easily pushed up by hand over the loading ramp CR into the cradle CC of the carrier C. 
         [0026]    It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention. Variations in the construction of the loading system may be contemplated by one skilled in the art without limiting the intended scope of the invention herein disclosed and as defined by the following claims.