Mechanical and/or electro-mechanical interconnect system for vehicle load carrying components/accessories

• US 5,624,266 A
• Filed: 05/18/1995
• Issued: 04/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sportrack, LLC (Advanced Accessory Systems, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Accessory Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Gibbs, Andrew H., Gibbs, Douglas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US08/443,782
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 439/34, 40/592, 224/315, 224/331, 29/859
• US Class Current: 439/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/055 Enclosure-type carriers, e.g. containers, boxes B60R9/048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/058 characterised by releasable attaching means between carrier and roof
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/007 Rear spoilers B62D35/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/629 Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/74 Means for mounting coupling parts in openings of a panel
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/929 Article carrier for electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor

Abstract

A latch for removably securing one of a plurality of different accessories to an automobile is described. The latch includes a mounting structure which is permanently installed on the vehicle in a manner which assures that the static and dynamic loading expected by reason of the differing accessories are supported by the vehicle. The latch also provides electrical feed-through for accessories that might need the same, and remote and/or locking securance.

Claims

1. In a vehicle accessory latch, an accessory mounting structure permanently securable to a vehicle and having a connection component which includes one or more connectors for passing electrical energy to the exterior of said vehicle, each of such connectors being configured to mate with a corresponding connector associated with an accessory requiring electrical energy, and an actuator within the interior of said vehicle and communicating with said accessory mounting structure for manipulating the same between securing and non-securing positions from within said vehicle.

2. The latch of claim 1 wherein the connector of said connection component is designed to pass electrical power to the exterior of said vehicle.

3. The latch of claim 1 wherein at least one mechanical connector is also provided by said connection component to mate with a corresponding mechanical connector of an accessory.

4. The latch of claim 1 further including for said mounting structure a cover plate for said connector for passing electrical energy, said cover plate securable thereover when a connector associated with an accessory requiring electrical energy is not connected thereto.

5. The latch of claim 1 wherein said connector of said connection component is also a mechanical connector to mate with a corresponding connector of an accessory.

6. In a vehicle accessory latch, an accessory mounting structure permanently securable to a vehicle, comprising:

(a) a connection component which includes one or more connectors to be positioned by said structure on the exterior of said vehicle to mate with corresponding connectors associated with one or more accessories; and

(b) a handle within the interior of said vehicle and communicating with said connection component for manipulating at least one of the connectors provided by the same between securing and non-securing positions from within said vehicle.

7. The latch of claim 6 wherein said connection component is adapted to pass a radio frequency signal received from said accessory mounting structure to a signal conductor associated with an accessory.

8. The latch of claim 6 wherein at least one of said connectors provides electrical energy to be passed to an accessory.

9. The latch of claim 6 wherein at least one of said connectors is both a mechanical connector and an electrical connector for feeding electrical energy to an accessory.

10. The latch of claim 6 further including an actuator within the interior compartment of said vehicle for drawing said accessory mounting structure and an accessory together when said connectors are mated.

11. The latch of claim 6 wherein at least one of said connectors provided by said connection component is a latching hook to catch a corresponding connector associated with an accessory.

12. The latch of claim 6 wherein one or more of said connectors has at least a pair of types of electrical connections for different electrical characteristics.

13. In a vehicle accessory latch, an accessory mounting structure permanently securable to a vehicle, comprising:

(a) a modular connection component which includes at least one connector which provides electrical energy for an accessory, which connector is to be positioned on the exterior of said vehicle to mate with a corresponding connector associated with the accessory;

(b) a cover plate for said connector providing said electrical energy, which cover plate is securable over said connector when an electrical connector of an accessory is not connected thereto; and

(c) an actuator within the interior of said vehicle and communicating with said connection component for manipulating the same between securing and non-securing positions from within said vehicle.

14. In a vehicle modular accessory latch which can be used with a plurality of differing accessories, a mounting structure permanently securable to a vehicle providing electrical feedthrough for an accessory, comprising:

(a) a connection component permanently attachable to said vehicle, which component includes at least one electrical connector to be on the exterior of said vehicle to mate with and connect to a corresponding connector associated with an accessory to provide an electrical connection between said mounting structure and said accessory;

(b) a backing component for securance to said vehicle interiorly of said connection component, which backing component cooperates with said connection component to transmit electrical power thereto; and

(c) an actuator within the interior of said vehicle and communicating with said connection component for manipulating the same between securing and non-securing positions from within said vehicle.

15. The latch of claim 14 wherein said actuator comprises a handle within the interior of said vehicle.

16. The latch of claim 14 wherein said backing component cooperates with said connection component to transmit to said vehicle both the static and the dynamic loading expected by reason of an accessory.

17. The latch of claim 14 wherein said actuator includes means for drawing said vehicle mounting structure and an accessory together when said connectors are mated.

18. An accessory for a vehicle having a pair of spaced-apart latching components, each of which accessory latching components provides one or more connectors which mate with corresponding connectors provided at the exterior of said vehicle by a respective pair of spaced-apart mounting structures permanently securable to said vehicle, each of which accessory latching components is separable from said vehicle mounting structures, said vehicle having an actuator within its interior for manipulating at least one of said vehicle mounting structures between securing and non-securing positions from within said vehicle.

19. The accessory of claim 18 wherein at least one of said connectors is adapted to receive electrical power from a connector provided by a vehicle mounting structure.

20. The accessory of claim 18 wherein at least one of said connectors is a mechanical connector that is adapted both to provide mechanical connection to a vehicle mounting structure and to receive electrical energy from said mounting structure.

21. The accessory of claim 18 wherein said actuator includes means for drawing said at least one mounting structure and an accessory latching component together when said connectors are mated.

22. In a method of attaching an accessory to the exterior of a vehicle, the steps of:

(a) mounting one or more latching structures permanently to said vehicle with one or more connectors positioned to mate with corresponding connectors associated with an accessory;

(b) positioning an actuator within the interior of said vehicle;

(c) mating said connectors of said latching structures to said corresponding connectors of said accessory; and

(d) drawing said accessory and said latching structures together via said actuator positioned within the interior of said vehicle to rigidly secure the former to said vehicle.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said step of mounting includes mounting a plurality of said latching structures permanently to said vehicle at a corresponding plurality of different positions, said step of mating includes mating the connectors of said plurality of latching structures to connectors of a corresponding plurality of connectors associated with said accessory, and said step of drawing includes drawing said accessory to all of said latching structures.

24. In a method of sequentially attaching a plurality of accessories which individually require electrical energy to the exterior of a vehicle, the steps of:

(a) mounting one or more latching structures permanently to said vehicle so as to position at the exterior of said vehicle both a mechanical connector and an electrical connector for said electrical energy to mate thereat respectively with corresponding mechanical and electrical connectors of each of said accessories to transmit therebetween both electrical signals and the mechanical loading expected by reason of each of said accessories;

(b) positioning an actuator within the interior of said vehicle; and

(c) mating said corresponding connectors of each of said accessories with said connectors of said latching structures via said actuator positioned within the interior of said vehicle.

25. The method of claim 24 further including the step of drawing each of said accessories and said latching structures together to rigidly secure the former to said vehicle.

26. In a latch for securing an accessory to the exterior of a vehicle, a mounting structure permanently attachable to the vehicle and including one or more connectors to be at said exterior of said vehicle to mate with corresponding connectors associated with one or more accessories, at least one of said connectors provided by said mounting structure being an electrical connector to mate with a corresponding electrical connector on a vehicle accessory, and an actuator disposed within the interior of said vehicle for manipulating said mounting structure between secured and non-secured positions from within said vehicle.

27. The latch of claim 26 wherein said connectors of said mounting structure are modularized for efficient assembly.

28. The latch of claim 26 wherein said electrical connector on said mounting structure is adapted to receive a radio frequency signal from said vehicle accessory.

29. The latch of claim 26 wherein at least one of said connectors provided by said mounting structure is separate from said electrical connector and is a mechanical connector providing mechanical securance to an accessory latching structure to transmit to said vehicle both the static and dynamic loading expected by reason of said accessory.