Article carrier

• US 5,474,218 A
• Filed: 07/25/1994
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Kubina, Joseph E., Arsenault, Arthur V. Jr., Kmita, Gerard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vidovich, Gregory M.
• Application Number:
  US08/279,615
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 224/309, 224/316, 224/322, 224/323, 224/324, 224/917, 224/326, 49/489.1, 49/475.1, 296/180.1, 296/93, 296/209
• US Class Current: 224/316
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/05 Carriers characterised by wind deflecting means wind deflectors for open roofs B60J7/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/052 Carriers comprising elongate members extending only transversely of vehicle B60R9/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle roof rack article carrier having a protective rubber insert strip secured in a channel formed in each cross rail of the roof rack. A leading edge portion is formed on the insert strip so as to curve downwardly along an arcuate upper front portion of the cross bar, terminating in a down-turned rounded edge, to thereby provide a virtually wind noise resistant roof rack.

Claims

1. A protective resilient bumper strip for an article carrier for a vehicle roof, the article carrier including oppositely disposed longitudinal rails, and front and rear substantially oval shaped cross rails except for each of said cross rails having a substantially flat upper surface, each of said cross rails being mounted to and between each of the longitudinal rails, with a channel formed in each of the cross rails substantially along the length thereof at a center portion of the flat upper surface defining upper forward and upper rear flat surfaces adjacent said channel, each channel receiving one said protective resilient bumper strip therein, each said bumper strip having a length substantially equivalent to that of a respective channel and having a lower projection extending substantially along the length of said strip adapted to be snapped into said respective channel and leading and trailing side edge portions of said bumper strip extending forwardly and rearwardly of said projection to overlap the forward and rear upper flat surfaces of said cross rail, respectively, the trailing side edge portion adapted to overlie and conform to the upper rear flat surface of said cross rail and terminating in a substantially feathered edge, said leading side edge portion adapted to overlie and conform to the upper forward flat surface of said cross rail and further having a downwardly curving arcuate segment extending therefrom terminating in an exposed rounded edge which is adapted to overlie and conform to an upper front portion of the oval shaped cross rail forwardly of the upper flat surface to thereby reduce wind noise with respect to said article carrier.

2. The protective resilient bumper strip described in claim 1, wherein said trailing side edge portion is formed progressively thinner from said projection to said substantially feathered edge, and said leading side edge portion is formed progressively thinner from said projection to said downwardly curving arcuate segment.

3. The protective resilient bumper strip described in claim 2, wherein said downwardly curving arcuate segment is a constant thickness.