Patent ID: 7798381

Claim:
A load carrier for use with a vehicle having a vehicle roof; wherein: said load carrier is adapted for mounting to the exterior of said vehicle roof; said load carrier is movable between a stowed position when mounted on said vehicle and a deployed position when mounted on said vehicle; said load carrier including a load floor, a bottom frame and a top frame; said bottom frame and said top frame being generally parallel to one another in both the deployed position and the stowed position; said bottom frame having left and right sides and front and back sides; said top frame having left and right sides and front and back sides; said load carrier further comprising a plurality of support members; said support members having first and second ends; said first ends pivotally connected to a bottom frame side and said second ends pivotally connected to a corresponding top frame side and at least one of said support members comprises a clamping member for releasably clamping said load carrier to maintain said load carrier in said deployed position and for releasably clamping said load carrier to maintain said load carrier in said stowed position, and wherein said clamping member of said at least one support member comprises clamping passages to clamp said top frame and said bottom frame when in the deployed position and when in the stowed position.