Load carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10525895-B2
Application number	US-201816150969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2018
Priority date	Oct 16, 2017
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A load carrying bar for a roof rack including a channel with an opening for receiving a fastening member of a load carrying bar accessory, and a cover including a channel sealing portion adapted to substantially seal a cross section of the opening of said channel of said load carrying bar in a cross section. A biasing portion is configured in a first position to bias said channel sealing portion towards said opening and configured in a second position to deflect said channel sealing portion away from the opening. The biasing portion includes at least one biasing member. A first end of the biasing member is connected to the channel sealing portion. A second end of the biasing member is configured to engage a base part of the channel. A central portion of the biasing member is positioned between the first end and the second end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A load carrying bar for a roof rack, said load carrying bar comprising a channel with an opening for receiving a fastening member of a load carrying bar accessory, and a cover comprising:
a channel sealing portion adapted to substantially seal a cross section of the opening of said channel of said load carrying bar in a cross section; and
at least one biasing portion configured in a first position to bias said channel sealing portion towards said opening and configured in a second position to deflect said channel sealing portion away from the opening, wherein the biasing portion comprises at least one biasing member, wherein a first end of the biasing member is connected to the channel sealing portion, a second end of the biasing member is configured to engage a base part of the channel, and a central portion is positioned between the first end and the second end, wherein the central portion of the biasing member has a length between the first and the second end and a width that is substantially transversal to the length of the biasing member,
wherein the at least one biasing member has a first width in the vicinity of the first or the second end and a second width at the central portion, wherein the first width is greater than the second width such that the at least one biasing member flexes in the central portion when transitioned from the first position towards the second position, or wherein the at least one biasing member has a first area of weakness positioned on a medial side of the at least one biasing member and a second area of weakness positioned on a lateral side of the biasing member allowing the biasing member to flex in the first and second area of weakness when transitioned from the first position towards the second position.

2. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a second biasing member, wherein a first end of the second biasing member is connected to the channel sealing portion, a second end of the biasing member is configured to engage a base part of the channel, and a central portion is positioned between the first end and the second end, and configured correspondingly to the first biasing member.

3. The load carrying bar according to claim 2 , wherein the cover has a cross section that is substantially U-shaped or V-shaped.

4. The load carrying bar according to claim 2 , wherein the first ends of the first and second biasing members are connected on opposing sides of the sealing portion.

5. The load carrying bar according to claim 2 , wherein a distance between the first ends of the first and second biasing members is shorter than a distance between the second ends of the first and second biasing members.

6. The load carrying bar according to claim 2 , wherein the cover in the second position has a substantial M-shape or wherein the channel sealing portion is pushed vertically away from the opening, and wherein the first and the second biasing members create a V-shape that is mirrored across a horizontal axis.

7. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the sealing portion is smaller than a width of the opening of the channel.

8. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein a contact surface of the second end of the at least one biasing member is rounded.

9. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein the first end of the biasing member comprises a contact surface to abut an inner wall of the channel, wherein the inner wall of the channel is a substantially horizontal wall, an upper wall of the channel, or positioned in an area between the opening and a side wall of the channel.

10. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one biasing member has a first portion having a first central axis and a second portion having a second central axis, wherein the first and the second central axes are at an angle to each other, not coaxial, or not parallel to each other.

11. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein the central portion or the first and second area of weakness extends along a length of the cover parallel to a length of the load carrying bar or a length of the channel.

12. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein the central portion or the first and second area of weakness is configured to reduce an angle or have a sharper angle between the parts of the cover that abut the central portion or the first and second area of weakness, when transitioning from the first position to the second position.

13. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein the central portion or the first and second area of weakness comprises a fold line that extends a length of the cover or is parallel to the channel or the load carrying bar.

14. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second ends taper towards the central portion.

15. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one biasing member has a first width in the vicinity of the first and the second end and a second width at the central portion, wherein the first width is greater than the second width such that the at least one biasing member flexes in the central portion when transitioned from the first position towards the second position.

16. The load carrying bar according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one biasing member has a first width in the vicinity of the first or the second end and a second width at the central portion, wherein the first width is greater than the second width such that the at least one biasing member flexes in the central portion when transitioned from the first position towards the second position, and wherein the at least one biasing member has a first area of weakness positioned on a medial side of the at least one biasing member and a second area of weakness positioned on a lateral side of the biasing member allowing the biasing member to flex in the first and second area of weakness when transitioned from the first position towards the second position.

17. The load carrying bar according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one biasing member has a first width in the vicinity of the first and the second end and a second width at the central portion, wherein the first width is greater than the second width such that the at least one biasing member flexes in the central portion when transitioned from the first position towards the second position.

Assignees

• Thule Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Bergman Fredrik
• Ferman Magnus

Classifications

• B60R9/04 Primary

  Carriers associated with vehicle roof (B60R9/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R9/052

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

• B60R9/048 Primary

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

• B60R9/05 Primary

  Carriers characterised by wind deflecting means (wind deflectors for open roofs B60J7/22) · CPC title