System for securing an accessory to a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12049283-B2
Application number	US-202318130724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2023
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

An anchor for use with a rack, an accessory rack, and a system for securing an accessory to a vehicle. The anchor includes an anchor case, the anchor case having a rack connecting part for making contact with the rack and an accessory connecting part for making contact with an accessory; at least one cam rotatably connected to the anchor below the rack connecting part, the at least one cam being rotatable about an axis between a locked position and an unlocked position to selectively secure the anchor and the accessory to the rack; and a lever operatively connected to the at least one cam, the lever being rotatable by a user in order to cause the at least one cam to rotate between the locked position and the unlocked position, the rack connecting part being positioned between the at least one cam and the accessory connecting part along the axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An anchor for use with a rack connected to a vehicle, comprising:
an anchor case, the anchor case having a rack connecting part for making contact with the rack and an accessory connecting part for making contact with an accessory;
at least one cam rotatably connected to the anchor below the rack connecting part, the at least one cam being rotatable about an axis between a locked position and an unlocked position to selectively secure the anchor and the accessory to the rack; and
a lever operatively connected to the at least one cam, the lever being rotatable by a user in order to cause the at least one cam to rotate between the locked position and the unlocked position,
the rack connecting part being positioned between the at least one cam and the accessory connecting part along the axis.

2. The anchor of claim 1 , wherein the lever rotates away from at least a portion of the accessory connecting part when rotating from the locked position toward the unlocked position.

3. The anchor of claim 1 , wherein the accessory connecting part abuts and biases the accessory towards the rack when the lever is rotated from the unlocked position to the locked position.

4. The anchor of claim 3 , wherein when the lever is placed in the locked position:
the accessory connecting part secures the accessory, the accessory connecting part impeding the accessory from lifting and sliding with respect to the rack.

5. The anchor of claim 1 , wherein the accessory connecting part and the rack connecting part are integrally formed with the anchor case.

6. The anchor of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing mechanism biasing the at least one cam towards the anchor case.

7. The anchor of claim 6 , further comprising a latch, the at least one cam extending from a first end of the latch; and
wherein the latch includes splines at a second end of the latch.

8. The anchor of claim 7 , further comprising:
a stem passing through the latch, the anchor case and at least a portion of the lever, the stem including a first end and a second end; and
a fastener installed on the first end of the stem; and
wherein:
the stem pivotally connects the latch and the lever to the anchor case;
the first end of the stem is disposed nearer to the at least one cam;
the biasing mechanism is disposed at the first end of the stem and adjacent the at least one cam; and
the fastener impedes the biasing mechanism from being removed from the stem, the fastener compressing the biasing member biasing the cam towards the anchor case.

9. The anchor of claim 7 , wherein the at least one cam comprises two cams extending in opposite directions from the latch.

10. The anchor of claim 7 , wherein the latch, the splines and the at least one cam are integrally formed as a single-piece component.

11. The anchor of claim 7 , wherein the lever has splines that are mated with the splines of the latch.

12. The anchor of claim 6 , wherein the biasing mechanism comprises at least one of: a spring washer, a coil spring and a resilient member.

13. An accessory rack comprising:
a frame having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
a tongue fastener at the first end; and
the anchor of claim 1 integrated with the frame at the second end.

14. A system for securing an accessory to a vehicle, the system comprising:
a rack configured to be connected to the vehicle, the rack defining a rack aperture; and
the anchor of claim 1 selectively secured to the rack and configured to brace the accessory against the rack, the anchor being selectively inserted into the rack aperture.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one cam comprises two cams extending in opposite directions from the latch.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the latch has a first end and a second end;
the at least one cam is closer to the second end than the first end; and
the latch has splines at the first end to operatively connect the latch to the lever.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the latch, the splines and the at least one cam of the anchor are integrally formed as a single-piece component.

Assignees

• Bombardier Recreational Products Inc

Inventors

• Labbe Christian
• Chenevert Francois
• Mercier Mathieu
• Massicotte Alain
• Brousseau Ivan
• Cotnoir Thierry

Classifications

• B60P7/0807

  Attachment points · CPC title

• B62M2027/028

  Snow mobiles characterised by chassis or bodywork · CPC title

• B60R9/06 Primary

  at vehicle front or rear {(rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041)} · CPC title

• F16B21/02

  Releasable fastening devices locking by rotation (with snap-action F16B21/06; studs or coupling pins with resilient protrusions F16B21/08) · CPC title

• B62J7/08

  Equipment for securing luggage on carriers · CPC title