Patent ID: 8814014

Claim:
A vehicle article carrier system, comprising: a roof rail adapted to be fastened to an outer body surface of a vehicle roof, wherein the outer body surface has an outer layer and an additional structural layer disposed elevationally below the outer layer, therein, the roof rail including a fastening assembly, the fastening assembly including: a bolt; a subassembly for cooperating with the bolt, the subassembly including: an element frictionally engaged with the bolt, and able to move frictionally along a length of the bolt during a first predetermined degree of rotational movement of the bolt, to thus permit a degree of spacing between the outer layer and the additional structural layer to be taken up before the fastening assembly effects a clamping action; and a component adapted to move linearly along the bolt toward the additional structural layer during the first predetermined degree of rotational movement of the bolt, and also during a subsequent second predetermined degree of rotational movement of the bolt, wherein during the second predetermined degree of rotational movement of the bolt, the bolt causes the component to be brought into contact with the additional structural layer to assist in generating the clamping action which clamps the roof rail to the vehicle roof.