Vehicle rail clamp mount

• US 7,845,887 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lund Motion Products Inc (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 89908 Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): GUTMAN, HILARY L
• Application Number:
  US12/031,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20080197663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 410/101, 410/104, 410/105, 410/106, 224/403, 224/405, 224/309, 224/321, 224/547, 224/548, 224/554, 224/281
• US Class Current: 410/106
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 7/0815 Attachment rails or trellis

Abstract

A vehicle rail clamp mount can include a first mount portion that can be engaged with a vehicle rail at any position along the rail. The first mount portion can be positioned to overlie a vehicle rail in transverse to an axis of the rail, then rotated to a position parallel to the rail such that the first mount portion engages the rail. An interlock portion such as a tab on the first mount portion, or a second mount portion can also engage the rail or the first mount portion to prevent the first mount portion from rotating with respect to the rail. The clamp mount device can have a pin or another positioning member to maintain the position of the clamp along the rail. Various accessory mounts can be positioned on the clamp mount.

Claims

1. A vehicle rail mount assembly comprising:

a vehicle mount having a longitudinal axis, an upper surface, a lower surface, a first flange, and a second flange, the first and second flanges extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle mount;

wherein the mount is positionable over a vehicle rail having a longitudinal axis such that in a first position the longitudinal axis of the rail extends transverse to the first flange and the second flange and the mount is removable from the rail and in a second position, the rail extends along the lower surface with the longitudinal axis of the rail being generally parallel to the first flange and the second flange and the mount is only movable along said rail axis;

wherein said mount is rotatable between said first position and said second position about an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle rail; and

wherein the vehicle rail mount assembly further comprises an interlocking portion, which has a locking position in which said interlocking portion secures said mount against movement relative to said rail.

2. The mount assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second mount portion, wherein said second mount portion comprises said interlocking portion.

3. The mount assembly of claim 2, wherein the second mount portion comprises at least one flange.

4. The mount assembly of claim 1, further comprising said vehicle rail.

5. The mount assembly of claim 4, wherein the vehicle rail comprises a plurality of apertures that are configured to receive at least a portion of the interlocking portion.

6. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein, when the mount is in the first position, the mount is removable from the rail in a direction that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rail.

7. The mount assembly of claim 6, further comprising said vehicle rail.

8. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the axis about which the mount rotates between said first position and said second position is generally perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis of the rail and an upper surface of the vehicle rail.