Load carrier foot and a load carrying roof rack for a vehicle comprising a load carrier foot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9421918-B2
Application number	US-201214349649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2012
Priority date	Sep 16, 2011
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A load carrier foot, and a load carrying roof rack for a vehicle having at least one such load carrier foot. The load carrier foot has a lock arrangement for locking a load carrying bar to the load carrier foot comprising a wedge member, a tensioning member. The wedge member is adapted to cooperate with the tensioning member so that upon operation of the tensioning member. A clamping member is further arranged in working cooperation with the tensioning member. The present invention provides for a load carrying foot having a lock arrangement which requires little space inside of the load carrying bar to lock the load carrying bar to the load carrying foot, it permits the load carrier foot to be attached to the load carrying bar in a plurality of positions and it enables the load carrying bar to be attached to the load carrying foot while at the same time attach to the vehicle using the same tensioning member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A load carrier foot for a load carrying roof rack for a vehicle, said load carrier foot being adapted to be connected with a load carrying bar having a longitudinal extension, a height, and a width, said load carrier foot comprising:
a support surface adapted to rest against a first surface of said vehicle,
a lock arrangement adapted to lock said load carrying bar to said load carrier foot, said lock arrangement comprising a tensioning member adapted to displace a wedge member at least along said longitudinal extension of said load carrying bar to a retaining position in which said wedge member retains said load carrying bar to said load carrying foot in a locked position, and
a retaining arrangement adapted to retain said load carrier foot to said vehicle,
wherein said tensioning member of said lock arrangement is adapted to operate said retaining arrangement, and
wherein said retaining arrangement comprises a retaining strap coupled to said lock arrangement and said body of said load carrier foot, wherein said tensioning member of said lock arrangement is adapted to secure said retaining strap to said vehicle.

2. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , wherein upon displacement of said wedge member, said wedge member abuts at least one inner surface of said load carrying bar, to retain said load carrying bar to said load carrying foot in a locked position.

3. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , wherein upon displacement of said wedge member, said wedge member abuts an intermediate member, such as a portion of said load carrier foot, to wedge said intermediate member towards at least one inner surface of said load carrying bar, to thereby retain said load carrying bar to said load carrying foot in a locked position.

4. The load carrier foot according to claim 3 , wherein said intermediate member of said load carrier foot is formed by a displaceable locking member, said displaceable locking member comprises a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being adapted to be displaced a greater distance than said second portion, and in that said wedge member is adapted to be displaced in a direction from said first portion to said second portion of said displaceable locking member during said displacement towards said retaining position.

5. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , wherein said wedge member, when being in said retaining position, imparts a force component along said height of said load carrying bar and/or along said width of said load carrying bar so that said wedge member retains said load carrying bar to said load carrying foot in a locked position.

6. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , wherein said retaining arrangement comprises a clamping member, said clamping member being adapted to impart a clamping force between said first surface of said vehicle and said clamping member upon operating said tensioning member, to thereby retain said load carrier foot to said vehicle.

7. The load carrier foot according to claim 6 , wherein said clamping member is operable via a sledge, said wedge member being in working cooperation with said sledge via said tensioning member so that upon operation of said tensioning member, said sledge and said wedge member are displaced with respect to each other.

8. The load carrier foot according to claim 7 , wherein at least a part of said clamping member is adapted to be detachably connectable to said sledge.

9. The load carrier foot according to claim 7 , wherein said sledge is slideably arranged with respect to said body of said load carrier foot.

10. The load carrier foot according to the claim 7 , wherein said sledge slides in a portion of said load carrier foot having substantially a C-shaped cross section.

11. The load carrier foot according to claim 7 , wherein said sledge is adapted to be displaced along said longitudinal extension of said load carrying bar.

12. The load carrier foot according to claim 7 , wherein said clamping member is attached to said load carrier foot at a first position, and to said sledge.

13. The load carrier foot according to claim 12 , wherein said clamping member is releaseably attached to said body of said load carrier foot at said first position and/or to said sledge.

14. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , wherein said tensioning member is a rotateable tensioning member, such as a screw.

15. The load carrier foot according to claim 14 , wherein said wedge member is threadably engaged with said tensioning member, enabling displacement of said wedge member upon rotation of said tensioning member along said longitudinal extension of said load carrying bar.

16. The load carrier foot according to claim 14 , wherein said retaining arrangement is operable via a sledge, and wherein said rotatable tensioning member is connected to said sledge via a swivel connection.

17. The load carrier foot according to claim 4 , wherein said load carrier foot comprises a body having a cavity, said cavity being adapted to receive at least a part of said load carrying bar, said cavity of said body cooperates with said displaceable locking member to retain said load carrying bar to said load carrying foot in a locked position.

18. The load carrier foot according to claim 1 , wherein said load carrier foot comprises a body having a cavity, said cavity being adapted to receive at least a part of said load carrying bar.

19. A load carrying roof rack for a vehicle, comprising:
a load carrying bar; and
a load carrier foot, comprising:
a support surface adapted to rest against a first surface of the vehicle,
a body having a cavity, the cavity being adapted to receive an end of the load carrying bar within an interior of the cavity;
a lock arrangement adapted to lock the load carrying bar to the load carrier foot, the lock arrangement comprising:
a tensioning member, and
a wedge member,
wherein the tensioning member is adapted to displace the wedge member in a longitudinal direction within the load carrying bar to lock the load carrying bar to the load carrying foot and

a retaining strap coupled to the lock arrangement and the body of the load carrier foot, wherein the tensioning member of the lock arrangement is adapted to secure the retaining strap to the vehicle.

20. The load carrying roof rack according to claim 19 , wherein the load carrying bar comprises an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface, and wherein displacement of the wedge member is adapted to impart a force component towards the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface of the load carrying bar.

21. The load carrying roof rack according to claim 19 , wherein the lock arrangement further comprises a sledge member, wherein the tensioning member is adapted to displace the sledge member in the longitudinal direction of the load carrying bar toward the wedge member at the same time the wedge member is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the load carrying bar toward the sledge member.

Assignees

• Lundgren Anders
• Thule Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Lundgren Anders

Classifications

• 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

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

• B60R9/04 Primary

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

• B60R9/045

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