Clamping member for a load carrier foot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10358096-B2
Application number	US-201715842358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2017
Priority date	Dec 20, 2016
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A clamping member for a load carrier foot clamping mechanism includes a clamping mechanism and a discontinuous contact portion. The clamping mechanism is configured to couple a load carrier foot to a continuous supporting portion of a vehicle. The discontinuous contact portion has at least two contact sections arranged at an obtuse angle and configured to contact the supporting portion so that the clamping member is usable for supporting portions arranged at different angles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A load carrier foot comprising:
a clamping mechanism having a clamping member,
wherein said clamping mechanism is configured to couple said load carrier foot to a continuous supporting portion of a vehicle,
wherein said clamping member comprises a discontinuous contact portion having at least two contact sections arranged at a reflex angle and configured to contact said supporting portion so that said clamping member is usable for supporting portions arranged at different angles,
wherein the at least two contact sections are arranged in a primary extension direction of said clamping member, wherein said primary extension direction is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said continuous supporting portion of said vehicle in a clamping condition, and
wherein the reflex angle is greater than 180 degrees.

2. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , wherein said primary extension direction is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said vehicle in said clamping condition.

3. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , wherein said contact sections comprise an equal predetermined length.

4. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , comprising three contact sections, arranged in series in said primary extension direction of the clamping member, wherein each of said three contact sections is arranged at a reflex angle with respect to an adjacent one of said contact sections.

5. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , wherein each of said at least two contact sections comprises a surface formed at least partially straight or at least partially curved in a direction different from said primary extension direction of said clamping member.

6. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , further comprising a secondary discontinuous contact portion for contacting said supporting portion, wherein said contact portion and said secondary contact portion are provided on opposite sides of the clamping member with respect to the primary extension direction.

7. The load carrier foot according to claim 6 , wherein said secondary contact portion comprises at least two secondary contact sections, arranged at a reflex angle.

8. The load carrier foot according to claim 7 , wherein said clamping member comprises a coupling portion which is configured such that said clamping member is reversely mountable in said clamping mechanism in order to render said secondary discontinuous contact portion operative.

9. A load carrier foot comprising:
a clamping mechanism configured to couple said load carrier foot to a continuous supporting portion of a vehicle,
wherein said clamping mechanism comprises at least two clamping members forming a clamping space configured to accommodate said continuous supporting portion between the at least two clamping members,
wherein a first clamping member of said at least two clamping members is movable in a first direction towards and away from a second clamping member of said at least two clamping members, and
wherein said second clamping member comprises at least two contact sections arranged at a reflex angle, wherein the reflex angle is greater than 180 degrees, wherein the at least two contact sections are arranged in a primary extension direction of said second clamping member, wherein said primary extension direction is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said continuous supporting portion of said vehicle in a clamping condition.

10. The load carrier foot according to claim 9 , wherein said first clamping member comprises a straight contact section limiting said clamping space on one side.

11. The load carrier foot according to claim 10 , wherein said clamping mechanism comprises a movable clamping member support, wherein said first clamping member is mounted on said movable clamping member support.

12. The load carrier foot according to claim 11 , wherein said second clamping member is non-movably mounted on a stationary foot portion and said first clamping member is mounted on said movable clamping member support pivotably about a pivot axis such that said first clamping member is configured to move between different clamping states in which said contact section faces different contact sections of said second clamping member.

13. A load carrier system comprising:
two load carrier feet according to claim 12 ,
wherein said load carrier feet are coupled to opposite ends of a load carrier bar, and
wherein said load carrier feet are configured such that said stationary foot portions are arranged on inner sides of said load carrier feet.

14. A vehicle comprising:
a roof rail system with two roof rails mounted on opposite lateral sides of a roof of the vehicle, wherein each of said roof rails comprises a mounting area for fixing a load carrier foot, said mounting area being provided at a predetermined position in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein said mounting areas are arranged at predefined angles with respect to a longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle and are arranged symmetrically with respect to said plane, and
a load carrier system according to claim 13 mounted to said roof rails, wherein only one of said at least two contact sections in each load carrier foot contacts a respective mounting area.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein said primary extension direction is parallel to said longitudinal direction of said vehicle in said clamping condition and said load carrier bar extends in a transverse direction of said vehicle.

Assignees

• Thule Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Bergman Fredrik

Classifications

• B60R9/045

  Carriers being adjustable or transformable, e.g. expansible, collapsible {(transformable into tents B60P3/36; into beds B60P3/38)} · CPC title

• B60R9/052

  Carriers comprising elongate members extending only transversely of vehicle (B60R9/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R9/058 Primary

  characterised by releasable attaching means between carrier and roof · CPC title

• B60R9/048 Primary

  Carriers characterised by article-gripping {, -covering,}-retaining, or -locking means · CPC title

• F16B2/02

  Clamps, i.e. with gripping action effected by positive means other than the inherent resistance to deformation of the material of the fastening · CPC title