U.S. patent application number 10/617678 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-02 for side rack rod for motor vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to Her Jiunn Industry Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Yang, Yin-Shu.
Application Number | 20040240958 10/617678 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33448977 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040240958 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yang, Yin-Shu |
December 2, 2004 |
Side rack rod for motor vehicle
Abstract
The side rack rod. The side rack rod includes a straight tubular
pipe section. A curved pipe section is respectively disposed on
both ends of the straight tubular pipe. A fixed base is disposed
under each curved pipe section. A long groove hole is disposed on
each fixed base, such that the maximum and minimum distance between
two long groove holes can adapt to a range of various sizes.
Inventors: |
Yang, Yin-Shu; (Tainan
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE
FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
|
Assignee: |
Her Jiunn Industry Co.,
Ltd.
Tainan Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
33448977 |
Appl. No.: |
10/617678 |
Filed: |
July 14, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
410/106 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60P 7/0815
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
410/106 |
International
Class: |
B61D 045/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 30, 2003 |
TW |
92210035 |
Claims
1-2. (Cancelled)
3. A side rack rod for motor vehicle, comprising: a pair of
corresponding anchors each having a straight tubular section; a
curved pipe section at an end of each of said straight tubular
sections; a fixed base at each of said curved pipe sections; a
sleeve disposed between said pair of anchors and configured to
receive said straight tubular sections, said fixed bases each
having a long groove hole, such that the maximum and minimum
distances between said long groove holes are adjustable according
to the length of at least one of said straight tubular sections and
said sleeve; and wherein said straight pipe section of the anchor
has a length larger than that of said sleeve.
4. The side rack rod for motor vehicle as claimed in claim 3,
wherein said sleeve is hollow and interconnected between said
straight pipe sections of said pair of corresponding anchors.
5 (Cancelled)
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a side rack rod for motor vehicle
which is installed on the sidewalls of a motor vehicle having a
carrier, more particularly to a universal side rack rod that can
fit different lengths and sizes of different models of motor
vehicles.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] There are all kinds of vehicles, and the one having a driver
seat and open carrier for passenger and cargo transportation is
generally used. This kind of vehicles usually has side rack rods on
the sidewalls of the carrier, and the structures of such motor
vehicles were disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,476,349, 5,618,140,
6,231,285, and 6,468,009.
[0005] The side rack rod of this sort usually has an anchor fixed
onto both sides of the motor vehicle for receiving a rod body
between the two anchors, and a bolt hole for tying a rope on the
anchor.
[0006] Since the anchor needs to provide a bolt hole for tying
ropes, therefore it is necessary to have a high intensity and
firmness. For the design purpose, an anchor is usually made of a
very short section of die-casting shaped component which comprises
a curved rod body with a bolt hole and a flat fixed base, and the
rod body passes through the fixed base and is mounted onto a stake
on the sidewall of the vehicle carrier by screws.
[0007] Since the anchor is made of a solid body by die-casting
shaping, and the load carried by the rope is taken into
consideration, therefore its length needs to have a certain
limitation. To cope with the different length of the structure for
the different brands and models of cars, a long and thin rod body
is installed between two anchors for making the adjustment.
However, there are about 8 different sizes and lengths for various
car models, of which some are large and some are small. Side rack
rod manufacturers have to manufacture and put 8 sets of different
sized side rack rods on the selves for sale. In the meantime, they
have to maintain the inventory of 8 different sizes of goods. Since
the side rack rod is very long and made of stainless steel,
therefore it does not only cause a huge storage space and a high
cost, but also seriously takes up the precious space of the seller
and makes the seller unwilling to put the merchandise on the shelf
for selling one of the 8 sets of different sized side rack rods to
a single consumer.
[0008] On the other hand, since there are ropes and bolts are
developed and sold in the market, such as those disclosed in the
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,004,388 and 5,106,248, therefore the side rack rod
required by consumer no longer needs to have the function of tying
a rope. Therefore, it is a subject for the research and development
to popularize a universal side rack rod that can fit different
sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The objective of this invention is to provide an improved
side rack rod for motor vehicle, which includes a straight tubular
pipe section, a curved pipe section each disposed on both ends of
the straight tubular pipe section, a fixed base disposed under the
curved pipe section, a long groove hole each disposed on the fixed
base, such that the maximum and minimum distances between two long
groove holes can accommodate a range of different sizes.
[0010] To make it easier for our examiner to understand the
objective of the invention, its structure, innovative features, and
performance, we use a preferred embodiment together with the
attached drawings for the detailed description of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram of the structure of the
first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 3 is an illustrative diagram of the disassembled parts
of the structure of the second preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0015] FIG. 4 is the top view of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] In the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, it
should be noted that like elements are indicated by the same
reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the side rack rod according to
the first preferred embodiments of this invention comprises: a
straight tubular pipe section 11; a curved pipe section 12,
respectively disposed on both ends of the straight tubular pipe
section 11; a fixed base 13 in the shape of a flat board soldered
under each curved pipe section 12; a long groove long 14 each
disposed on the fixed base 13; such that the interior of the
straight pipe section 11 and the curved pipe section 12 are hollow
and interconnected. Different brands and models of motor vehicle
are taken into the consideration for making the maximum and minimum
distance between two long groove holes to fit a range of various
sizes of the carrier.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the second preferred embodiment
of this invention is applied to the carrier of certain specific
branded vehicles, which have a carrier length different from the
carrier of most vehicles. Then, it will provide a side rack rod 2
including two corresponding anchors 21, each anchor includes a
straight pipe section 22 and a curved pipe section 23 on both ends
of the straight pipe section 22. A fixed base 24 in the shape of a
flat board is soldered under each curved pipe section 23, and a
long groove hole 25 is disposed on the fixed base 24. A sleeve 26
is disposed between two anchors 21, and the diameter of the sleeve
26 is approximately equal to the diameter of the straight pipe 22,
but both ends of an embedding section 27 each has a tapered pipe
with smaller diameter at an appropriate distance apart to be
embedded on both sides and engaged into the internal diameter of
the straight pipe section 22. The length of the straight pipe
section 22 is larger than that of the sleeve 26, and the interiors
of the sleeve 26, straight pipe section 22, and curved pipe section
12 are hollow and interconnected. The sleeve 26 allows the length
of the overall side rack rod 2 to be extended to a range for other
different car models and sizes. Within the range of similar sizes,
the nearest and farthest distance between two long groove holes can
fit a range of various similar sizes.
[0019] The side rack rod according to the first preferred
embodiment of this invention is applicable to the present popular
72.25-inch, 71.00-inch, 73.25-inch, and 73.625-inch side rack rods,
and the different between the longest and the shortest lengths is
only 2.625 inches. By means of adjusting the securing point at a
position of the nearest distance and the farthest distance between
the two long groove holes to fit the range among 4 different
similar sizes.
[0020] The design of the second preferred embodiment of the present
invention fits the current common side rack rods of eight different
lengths within the first size range (72.25-inch, 71.00-inch,
73.25-inch, and 73.625-inch), the second size range (69.875-inch,
68.25-inch, and 70.375-inch), and the third size range
(63.625-inch). Provided that the lengths of the anchors 21 on both
sides are fixed and equal, the sleeves 26 of 3 different lengths
are made to fit all of the foregoing 8 kinds of side rack rods
within the three size ranges. The size within the same size range
can be adjusted by the distance between the two long groove holes
25. Only two anchors 21 and three sleeves of different lengths
packed into a packaging carton or bag of the two side rack rods
(for both sides of the carrier of a vehicle) are put on the shelf
for sale. It supplies a side rack rod for the car owners of eight
different car models, and the space occupied on the shelf and in
the warehouse is only one-eighth of the prior art. The present
invention is very useful. In the practical product design for the
three different sizes of sleeves 26, the longest one is about 9.06
inches only (about 23 cm), and the shortest is about 1.18 inches
only (about 3 cm). Compared with the prior art requiring to
manufacture 8 different sizes of side rack rods, the present
invention can greatly save costs.
[0021] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what is considered the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is understood that the invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation and equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *