U.S. patent application number 13/796371 was filed with the patent office on 2014-04-10 for rack tower for securing crossbars on top of a vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to Yakima Products, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Yakima Products, Inc.. Invention is credited to Dave Condon, Chris Sautter.
Application Number | 20140097220 13/796371 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41444905 |
Filed Date | 2014-04-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140097220 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sautter; Chris ; et
al. |
April 10, 2014 |
RACK TOWER FOR SECURING CROSSBARS ON TOP OF A VEHICLE
Abstract
A rack for carrying cargo on top of a vehicle includes a pair of
crossbars. Each crossbar spans a pair of rails. The crossbars are
connected to the rails by towers. Each tower has a claw assembly
which is adjustable along two axes.
Inventors: |
Sautter; Chris; (Portland,
OR) ; Condon; Dave; (Wilsonville, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Yakima Products, Inc.; |
|
|
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Yakima Products, Inc.
Beaverton
OR
|
Family ID: |
41444905 |
Appl. No.: |
13/796371 |
Filed: |
March 12, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12490265 |
Jun 23, 2009 |
8393508 |
|
|
13796371 |
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|
61132956 |
Jun 23, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
224/325 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 9/045 20130101;
B60R 9/055 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/325 |
International
Class: |
B60R 9/055 20060101
B60R009/055 |
Claims
1. A rack for carrying cargo on top of a vehicle, the vehicle
having a pair of rails, the rails being substantially parallel to
each other and to the direction of vehicle travel, the rack
comprising: a pair of crossbars, each crossbar having a pair of
towers for mounting the crossbar on the rails of the vehicle, each
tower including a clamp device, the clamp device having a fixed
wall and a claw assembly that is slideable in a first track back
and forth relative to the fixed wall, in a direction parallel to
the crossbar, each claw assembly having a base portion connected to
the first track, the base portion having a second track
substantially perpendicular to the first track, and a hook member
that is slideable along the second track to adjust a separation of
the hook member from the first track.
2. The rack of claim 1, wherein the hook member has teeth that
engage a corresponding array of teeth on the base portion to fix
location of the hook member in the second track.
3. The rack of claim 1, further comprising: each clamp device
having a screw member engaging the base portion, the screw member
being parallel to the first track and having a head for
manipulating the screw member, rotation of the screw member causing
movement of the base portion along the first track, relative to the
fixed wall.
4. A tower for connecting a crossbar to a rail on top of a vehicle
comprising: a clamp device having a fixed wall and a claw assembly
that is slideable in a first track back and forth relative to the
fixed wall, in a direction parallel to the crossbar, the claw
assembly having a base portion connected to the first track, the
base portion having a second track substantially perpendicular to
the first track, and a hook member that is slideable along the
second track to adjust a separation of the hook member from the
first track while the claw assembly remains at the same position in
the first track.
5. The tower of claim 4, further comprising: a screw member
engaging the base portion, the screw member being parallel to the
first track and having a head for manipulating the screw member,
rotation of the screw member causing movement of the base portion
along the first track, relative to the fixed wall.
6. The tower of claim 5 including a housing having a compartment
containing the head of the screw member, and a pivotal cover
blocking access to the head of the screw member when the cover is
closed, and permitting access to the head of the screw member when
the cover is open.
7. A tower for connecting a crossbar to a rail on the top of a
crossbar comprising: a housing having a crossbar gripping portion
and a fixed wall descending below the crossbar gripping portion,
and a hook member being moveable relative to the fixed wall, to
operatively position the hook member independently along a first
axis and a second axis, wherein the housing supports a track
extending parallel to the second axis and transverse to the first
axis, and wherein the hook member is slideable in the track to move
the hook member along the second axis.
8. The tower of claim 7, wherein the first axis is substantially
perpendicular to the second axis.
9. The tower of claim 7, wherein the crossbar gripping portion is
configured to grip a crossbar in an orientation substantially
perpendicular to the rail, the first axis being substantially
parallel to the crossbar orientation.
10. The tower of claim 7, wherein the first axis is substantially
perpendicular to the rail.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/490,265
filed Jun. 23, 2009 issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,508, which
claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/132,956 filed Jun. 23, 2008, both of which are incorporated
herein by reference. Also incorporated herein by reference is U.S.
Patent Application Publication No. US2006/0273123 published Dec. 7,
2006.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Sports equipment racks for vehicles typically include a pair
of crossbars configured to extend across a vehicle roof width-wise
for securing recreational equipment items. Typically, each crossbar
is attached to the vehicle roof via a pair of towers.
[0003] Many different types of rack towers are known, and may be
configured to be attached to a vehicle roof in any of a number of
different ways. For example, some rack towers are configured for
attachment to rain gutters. Others are designed for attachment to
vehicle roof rails. Roof rails are elongate, linear, rigid
structures mounted to the roofs of many vehicles, often by the
vehicle manufacturer. A vehicle with roof rails typically has two
rails running in parallel at least partially along the length of
the roof. Roof rails may include a slotted track containing one or
more mounts or connectors. Roof rails may be raised or flush with
respect to the vehicle roof.
[0004] One of the problems with existing towers for securing
crossbars on top of vehicles is that the variability in rail
configurations requires numerous different tower designs. This
places a manufacturing and design burden on manufacturers which
increases product costs. The complexity of rail and tower designs
also complicates the purchasing process for consumers who must
determine which tower design is most appropriate for a given rail
configuration. Consumers typically need to select from a line of
tower designs configured to fit specifically small raised rails,
large raised rails, and flush rails. Reduction of the number of
tower products required to fit the various types of vehicle roof
rails is an important objective.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cargo rack on the roof of
a vehicle.
[0006] FIGS. 2 and 3 are front views of a tower used to connect
cross bars to the roof of a vehicle.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a series of isolated schematic views taken from
FIG. 2.
[0008] FIGS. 5 and 6 are partial cross-sectional views of the tower
used to connect a cross bar to the roof of a vehicle.
[0009] FIGS. 7 and 8 are partial cross-sectional views isolated
from the tower shown in FIG. 5.
[0010] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative tower
embodiment used to connect a cross bar to the roof of a
vehicle.
[0011] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the tower embodiment
shown in FIG. 9.
[0012] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of another tower
embodiment used to attach a cross bar to the roof of a vehicle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] This disclosure provides numerous selected examples of
invented devices for carrying cargo on or with a vehicle. Many
alternatives and modifications which may or may not be expressly
mentioned, are enabled, implied, currently possessed, and are
therefore supported by the disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 1 shows rack 20 configured for carrying cargo on
vehicle 22. Rack 20 includes a pair of cross bars 24a, 24b. Rack
towers 26a-d clamp cross bars 24a, 24b to roof rails 28a, 28b.
Towers 26a-d may be adapted to clamp cross bars onto raised rails,
having a gap between the rail and the roof of the vehicle, and also
to flush rails which do not have a gap between the rail and the
vehicle roof.
[0015] FIGS. 2 and 3 focus on the tower portion of rack 20,
particularly an adjustable claw assembly that is used to adapt the
tower to clamp onto different rail configurations. In preferred
embodiments, the claw assembly has two parts, an upper base portion
or upper claw that attaches to the tower and translates
horizontally. A lower claw or hook portion is vertically adjustable
to accommodate different rail thicknesses. A lower hook portion may
also be replaceable to extend the adjustment range. The claw
vertical position may be retained by teeth on the upper and lower
claw portions. To adjust the claw, the lower claw is rotated toward
the rail until the teeth clear the teeth on the upper claw. The
lower claw may then slide up or down. When the lower claw is
rotated back into place, the teeth retain the position of the lower
claw. Clamping the tower against the bar presses the lower claw
teeth into the upper claw and retains the vertical position of the
hook portion. Additionally, a screw may be used to clamp together
the upper and lower claws to retain the adjustment position. The
screw is not essential for function but may be helpful to prevent
the lower clamp from accidentally changing positions when the tower
is not mounted on the bar.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, tower 26a is used to clamp cross bar 24a
onto a rail (not shown). Claw assembly 40 is shown in dashed lines,
moved horizontally. Claw assembly 40 includes upper claw or base
portion 42. Base portion 42 extends into the housing of tower 26a
and is slideable in a track. Lower claw or hook member 44 is
connected to base portion 42 and is slideable vertically, as shown
in dashed lines. Screw 46 is provided for securing hook member 44
in a selected vertical position relative to base portion 42.
[0017] FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 except hook member 44 has been
replaced with hook member 50 in order to provide an extended
vertical clamping position. The configuration shown in FIG. 3 adds
adaptation to a taller or deeper rail dimension. The curvature
profile of hook member 50 is also different from the curvature on
hook member 44 which may work better for particular rail
shapes.
[0018] FIG. 4 shows a series of two views of claw assembly 40. Base
portion 42 has teeth 52 which compliment teeth 54 on hook member
44. In the first view, teeth 54 engage teeth 52, thereby fixing the
vertical location of hook member 44 relative to base portion 42. In
the second view, hook member 44 is pivoted in a clockwise
direction, disengaging teeth 54 from teeth 52, thereby allowing
vertical sliding of hook member 44 relative to base portion 42 in a
track 56 in base portion 42.
[0019] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate mechanisms relating to horizontal
positioning of the claw assembly relative to a fixed wall of a
tower housing, for purposes of securing the tower to a rail on the
top of a vehicle. In preferred embodiments, a claw assembly
horizontal position is driven by a long screw. The head of the
screw may be attached to a lever and the threads may be attached to
an upper claw or base portion of a claw assembly. To clamp the
tower onto a rail, the screw is turned until the claw is loosely
clamping the rail. The adjustment screw may be turned by fingers or
a tool. A locking cam cover may then be raised or closed to cover
the screw. When the cam cover is raised, a cam surface moves the
lever which pulls on the screw. When the screw is pulled, it moves
the claw a distance, for example, a half an inch which tightens the
clamp on the side rail. Closing the cam cover may also cover a
second screw that is used to clamp the tower to the cross bar, as
discussed in more detail below.
[0020] FIGS. 5 and 6 show details of the preferred mechanism for
adjusting the horizontal position of claw assembly 40. Horizontal
movement of claw assembly 40 relative to fixed internal wall 58
allows clamping of tower 26a to a rail on top of a vehicle. Screw
60 threads into base portion 42 of claw assembly 40. Head 62 of
screw 60 is accessible for horizontal adjustment of claw assembly
40 when installing tower 26a on top of a vehicle. Rotation of head
portion 62 of screw 60 causes lateral movement of base portion 42
in track 59 of tower 26a. Head 62 of screw 60 is contained in
compartment 64 of tower 26a. Pivotal lever 26 is connected to screw
60 near head 62. In use, loose adjustment of claw assembly 40
around a rail (not shown) is accomplished by manipulating head 62
of screw 60. Compartment cover 70 is shown in open position in FIG.
5. FIG. 6 shows compartment cover 70 pivoted to a closed position
which accomplishes at least several functions. First, closure of
cover 62 blocks access to head 62 of screw 60, thus prohibiting
adjustment or loosening of claw 40, i.e., removal of tower 26a from
the vehicle. Further, cover 70 has cam surface 71 which engages
lever 66 when cover 70 is rotated to its closed position, causing
the opposite end of lever 66 to pull screw 60 horizontally, thus
tightening claw assembly 40 relative to fixed wall 58 around a
rail. Lid 70, as shown, also has lock device 72 for locking cover
70 in the closed position to avoid theft.
[0021] FIGS. 7 and 8 show close-up cross-sectional views of another
clamp device used to secure the tower's grip on a cross bar. As
shown in FIG. 7, tower 26a grips and supports cross bar 24a. Screw
80 is threaded through wedge member 82. Head 84 on screw 80 may be
manipulated to urge wedge 82 forward. As shown in FIG. 8, as wedge
82 moves forward it also moves upward toward cross bar 24 as it
slides up ramp 85. Head 84 of screw 80 is contained in compartment
64, similar to head 62 of screw 60. Accordingly, access to screw 80
is only available when cover 70 (FIGS. 5 and 6) is open.
[0022] FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate another embodiment of a tower for
securing a cross bar to a raised rail on the roof of a vehicle. As
shown in FIG. 9, tower 110 supports cross bar 112. Dial 114 may be
manipulated to alter the length of slack on belt 116. Belt 116 is
intended to loop around a raised rail. FIG. 10 shows a cross
section through tower 110 of FIG. 9. Belt 116 wraps around
rotatable drum 118 which is connected to external dial 114. Pawl
120 is spring biased toward engagement with teeth 122 on drum 118.
When pawl 120 engages teeth 122, drum 118 may only be rotated in
one direction (clockwise, as shown) to tighten belt 116 around a
raised rail. To loosen belt 116, pawl 120 must be manipulated
causing rotation in a counterclockwise direction, thus disengaging
pawl 120 from teeth 122. When pawl 120 is disengaged from teeth 122
on drum 118, dial 114 may be turned in a counterclockwise
direction, thus loosening belt 116 and enabling removal of tower
110 from a rail on top of a vehicle. Cover 124 may be opened or
closed. In the closed position, cover 124 prevents manipulation of
pawl 120. Access to pawl 120 is provided when cover 124 is open.
Screw 126 engages and interacts with wedge member 128 to secure
tower 110 around cross bar 112, substantially as previously
described.
[0023] FIG. 11 shows another tower embodiment which combines
elements of previously described embodiments in a different way.
Tower 150 supports cross bar 152. Drum 154 is connected to belt
156. Rotation of drum 154 in a clockwise direction causes belt 156
to pull claw assembly 158 toward fixed wall 159. Similar to
previously described embodiments, claw assembly 158 includes base
portion 160 and vertically slideable hook member 162. Pawl 164 is
spring biased into engagement with teeth 166 on drum 154. Cover 168
may be closed or open. When cover 168 is closed, as shown, access
to pawl 164 is blocked. When cover 168 is open, pawl 164 may be
manipulated in a counterclockwise direction, disengaging pawl 164
from teeth 166 of drum 154, thereby permitting horizontal movement
of claw assembly 158 away from fixed wall 159 so that tower 150 may
be removed from a rail on top of a vehicle. Similar to previously
described configurations, screw 170 engages wedge member 172 for
purposes of clamping tower 150 around cross bar 152.
[0024] The various structural members disclosed herein may be
constructed from any suitable material, or combination of
materials, such as metal, plastic, nylon, plastic, rubber, or any
other materials with sufficient structural strength to withstand
the loads incurred during use. Materials may be selected based on
their durability, flexibility, weight, and/or aesthetic
qualities.
[0025] Although the present disclosure has been provided with
reference to the foregoing operational principles and embodiments,
it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the disclosure. The present disclosure is
intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and
variances. Where the disclosure recites "a," "a first," or
"another" element, or the equivalent thereof, it should be
interpreted to include one or more such elements, neither requiring
nor excluding two or more such elements. Furthermore, any aspect
shown or described with reference to a particular embodiment should
be interpreted to be compatible with any other embodiment,
alternative, modification, or variance.
* * * * *