CARRIER MOUNT

• US 20130270412A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thule Sweden AB (Thule Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Thule Sweden AB (Thule Group AB)
• Inventors: Bogoslofski, Kevin, Weaver, Greg, Laverack, John, Humphries, Robert H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,505,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/551
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/048 Carriers characterised by article-gripping , -covering,-retaining, or -locking means
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/00 Locks or fastenings for special use
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7559 Cylinder type

Abstract

A lockable carrier mount including a main body, an actuating mechanism and interference locking member, and a securement member. The actuating mechanism is configurable between locked and released configurations. The actuating mechanism includes rotatable actuator having a blocking portion with at least one protrusion extending radially further from a rotational axis of the actuator than other parts of the blocking portion. The interference locking member is coupled to the main body and has an engagement surface for selectively engaging the blocking portion. The engagement surface can abut the protrusion in the locked configuration to prevent rotation of the actuator relative to the locking member. The securement member is operably coupled to the actuating mechanism and configured to move toward a secured configuration when the actuator is rotated in one direction and move toward a released configuration when the actuator is rotated in an opposite direction.

Claims

1. A lockable carrier mount (10) for securing articles to a vehicle'"'"'s load bar (200);

the carrier mount (10) comprising;

a main body(12);

an actuating mechanism (30, 46) coupled to and housed at least partially within the main body (12), the actuating mechanism (30, 46) being configurable between locked and released configurations;

the actuating mechanism (30, 46) having a rotatable actuator (30) that includes a blocking portion (34) having at least one protrusion (110) that extends radially further from a rotational axis of the actuator (30) than other parts of the blocking portion (34);

an interference locking member (94) coupled to the main body (12) and having an engagement surface (108, 109) that selectively engages the blocking portion (34);

the engagement surface (109) engaging one of the protrusions (110) in a locked configuration and preventing rotation of the actuator (30) relative to the locking member (94); and

a securement member (14) operably coupled to the actuating mechanism (30, 46) that progresses toward a secured configuration as the actuator (30) is rotated in one direction and progresses toward a released configuration as the actuator (30) is rotated in an opposite direction.

2. The carrier mount (10) as recited in claim 1, wherein the main body (12) is configured to exchangeably receive different articles to be mounted to a carrying vehicle'"'"'s load bar (200), the main body (12) comprising a mounting pad (76) having a substantially flat engagement surface (78) that abuts a complimentary surface on each of the different articles to be exchangeably received thereupon.

3. The carrier mount (10) as recited in claim 1, wherein the rotatable actuator (30) comprises:

a threaded rotatable member (30) extending longitudinally through the main body (12) ; and

a barrel nut (46) having a threaded bore (48) engaged by the threaded rotatable member (30) and coupled to the securement member (14) so that the securement member (14) progresses toward the secured configuration when the actuator (30) is rotated in one direction and progresses toward the released configuration when the actuator (30) is rotated in an opposite direction.

4. The carrier mount (10) as recited in claim 1, wherein the securement member (14) is a strap.

5. The carrier mount (14) as recited in claim 1, wherein the securement member (14) comprises a plurality of straps (54, 56) oriented substantially parallel, one to the others, in the secured configuration.

6. The carrier mount as recited in claim 1, wherein the securement member (14) is a rigid clamping member operably coupled to the actuating mechanism (30, 46), the clamping member (14) configurable between the released configuration and the secured configuration in which the clamping member (14) abuttingly engages the load bar (200) of the vehicle.

7. The carrier mount (10) as recited in claim 1, wherein the interference locking member (94) further comprises a lock cylinder (96) having a flatted side surface (108) and a non-flatted side surface (109), wherein the lock cylinder (96) is rotatable into the locked configuration.

8. The carrier mount (10) as recited in claim 1, wherein the blocking portion (34) is a cylindrical member and the at least one protrusion (110) is a ridge extending along an exterior surface of the cylindrical member.

9. The carrier mount (10) as recited in claim 2, wherein the mounting pad (76) further comprises a threaded mounting post (80) extending upwardly from the substantially flat engagement surface (78).

10. The carrier mount (10) as recited in claim 1, further comprising a knob (32) mounted on an end of the actuator (30), the knob (32) being located outside the main body (12) whereby the actuator (30) is manually operable.

11. A locking mechanism (94) for a carrier mount having a rotatable actuator (30), the locking mechanism (94) comprising:

a blocking portion (34) fixed to an end of the rotatable actuator (30) and having at least one protrusion (110) that extends radially further from a rotational axis of the actuator (30) than other parts of the blocking portion(34); and

an interference locking member (96) coupled to the main body (12) and having an engagement surface (108, 109) that selectively engages the blocking portion (34);

the engagement surface (109) engaging one of the protrusions (110) in a locked configuration and preventing rotation of the actuator (30) relative to the locking member (96).

12. The locking mechanism (94) as recited in claim 11, wherein the blocking portion (34) is a cylindrical member and the at least one protrusion (110) comprises a ridge extending along an exterior surface of the cylindrical member.

13. The locking mechanism (94) as recited in claim 11, wherein the interference locking member (96) comprises a lock cylinder having a flatted side surface (108) and a non-flatted side surface (109), wherein the lock cylinder is rotatable into the locked configuration.

14. A method for assembling a carrier mount (10) comprising a main body (12), and a rotatable actuator (30), a longitudinally movable member (46), and a blocking portion (34) and an interference locking member (94) configured to prevent rotation of the actuator (30) relative to the locking member (94), the method comprising:

positioning the rotatable actuator (30) within the main body (12) such that the actuator (30) extends longitudinally into the main body (12);

coupling the longitudinally movable member (46) to the rotatable actuator (30) such that rotation of the rotatable actuator (30) advances and retracts the longitudinally movable member (46) along the rotational axis of the actuator (30) in dependence upon the direction of rotation;

securing the blocking portion (34) to an end of the actuator (30); and

coupling the locking member (96) to the main body such that an engagement surface (108, 109) of the locking member (96) is arranged to selectively engage the blocking portion (34) in the locked configuration, wherein in the locked configuration, the engagement surface (109) abuts the blocking portion (34), thereby preventing rotation of the actuator (30) relative to the locking member (34).

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising attaching a securement member (14) to the longitudinally movable member (46) so that advancement of the longitudinally movable member (46) causes the securement member (14) to secure upon a load bar (200) of a carrying vehicle.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising attaching a securement member (14) to the longitudinally movable member (46) so that retraction of the longitudinally movable member (46) causes the securement member (14) to secure upon a load bar (200) of a carrying vehicle.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising interconnecting a rigid clamping member (14) to the longitudinally movable member (46).

18. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising attaching at least two portions (54, 56) of a securement member (14) to the longitudinally movable member (46).

19. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising coupling a knob (32) to the actuator (30) so that the knob (32) is exposed for manual user manipulation.

20. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the actuator (30) is a threaded rod and the longitudinally movable member (46) is a barrel nut having a threaded bore (48), and wherein securing the longitudinally movable member (46) comprises inserting the threaded rod (30) through the threaded bore (48), such that rotations of the threaded rod (30) cause the barrel nut (46) to advance and retract along the threaded rod (30) in dependence upon the direction of rotation.