Patent Publication Number: US-2023135957-A1

Title: Vehicle article carrier rack system with stowable, concealable cross bars

Description:
FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to vehicle article carrier systems, and more particularly to a vehicle article carrier system having a construction which enables a pair of cross bars of the system to be secured in both operative and stowed positions, and when placed in their stowed positions during periods of non-use the cross bars are generally not visible from the sides of the vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     Article carriers have been used on various types of passenger motor vehicles, especially sedans, station wagons, SUVs and pickup trucks, for a number of years, and are viewed by many as being indispensable for carrying a wide variety of articles that would be difficult, impractical, inconvenient or impossible to carry within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Typically such vehicle article carriers include a pair of side rails which are fixedly secured to a roof portion of the vehicle, with a pair of cross bars that extend between the support rails. Articles of widely varying shapes and sizes can be secured to the cross bars and thus supported above the outer body roof surface of the vehicle. The cross bars are also often used to secure other implements, such as ski racks, bicycle racks, etc., which enable a wide variety of recreational items to be easily supported using the cross bars. 
     The assignee of the present disclosure is a leader in manufacturing vehicle article carrier systems such as described above, and has also pioneered the development of vehicle article carrier systems that have stowable cross bars. By “stowable” it is meant cross bars which are able to be fixedly secured in non-operative positions extending parallel to the support rails, or parallel to separate forward and rearward pairs of support feet, rather than perpendicularly between the support rails, or perpendicularly between pairs of the support feet. In either instance, the ability to store the cross bars parallel to the support rails, or parallel to the support feet, can significantly reduce wind resistance and sometimes even wind noise, making the vehicle article carrier system more aerodynamically efficient during those times where the vehicle is being used but the cross bars are not needed to support any articles thereon. 
     Some vehicle article carrier systems developed by the assignee of the present disclosure are known in the industry as “swing-in-place” systems, because one end of each of one the pair of cross bars is pivotally secured at one end to a respective one of the forward or rearward support feet, while the opposite end is free to pivot between a stowed position extending between a forward pair of support feet, or between a rearward pair of the support feet. When the cross bars are not needed, each cross bar is secured at its opposite ends to one pair of forward and rearward mounted support feet, and as such they form the appearance of a support rail, or otherwise they may sit above a respective decorative support rail that extends between the forward and rearward support feet. But in both of these stowed positions, the cross bars typically are visible from the side of the vehicle. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,511,709, 6,811,066, 7,066,364, 7,090,103, 7,448,523, 8,028,875, 8,235,264, 8,251,267, 8,096,454, 8,276,794, 8,528,799, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0243994, are all owned by the assignee of the present disclosure, and all show various forms of stowable rack systems, or swing-in-place rack systems, or components that may be used therewith, and are all hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure. 
     There is a growing interest in enhancing the smooth, flowing, aerodynamic appearance of the support rails of a vehicle article carrier system, while still maintaining the significant practical benefits that swing-in-place and stowable vehicle article carrier systems provide with respect to the stowed positioning of the cross bars. A new vehicle article carrier system which provides the benefits of traditional swing-in-place and stowable vehicle article carrier systems, which provides the benefit of completely hiding the cross bars from view when they are stowed, would be highly desirable, not just from an aesthetic standpoint, but from a fuel efficiency standpoint as well. 
     SUMMARY 
     This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. 
     In one aspect the present disclosure relates to a vehicle article carrier system for carrying articles elevationally above an outer body surface of a vehicle. The system may comprise first and second support rail assemblies fixed supported on an outer body roof surface parallel to one another and parallel, with the first support rail being secured adjacent a first side of the vehicle, and the second support rail being secured adjacent a second side of the vehicle. The system may also include a first cross bar configured to be secured in a stowed position on the first support rail assembly, and in an operative position extending parallel between the first and second support rail assemblies and secured to the first and second support rail assemblies. The system may also include a second cross bar configured to be secured in a stowed position on the second support rail assembly, and in an operative position extending perpendicularly between the first and second support rail assemblies and secured to the first and second support rail assemblies. Each of the first and support rail assemblies include a main rail portion having an L-shape when viewed endwise. The L-shape has a vertical wall portion and a horizontal shelf portion. The vertical wall portion has a height generally equal to an upper surface of its associated said first or second cross bar when its associated said first or second cross bar is positioned in the stowed position, to thus hide said first or second cross bar. Thus, the first cross bar, when in the stowed position, is not visible when viewing the first support rail from the first side of the vehicle, and the second cross bar is not visible, when in the stowed position, when viewing the second support rail assembly from the second side of the vehicle. 
     In another aspect the present disclosure relates to a vehicle article carrier system for carrying articles elevationally above an outer body surface of a vehicle. The system may comprise first and second support rail assemblies fixed supported on an outer body roof surface parallel to one another. The first support rail is secured adjacent a first side of the vehicle, and the second support rail is secured adjacent a second side of the vehicle. A front cross bar is included which is configured to be secured in a stowed position on the first support rail assembly, and in an operative position extending parallel between the first and second support rail assemblies while being secured to the first and second support rail assemblies. A rear cross bar is included which is configured to be secured in a stowed position on the second support rail assembly, and in an operative position extending perpendicularly between the first and second support rail assemblies while being secured to the first and second support rail assemblies. Each of the first and support rail assemblies includes a main rail portion having an L-shape when viewed endwise. The L-shape has a vertical wall portion and a horizontal shelf portion. The vertical wall portion has a height generally equal to an upper surface of its associated said front or rear cross bar when its associated said front or rear cross bar is positioned in the stowed position, such that the front cross bar rests behind the vertical wall portion of said first support rail assembly when placed in the stowed position. Similarly, the rear cross bar rests behind the vertical wall portion of the second support rail assembly when placed in the stowed position. The first and second support rail assemblies cooperatively define first and second spaced apart mounting locations at which the rear cross bar can be secured when positioned in its operative position. 
     In still another aspect the present disclosure relates to a vehicle article carrier system for carrying articles elevationally above an outer body surface of a vehicle. The system may comprise first and second support rail assemblies fixed supported on an outer body roof surface parallel to one another. The first support rail being secured adjacent a first side of the vehicle, and the second support rail being secured adjacent a second side of the vehicle. A front cross bar is included which is configured to be secured in a stowed position on the first support rail assembly, and in an operative position extending parallel between the first and second support rail assemblies while being secured at its opposing ends to the first and second support rail assemblies. A rear cross bar is included which is configured to be secured in a stowed position on the second support rail assembly, and in an operative position extending perpendicularly between the first and second support rail assemblies while being secured at its opposing ends to the first and second support rail assemblies. Each of the first and support rail assemblies includes a main rail portion having an L-shape when viewed endwise. The L-shape has a vertical wall portion and a horizontal shelf portion. The vertical wall portion has a height generally equal to an upper surface of its associated front or rear cross bar when its associated front or rear cross bar is positioned in the stowed position, such that the front cross bar rests behind the vertical wall portion of said first support rail assembly when placed in the stowed position, and the rear cross bar rests behind the vertical wall portion of the second support rail assembly when placed in the stowed position. The horizontal shelf portion of the first support rail assembly has a length approximately equal to a width of the first cross bar, and the horizontal shelf portion of the second support rail assembly has a width approximately equal to a width of the second cross bar. The horizontal shelf portions are also positioned in a common horizontal plane. 
     Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
       Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of one example of a swing-in-place vehicle article carrier system in accordance with the present disclosure mounted on a roof of a vehicle, and with the cross bar assemblies thereof positioned in their stowed positions adjacent their respective support rail assemblies; 
         FIG.  2    is another perspective view of the system of  FIG.  1    but looking at the system from above and from a rearward angle; 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of the support rail assembly on the driver&#39;s side of the vehicle, and helping to illustrate generally how the assembly looks to an individual standing alongside the driver&#39;s side of the vehicle; 
         FIG.  4    shows a side view of the inside of the support rail assembly which is mounted adjacent the passenger side of the vehicle, illustrating the compact construction and appearance of the cross bar assembly being an integrally formed portion of the support rail assembly when in its stowed position; 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective, cross-sectional view of a portion of the main rail portion illustrating the dimensions of the vertical and horizontal sections of the L-shaped main rail portion, which enable the cross bar assembly to be nestably supported in a compact, hidden manner thereon when mounted in its stowed position; 
         FIG.  6    is an exploded perspective view of the components used to form the example embodiment of the support rail assembly which is mounted adjacent the driver&#39;s side of the vehicle in the drawing of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  7    is an exploded perspective view of the components of the example embodiment of the support rail assembly which is mounted adjacent the passenger side of the vehicle in the drawing of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  8    is a plan view of a rear area of the main rail portion used in the driver&#39;s side support rail assembly shown in  FIG.  1   , illustrating the two mounting locations available for mounting the rear cross bar assembly in its two longitudinally different operative locations; 
         FIG.  9    is a top perspective view of a portion of the rear support foot associated with the driver&#39;s side support rail assembly, illustrating the mounting element used to secure the rear cross bar in its rearward most operative position; 
         FIG.  10    is a plan view of just a portion of the main rail portion of the passenger side support rail assembly illustrating the channel which allows sliding repositioning of the pivotally secured end of the rear cross bar assembly between its two different operative positions; 
         FIG.  11    shows a perspective side view of another embodiment of the passenger side support rail assembly and the rear cross bar assembly in which the pivoting end of the rear cross bar assembly is fully removable, and in which the rear support foot includes an integrally formed circumferential ramp portion which helps to prevent contact of the rear cross bar assembly with the vehicle outer body roof surface if the user should accidentally release the rear cross bar assembly before the opposite end is positioned fully over one or the other of the support rail assemblies; 
         FIG.  12    shows a swing-in-place rack system in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure in which the support rail assemblies each make use of a single piece, stretch formed main rail portion, which enables a dramatic reduction in the number of independent component parts needed to fully implement each support rail assembly; and 
         FIG.  13    shows an exploded perspective view of the passenger side support rail assembly of  FIG.  12   , illustrating the dramatically reduced number of independent components needed for this embodiment of the support rail assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1  and  2   , one embodiment of a swing-in-place rack system  10  in accordance with the present disclosure is shown. The system  10  includes a pair of support rails assemblies  12   a  and  12   b  which are fixedly secured to an outer body roof surface  14  of a motor vehicle  16 . In this example the support rail assembly  12   a  is fixedly secured along a longitudinal length of the outer body vehicle roof surface  14  adjacent the driver&#39;s side of the vehicle  16 , while the support rail assembly  12   b  is similarly secured adjacent the passenger side of the vehicle. Each support rail assembly  12   a  and  12   b  includes a main rail portion  18   a  or  18   b  supported between a front support foot assembly  20   a  or  20   b , and a rear support foot assembly  22   a  or  22   b . A front cross bar assembly  24   a  may be pivotally secured at one end and latched at its opposite end to the support rail assembly  12   a  to place it in a stowed position over the main rail portion  18   a . Similarly, a rear cross bar assembly  24   b  may be pivotally secured at one end to the support rail assembly  12   b , and latched at its opposite end to the support rail assembly  12   b , to place it in a stowed position over the main rail portion  18   b . As is well known with swing-in-place style rack systems, the lengths of the cross bar assemblies  24   a  and  24   b  are tailored such that they can be stowed on their respective support rails assemblies  12   a  and  12   b , and when positioned perpendicularly in their operative positions, the support rail assemblies  12   a  and  12   b  are perfectly located, width-wise, on the outer body vehicle roof surface  14  to enable attachment of the free ends of the cross bar assemblies to opposite ones of the support rail assemblies  12   a  or  12   b.    
     An important feature of each rail main portion  18   a  and  18   b  is its generally L-shaped construction, when viewed in cross section, as shown in  FIG.  5   . This feature will be discussed in greater detail in the following paragraphs. The L-shaped cross-sectional construction enables each of the cross bar assemblies  24   a  and  24   b  to rest within the L-shaped configuration of their associated support rails  12   a  and  12   b , respectively, and be completely hidden from view, or virtually completely hidden from view, when a person stands along the driver&#39;s side or the passenger side of the vehicle  16  and looks at the system  10 . 
     The hidden cross bar assembly feature mentioned above can be seen even better in  FIG.  3   . From this view (i.e., standing alongside the driver&#39;s side of the vehicle  16 ), it appears that the support rail assembly  12   a  only incorporates the support foot assemblies  20   a  and  22   a  and the main rail portion  18   a , and that no cross bar  24   a  is present on the support rail  12   a . The same appearance would be present looking from the passenger side of the vehicle  16  when viewing the support rail assembly  12   b . This provides an extremely clean, aesthetically pleasing appearance for the system  10 . And as shown in  FIG.  4   , even the cross bar assembly  24   b  on the opposite side of the vehicle  16 , while possibly being just slightly visible from some angles while standing on the driver&#39;s side of the vehicle  16 , will still be very inconspicuous. This is largely because of how the cross bar assemblies  24   a  and  24   b  are both compactly housed on their respective main rail portions  18   a  and  18   b  when mounted in their stowed positions. And even as shown in  FIG.  4   , when viewing the inside of the support rail assembly  12   b , the cross bar assembly  24   b  has the general appearance of being an integrally formed portion of the support rail assembly  12   b.    
     With further reference to  FIG.  5   , the L-shaped cross-sectional construction of the main rail portion  18   b  can be seen. Again, the main rail portion  18   a  has this same cross-sectional shape, and will appear as a mirror image of the main rail portion  18   b  when the two support rail assemblies  12   a  and  12   b  are installed on the vehicle outer body roof surface  14 . In  FIG.  5    it can be seen that the rail main portion  18   b  has a horizontal shelf portion  18 ′ and a vertical wall portion  18 ″. The vertical wall portion  18 ″ is about equal (i.e., level with) the upper surface of the cross bar assembly  24   b , as indicated by arrow “H”, while the horizontal shelf portion  18 ′ is about equal in length to a cross-sectional width of the cross bar assembly  24   b , as indicated by arrow “L”. As such, the cross bar assembly  24   b  can be generally concealed from view when standing along the passenger side of the vehicle  16  because it does not extend above the upper edge of the vertical wall portion  18 ″. Nor does the cross bar assembly  24  extend beyond an inward edge of the horizontal shelf portion  18 ′ when mounted in its stowed position. This further helps to provide a clean, aesthetically pleasing appearance to the rack system  10  when it is viewed from the front or rear while the cross bar assemblies  24   a  and  24   b  are both mounted in their stowed positions. Still another advantage is that the horizontal shelf portions  18 ′ of the support rail assemblies  12   a  and  12   b  lie within a common horizontal plane, which enables both of the cross bar assemblies  24   a  and  24   b  be positioned level when they are in their operative positions (assuming the vehicle  16  is on level ground), and both to be positioned at the same vertical height when positioned in their stowed positions on their respective support rail assembly  12   a  or  12   b . This further helps to create a highly aesthetically pleasing appearance whether the cross bar assemblies  24   a  and  24   b  are secured in their operative or stowed positions. 
     The ability to stow the cross bar assemblies  24   a  and  24   b  on their respective main rail portions  18   a  and  18   b , respectively, without the cross bar assemblies projecting above the main rail portions  18 , or inwardly beyond the inner edges of the main rail portions  18   a  and  18   b , also helps to significantly reduce the aerodynamic drag imposed by the system  10  while the vehicle  16  is travelling at intermediate or highway speeds, and potentially helps to eliminate, or substantially reduce, any wind noise that might be encountered when the vehicle is operated with the cross bar assemblies  24   a  and  24   b  mounted in their stowed positions. Whether viewing the vehicle  16  from the side, from the front or from the rear, the stowed cross bars  24   a  and  24   b  appear to be integral portions of the main support rail assemblies  12   a  and  12   b  when mounted in their stowed positions, and thus make for a very aesthetically clean looking and highly aerodynamic configuration. 
     With reference to  FIG.  6   , the cross bar assembly  24   a  and various other components of the support rail assembly  12   a  are shown. It will be understood that the support rail assembly  12   b , shown in  FIG.  7   , is virtually a mirror image in its construction, and therefore will not be described in detail, with only differences between the two assemblies being noted in the following discussion. The support rail assembly  12   a  of  FIG.  6    includes the main rail portion  18   a  which telescopically engages with structural mounting portions  26   a  and  28   a  of the front and rear support foot assemblies  22   a  and  22   b , respectively. The front and rear structural mounting portions  26   a  and  28   a  may be of aluminum die cast construction or otherwise made from similarly robust construction techniques and materials (e.g., high strength plastics). The structural mounting portions  26   a  and  28   a  are attached to the outer body roof surface  14  of the vehicle  16  and telescopically receive the opposing ends of the main rail portion  18   a . A front lower cover element  30   a  and a rear lower cover element  32   a  (e.g., both made from plastic), as well as front and rear mounting pads  34   a  and  36   a , are interposed between the structural mounting portions and the outer body roof surface  14 . Conventional threaded fasteners (or a combination of threaded fasteners and suitable adhesives) may be used to secure the structural mounting portions  26   a  and  28   a  to the outer body roof surface  14 . Decorative front and rear cover portions  38   a  and  40   a  may also be secured over the front and rear structural mounting portions  26   a  and  28   a , respectively. A center support assembly comprised of components structural mounting portions  46   a ,  48   a  and  50   a  may be interconnected using conventional threaded fasteners to secure a midpoint of the main rail portion  18   a  to the vehicle outer body roof surface  14  to provide added support and rigidity to the main rail portion  18   a.    
     With further reference to  FIGS.  6  and  7   , the cross bar assembly  24   a  includes a first end having a pivot assembly  52  and a second end having a manually actuatable latching assembly  54 . The pivot assembly  52  is coupled to a mounting surface  56  on the front structural mounting portion  28   a . The latching assembly  54  may be engaged with an opening  58  in the main rail portion  18   a  to hold the cross bar assembly  24   a  in the stowed position on the main rail portion  18   a , when not in use. When positioned extending perpendicularly between the two front support feet  20   a  and  20   b , the latching assembly  54  passes through an opening  60  ( FIG.  7   ) in the main rail portion  18   b  and into engagement with a portion of a front structural mounting portion  26   b  of the support rail assembly  12   b . This places the front cross bar assembly  24   a  in its operative position extending perpendicularly between the two support rail assemblies  12   a  and  12   b.    
     With further reference to  FIGS.  6  and  7   , the support rail assembly  12   b  is similar in construction to the support rail assembly  12   a , and components in common will be designated with the same reference number used to describe the support rail assembly  12   a  but with a “b” suffix. In  FIG.  6    it will be noted that the support rail assembly  12   a  further includes a mounting element  62  fixedly secured by conventional threaded fasteners within the main rail portion  18   a , and accessible through an opening  76  formed in the main rail portion. The main rail portion  18   b  includes a channel  64  formed along a portion of its length, and generally in the rear half of the length thereof. The channel  64  is also shown in  FIG.  10   . A slidable securing element, in this example a slide block  66 , with an associated elastomeric O-ring  67  and a threaded fastener plate  68 , are all positioned inside the main rail portion  18   b , and coupled to a pivot assembly  70  associated with a first (i.e., pivoting) end of the rear cross bar assembly  24   b , which enables pivoting of the rear cross bar assembly  24   b  between the stowed position, wherein it is arranged parallel to the main rail portion  18   b , and its operative position wherein it extends perpendicularly between the rear support foot assemblies  22   a  and  22   b . The pivot assembly  70 , as well as the pivot assembly  52  ( FIG.  6   ), may each be constructed in accordance with the teachings of one or more of the above referenced U.S. Patents, which enables a small degree of pivotal motion within a vertical plane, as well as the needed pivoting motion within a horizontal plane, to enable lifting the cross bar  24   a  or  24   b  vertically a small degree while repositioning the cross bar assembly  24   a  or  24   b  to one or the other of the support rail assemblies  12   a  or  12   b . The O-ring  67  provides the beneficial feature of providing a small degree of resilience in the attachment of the cross bar  24   a  or  24   b  which allows its associated cross bar to be lifted vertically a small amount, while still permitting pivoting motion in the horizontal plane, and while still enabling a sufficiently secure attachment of the pivoting end of each cross bar assembly to prevent any rattling during use of the vehicle  16 . The opposite end of the rear cross bar assembly  24   b  includes a user engageable latching assembly  72  which may be identical in construction to the latching assembly  54 . This construction allows the latching assembly  72  to be engaged with structural portion  60  when the rear cross bar assembly  24   b  is stowed on the main rail portion  18   b , or engaged in a first operative position with the opening  58 , or a second operative position at the opening  76 , more forwardly positioned, with the mounting element  62 . Thus, the rear cross bar assembly  24   b  has three possible mounting positions, one being a stowed position on its associated main rail portion  18   b , a second being a rearward most operative position, and the third being an intermediate position closer to the front of the vehicle  16 . These two rearward mounting positions are shown in  FIG.  2   , with it being understood one or the other, but not both, will be used at any given time. This provides significant added flexibility in carrying articles of widely varying dimensions. The pivot assembly  70  can be secured at either extreme end of the channel  64 , to thus help hold the rear cross bar assembly  24   b  in any one of the above three described positions, by simply tightening a threaded element  71  ( FIG.  7   ) that extends therethrough and engages the threaded fastener plate  68 . 
     With further brief reference to  FIGS.  6  and  7   , it will be appreciated that the latching assemblies  54  and  72  are well known in the art. These types of user engageable latching assemblies, for example, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,811,066 and 7,066,364, assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure. Suitable pivot assemblies for use with a cross bar are also disclosed in these patents. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the various components shown in  FIG.  7    and denoted with reference numbers having the suffix “b” are the counterparts to those described above and shown in  FIG.  6   . 
     In  FIG.  8    a plan view of a rear portion of the main rail portion  18   a  is shown with the mounting element  62  fixedly secured within the main rail portion. The rear structural mounting portion  28   a  includes an integrally secured mounting element  74 , as also shown in  FIG.  9   , which is inserted within the main rail portion  18   a  when the rear structural mounting portion  28   a  is assembled to the main rail portion  18   a  during assembly of the support rail assembly  12   a . The main rail portion  18   a  includes the generally circular opening  76  and an additional generally circular opening  78 , which each expose their respective mounting elements  62  and  74 . This enables the latching assembly  54  of the rear cross bar assembly  24   b  to engage either one of the mounting elements  62  or  74 , depending on which of the two rearward locations it is being mounted at. And as noted above, the latching assembly  54  of the front cross bar assembly  24   a  engages the mounting element  74  when it is positioned in its stowed position on the support rail assembly  12   a.    
     Referring briefly to  FIG.  10   , the channel  64  in the main rail portion  18   b  forms a track which can be seen better along with the slide block  66  positioned therein. The slide block  66  is shown in both of its potential rearward mounting positions, although it will be appreciated that in actual use of the system  10  there is only one slide block  66  being used. The slide block  66  is held at a specific position by tightening of the threaded external fastener element  71  to the fastener plate  68 . This construction secures the pivot assembly  70  to the main rail portion  18   b  while still allowing both pivoting motion of the rear cross bar assembly  24   b , as well as linear sliding movement of the pivot assembly  70 , at one end of the rear cross bar assembly  24   b.    
     Referring briefly to  FIG.  11   , it will be appreciated that while the system  10  makes use of the rear cross bar assembly  24   b  being pivotally attached at one end, that instead both ends of the rear cross bar assembly  24   b  could be fully detachable from the support rail assemblies  12   a  and  12   b , and two spaced apart, discrete mounting locations provided for near the rear ends of the support rail assemblies  12   a  and  12   b .  FIG.  11    shows this modification where a prime (′) symbol is used to help denote components which may correspond to those used to describe the system  10  in  FIGS.  1 - 10   . For example, the rear cross bar assembly  24   b ′ in  FIG.  11    has a pivot assembly  70 ′ construction which incorporates a threaded element  71 ′ which extends therethrough and which engages a suitable threaded plate or element (not shown in  FIG.  11   ) fixedly mounted within the support rail assembly  12   b ′. As such, manual removal of the threaded element  71 ′ enables the pivot assembly  70 ′ to be completely lifted off of its associated support rail assembly  12   b ′ and moved to a more forward position on the support rail assembly  12   b ′ and then re-secured thereto using the same threaded element  71 ′. This configuration also allows the rear cross bar  24   b ′ to be pivoted into its operative position, when mounted as shown in  FIG.  11   , by simply rotating the cross bar assembly  24   b ′ perpendicularly until the opposite end is positioned over the other support rail assembly  12   a.    
       FIG.  11    shows another feature that may be incorporated into the system  10  which prevents the rear cross bar assembly  24   b ′ from falling on the outer body roof surface  14  if the user accidentally loses his/her grip on the assembly  24   b ′ while moving the rear cross bar assembly from its stowed position into its operative position, or from its operative position into its stowed position. This involves incorporating a housing  80 ′ having a lower surface  82 ′ for the pivot assembly  70 ′. A rear support foot  22   b ′ includes a circumferential ramp portion  84 ′ projecting up from an upper surface  86 ′ thereof. The ramp portion  84 ′ cooperates with the lower surface  82 ′ by contacting the lower surface  82 ′ to prevent the cross bar assembly  24   b ′ from dropping down onto the outer body roof surface  14  of the vehicle  16  if the user should accidentally release the cross bar assembly  24   b ′ before the latching assembly  72  at its opposite end is positioned over the support rail assembly  12   a . In such an instance, the latching assembly  72  will be held above the outer body roof surface  14  by contact with the ramp portion  84 ′. This feature also enables shorter individuals who may not be able to maneuver the cross bar assembly  24   b  easily into its fully perpendicular extending position to initiate the process from one side of the vehicle  16  by moving the rear cross bar assembly to an intermediate position over the outer body roof surface  14 , and then going to the other side of the vehicle to reach up and pull the opposite end of the rear cross bar assembly  24   b  into its fully perpendicular position for attachment to the support rail assembly  12   a . It will be appreciated that this feature may be incorporated into the front support foot  20   a  as well if desired. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  12   , a swing-in-place vehicle article carrier system  100  in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The system  100  is similar in operation to the system  10 , but instead of a multi-piece support rail construction as used for the support rail assemblies  12   a  and  12   b , which requires the structural mounting portions  26   a  and  28   a , the system  100  makes use of one piece support rail assemblies  102   a  and  102   b . This construction dramatically reduces the construction complexity of the support rail assemblies  102   a  and  102   b , while providing even further enhanced structural capability due to its single piece construction. Support rail assembly  102   a  houses a front cross bar assembly  104   a , while support rail assembly  102   b  houses a rear cross bar assembly  104   b . The front cross bar assembly  104   a  has a first end with a pivot assembly  106   a  which provides for pivotal movement of the cross bar assembly  104   a  between it stowed position and its operative position, while the opposite end includes a latching assembly  108   a  which allows the front cross bar assembly to be secured in its operative position, or as well as in its stowed position. The rear cross bar assembly  104   b  similarly includes a pivot assembly  108   b  located at its rear end, and a latching assembly  106   a  located at its front end, enabling the rear cross bar assembly to be pivoted and secured in either one of two different operative positions near a rear area of the support rail assemblies  102   a  and  102   b . In this example the rear cross bar assembly  104   b  is fully removable to enable the rearward mounting at two different positions, as described above with respect to  FIG.  10   . The system  100  provides the same benefits as the system  10  in that the cross bar assemblies  104   a  and  104   b  are hidden from view when placed in their stowed positions, and when an individual is viewing the vehicle  16  from most angles around the perimeter of the vehicle. 
     Referring to  FIG.  13   , an exploded perspective view of the components of the support rail assembly  102   b  are shown to illustrate the dramatically reduced number of individual component parts which make up its construction. It will be appreciated that the support rail assembly  102   a  may be of nearly identical construction, with the principal differences being the positioning of the components which engage with the latching assemblies  108   a  to enable the cross bar assemblies  104   a  and  104   b  to be placed in their stowed and operative positions. 
     Of primary importance in the construction of the support rail assembly  102   b  shown in  FIG.  13    is a single piece, stretch bent main rail portion  110   b , which may be made from any suitable material, but preferably is made from aluminum or steel. The main rail portion  110   b  has a central portion  112   b  having the L-shaped cross-sectional construction described herein for the support rail assemblies  12   a  and  12   b , but also includes an integrally formed curving front, portion  114   b  at one end, and an integrally formed curving rear portion  116   b  at its other end. A front structural mounting block  118  (e.g., die-cast aluminum or steel) with integrated threaded fasteners is secured to the curving front portion  114   b  of the main rail portion  110   b  and to a decorative lower/outer cover member  120  by using threaded fasteners  122 . The decorative lower/outer cover has a shape and profile to fit under the curving front portion  114   b  of the main rail portion  110   b . A separate plurality of threaded screws  124  is used to secure a decorative upper cover member  126  to the lower/outer cover member  120  such that the curving front portion  114   b  is partially encapsulated between the two decorative cover members  120  and  126 . A resilient pad  128  is placed directly against the outer body roof surface  14 , and lower areas of the two decorative cover members  120  and  126  rest against the pad  128 , which serves to take up any gaps between the decorative cover members  120 / 126  and the outer body roof surface  14 . A similar construction is present at the curving rear portion  116   b  of the main rail portion  110   b , where a structural mounting block  130  with integrated threaded fasteners is secured to the curving rear portion  116   b , and to a decorative rear lower cover member  132 , via threaded fasteners  134 . A decorative rear upper/inner cover member  136  is secured to the decorative rear lower cover member  132  via a separate plurality of threaded fasteners  138 , which partially encapsulates the rear portion  116   b  of the main rail portion  110   b . A resilient pad  140  is placed between the outer body roof surface  14  and the decorative rear cover members  132 / 136  to help take up any gaps between these components and the outer body roof surface. This configuration enables the curving front and rear portions  114   b  and  116   b  of the main rail portion  110   b  to be directly secured to the vehicle outer body surface  14 , which allows forces experienced by the main rail portion  110   b  to be transferred directly into the outer body surface  14  rather than into an intermediate component. This construction not only significantly enhances the strength of the main rail portion  110   b , but also significantly enhances its overall rigidity as well. The reduced number of independent component parts also reduces costs and enables even quicker and easier assembly of the support rail assembly  102   b  on the vehicle  16 . 
     With further reference to  FIG.  13   , a front cross bar mounting element  142  is fixedly secured with threaded fasteners  144  to the main rail portion, which provides the point of attachment for the latching assembly  108   a  of the front cross bar assembly  104   a  when the front cross bar assembly is secured in its operative position. Similarly, a pair of rear cross bar mounting elements  146  and  148  are secured to the main rail portion  110   b  via pairs of threaded fasteners  150  and  152 , respectively. The rear cross bar mounting elements  146  and  148  define the two operative positions for the rear cross bar assembly  104   b , while the rearward most cross bar mounting element  146  also operates to provide an attachment point for the rear cross bar assembly  104   b  when it is secured in its stowed position over the support rail assembly  102   b.    
     The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure. 
     Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed. 
     When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments. 
     Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.