Translating roller load assist

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457728-B2
Application number	US-201414282757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	Aug 8, 2006
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A roller load assisted roof-top carrier for elongate articles such as kayak boats. The roof-top carrier includes a space frame having at least a U-shaped portion, the legs of which are each slidingly mountable to each of a front and back cross bar of a vehicular roof rack. In this manner, the space frame translates unitarily relative to the vehicular roof rack. Forward and back cross members are provided that are mounted upon the space frame, the front cross member carrying a pair of kayak saddles, each faced with a friction inducing material for discouraging slippage between a secured kayak and the space frame and the back cross member carrying a pair of guide panels, each faced with a slip inducing material for encouraging slippage between a kayak being loaded on or unloaded from the space frame. A roller can be mounted on a back portion of the space frame.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular roof-top load carrier mountable on the roof of a vehicle for carrying articles, the carrier comprising:
two legs connectable by a base portion to form a U-shaped frame having a long axis;
the base portion having an article engagable portion and each leg being mountable crosswise to vehicular cross bars, the long axis of the U-shaped frame extendable parallel to a long axis of a carrying vehicle;
a guide member having a receiving portion configured to receive at least one of the legs;
the guide member having a locked configuration wherein a leg received therein is pinched within the receiving portion, thereby locking the received leg in place, and a slide permitting configuration, wherein the received leg is not pinched within the receiving portion, thereby permitting translational movement of the received leg within the receiving portion; and
a lever, actuable to transition the guide member between the locked configuration and slide permitting configuration,
wherein in the slide permitting configuration the received leg is translatable from a contracted position to an expanded position in which the article engagable portion of the base portion is extended further from the guide member than in the contracted position.

2. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 1 , wherein the lever is rotatably actuable.

3. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion of the guide member comprises a tubular portion which at least partially encircles the received leg.

4. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 1 , wherein the article engagable portion of the base portion has one or more rollers.

5. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 1 , the base portion comprising a rod extendable between the legs, thereby forming a U-shape.

6. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 5 , wherein the base portion is connectable to the legs at one end of each leg, thereby forming a U-shape.

7. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 1 , further comprising one or more rollers joinable with the U-shaped frame to enable an article to be loaded upon the load carrier.

8. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 1 , wherein the guide member comprises a clamping member configured to mount the guide member to at least one of the vehicular cross bars.

9. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 1 , further comprising saddles locatable across from one another, each positionable proximate one leg of the U-shaped frame.

10. A vehicular roof-top load carrier for carrying articles comprising:
a frame comprising two legs connectable by a base portion, the two legs and base portion together forming a U-shape when connected;
the base portion having an article engagable portion and each leg being mountable crosswise to vehicular cross bars, a long axis of the U-shaped frame extendable parallel to the long axis of a carrying vehicle;
a guide member having a receiving portion for receiving at least one of the legs;
the guide member having a locked configuration wherein a leg received therein is pinched within the receiving portion, thereby locking the received leg in place, and a slide permitting configuration, wherein the received leg is not pinched within the receiving portion, thereby permitting translational movement of the received leg within the receiving portion; and
a lever, actuable to transition the guide member between the locked configuration and slide permitting configuration,
wherein in the slide permitting configuration the received leg is translatable from a first position to a second position wherein the article engagable portion of the base portion is further from the guide member than in the first position.

11. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 10 , wherein the lever is rotatably actuable.

12. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 10 , wherein the receiving portion of the guide member comprises a tubular portion which at least partially encircles a portion of the received leg.

13. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 10 , wherein the article engagable portion of the base portion has one or more rollers.

14. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 10 , the base portion comprising a rod extendable between the legs, thereby forming a U-shape.

15. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 14 , wherein the base portion is configured to connect the legs at one end of each leg, thereby forming a U-shape.

16. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 10 , further comprising one or more rollers joinable with the U-shaped frame, thereby enabling an article to be loaded upon the load carrier.

17. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 10 , wherein each guide member comprises a clamping member configured to mount a respective guide member to the vehicular cross bars.

18. The vehicular roof-top load carrier of claim 10 , further comprising saddles locatable across from one another, each positionable proximate one leg of the U-shaped frame.

19. A vehicular roof-top load carrier for carrying articles on the roof of a vehicle, the carrier comprising:
two legs connected by a base portion and forming a U-shaped frame having a long axis;
the base portion having an article engagement portion and each leg being mountable crosswise to vehicular cross bars, the long axis of the U-shaped frame extending parallel to a long axis of a carrying vehicle;
a guide member having a receiving portion receiving at least one of the legs;
the guide member having a locked configuration wherein a leg received therein is pinched within the receiving portion, thereby locking the received leg in place, and a slide permitting configuration, wherein the received leg is not pinched within the receiving portion, thereby permitting translational movement of the received leg within the receiving portion; and
a lever, actuable to transition the guide member between the locked configuration and slide permitting configuration,
wherein in the slide permitting configuration the received leg is translatable from a contracted position to an expanded position in which the article engagable portion of the base portion is extended further from the guide member than in the contracted position.

20. A vehicular roof-top load carrier for carrying articles comprising:
a frame comprising two legs connected by a base portion, the two legs and base portion together forming a U-shape;
the base portion having an article engaging portion and each leg being mountable crosswise to vehicular cross bars, a long axis of the U-shaped frame extending parallel to the long axis of the vehicle;
a guide member having a receiving portion for receiving at least one of the legs;
the guide member having a locked configuration wherein a leg received therein is pinched within the receiving portion, thereby locking the received leg in place, and a slide permitting configuration, wherein the received leg is not pinched within the receiving portion, thereby permitting translational movement of the received leg within the receiving portion; and
a lever, actuable to transition the guide member between the locked configuration and slide permitting configuration,
wherein in the slide permitting configuration the received leg is translatable from a first position to a second position wherein the article engagable portion of the base portion is further from the guide member than in the first position.

Assignees

• Thule Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Murray Frederick G
• Harris Kevin W

Classifications

• B60R9/08

  specially adapted for sports gear (vehicles specially adapted for carrying aeroplanes, for carrying boats B60P) · CPC title

• B60R9/042 Primary

  Carriers characterised by means to facilitate loading or unloading of the load, e.g. rollers, tracks, or the like · CPC title