Universal load-carrying utility rack for vehicles

• US 5,862,964 A
• Filed: 02/28/1997
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thule AB (Thule Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Sportrack International Incorporated
• Inventors: Moliner, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sholl, Linda J.
• Application Number:
  US08/807,530
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 224/329, 224/331, 224/330, 224/322, 224/309, 224/316
• US Class Current: 224/329
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/058 characterised by releasable attaching means between carrier and roof

Abstract

A utility rack provided for carrying loads on vehicles, such as skis, snowboards, bicycles, watersport equipment, lumber, etc., comprises an elongated carrier bar, legs at each end of the carrier bar and adapted to take support on the vehicle, strap and hook assemblies for removably securing the utility rack to the vehicle, a rack-and-pinion ratchet adjustment and locking mechanism in the carrier bar for selectively withdrawing the straps towards the legs and into the carrier bar such as to tighten the hooks to the vehicle until the utility rack is in a firmly mounted position thereof on the vehicle, and for locking the straps in place thereby retaining the utility rack in its mounted position. The thin hooks are made of high strength tempered steel and are PVC coated. The carrier bar defines accessory receiving channels. The legs are provided with swivel feet. A lockable lever actuates the ratchet adjustment and locking mechanism. The straps are angled at about 30° to 40° to the horizontal, preferably around 30°, and are flexible yet solid for substantially following the contour of the roof line of the vehicle at the lateral curved edges thereof.

Claims

1. A utility rack for carrying loads on vehicles, comprising an elongated carrier means, support means provided for supporting said carrier means on the vehicle, rack anchoring means for removably securing said utility rack to the vehicle, adjustment and locking means for selectively tightening said anchoring means to the vehicle such that said utility rack is in a mounted position thereof and for retaining said utility rack in said mounted position, wherein said anchoring means comprise non-extendable strap means adapted to be distally engaged to the vehicle, said strap means proximally comprising a series of ratchet teeth means, said adjustment and locking means comprising thrust teeth means adapted, when said adjustment and locking means are operated, to engage said ratchet teeth means and to selectively inwardly pull on said strap means such as to pull said strap means towards and relative to said carrier means and gradually tighten said utility rack onto the vehicle, said adjustment and locking means also comprising locking means adapted to retain said strap means in position during tightening of said strap means and also once said utility rack is in said mounted position.

2. A utility rack as defined in claim 1, wherein said support means comprise a pair of padded feet pivotally mounted to opposite ends of said carrier means and capable of swiveling with respect thereto to accommodate differently angled support surfaces of the vehicle.

3. A utility rack as defined in claim 2, wherein said ends and said feet define mating concave and convex surfaces which slidably cooperate to allow for a relative pivots therebetween, said feet each defining lower groove means which reduce accumulation of grime between said feet and the surfaces of the vehicle and which allow said feet to be mounted over ribs provided on these surfaces.

4. A utility rack as defined in claim 1, wherein said carrier means comprise a carrier bar defining longitudinally thereon upper accessory-receiving channel means.

5. A utility rack as defined in claim 1, wherein said anchoring means are provided at opposite ends of said carrier means and each comprise hook means adapted to engage the vehicle and strap means extending between said hook means and said carrier means at an angle of 30°

to 40°

relative to the horizontal.

6. A utility rack as defined in claim 5, wherein each said strap means is flexible and solid for substantially following contours of the vehicle, each said hook means being detachably mounted to said strap means by way of a T-shaped hook and a composite opening provided on one and the other of said hook means and said strap means.

7. A utility rack as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjustment and locking means are lockable such as to prevent unauthorized operation thereof aimed at loosening said strap means and releasing said utility rack from the vehicle.

8. A utility rack as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjustment and locking means are manually operable for selectively displacing said strap means with respect to said carrier means such as to release said utility rack from the vehicle.

9. A utility rack as defined in claim 8, wherein said strap means distally comprise hook means for engagement to the vehicle, said adjustment and locking means, when operated, inwardly pulling on said strap means such as to pull said hook means towards said carrier means and gradually tighten said utility rack onto the vehicle, said locking means comprising locking teeth means adapted to retain, by engagement with said ratchet teeth means, said strap means in position during tightening of said strap means and also once said utility rack is in said mounted position.

10. A utility rack as defined in claim 9, wherein said adjustment and locking means comprise tightening lever means and strap locking means, said lever means being pivotable such as to displace carriage means in a back-and-forth movement substantially parallel to said strap means, said thrust teeth means being provided on said carriage means and being adapted to be engaged with said ratchet teeth means during an inward displacement of said carriage means for inwardly displacing said strap means, said carriage means being outwardly displaceable by said lever means while said strap means remain in position, whereby said lever means are displaceable such as to repeatedly displace said carriage means along said back-and-forth movement thereby gradually displacing said strap means inwardly until said hook means are firmly engaged to the vehicle and said utility rack is thus in said mounted position.

11. A utility rack as defined in claim 10, wherein said lever means and said strap locking means are pivotally mounted respectively about first and second pin means, said carriage means define at least first and second cam surfaces adapted to cooperate respectively with said first and second pin means to respectively guide said thrust teeth means into engagement with said ratchet teeth means during inward displacement of said carriage means and to withdraw said thrust teeth means from said ratchet teeth means during outward displacement of said carriage means.

12. A utility rack as defined in claim 10, wherein said strap locking means comprise said locking teeth means engaged with said ratchet teeth means and are adapted to prevent said strap means from loosening when said carriage means are displaced outwardly by said lever means, said locking teeth being adapted to permit said strap means to be displaced inwardly by said carriage means.

13. A utility rack as defined in claim 12, wherein said locking teeth means are biased into engagement with said strap means and are slightly raised, ratchet-like, by said ratchet teeth means as said strap means are displaced inwardly.

14. A utility rack as defined in claim 13, wherein said at least two sets of locking means are provided, said sets being offset from each other such that, when one set is raised by said ratchet teeth means, the other set prevents said strap means from loosening, and vice-versa.

15. A utility rack as defined in claim 12, wherein release means are provided for manually withdrawing said locking teeth means of said strap locking means from said ratchet teeth means of said strap means thereby allowing said strap means to be displaced outwardly and thus loosened, whereby said utility rack can be removed from the vehicle.

16. A utility rack as defined in claim 15, wherein said release means comprise cammed means adapted, when said release means are manually pivoted into an operative position thereof, to bear against said strap means and cause said locking teeth means to raise and thus disengage from said ratchet teeth means;

said release means, when said lever means are operated, automatically returning to a release position thereof in which said locking teeth means engage said strap means.