Load carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345284-B2
Application number	US-201917257164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A roof rack foot for securing a cross bar to a roof of a vehicle, the cross bar having a bottom wall with a slot and a cavity for forming an abutment surface, the slot having a centerline, the roof rack foot having a supporting surface for supporting the bottom wall of the cross bar, a first and a second clamping portion for clamping the roof rack foot to the roof, the second clamping portion having an anchoring arm and configured to extend through the slot into the cavity and lock the cross bar to the supporting surface by engagement of the anchoring arm with the abutment surface. When the cross bar is locked to the roof rack foot, the anchoring arm stands upright on the abutment surface and at least partially extends away from the centerline of the cross bar at an extension angle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roof rack foot for securing a cross bar to a roof of a vehicle, the cross bar comprising a bottom wall with a slot extending in the longitudinal direction of the cross bar and a cavity for forming an abutment surface on an inner side of the bottom wall adjacent the slot in the widthwise direction of the cross bar, wherein the slot comprises a centerline, the roof rack foot comprising:
a supporting surface for supporting the bottom wall of the cross bar thereupon; and
a first and a second clamping portion for clamping the roof rack foot to the roof of the vehicle, the second clamping portion comprising an anchor with an anchoring arm, the anchor being configured to extend through the slot into the cavity and lock the cross bar to the supporting surface of the roof rack foot by an engagement of the anchoring arm with the abutment surface of the cross bar,
wherein, when the cross bar is locked to the roof rack foot, the anchoring arm stands upright on the abutment surface and, in a top view on the abutment surface, at least partially extends away from the centerline of the cross bar at an extension angle so that the anchoring arm comprises a section, where the main extension direction of the anchoring arm in the top view comprises a component perpendicular to the centerline of the cross bar,
wherein the anchoring arm is integrally formed with the anchor.

2. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , wherein the anchoring arm comprises:
a first surface defined by the thickness; and
a second surface defined by the main extensions of the anchoring arm,
wherein, when the cross bar is locked to the roof rack foot, the first surface engages with the abutment surface and, in a top view on the abutment surface, the second surface at least partially extends away from the centerline of the cross bar at the extension angle.

3. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , wherein, when the cross bar is locked to the roof rack foot, in a cross-sectional view of the anchoring arm that is orientated perpendicular to the abutment surface and parallel to the centerline of the cross bar, the extension of the anchoring arm along the abutment surface is shorter than the extension of the anchoring arm perpendicular to the abutment surface.

4. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the anchoring arm engaging with the abutment surface of the cross bar comprises a protrusion.

5. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , wherein the anchoring arm, in a top view on the abutment surface, exhibits a bent profile approaching the extension angle.

6. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , wherein the extension angle is between 45° and 90°.

7. The roof rack foot according to claim 6 , wherein the extension angle is between 60° and 75°.

8. The roof rack foot according to claim 7 , wherein the extension angle is 70°.

9. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , wherein the anchoring arm is a plate-like anchoring arm and has a rectangular cross section.

10. The roof rack foot according to claim 9 , wherein the height of the plate-like anchoring arm is at least 1.5 times larger than the thickness.

11. The roof rack foot according to claim 10 , wherein the height of the plate-like anchoring arm is at least 3 times larger than the thickness.

12. The roof rack foot according to claim 11 , wherein the height of the plate-like anchoring arm is at least 5 times larger than the thickness.

13. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , wherein the anchor comprises a further anchoring arm integrally formed with the anchor for engaging with a further abutment surface on the opposite side of the slot in the widthwise direction of the cross bar.

14. The roof rack foot according to claim 13 , wherein the two anchoring arms are formed, in a top view on the abutment surfaces, symmetrically with respect to the centerline of the slot when the cross bar is locked to the roof rack foot.

15. The roof rack foot according to claim 13 , wherein the anchor comprises two plate portions which are oriented upright with respect to the abutment surfaces of the cross bar when the cross bar is locked to the roof rack foot, the two upright plate portions, in a top view on the abutment surfaces, extending adjacent to one another along the centerline of the slot, and turning away from each other to form the upright anchoring arms, each anchoring arm turning away from the centerline at the extension angle.

16. The roof rack foot according to claim 15 , wherein, in the top view in the direction of the centerline, the upright two plate portions extend adjacent to one another, turn away from another, run parallel to but spaced apart from one another, and, for forming the anchoring arms, turn away from another again.

17. The roof rack foot according to claim 15 , wherein the two plate portions extend through the slot and are integrally connected to each other below the bottom wall of the cross bar.

18. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment mechanism, wherein, by operating the adjustment mechanism, the roof rack foot is clamped to the vehicle roof.

19. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , wherein:
when the cross bar is locked to the roof rack foot, a first surface of the anchoring arm engages with the abutment surface,
the first surface is defined by a thickness, and
the thickness is shorter than an extension of the anchoring arm perpendicular to the abutment surface.

20. The roof rack foot according to claim 1 , wherein a height of the anchoring arm is greater than a thickness of the anchoring arm.

21. A roof rack comprising:
a cross bar comprising:
a bottom wall with a slot extending in the longitudinal direction of the cross bar; and
a cavity for forming an abutment surface on an inner side of the bottom wall adjacent the slot in the widthwise direction of the cross bar, wherein the slot comprises a centerline; and

a roof rack foot comprising:
a supporting surface for supporting the bottom wall of the cross bar thereupon; and
a first and a second clamping portion for clamping the roof rack foot to the roof of the vehicle, the second clamping portion comprising an anchor with an anchoring arm, the anchor being configured to extend through the slot into the cavity and lock the cross bar to the supporting surface of the roof rack foot by an engagement of the anchoring arm with the abutment surface of the cross bar,
wherein, when the cross bar is locked to the roof rack foot, the anchoring arm stands upright on the abutment surface and, in a top view on the abutment surface, at least partially extends away from the centerline of the cross bar at an extension angle so that the anchoring arm comprises a section, where the main extension direction of the anchoring arm in the top view comprises a component perpendicular to the centerline of the cross bar,
wherein the anchoring arm is integrally formed with the anchor.

22. The roof rack according to claim 21 , wherein, when the cross bar is locked to the roof rack foot, the extension of the anchoring arm perpendicular to the abutment surface is shorter than the extension of the cavity perpendicular to the abutment surface.

23. The roof rack according to claim 21 , wherein the extension angle is between 45° and 90°.

Assignees

• Thule Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Olaison Hannes
• Nordangård Markus
• Andersson Joakim
• Persson Joakim
• Wikström Peter
• Bolmstam Johan
• Millberg Victor

Classifications

• B60R9/058 Primary

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

• B60Y2200/14

  Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses · CPC title

• B60R2011/004

  outside the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R2011/0059

  using clips, clamps, straps or the like · CPC title

• B60Y2200/11

  Passenger cars; Automobiles · CPC title