Systems and methods for attachment of vehicle accessories

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751592-B2
Application number	US-201314389476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2013
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An anchor fixture, for attaching accessories to a vehicle surface has a fixture body with a base for attaching to the vehicle surface. The fixture body has an anchor aperture for receiving an anchor of a first accessory, a fastener aperture for receiving a tongue fastener of a second accessory, and an anchor chamber disposed at least partly outwardly of the anchor aperture and communicating with the anchor aperture and the fastener aperture. The fastener aperture central axis is parallel or at an acute angle to the base. Accessories and accessory attachment systems are presented. Another fixture has a slot defined by the fixture body for receiving a vehicle accessory projection and a surface opposite the slot for engaging the projection. The slot is adapted to receive an anchor which selectively engages a surface adjacent to the slot. Accessories with anchors and corresponding projections are also presented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An anchor fixture for vehicle accessories comprising:
a fixture body having:
a base being adapted to be connected to a vehicle surface;
a top portion being spaced from the base;
a front portion extending from a front edge of the top portion to the base;
a left side portion extending from a left edge of the top portion to the base; and
a right side portion extending from a right edge of the top portion to the base,
each of the top portion, the front portion, the left side portion and the right side portion having a corresponding exterior surface and a corresponding interior surface;

an anchor chamber being defined at least by the interior surfaces of the top portion, the front portion, the left side portion and the right side portion, the anchor chamber being adapted to receive therein a portion of an anchor of a first vehicle accessory and a fastener of a second vehicle accessory;
an anchor aperture being defined in the top portion of the fixture body, the anchor aperture opening to the anchor chamber and being adapted to receive therethrough the portion of the anchor of the first vehicle accessory,
at least a portion of the anchor chamber extending forwardly from the anchor aperture in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the anchor aperture to a fastener aperture, the central axis of the anchor aperture being normal to the anchor aperture; and
the fastener aperture being defined at least in part by the front portion of the fixture body and opening to the anchor chamber, the fastener aperture being adapted to receive therethrough the fastener of the second vehicle accessory, a central axis of the fastener aperture being one of:
parallel to the base, and
at an acute angle to the base,

the central axis of the fastener aperture being normal to the fastener aperture.

2. The anchor fixture of claim 1 , wherein the anchor aperture has an elongate shape.

3. The anchor fixture of claim 1 , wherein the fastener aperture is defined by the front portion of the fixture body and the vehicle surface when the base is connected to the vehicle surface.

4. The anchor fixture of claim 1 , wherein the central axis of the fastener aperture is generally perpendicular to the central axis of the anchor aperture.

5. An anchor fixture system for vehicle accessories comprising:
at least one anchor fixture and
at least one anchor, each anchor of the at least one anchor having an anchor base and an anchor lock extending from the base; wherein
each anchor fixture of the at least one anchor fixture comprises:
a fixture body having a base,
the base being adapted to be connected to a vehicle surface;
an anchor aperture defined by the fixture body, the anchor aperture being adapted to receive therethrough the anchor lock of an anchor of the at least one anchor for a first vehicle accessory; and
the anchor aperture opening to the anchor chamber, at least a portion of the anchor chamber being disposed outwardly of the anchor aperture in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the anchor aperture, the central axis of the anchor aperture being normal to the anchor aperture; and
a fastener aperture defined at least in part by the fixture body and opening to the anchor chamber, the fastener aperture being adapted to receive a fastener of a second vehicle accessory therein, a central axis of the fastener aperture being one of:
parallel to the base, and
at an acute angle to the base,

the central axis of the fastener aperture being normal to the fastener aperture;

each anchor of the at least one anchor being adapted to selectively engage any one of the at least one anchor fixture wherein at least a portion of the fixture body adjacent to the anchor aperture is held between the anchor lock and the anchor base;
the anchor lock being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the anchor base between an unlocked position wherein the anchor lock is movable through the anchor aperture of the anchor fixture and a locked position wherein the anchor lock is blocked by the anchor aperture; and
the anchor lock being rotatable in the anchor chamber, between the unlocked position and the locked position.

6. A vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
a seat connected to the frame;
a propulsion system connected to the frame;
a driving system operatively connected to the propulsion system;
a plurality of external vehicle surfaces connected to the frame and enclosing the frame;
at least one anchor fixture according to claim 1 , each of the at least one anchor fixture comprising:
a fixture body having:
a base being connected to at least one of the plurality of external vehicle surfaces;
a top portion being spaced from the base;
a front portion extending from a front edge of the top portion to the base;
a left side portion extending from a left edge of the top portion to the base; and
a right side portion extending from a right edge of the top portion to the base,
each of the top portion, the front portion, the left side portion and the right side portion having a corresponding exterior surface and a corresponding interior surface;

an anchor chamber being defined at least by the interior surfaces of the top portion, the front portion, the left side portion, and the right side portion, the anchor chamber being adapted to receive therein a portion of an anchor of a first vehicle accessory and a fastener of a second vehicle accessory;
an anchor aperture being defined in the top portion of the fixture body, the anchor aperture opening to the anchor chamber and being adapted to receive therethrough the portion of the anchor of the first vehicle accessory,
at least a portion of the anchor chamber extending forwardly from the anchor aperture in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the anchor aperture to a fastener aperture, the central axis of the anchor aperture being normal to the anchor aperture; and
the fastener aperture being defined at least in part by the front portion of the fixture body and opening to the anchor chamber, the fastener aperture being adapted to receive therethrough the fastener of the second vehicle accessory, a central axis of the fastener aperture being one of:
parallel to the base, and
at an acute angle to the base,

the central axis of the fastener aperture being normal to the fastener aperture.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one anchor fixture is two anchor fixtures fixed on the vehicle surfaces and spaced by a gap.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the two anchor fixtures are oriented with the fastener apertures facing each other.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of vehicle surfaces is a horizontally extending surface; and
wherein the vehicle further comprises a pin connected to a surface extending at an angle to the horizontally extending surface aligned with the at least one anchor fixture.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle is a snowmobile and the at least one anchor fixture is fixed to a tunnel of the snowmobile.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the at least one anchor fixture is pairs of anchor fixtures fixed on the surface above the tunnel of the snowmobile, each pair being disposed on opposite sides of the tunnel and oriented with their fastener apertures facing each other.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising a pin, having a head and a stem, attached to a surface on a side of the tunnel aligned with one of the at least one anchor fixtures.

Assignees

• Bombardier Recreational Products Inc

Inventors

• Labbe Christian
• Chenevert Francois
• Mercier Mathieu

Classifications

• B62M27/02 Primary

  power driven · CPC title

• B60P7/0807

  Attachment points · 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

• B62M2027/028

  Snow mobiles characterised by chassis or bodywork · 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