Vehicle roof rack assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718239-B2
Application number	US-202117500443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2021
Priority date	Oct 13, 2021
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A roof rack assembly for a vehicle includes a pedestal including an indentation. A roof rail is movable between a first configuration and a second configuration relative to the pedestal. In the first configuration, a toggle loop of the roof rail is positioned in a first orientation relative to the indentation. In the second configuration, the toggle loop is positioned in a second orientation relative to the indentation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roof rack assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
a pedestal including an indentation; and
a roof rail movable between a first configuration and a second configuration relative to the pedestal,
wherein, in the first configuration, a toggle loop of the roof rail directly engages with the indentation in a first orientation, and
wherein, in the second configuration, the toggle loop directly engages with the indentation in a second orientation.

2. A roof rack assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
a pedestal including an indentation; and
a roof rail movable between a first configuration and a second configuration relative to the pedestal,
wherein, in the first configuration, a toggle loop of the roof rail is positioned in a first orientation relative to the indentation,
wherein, in the second configuration, the toggle loop is positioned in a second orientation relative to the indentation, and
wherein the toggle loop includes a flat front loop portion, and further wherein the pedestal includes a first face configured to receive the flat front loop portion in the first configuration and a second face that is substantially orthogonal to the first face and configured to receive the flat front loop portion in the second configuration.

3. The roof rack assembly of claim 2 , wherein the indentation spans from the first face to the second face and is configured to receive the flat front loop portion.

4. The roof rack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the roof rail includes a lever actuatable to fasten the toggle loop to the pedestal.

5. The roof rack assembly of claim 4 , wherein the toggle loop includes loop ends engaging the lever and a front loop portion configured to be received in the indentation in both the first and second configuration.

6. The roof rack assembly of claim 5 , wherein actuation of the lever translates the loop ends away from the pedestal such that the front loop portion is fastened within the indentation.

7. The roof rack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the roof rail includes a base and at least one rotatable member mounted on the base, the rotatable member rotatable from a stowed position in which it is substantially parallel to the base to a vertically extending position.

8. The roof rack assembly of claim 7 , wherein the at least one rotatable member includes a first rotatable member and a second rotatable member each rotatable about respective pivot points located towards opposed longitudinal ends of the base.

9. The roof rack assembly of claim 8 , wherein the pivot points include a stop at the vertically extending position, and the rotatable members each form an obtuse angle with the base at said vertically extending position.

10. The roof rack assembly of claim 8 , wherein the roof rail includes a divider mounted to the base between the first and second rotatable members, and wherein the members and divider form a substantially continuous top surface of the roof rail when the members are in the stowed position.

11. The roof rack assembly of claim 10 , wherein the divider and the rotatable members are removable from the roof rail.

12. The roof rack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the roof rail includes a retractable tie-down cordage mechanism.

13. A vehicle including the roof rack assembly of claim 1 .

14. A roof rack assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
at least one endcap including a pedestal; and
at least one roof rail movable between a longitudinal configuration and a cross-car configuration, the at least one roof rail including a lever and a toggle loop;
wherein the toggle loop includes loop ends engaging the lever and a front loop portion configured to engage the pedestal in both the longitudinal and the cross-car configuration, and
wherein actuation of the lever translates the loop ends away from the pedestal such that the front loop portion is fastened to the pedestal.

15. The roof rack assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least one roof rail is removable from the at least one endcap.

16. The roof rack assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least one roof rail is extendable between a first length in the cross-car configuration and a second, different length in the longitudinal configuration.

17. The roof rack assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least one roof rail includes a first roof rail and a second roof rail, and the first and second roof rails each include two levers and two toggle loops.

18. The roof rack assembly of claim 17 , wherein the at least one endcap includes a first endcap and a second endcap located towards a front of the vehicle and a third endcap and a fourth endcap located towards a rear of the vehicle, the first and third endcaps located towards a first lateral side of the vehicle and the second and fourth endcaps located towards a second, opposed lateral side of the vehicle.

19. The roof rack assembly of claim 18 , wherein, in the longitudinal configuration, the toggle loops of the first roof rail engage with the pedestals of the first and third endcaps, and the toggle loops of the second roof rail engage with the pedestals of the second and fourth endcaps.

20. The roof rack assembly of claim 19 , wherein, in the cross-car configuration, the toggle loops of the first roof rail engage with the pedestals of the first and second endcaps, and the toggle loops of the second roof rail engage with the pedestals of the third and fourth endcaps.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Telukunta Rohit
• Weyrauch Adam
• Joyce Peter
• Frank Steven

Classifications

• B60R9/045 Primary

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