Patent Publication Number: US-2023134010-A1

Title: Vehicle Roof Rack

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle roof storage devices. More particularly the present disclosure relates to a vehicle roof storage device which allows easy and effective removal of items thereon. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Roof racks for additional vehicle storage are common ways to add additional capacity to a vehicle. Often these roof racks include bicycle racks, ski racks, boat racks, and cargo boxes/racks. Placing these items on the roof allows for a convenient way to store these large items. However, all of the presently existing roof racks require that the user load and unload the racks from on top of the roof, typically from a side of the vehicle. This results in a cumbersome and difficult loading and unloading experience. Also, in many instances heavy items are too heavy to lift overhead and safely into position. Therefore, many items are simply not possible for certain people to store on the roof of a vehicle. 
     Therefore, what is needed is a device that may allow efficient and convenient access to roof storage devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     The subject matter of this application may involve, in some cases, interrelated products, alternative solutions to a particular problem, and/or a plurality of different uses of a single system or article. 
     In one aspect, a vehicle roof storage device is provided. The device comprises a body connectable to a roof of a vehicle. The body has an open top defining an interior space, and a track within the interior space attached to an inside of the body. The device further comprises a slider rack which is movable between a stowed position and extended position. The stowed position having the slider rack positioned within or mostly within the body for when the roof storage rack is loaded on top of a vehicle. The extended position having a distal end of the slider rack away from the body and angled downward, while a proximal end of the slider rack remains engaged with the body. The slider rack engaged with the track when being moved between the stowed position and extended position. 
     In another aspect, a vehicle having a roof storage device attached is provided. The vehicle has the roof storage device attached to the roof. The roof storage device having a body which has an open top defining an interior space, and a track within the interior space attached to an inside of the body. The device further has a slider rack which is movable between a stowed position and extended position. The stowed position having the slider rack positioned within or mostly within the body for when the roof storage rack is loaded on top of a vehicle. The extended position having a distal end of the slider rack away from the body and angled downward such that the distal end of the slider rack contacts and rests on the ground, while a proximal end of the slider rack remains engaged with the body. The slider rack engaged with the track when being moved between the stowed position and extended position. 
     In yet another aspect, a method of storing an item on a vehicle roof is provided. The method involves attaching a roof storage device to a vehicle roof. The roof storage device having a body which has an open top defining an interior space, and a track within the interior space attached to an inside of the body. The device further has a slider rack which is movable between a stowed position and extended position via the track. Once attached, the method involves moving the slider rack to the extended position, loading the slider rack by attaching an item (such as bicycle, skis/snowboard, kayak/boat, storage rack/box, etc.) to the slider rack, and then moving the slider rack with the item thereon to the stowed position. The slider rack can then be locked into the stowed position and the vehicle may be driven. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    provides a side view of a vehicle roof storage device of the present disclosure mounted on a vehicle in a stowed position. 
         FIG.  2    provides a side view of a vehicle roof storage device of the present disclosure mounted on a vehicle in an extended position. 
         FIG.  3    provides a frontal view of an embodiment of the roof storage device in an extended position. 
         FIG.  4    provides a frontal view of an embodiment of the roof storage device in a stowed position. 
         FIG.  5    provides a perspective view of a body of the roof storage device. 
         FIG.  6    provides an elevation view of a ski rack embodiment of the roof storage device. 
         FIG.  7    provides an angled perspective view of a vehicle roof storage device of the present disclosure mounted on a cradle in an elevated position. 
         FIG.  8    provides another angled perspective view of a vehicle roof storage device of the present disclosure mounted on a cradle in a stowed position. 
         FIG.  9    provides an angled perspective view of a vehicle roof storage device of the present disclosure mounted on a cradle in an extended position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention and does not represent the only forms in which the present disclosure may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. 
     Generally, the present disclosure concerns a vehicle roof storage device, sometimes referred to in the art as a “roof rack.” The device is operable to have a movable slider rack which can move between a stowed position held in position on a body which is mounted to the roof, and an extended position, where the slider rack is slideably extended away from the body and can angle downward to the ground at a rear of the vehicle. This allows a user to much more easily attach an item to the storage device, and then easily guide the slider rack having the item secured thereon in sliding fashion up to the top of the vehicle. 
     Generally, the body of the vehicle roof storage device is formed as an elongate shape configured to be attached lengthwise to a vehicle roof. The body typically is formed having an open top, and a bottom capable of attachment to a vehicle. The body is formed of materials sufficiently rigid and resilient enough to withstand forces applied to an item on the roof of a vehicle at driving speeds such as wind, bumps, and so on. The body may attach directly to the vehicle in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the body may attach to an existing roof cross bar or bars using, for example, clamps, straps and the like. In some embodiments, a front of the body may have a tapered or otherwise aerodynamic leading face, to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. 
     A slider rack is attachable to the body and operates to receive items for storage in the vehicle roof storage device, and also operates to slide between a stowed and extended position to allow for ease of loading and unloading. The slider rack may be removably connectable to the body. Adapter components to hold specific types of items may be permanently or removably attached to the slider rack. Items attachable to the slider rack may include typical roof-stored items such as bicycles, skis and snowboards, kayaks and other boats, storage compartments and racks, among other options. For example, in a bicycle embodiment, the slider rack may have a front and rear clamp to receive the fork or wheel of the bicycle at the front, and a rear wheel of the bicycle. In a ski rack embodiment, cross bars and clamps may be used to hold the skis to the slider rack. Many common roof rack adapter components either existing or to be invented may be used in combination with the slider rack, adding to the device&#39;s universal applicability and versatility. In another embodiment, the slider rack may have universal mounts to hold a wide variety of items. In further embodiments, the slider rack may have adapter mounts to receive existing roof storage systems such as those currently on the market which in turn can be used to hold items to the storage device. In certain embodiments, the distal end of the slider rack, which contacts the ground in an extended position, may have a reinforced plate at its end, to protect the slider rack from damage from ground contact. 
     One or more locks or other safety features may be employed to secure the slider rack in the stowed position. These may include pins engaging with both slider rack and body, locks engaging with both slider rack and body, blocking plates, blocking pins and the like preventing movement of the slider rack relative to the body. Other safety features may include portions of the track engaged with the slider rack which prevent unintended movement. In one embodiment, a pin may pass through an aperture in both the body and slider rack, holding them in position relative to each other. In another embodiment, a pin attached to one of the body or the slider rack may pass through an aperture in the other of the body or the slider rack, holding them in position relative to each other. 
     In use, a user may move the slider rack to the extended position, load the item(s) to be stored, and then return the slider rack to its stowed position. In one embodiment, the slider rack is lifted up, pivoting until parallel with the body. Once parallel, the slider rack can be pushed forward to engage tracks which guide its further forward movement, until the proximal end of the slider rack is close to the proximal end of the body. 
     Another safety feature includes preventing a forward pivoting of the slider rack about its proximal end relative to a proximal end of the body, which would cause the slider rack to rotate forward over the hood of the car. Multiple solutions to prevent this may be employed, and in some embodiments, redundancy serves to ensure safety. For example, the slider rack may have a protrusion at its distal end to engage with the body, holding the two in place relative to each other. A lock or other engagement between the body and slider rack may be employed. In another embodiment, a portion of the proximal end of the slider rack may extend over the proximal end of the body. 
     In one embodiment, movement of the slider rack to the stowed position, and sometimes from the stowed, may be force-aided. For example a motor may operate to automatically control the movement of the slider rack. In another embodiment, springs, weights, pistons, and the like may be positioned so as to be tensioned or loaded when a user draws the slider rack from the stowed to extended position. Then, when the slider rack is pivoted to be parallel with the body and urged forward, the urging may be aided by the loaded spring, weight, piston, etc. This structure may also prevent uncontrolled movement by gravity of the slider rack moving from the stowed to extended position. 
     Turning now to  FIG.  1    a vehicle having the roof storage device mounted thereon is shown. The vehicle  10  has roof cross bars on which the roof storage device is attached. In other embodiments, the roof storage device may attach directly to the vehicle roof and/or door openings. The roof storage device is formed of a body  11  and a slider rack  13 . The body  11  is an elongate shape and is positioned to have its length in the same direction as a length of the vehicle  10 . In this view, the slider rack  13  is in its stowed position being substantially contained within the body  11  and secured in place for driving. A bicycle  12  is attached to the slider rack via rear wheel clamp  17  and front fork clamp  16 . Of course, other connection structures such as straps, tie downs, hooks, and the like may be employed without straying from the scope of this invention. The slider rack  13  is slideably movable between the stowed position as shown, and an extended position which has the distal end of the slider rack  13  positioned away and downward from the body  11 , while the proximal end of the slider rack  13  remains engaged with the body. The extended position of the slider rack is shown in  FIG.  2   . 
       FIG.  2    shows another embodiment of the vehicle roof storage device with the slider rack in the extended position. The vehicle  10  has roof cross bars on which the body  11  of the roof storage device is attached. Bicycle  12  is attached to the slider rack via rear wheel clamp  17  and front fork clamp  16 . The slider rack  13  has been slid outwardly in the direction of arrow parallel to the body  11  until it is extended far enough away from the body that it reaches a stop or other structure which allows it to pivot downward as shown in the downwardly angled arrow. The distal end  14  of the slider rack is positioned away from the body  11  and the slider rack  13  is angled downward such that the distal end  14  contacts the ground at a rear of the vehicle. In other embodiments, the outward sliding and angling may be done concurrently, meaning that the slider rack  13  need not be drawn out parallel and then angled downward. In certain embodiments, the slider rack  13  may have resistance to movement preventing it from sliding uncontrolled to the extended position. Resistance may be applied by springs, frictional engagement between slider rack and body, pistons, gears, counterweights, and the like, to prevent rapid movement of the slider rack  13 . In some cases, the same structures may aid movement from the extended position to the stowed position. The proximal end  15  of the slider rack  13  remains engaged with the body  11 . When the user wishes to return the slider rack  13  to the stowed position, the distal end  14  is lifted upward and towards the body  11  until the slider rack  13  returns to the stowed position. 
       FIG.  3 - 5    show perspective views of a top of the body and slider rack.  FIG.  3    shows a track  31  into which a protrusion  15  of the slider rack  13  may engage. A perspective side view of this track  31  is seen in  FIG.  5   . The track  31  is defined in this view as a channel having a top wall  51  and bottom wall  52  with the channel defined therebetween. The body  11  is generally formed having an open top, a rear wall  33  and sidewalls  32 . 
     A track  31  is attached to the inside of the body  11 , and a protrusion  15  of the slider rack  13  is engagable with the track  31 . The protrusion  15  may be a wheel, pin, or any other structure capable of engaging with track  31  and moving thereon. In this view, the track  31  does not extend all the way to the distal end  32  of the body  11 . Rather, once the protrusion  15  extends past the track  31  it is free to allow pivoting of the slider rack  13  downward to contact the ground. In this position, the protrusion  15  is held in a separate groove or recession in the body  11 . The groove or recession can have guides to direct the protrusion  15  back into engagement with the track  31  as the user lifts and pushes the slider rack  13  back to the stowed position. A similar construction may be employed at the proximal end of the body  11  where the track  31  does not extend all the way to the end of the body. The protrusion  15  may disengage when in the stowed position and be in a more secure locked position to prevent movement of the slider rack  13  to the extended position. In the extended and stowed positions, certain motions of the slider rack may re-engage the protrusions with the track, such as a forward, rearward, upward, or downward movement of the distal end of the slider rack. In other embodiments, the track  31  may extend to one or both ends of the body. 
     In this particular view, the slider rack has a narrowed portion at its proximal end, and a wider portion on some or the remainder of its length. This wider portion rests on top of the side walls  32  when the slider rack  13  is in the stowed position and as it is moving to the extended position. In combination with the protrusions  15  which engage with track below the top surface of the side walls  32 , the slider rack  13  is prevented from pivoting downwardly relative to the body  11  until the wider portion passes over the body  11  and only the narrow portion is engaged with the body  11 . This structure also acts as a safety feature to prevent gravity from causing the slider rack to slide downwardly and away at the same time. A similar embodiment having the track extending to an end of the body and/or having a wall/blocker to prevent protrusion  15  from leaving the track  31  may also be employed without straying from the scope of this invention. 
       FIG.  4    shows an embodiment of the slider rack in a stowed position. In this embodiment, the track  31  has a hook-shaped proximal end which allows for a locking and secured configuration. In this embodiment, the slider rack  13  must be urged forward so that protrusion  15  engages with the hooked portion  44  of the track  31 . Once engaged, the hooked portion  44  directs the protrusions and thus the rack downward and into the flat part of the track for outward movement to the extended position. 
       FIG.  6    shows an elevation view of an embodiment of the slider rack having a ski rack attached thereto. In this view, the slider rack  13  has a narrow portion at its proximal end, a middle width portion having protrusions  15  extending therefrom, and a wide portion  63  extending therefrom to the distal end of the slider rack  13 . The distal end of the slider rack  13  has a handle  14  for easy handling by a user. Skis  64  are held to the slider rack  13  by a rear clamp  61  and front bar  62 . Of course, other configurations such as straps, tie downs, and the like may be used to hold the skis in place without straying from the scope of this invention. 
     Turning now to  FIG.  7   , which provides an angled perspective view of an embodiment of the body  11  of the vehicle roof storage device mounted on a cradle  70  in an elevated position. In this embodiment, the cradle  70  is the only element of the device attached to the cross bars of the vehicle  10 . The purpose of mounting the body  11  in a cradle  70  is to provide a mechanism for elevating the body  11  so that a hatchback door  65  of the vehicle  10  can be opened upward without running into the roof storage device. In this embodiment, the body  11  is attached to the cradle  70  by a shoulder bolt  71  at a proximal end of both the body  11  and the cradle. The shoulder bolt  71  becomes a pivot point for the body  11  to be rotated from a stowed position to an elevated position. Critically, the cradle  70  is shorter than the body  11 , which allows the hatchback door  65  of the vehicle  10  to be fully opened when the distal end of the body  11  is in an elevated position. 
     In the embodiment shown in both  FIGS.  7  and  8   , the preferred mechanism that transitions the body  11  from a stowed position, shown in  FIG.  8   , to an elevated position, shown in  FIG.  7   , is a U-shaped stand  73  that engages with slots  72  and supports the weight of the body  11 , bicycle  12 , and slider rack  13 . However, it should be expressly understood that other lifting mechanisms are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, an automated lifting mechanism or even a compressed air lifting mechanism may be employed individually or in combination. In the preferred embodiment, when the U-shaped stand  73  disengages with the slots  72 , the body  11  can be locked in a stowed position, as shown in  FIG.  8   . In order to prevent the body  11 , bicycle  12 , and slider rack  13  from disengaging with the cradle  70  when the vehicle  10  hits a bump or is otherwise in motion, a safety pin  74  or other locking mechanism may be used to lock the body  11  in place. Critically, the safety pin  74  or other locking mechanism must be placed in front of the lifting mechanism slots  72  in this preferred embodiment. 
     Finally, as shown in  FIG.  9   , the slider rack  13  holding a bicycle  12  or another item, may be transitioned to an extended position using the mechanisms disclosed herein. The slider rack  13  is the only element within the structure of the body  11  that is capable of retracting and being positioned rearward. Contrarily, the body  11  and cradle  70  are semi-permanently fixed together via the shoulder bolt  71 . In this preferred embodiment, when the body  11  transitions to a stowed position within the cradle  70 , a rear end  75  of the cradle  70  will flare to accept the body  11 . In addition to providing structural support, this flaring mechanism will confirm the body  11  has been properly attached to the cradle  70 . As previously disclosed herein, the slider rack  13  can be removed from the body  11  independently from the cradle  70 . 
     While several variations of the present disclosure have been illustrated by way of example in preferred or particular embodiments, it is apparent that further embodiments could be developed within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, or the inventive concept thereof. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and are inclusive, but not limited to the following appended claims as set forth.