Patent ID: 7226266

Claim:
A roof rack assembly for storing items above a motor vehicle having a roof and a side fixedly secured to the roof, said roof rack assembly comprising: a pair of rails fixedly secured to the roof, said rails extending generally parallel to each other, each of said pair of rails having a fore end, an aft end, and a channel extending therein, at least one of said pair of rails defining an upper housing disposed above said channel and extending along a portion thereof; a tray having a first end, with opposite sides thereof slidingly engaging said rails and moveable between said fore and aft ends of said rails, said tray including at least one sliding bracket slidingly engaging said channel along at least one of said pair of rails; a pair of link arms pivotally extending between one of said pair of rails and said tray, said link arms including a slide bushing disposed within said upper housing and movable therealong as said sliding bracket moves along one of said rails; a pair of pivot arms, each of said pivot arms pivotally coupled to opposite sides of a second end of said tray linkably connecting and continuously supporting said tray to the vehicle; and when said first end of said tray is at the fore end of said rails, said tray is in a storage position and when said first end of said tray is at the aft end, said tray is in a loading position and maintained therein by said link arms, said tray extending over the vehicle when in said storage position and inclined relative to the vehicle when in said loading position.