Patent Publication Number: US-2006000859-A1

Title: Load-bearing bracket intended to be mounted on a longitudinal roof rail of a motor vehicle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Technical Field  
      The present invention relates to a load-bearing bracket intended to be mounted on a longitudinal roof rail of a motor vehicle and suitable for transporting a small number of long objects for example.  
      2. Related Art  
      Longitudinal roof rails fixed in position are often found on cars of the estate type or of the so-called SUV type for the purpose of supporting transverse loading frames which are in turn fixed with their ends in the roof rails in order to support various types of loads. Such loading frames are used to transport relatively large and bulky objects. Even for transporting a small number of long, relatively lightweight objects, such as pipes, boards and the like, it is necessary to mount transverse loading frames which are fixed on the two roof rails.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,116 describes load-bearing brackets which comprise two or more arms connected to one another in a hinged manner, each with a cantilever arm with a load-bearing surface. On account of its construction, this bracket, designed as a clamp, has a two-part loading surface which is located high above the rail and is separated by a high projecting and obstructing central part which contains the actual hinge between the arms.  
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to provide a load-bearing bracket which, without the need for bulky loading frames to be mounted on both sides, is suitable for transporting a small number of lightweight, long objects and which brackets can be fixed in pairs on the same roof rail. The load-bearing bracket may be of simple construction, have a small number of parts, be able to be mounted quickly on the rail and have a load-bearing surface which may extend transversely across the rail and very close to the latter. For this purpose, the bracket according to the invention is distinguished by the features of the invention.  
      The invention concerns load-bearing bracket intended to be mounted on a longitudinal roof rail of a motor vehicle. A load-supporting bar which is substantially horizontal in the position of use is transverse with respect to the roof rail and has attachments for load-fasteners at the end portions of the bar. The underside of the bar has anchors in the form of a pair of downwardly projecting, resilient legs formed in one piece with the bar. When mounted on the roof rail, the legs straddle the roof rail and are anchored thereon. The bar extends as a cantilever support in one or both directions from the anchors of the bracket and transversely across the roof rail. A bracket of this type for a small load consisting of long objects can simply be pressed securely onto the roof rail and anchored firmly thereon with the aid of a suitable quick-acting lock.  
      Further features and advantages of the bracket according to the invention are explained in the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first, asymmetrical embodiment of a load-bearing bracket according to the invention, mounted on a roof rail;  
       FIG. 2  shows an end view of the bracket in  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 3  is an end view of a second, symmetrical embodiment of the bracket according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a first embodiment of a load-bearing bracket  10  according to the invention. The bracket  10  is intended to be mounted on a longitudinal roof rail  12  of a motor vehicle. Possibly installed together with at least one further bracket  10  mounted on the same roof rail  12 , the bracket may support a small number of long objects such as pipes, individual boards and the like (not shown). The bracket  10  for this purpose comprises a load-supporting bar  14  which at at least one of its transverse direction end portions preferably has upwardly projecting flanges  16  with some suitable form of fastening means, for example slits  18 , for receiving load-fastening means, for example retaining straps, for securing the objects which are to be transported. The fastening means are a matter of choice.  
      Arranged on the underside of the bar  14  is an anchoring means  20  for anchoring the bracket  10  on the roof rail  12 . The anchoring means  20  comprises a pair of spaced apart, opposing resilient legs  22  which project downwards from the underside of the bar  14  and which are designed such that, when mounted on the roof rail  12 , they straddle the rail and are anchored thereon. The bar  14  and the anchoring legs  22  are formed in one piece, for example by extrusion of metal or a suitably strong plastic material.  
      The anchoring means  20  also preferably comprises an element  24  which is internally profiled to be adapted to the cross-sectional profile of the roof rail  12  and is also arranged between the legs  22  and the roof rail  12 . The element  24  may be formed as a separate, exchangeable adapter part which can be adapted in shape to the profile of the actual rail, with the result that the bracket  10  can be used on the roof rails of different vehicles. Alternatively, the element  24  may from the outset be fixedly joined to the legs  22  and/or may be adapted to a specific rail profile.  
      The element  24  may have a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile with inwardly directed shoulders  26  at the ends of the legs of the U so that, when mounted on the roof rail  12 , the legs and shoulders are able to spring outwards and the shoulders are able to snap in against the underside of said rail. The outer configuration of the element  24  is adapted to the configuration of the inside of the legs  22 . There may be a form-fit connection (not shown) between the legs  22  and the element  24  in order to hold these parts together before and after mounting on the roof rail  12 . To anchor the bracket  10  securely and forcibly on the roof rail  12 , the anchoring means  20  also may comprise a suitable locking device element  28  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) which joins the free end portions  30  of the legs  22  and, after placement of the bracket  10  on the rail  12 , can press the legs  22 , and thus the arms of the adapter element  24 , firmly against the rail  12 . The locking device  28  may comprise a pull rod  32  which releasably connects the end portions  30 , and an eccentric arm  34  or the like for fixing the legs  22  and the adapter element  24  in a braced position.  
      In the asymmetrical embodiment according to  FIG. 1 , the load-bearing bar  14  of the bracket  10  extends out sideways of the rail  12  and from the anchoring means  20  to provide a cantilever support. The bracket  10  may be designed to be reversed in position so that it can be mounted either facing in towards or out from the roof rail  12  on the vehicle. In the embodiment according to  FIG. 3 , the bar  14  is arranged symmetrically sideways in relation to the anchoring means  20  so that it projects as a cantilever support by the same distance in opposite directions. In both cases, the bar  14  has a load-bearing surface  15  which extends transversely across the roof rail  12  and may be disposed very close to the rail for increased stability of the supported load.  
      Along the load-bearing surface  15  of the bar  14 , a longitudinal, load-bearing elevation  36  ( FIG. 1 ) may be arranged to compensate for any inclination of the bracket  10  caused by sloping of the roof rail  12  in its longitudinal direction.  
      Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.