Vehicle article carrier having a simplified locking mechanism

• US 20040074939A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JAC Products Incorporated (JAC Holding Enterprises, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: JAC Products Incorporated (JAC Holding Enterprises, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aftanas, Jeffrey M., Kmita, Gerard J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,796,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 224/321
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/045 Carriers being adjustable or transformable, e.g. expansible, collapsible transformable into tents B60P3/36; into beds B60P3/38

Abstract

A vehicle article carrier apparatus having bracket assemblies that include a locking mechanism requiring no independent springs or biasing elements. The bracket assemblies are secured to opposite ends of a cross bar member and each of the bracket assemblies are coupled to a respective support rail secured to an outer body surface of a vehicle. Each bracket assembly generally includes an actuating lever and a locking clamp that are each pivotable between closed and open positions. When the actuating lever is placed in the closed position, interaction between the actuating lever and the locking clamp forces the locking clamp closed and maintains the locking clamp in the closed position. When the actuating lever is moved from the closed position to the open position, the interaction between the actuating lever and the locking clamp permits the locking clamp to open and disengage the support rail.

Claims

1. A vehicle article carrier apparatus adapted to be disposed on an outer body surface of a vehicle for supporting articles thereon, said apparatus comprising:

a pair of support rails adapted to be secured to said outer body surface in spaced apart relation to one another;

a cross bar having a length sufficient to substantially span a distance separating said support rails;

a pair of bracket assemblies secured to opposite ends of said cross bar, said bracket assemblies adapted to be coupled to each of said support rails to suspend said cross bar member between said support rails, each of said bracket assemblies including;

a housing;

an actuating lever pivotably coupled to said housing and pivotable between a closed position and an open position by manual movement by a user; and

a locking clamp pivotably coupled to said housing between a locked position and an unlocked position relative to said support rail, said locking clamp securing said bracket assembly to said support rail when positioned in said closed position;

wherein a portion of said actuating lever obstructs pivotal movement of said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position when said actuating lever is placed in said closed position and released by said user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a raised portion located upon said locking clamp;

wherein said actuating lever interacts with said raised portion and is prevented from pivoting between said closed position and said open position due to said interaction with said raised portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a weight of said locking clamp moves said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position as said actuator is moved from said open position to said closed position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bracket assembly may be vertically lifted from said support rail when said actuating lever is placed in said open position.

5. A vehicle article carrier apparatus adapted to be disposed on an outer body surface of a vehicle for supporting articles thereon, said apparatus comprising:

a pair of support rails adapted to be secured to said outer body surface in spaced apart relation to one another;

a cross bar member having a length sufficient to at least substantially span a distance between said support rails;

a pair of bracket assemblies secured to opposite ends of said cross bar member, said bracket assemblies being coupled to each of said support rails to suspend said cross bar member between said support rails, each of said bracket assemblies including;

a housing;

an actuating lever supported on said housing and having a graspable portion and a flange portion, said actuating lever being pivotally coupled to said housing and movable from a closed position to an open position;

a locking clamp pivotally supported on said housing adjacent said actuating lever, said locking clamp having a clamp portion and a tab portion and being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position;

said locking clamp engaging a respective one of said support rails when in said locked position to secure its associated said bracket assembly to said respective support rail;

wherein said flange of said actuating member contacts said tab portion of said locking clamp as said actuating lever is urged into said closed position, to thereby simultaneously urge said locking clamp into said locked position;

wherein a weight of said graspable portion of said actuating member operates to maintain said actuating member in said closed position once said actuator is manually urged into said closed position and then released by a user; and

wherein said locking clamp is pivotally supported such that a weight of said clamp portion thereof biases said tab portion into constant contact with said flange portion such that said locking clamp can be maintained in said locked position without the use of an independent biasing element, and wherein said weight of said clamp portion operates to urge said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position as said actuating lever is moved from said closed position into said open position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a pivot point of said actuating lever is laterally offset from a pivot point of said locking clamp such that movement of said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position tends to further urge said actuating lever into said closed position.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein rotational movement of said actuating lever in a first rotational direction from said closed position to said open position enables rotational movement in a second direction opposite to said first direction of said locking clamp.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said housing operates to engage an upper surface of said respective support rail and said clamping portion of said locking clamp engages a lower surface of said respective support rail when said locking clamp is in said locked position.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said tab portion includes a raised portion for providing a tactile feel to said user when moving said actuating lever fully into said closed position.

10. A vehicle article carrier apparatus adapted to be disposed on an outer body surface of a vehicle for supporting articles thereon, said apparatus comprising:

a pair of support rails to be secured to said outer body surface in spaced apart relation to one another;

a cross bar having a length sufficient to substantially span a distance separating said support rails;

a pair of bracket assemblies secured to opposite ends of said cross bar, said bracket assemblies adapted to be coupled to each of said support rails to suspend said cross bar member between said support rails, each of said bracket assemblies including;

a housing;

an actuating lever pivotally coupled to said housing and pivotable between a closed position and an open position by manual movement by a user;

a locking clamp pivotably coupled to said housing between a locked position and an unlocked position relative to said support rail, said locking clamp securing said bracket to said support rail when positioned in said closed position, said locking clamp having a clamp portion and a tab portion and being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position;

a raised portion located upon said locking clamp;

wherein a portion of said actuating lever obstructs pivotal movement of said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position when said actuating lever is placed in said closed position and released by said user;

wherein said actuating lever interacts with said raised portion and is prevented from pivoting between said closed position and said open position due to said interaction with said raised portion;

wherein a weight of said locking clamp moves said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position as said actuating lever is moved from said closed position to said open position; and

wherein said bracket assembly may be vertically lifted from said support rail when said actuating lever is placed in said open position.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a pivot point of said actuating lever is laterally offset from a pivot point of said locking clamp such that movement of said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position tends to further urge said actuating lever into said closed position.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein rotational movement of said actuating lever in a first rotational direction from said closed position to said open position enables rotational movement in a second direction opposite to said first direction of said locking clamp.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said housing operates to engage an upper surface of said respective support rail and said clamping portion of said locking clamp engages a lower surface of said respective support rail when said locking clamp is in said locked position.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said tab portion includes a raised portion for providing a tactile feel to said user when moving said actuating lever fully into said closed position.

15. A clamping assembly adapted to secure a first member to a second member, said clamping assembly comprising:

a housing adapted to be rigidly coupled to said first member;

an actuating lever pivotally coupled to said housing and pivotable between a closed position and an open position through manual movement by a user;

a locking clamp pivotably coupled to said housing between a locked position and an unlocked position relative to said second member, said locking clamp securing said clamping assembly to said second member when positioned in said locked position, said locking clamp having a clamp portion and a tab portion and being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position;

a raised portion located upon said locking clamp;

wherein a portion of said actuating lever obstructs pivotal movement of said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position when said actuating lever is placed in said closed position and released by said user;

wherein said actuating lever interacts with said raised portion and is prevented from pivoting between said closed position and said open position due to said interaction with said raised portion; and

wherein a weight of said locking clamp moves said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position as said actuating lever is moved from said closed position to said open position.

16. The clamping assembly of claim 15, wherein said first member is a vehicle article carrier cross bar and said second member is a vehicle article carrier support rail.

17. The clamping assembly of claim 15, wherein said clamping assembly may be vertically lifted from said second member when said actuating lever is placed in said open position.

18. The clamping assembly of claim 15, wherein a pivot point of said actuating lever is laterally offset from a pivot point of said locking clamp such that movement of said locking clamp from said locked position to said unlocked position tends to further urge said actuating lever into said closed position.

19. The clamping assembly of claim 15, wherein rotational movement of said actuating lever in a first rotational direction from said closed position to said open position enables rotational movement in a second direction opposite to said first direction of said locking clamp.

20. A method for securing a vehicle article carrier cross bar to a pair of support rails secured to an outer body surface of a vehicle for supporting articles thereon, said method comprising:

placing a pair of bracket assemblies secured to opposite ends of said cross bar upon said support rails to suspend said cross bar between said support rails;

locking each of said bracket assemblies to said support rails by pivotably disposing an actuating lever of each of said bracket assemblies such that said actuating lever obstructs a locking clamp of each of said bracket assemblies from pivoting to an open position and prevents said bracket assemblies from being removed from said support rails; and

unlocking each of said bracket assemblies to permit removal of each of said bracket assemblies from said support rails by pivotably disposing said actuating lever of each of said bracket assemblies such that said actuating lever permits said locking clamp of each of said bracket assemblies to pivot to an open position and permits release of said bracket assemblies from said support rails.