U.S. patent application number 09/789658 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-22 for luggage rack on car roof.
Invention is credited to Ming-Shun, Yang.
Application Number | 20010042766 09/789658 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26245918 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010042766 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ming-Shun, Yang |
November 22, 2001 |
Luggage rack on car roof
Abstract
A luggage rack on car roof mainly includes two long supports, a
plurality of supporting suckers, and a plurality of ski holders.
Each of the upper and the lower side of the long supports is
provided with two longitudinally and parallelly extended channels.
Each of the ski holders includes a U-shaped base and two
bridge-type retainers. The U-shaped base includes two walls
defining a space between them for holding a pair of skis. The two
walls of the U-shaped base outward extend to provide two side
extensions each having a stopper thereon. Each of the two
bridge-type retainers straddles one side extension to locate
between the stopper and the wall from which the side extension
extends. The supporting suckers are movably connected at tops to
the lower side of the long supports and attached at bottoms to the
car roof through vacuum suction. The ski holders are removably
connected to the upper side of the long supports. When the U-shaped
bases of the ski holders are removed from the long supports, a
plurality of secondary suckers may be attached to the car roof and
connected to the lower side of the long supports to locate at two
sides of the supporting suckers for the long supports to carry
heavy pieces of luggage.
Inventors: |
Ming-Shun, Yang; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ERIK M. ARNHEM
SECOND FLOOR
4250 WILSHIRE BLVD.
LOS ANGELES
CA
90010
US
|
Family ID: |
26245918 |
Appl. No.: |
09/789658 |
Filed: |
February 22, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/324 ;
224/309; 224/325; 224/559 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 9/058 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/324 ;
224/325; 224/309; 224/559 |
International
Class: |
B60R 009/048; B60R
009/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 16, 2000 |
TW |
089208332 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A luggage rack on car roof, comprising two long supports
parallelly and symmetrically positioned on a roof of a car, a
plurality of supporting suckers connected to a lower side of said
long supports at predetermined positions, and a plurality of ski
holders connected to an upper side of said long supports; each of
said long supports being provided at the upper side with two
longitudinally and parallelly extended upper channels into which
two lower rails of each said ski holder are engaged so that said
ski holder is connected to said long support, and at the lower side
with two longitudinally and parallelly extended lower channels into
which two wing portions at a top of each said supporting sucker are
engaged so that said supporting sucker is connected to said long
support; and said long supports being fixedly attached to the car
roof by attaching said supporting suckers to said car roof through
vacuum suction; and each of said ski holders comprising a U-shaped
base, two bridge-type retainers, and a binding strap; said U-shaped
base including two opposite walls defining therebetween a U-shaped
space adapted to support at least a pair of skis therein, and two
side extensions separately outward extended from lower outer ends
of said two walls and each having a stopper provided at a
predetermined position thereon; each of said bridge-type retainers
straddling one said side extension of said U-shaped base and being
restricted between said stopper on said side extension and one said
wall of said U-shaped base adjacent to said side extension; each of
said bridge-type retainers including two opposite side walls each
of which has a lower rall formed at a lower end of said side wall,
said lower rails being adapted to movably engage into said two
upper channels on said long supports; and each of said bridge-type
retainers being provided at an upper outer edge with an upward
extended lug for engaging with a through hole provided at an end of
said binding strap; and said binding strap being provided at two
ends with two through holes adapted to engage with said lugs of
said bridge-type retainers, said binding strap being extended over
and across said skis supported in said U-shaped base of said ski
holder with said two through holes at two ends of said binding
strap engaged with said lugs of said bridge-type retainers at two
sides of said U-shaped base, so as to safely confind said skis to
said ski holders; Whereby said ski holders are freely adjustable in
their positions on said long supports and could be removed from
said long supports when necessary.
2. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein inner
surfaces of said two opposite walls and said U-shaped space of said
U-shaped base of each said ski holder is covered with an elastic
pad.
3. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
elastic pad is provided at an underside with a plurality of barb
stubs adapted to insert into a plurality of insertion holes
correspondingly provided on said U-shaped base, whereby said
elastic pad is fixedly connected to said U-shaped base by engaging
said barb stubs into said insertion holes without the need of other
bonding material.
4. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
binding strap is provided at outer surfaces of two ends thereof
with antislip patterns.
5. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein each
of said long supports is provided at two ends with two caps that
removably close two ends of said upper and of said lower
channels.
6. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
long supports are adapted to support trunks or other articles
thereon when said U-shaped based of said ski holders are removed
from said long supports, and said trunks or other articles may be
firmly bound to said long supports with separate binding straps
that are extended across said trunks or said other articles and
connected at two ends to said lugs of said two bridge-type
retainers that are still mounted on said long supports.
7. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
long supports are wrapped with antislip pads that the provided at
predetermined edges with hook tapes and loop tapes of magic tapes
for quickly covering said antislip pads over said long
supports.
8. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 1, further
comprises a plurality of secondary suckers, each of which including
an upper fixing plate, a lower fixing plate, an upper turning disk,
a lower turning disk, an adjusting screw bolt, an adjusting knob, a
seat, and a sucker; said upper fixing plate including a central
recess that has an upward curved bottom to provide a first convex
head, and a first rectangular hole being provided at a central area
of said first convex head for said adjusting screw bolt to extend
therethrough; said lower fixing plate having a downward projected
central portion to provide a convex bottom, and a second
rectangular hole being provided at a central area of said convex
bottom for said adjusting screw bolt to extend therethrough; said
upper turning disk having a saucer-like top central area to provide
a first concave recess corresponding to said convex bottom of said
lower fixing plate, enabling said convex bottom of said lower
fixing plate to freely slide in said first concave recess; said
lower turning disk being structurally identical to said upper
turning disk but being positioned to face away from said upper
turning disk, that is, said lower turning disk having a second
concave recess provided at a bottom center thereof; said adjusting
screw bolt being provided at a top with a downward curved head that
has shape and curvature corresponding to that of said first convex
head in said recess of said upper fixing plate but has a reduced
area compared with said first convex head, whereby when said
adjusting screw bolt is extended through said first rectangular
hole of said upper fixing plate, said curved head of said adjusting
screw bolt is allowed to set in said recess of said upper fixing
plate and fitly contact with said first convex head; said adjusting
knob being formed at a top portion with a second convex head
corresponding to and adapted to press against said second concave
recess at the bottom of said lower turning disk; said seat being
provided at a top portion with a central socket into which a lower
portion of said adjusting knob is fitly mounted; and said sucker
being directly connected to a lower side of said seat; whereby said
secondary suckers are adapted to attach to the car roof through
vacuum suction to reinforce said supporting suckers and enable even
distribution of weight borne by said long supports over said
supporting suckers and said secondary suckers.
9. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 8, wherein said
upper fixing plate is provided at two opposite sides with two ear
portions that are adapted to engage into two notches provided at
two opposite sides of said lower fixing plate to bind said upper
and said lower fixing plates into one united body.
10. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 8, wherein said
upper turning disk is provided at a center of said first concave
recess with a first threaded hole into which said adjusting screw
bolt is extended; and turning of said upper turning disk about said
adjusting screw bolt causing said upper turning disk to move up or
down along said adjusting screw bolt to tightly press against said
convex bottom of said lower fixing plate to fix said united body of
said upper and said lower fixing plates in place or to release from
said lower fixing plate, respectively.
11. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 8, wherein said
lower turning disk is provided at a center of said second concave
recess with a second threaded hole for said adjusting screw bolt to
screw therethrough; and turning of said lower turning disk about
said adjusting screw bolt causing said lower turning disk to move
up or down along said adjusting screw bolt to disengage from said
adjusting knob below said lower turning disk or to tightly press
against said second convex head of said adjusting knob to firmly
hold the latter to said seat, respectively.
12. A luggage rack on car roof as claimed in claim 8, wherein said
adjusting knob is provided with a central threaded hold for said
adjusting screw bolt to screw thereinto; and turning of said
adjusting knob clockwise or counterclockwise causing said adjusting
screw bolt to ascend or descend to change an overall height of said
secondary sucker.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] It is very common for many people to drive to some
vacation-lands to enjoy different outdoor activities in holidays.
Items needed and prepared for outdoor activities, such as skis,
trunks, etc., usually occupy a large space and the preferably
loaded on the car roof. For this purpose, there are developed
various kinds of luggage racks for mounting on the car roof to hold
such outdoor-activity items. Generally, a luggage rack designed for
holding skis is different from that for holding trunks and could
not be replaced with the latter. A car owner has to purchase
different luggage racks for different purposes. This is, of course,
inconvenient for consumers and will increase the consumers'
burden.
[0002] It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a luggage
rack on car roof capable of carrying both skis and trunks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The luggage rack on car roof according to the present
invention mainly includes two long supports, a plurality of
supporting suckers, and a plurality of ski holders. Each of the
upper and the lower side of the long supports is provided with two
longitudinally and parallelly extended channels. Each of tthe ski
holders includes a U-shaped base and two bridge-type retainers. The
U-shaped base includes two walls defining a space between them for
holding a pair of skis. Lower outer ends of the two walls of the
U-shaped base outward extend to provide two side extensions each
having a stopper thereon. Each of the two bridge-type retainers
straddles one side extension to locate between the stopper and the
wall from which the side extension extends. The supporting suckers
are movably connected to the lower side of the long supports for
attaching to the car roof through vacuum suction. The ski holders
are removably connected to the upper side of the long supports.
When the U-shaped bases of the ski holders are removed from the
long supports, a plurality of secondary suckers may be attached to
the car roof and connected to the lower side of the long supports
to locate at two sides of the supporting suckers for the long
supports to carry heavy pieces of luggage. The luggage rack on car
roof can therefore be used to hold skis and general luggage as
actual need.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The stucture and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0005] FIG. 1 shows the mounting of a luggage rack of the present
invention on a car roof;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged perspective of the luggage
rack of the present invention;
[0007] FIG. 3 shows the assembling of a supporting sucker to a long
support of the luggage rack of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line A-A of FIG. 2;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line B-B of FIG. 2;
[0010] FIG. 6 shows the connection of a bridge-type retainer to the
long support of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 7 shows the luggage rack of the present invention is
used to hold a trunk on the car roof;
[0012] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective of a secondary sucker of
the present invention; and
[0013] FIG. 9 is an assembled sectional view of the secondary
sucker of FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7. The luggage rack on car
roof according to the present invention mainly includes two long
supports (20), four supporting suckers (30), four ski holders (40),
and eight secondary suckers (60) (see FIG. 7).
[0015] The two long supports (20) are parallelly and symmetrically
mounted on and across the roof (10) through the four supporting
suckers (30) that the separately connected to lower outer ends of
the long supports (20) and then directly attached to the roof (10)
at desired positions through vacuum suction. The four ski holders
(40) are separately adjustably connected to an upper side of the
two long supports (20) at desired positions, so that ski holders
(40) at the same end of the two long supports (20) correspond to
each other to hold one or two pairs of skis (70) thereto, as
indicated with broken lines in FIG. 4. The eight secondary suckers
(60) are separately mounted on the roof (10) through vacuum suction
to locate below the two long supports (20) and at two sides of each
supporting sucker (30), as can be clearly seen in FIG. 7. When
there are heavy pieces of luggage, such as trunks (80), to be held
on the two long supports (20), the secondary suckers (60) are
useful to help the supporting suckers (30) to support the trunks
(80) on the long supports (20) and enable even distribution of
loads borne by the long supports (20) over the suckers (30),
(60).
[0016] Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3 at the same time. The long
support (20) each is provided near upper outer corners with two
lengthwise parallel upper channels (21), and near lower outer
corners with two lengthwise parallel lower channels (22). Each of
the ski holders (40) is connected to the upper side of the long
support (20) via two bridge-type retainers (50), each of which
includes two lower rails (51) that are adapted to slidably engage
into the two upper channels (21) to allow the ski holders (40) to
adjustable move along the long support (20). Each of the supporting
suckers (30) is connected to the lower side of the long support
(20) by engaging two extended wing portions (31) at a top of the
supporting sucker (30) into the two lower channels (22). Each of
the wing portions (31) is then firmly held to the lower side of the
long support (20) by downward extending a bolt (33) through a
center of the wing portion (31) and a clamping plate (32), that is
positioned below the lower side of the long support (20)
immediately below the wing portion (31), to engage with a nut (34).
Since the supporting sucker (30) is a known product, the structure
and the functioning principle thereof is not described herein.
[0017] Please refer to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. The ski holder (40) each
mainly includes a U-shaped base (41), two bridge-type retainers
(50), and a binding styap (49). The U-shaped base (41) includes two
spaced walls (42) defining a U-shaped space (43) therebetween. Each
of the spaces (43) is dimensioned for at least one pair of skis
(70) to extend therethrough. An elastic pad (44) is provided in the
space (43) to spread over inner wall surfaces of the two walls (42)
to protect the skis (70) supported on the ski holder (40) in the
space (43) against damage possibly caused by collision with or
impact against the walls (42). As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic pad
(44) is connected to the U-shaped base (41) through engagement of
stubs with holes. That is, the U-shaped base (41) is provided at
predetermined positions with multiple insertion holes (45), and the
elastic pad (44) is provided at an underside with multiple barb
studs (46) corresponding to the insertion holes (45). By aligning
the barb studs (46) with the insertion holes (45), the elastic pad
(44) is fixed onto the U-shaped base (41) without the need of
bonding material. Procedures for adhering the elastic pads (44) to
the ski holders (40) can therefore be eliminated. The U-shaped base
(41) includes two side extensions (47) separately outward extended
from lower outer ends of the two walls (42). Each of the side
extensions (47) is provided at a predetermined position with a
stopper (48).
[0018] Each of the bridge-type retainers (50) straddles one of the
side extensions (47) of the U-shaped base (41) and is restricted to
locate between the wall (42) and the stopper (48). As can be
clearly seen from FIG. 5, each of the bridge-type retainers (50) is
provided at two side walls with two lower rails (51) adapted to
engage into the two upper channels (21) on the long support (20),
as mentioned before. That is, the entire U-shaped base (41) is
exially movably and removably connected to the long support (20) by
engaging the lower rails (51) of the retainer (50) into the upper
channels (21) on the long support (20). This design enables the ski
holders (40) to be conveniently mounted onto the long supports
(20).
[0019] As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, each of the bridge-type
retainers (50) is provided at an upper outer edge with an upward
extended lug (52) for engaging with a through hole (491) provided
at an end of the binding strap (49).
[0020] The binding strap (49) is provided at two ends with two
through holes (491). When the skis (70) are positioned to straddle
two corresponding U-shaped bases (41) of the ski holders (40), the
binding strap (49) for each U-shaped base (41) is extended over and
across the skis (70) with the through holes (491) at two ends of
the binding strap (49) engaged with the lugs (52) of the
bridge-type retainers (50) at two sides of the U-shaped base (41),
so as to safely confine the skis (70) to the ski holders (40). To
facilitate easy applying of force to tension the binding strap
(49), antislip patterns (492) are provided on outer surfaces of two
ends of the binding strap (49).
[0021] Two caps (23) are removably attached to the two ends of each
of the long supports (20), so as to close the upper and the lower
channels (21), (22) and prevent the bridge-type retainers (50) and
the U-shaped bases (41) from separating from the long supports (20)
via two bare ends thereof.
[0022] Please now refer to FIGS. 6 and 7. The U-shaped bases (41)
of the ski holders (40) may be removed from the long supports (20)
with the bridge-type retainers (50) still engaged with the long
supports (20). In this case, the eight secondary suckers (60) may
be separately mnounted on the car roof through vacuum suction to
locate below the long supports (20) and at two sides of each
supporting sucker (30). The secondary suckers (60) at two sides of
the supporting suckers (30) reinforce the supporting suckers (30)
when heavy pieces of luggage, such as trunks (80), are loaded on
the long supports (20). The secondary suckers (60) also allow even
distribution of weight borne by the long supports (20) over suckers
(30), (60).
[0023] When a truck (80) straddles the two long supports (20),
binding straps (81) may be extended across the trunk (80) with two
ends of the straps (81) hooked to the lugs (52) of the bridge-type
retainers (50) to firmly hold the trunk (80) to the long supports
(20). Moreover, the long supports (20) may be wrapped with antislip
pads (82), for example, in the form of net, by attaching a hook
tape and a loop tape of a magic tape (83) separately provided at
two edges of each pad (82) to each other. Positioning the trunks
(80) on the long supports (20) wrapped with the antislip pads (82)
not only effectively prevents the trunks (80) from direct
frictional contacting with outer surfaces of the long supports (20)
to cause any damage of the trunks (80) and the long supports (20),
but also prevents the trunks (80) from freely moving on the smooth
surfaces of the long supports (20).
[0024] FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show the secondary suckers (60) of the
present invention. Each of the secondary suckers (60) mainly
includes an upper fixing plate (61), a lower fixing plate (62), an
upper turning disk (63), a lower turning disc (64), an adjusting
screw bolt (65), an adjusting knob (66), a seat (67), and a sucker
(68).
[0025] The upper fixing plate (61) includes a central recess (611)
that has an upward curved bottom to provide a first convex head
(612). A first rectangular hole (613) is provided at a central area
of the first convex head (612) for the adjusting screw bolt (65) to
extend therethrough. The lower fixing plate (62) has a downward
protected central portion to provide a convex bottom (621). A
second rectangular hole (622) is provided at a center of the convex
bottom (621) for the adjusting screw bolt (65) to extend
therethrough. The upper fixing plate (61) is provided at two
opposite sides with two ear portions (614) that are adapted to
engage into two notches (623) provided at two opposite sides of the
lower fixing plate (62) to bind the upper and the lower fixing
plates (61), (62) into one united body. Two opposite sides of the
united body of the upper and the lower fixing plates (61), (62)
having the ear portions (614) and the notches (623) form two wing
portions adapted to engage into the lower channels (22) of the long
supports (20).
[0026] The upper turning disk (63) has a saucer-like top central
area to provided a first concave recess (631) corresponding to the
convex bottom (621) of the lower fixing plate (62), so that the
convex bottom (621) is freely slidable in the first concave receas
(631) to enable free adjustment of the lower fixing plate (62) to a
desired angle of inclination. This design enables to secondary
suckers (60) to be attached to an inclined area of roof (10) while
keeping the lower and the upper fixing plates (62), (61) in a
horizontal position. The first concave recess (631) is provided at
a center with a first threaded hole (632) for the adjusting screw
bolt (65) to screw through. When the upper turning disk (63) is
turned, it is able to move up or down along the adjusting screw
bolt (65) to tightly press against the convex bottom (621) and
accordingly fix the lower fixing plate (62) in place or to release
from the lower fixing plate (62), respectively.
[0027] The lower turning disk (64) is structurally identical to the
upper turning disk (63) but is positioned to face away from the
upper turning disk (63). That is, the lower turning disk (64) has a
second concave recess (641) provided at a bottom center thereof,
and a second threaded hole (642) at the center of the second
concave recess (641) for the adjusting screw bolt (65) to screw
therethrough. When the lower turning disk (64) is turned, it is
able to move up or down along the screw bolt (65) to disengage from
the adjusting knob (66) below it or to tightly press against a
second convex head (661) of the adjusting knob (66),
respectively.
[0028] The adjusting screw bolt (65) is provided at a top with a
downward curved head (651) that has shape and curvature
corresponding to that of the first convex head (612) in the recess
(611) of the upper fixing plate (61) but has a reduced area
compared with the first convex head (612). Whereby, when the
adjusting screw bolt (65) is extended through the first rectangular
hole (613) of the upper fixing plate (61), the curved head (651) of
the adjusting screw bolt (65) is allowed to set in the recess (611)
and fitly contact with the first convex head (612). Since the
curved head (651) has the same curvature as that of the first
convex head (612) and is smaller in area than the first convex head
(612), it is possible for the first convex head (612) to slide
smoothly under and relative to the curved head (651), allowing
adjusting of the upper fixing plate (61) and the lower fixing plate
(62) to a desired angle of inclination.
[0029] The adjusting knob (66) is formed at a top portion (661)
with a second convex head corresponding to the second concave
recess (641) of the lower turning disk (64). A bottom portion (662)
of the adjusting knob (66) is movably set in a central socket (671)
of the seat (67). A screw (672) is upward extended through the seat
(67) and the socket (671) to screw into a central threaded hole
(663) of the adjusting knob (66), so that the adjusting knob (66)
is rotatable relative to the seat (67). The adjusting screw bolt
(65) also downward extends into the central threaded hole (663) of
the adjusting knob (66). Whereby, when the adjusting knob (66) is
roated clockwise or counterclockwise, the adjusting screw bolt (65)
is caussed to ascend or descend to adjust an overall height of the
secondary sucker (60). When a desired overall height of the
secondary sucker (60) is achieved, the lower turning disk (64) is
turned to downward tightly press against the adjusting knob (66)
and lock the latter in place. The sucker (68) is directly connected
to a lower side of the seat (67).
[0030] With the above arrangements, the luggage rack on car roof
according to the present invention is novel and has more than one
usage to carry either skis or trunks. The rack is therefore
superior to conventional luggage rack for car and is practical for
use.
* * * * *