Torque limiting device and a load carrier foot comprising a torque limiting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9725045-B2
Application number	US-201314653752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Dec 21, 2012
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A torque limiting device ( 30 ) connectable to a load carrier, such as a load carrier foot ( 10 ), and adapted for indicating a torque imparted by a user, the torque limiting device ( 30 ) comprising a torque limiter ( 50 ), a connection member ( 31 ) adapted to be connected to the load carrier foot ( 10 ) and a head portion ( 40 ) arranged on the connection member ( 31 ), the head portion ( 40 ) comprising a first and a second member ( 41, 42 ). The disclosure also relates to a load carrier foot ( 10 ) comprising the torque limiting device ( 30 ). The torque limiting device ( 30 ) is specifically adapted to be user friendly and has a space saving configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A torque limiting device connectable to a load carrier and adapted for indicating a torque imparted by a user, said torque limiting device comprising:
a connection member adapted to be connected to the load carrier;
a head portion arranged on said connection member, said head portion comprising a first member and a second member; and
a torque limiter disposed in said head portion and adapted to limit torque to a predetermined threshold,
wherein said head portion is extendable from a retracted position to an extended position,
wherein said first member is outwardly displaceable with respect to said second member and said connection member in said extended position, and
wherein said head portion in said extended position is configured to allow a user to grip said head portion.

2. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said first member is outwardly displaceable with respect to said second member in a direction substantially parallel with said connection member.

3. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said torque limiter is arranged inside of said second member of said head portion.

4. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said first member is encompassing at least a portion of said second member of said head portion.

5. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said first member of said head portion is adapted to be engaged with said torque limiter when said first member of said head portion is in said extended position.

6. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said first member of said head portion is disengaged from said torque limiter when said first member of said head portion is in the retracted position.

7. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said first member of said head portion is in the form of a handle.

8. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said torque limiter comprises a first and a second disc adapted to disengage from each other at a predetermined threshold level of torque, and wherein said first member of said head portion is adapted to engage said first disc at least when positioned in said extended position.

9. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said connection member is a screw.

10. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said head portion of said torque limiting device is adapted to cooperate with a bracket of said load carrier.

11. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said first member of said head portion can be positioned in a position in which said first member of said head portion is prevented from being displaced from said extended position to a retracted position, at least when being subjected to a force parallel with a longitudinal center axis.

12. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said first member of the head portion can be locked in the retracted position by being positioned in a retracted locked position from which said first member cannot be displaced to the extended position, or from which said first member is at least restricted from being displaced to the extended position.

13. The torque limiting device according to claim 1 , wherein said first member of the head portion can be freely rotated when positioned in a retracted position.

14. The torque limiting device of claim 1 , wherein the load carrier is a roof rack comprising:
a load carrying bar; and
a first and a second load carrier foot,
wherein at least one of the first and the second load carrier foot comprises the torque limiting device.

15. A load carrier foot, comprising:
a torque limiting device connectable to a load carrier and adapted for indicating a torque imparted by a user, said torque limiting device comprising:
a connection member adapted to be connected to said load carrier foot;
a head portion arranged on said connection member, said head portion comprising a first member and a second member; and
a torque limiter disposed in said head portion and adapted to limit torque to a predetermined threshold,
wherein said head portion is extendable from a retracted position to an extended position,
wherein said first member is outwardly displaceable with respect to said second member and said connection member in said extended position, and
wherein said head portion in said extended position is configured to allow a user to grip said head portion.

16. The load carrier foot according to claim 15 , wherein said torque limiting device is detachably attached to said load carrier foot.

17. The load carrier foot according to claim 15 , wherein said load carrier foot comprises a bracket comprising an aperture, and wherein said connection member extends through said aperture of said bracket and is pivotally connected to said body of said load carrier foot.

18. A load carrier foot, comprising:
a torque limiting device connectable to a load carrier and adapted for indicating a torque imparted by a user, said torque limiting device comprising:
a connection member adapted to be connected to said load carrier foot;
a head portion arranged on said connection member, said head portion comprising a first member and a second member; and
a torque limiter disposed in said head portion and adapted to limit torque to a predetermined threshold,
wherein said head portion is extendable from a retracted position to an extended position, and
wherein said first member is telescopically displaceable with respect to said second member in said extended position,
wherein said load carrier foot comprises a bracket comprising an aperture, and
wherein said connection member extends through said aperture of said bracket and is pivotally connected to said body of said load carrier foot.

19. A torque transfer device connectable to a load carrier foot and adapted to transfer a torque via a rotational motion by a user comprising:
a connection member connectable to the load carrier foot; and
a head portion arranged on the connection member, the head portion comprising a first and a second member,
wherein the first member is adapted to be outwardly displaced with respect to the entire second member from a retracted position to an extended position, so as to provide for an extendable head portion, and
wherein the first member and the second member are configured to cooperate so that when the first member is in the extended or retracted position, the first member can be rotated a limited amount of degrees without transferring torque to the connection member.

Assignees

• Thule Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Johansson Claes

Classifications

• B25B13/481

  for operating in areas having limited access · CPC title

• B60R9/058 Primary

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

• F16B2/10

  using pivoting jaws · CPC title

• B25B23/1422

  torque indicators or adjustable torque limiters · CPC title

• F16B31/027 Primary

  with a bolt head causing the fastening or the unfastening tool to lose the grip when a specified torque is exceeded · CPC title