Patent ID: 8100306

Claim:
A stowable roof bar ( 10 , 110 ) for a motor vehicle ( 1 ) comprising: an elongate load carrying member ( 13 , 113 ) extending across the vehicle ( 1 ) and being pivotally connected to a roof ( 5 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) for movement between stowed and deployed positions and a latch mechanism ( 20 , 120 ) to selectively hold the elongate load carrying member ( 13 , 113 ) in the deployed position in which a crossbar portion ( 15 , 115 ) of the elongate load carrying member ( 13 , 113 ) is spaced above the roof ( 5 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ), wherein the width (w) of the crossbar portion ( 15 , 115 ) is greater than the thickness (t) of the crossbar portion ( 15 , 115 ) and the crossbar portion ( 15 , 115 ) is re-orientated by the movement of the elongate load carrying member ( 13 , 113 ) from the stowed position to the deployed position so as to increase the vertical resistance to bending of the crossbar portion ( 15 , 115 ), wherein the elongate load carrying member ( 13 , 113 ) comprises the crossbar portion ( 15 , 115 ) and two end portions ( 16 , 116 ) one fastened to each end of the crossbar portion ( 15 , 115 ) and there are two stays ( 14 , 114 ) each of which is latchable to a respective one of the two end portions ( 16 , 116 ) by a respective latch mechanism ( 20 , 120 ), and wherein each end portion ( 116 ) is U-shaped in cross-section and defines an internal volume in which a respective stay ( 114 ) is stowed when the roof bar ( 110 ) is in the stowed state.