Resilient infill

• US 8,544,707 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yakima Products Incorporated (Kemflo International Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Yakima Innovation Development Corporation
• Inventors: Hubbard, Peter Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse, Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Todd
• Application Number:
  US12/679,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20100308091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 224/325, 224/309, 224/315, 224/316, 224/318, 224/326, 296/180.1
• US Class Current: 224/316
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/04 Carriers associated with vehicle roof B60R9/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/05 Carriers characterised by wind deflecting means wind deflectors for open roofs B60J7/22

Abstract

The invention relates to a resilient infill for positioning in a channel in a crossbar of a roof rack or load carrier. The infill comprises a flexible upper portion and a base comprising a bottom. A pair of flexible, opposing side walls extend from the bottom and curve upwardly and outwardly to meet with outer edges of the flexible upper portion. The width of the upper portion is greater than the width of the bottom and the infill has a substantially hollow interior. The infill is compressible and makes minimal wind noise when positioned in the crossbar of a roof rack located on a moving vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle rack crossbar system comprising:

a crossbar having a longitudinal opening to a cavity having first and second opposing side walls connected to a floor portion, the opening having a width defined between opposing lips, the floor portion being connected to the opposing lips by the first and second opposing side walls; and

a resilient infill having a base connected to an upper portion to form a hollow interior, wherein the upper portion has a greater horizontal width than the base, the base being seated on the floor portion of the cavity, the upper portion pressing upward on concavely curved edges of the opposing lips.

2. The vehicle rack crossbar system of claim 1, wherein the upper portion contacts the first and second opposing side walls of the cavity.

3. The vehicle rack crossbar system of claim 1, wherein upper portion includes convexly curved surfaces that press against the concavely curved edges of the opposing lips.

4. A vehicle rack crossbar system comprising:

a crossbar having a longitudinal opening to a cavity having first and second opposing side walls connected to a floor portion, the opening having a width defined between opposing lips, the floor portion being connected to the opposing lips by the first and second opposing side walls; and

a resilient infill having an upper portion connected to a base by a trunk to form a hollow interior, the upper portion pressing upward on the opposing lips, and having side portions which are hollow, contained in the cavity, and contacting the first and second side walls, the base being seated on the floor portion, and the trunk having a narrower horizontal width than the base and the upper portion.

5. The vehicle rack crossbar system according to claim 4, wherein the upper portion of the resilient infill has outer edges and the trunk of the resilient infill has first and second curved outer walls, the first curved outer wall having an apex that is higher than the outer edges of the upper portion and closer to the first opposing side wall than the second opposing side wall, the second curved outer wall having an apex that is higher than the outer edges of the upper portion and closer to the second opposing side wall than the first opposing side wall.

6. The vehicle rack crossbar system according to claim 4, wherein the resilient infill is made from an extrusion of either rubber or plastic.

7. The vehicle rack crossbar system of claim 4, wherein the resilient infill has an interior volume, the cavity of the crossbar has an upper space, and most of the interior volume of the resilient infill is disposed in the upper space of the cavity of the crossbar.

8. The vehicle rack crossbar system of claim 4, wherein the cavity of the crossbar has lower cavity corners, the lower cavity corners having volumes, and the resilient infill does not fill the volumes of the lower cavity corners.

9. A vehicle rack crossbar system comprising:

a crossbar having a longitudinal opening to a cavity having first and second opposing side walls connected to a floor portion, the opening having a width defined between opposing lips, the floor portion being connected to the opposing lips by the first and second opposing side walls; and

a resilient infill pressing upward on the opposing lips and being seated on the floor portion, the resilient infill having a base connected to an upper portion to form a hollow interior, wherein the upper portion has a greater horizontal width than the base, the resilient infill bridging an opening in the floor portion that leads to a secondary cavity.

10. The vehicle rack crossbar system according to claim 9, wherein the crossbar has an aerodynamic cross-sectional shape.

11. The vehicle rack crossbar system according to claim 10, wherein the opposing lips having tapered inner surfaces, a top portion of the resilient infill having an upper surface, the upper surface of the top portion of the resilient infill corresponding with and contacting the tapered inner surfaces of the opposing lips.

12. The vehicle rack crossbar system according to claim 11, wherein the upper surface of the top portion includes an at least partially exposed substantially flat region, the crossbar having an upper surface, and wherein the at least partially exposed substantially flat region of the resilient infill is substantially flush with the upper surface of the crossbar.

13. The vehicle rack crossbar system according to claim 10, wherein the opposing lips each have a concavely curved edge with a tight radius of curvature, the crossbar having an upper surface, the top portion of the resilient infill having an upper surface, and wherein the resilient infill touches the concavely curved edges of the lips such that the upper surface of the crossbar and upper surface of the resilient infill are substantially flush with each other.

14. The vehicle rack crossbar system of claim 9, wherein the resilient infill contacts the first and second opposing side walls of the cavity.

15. A vehicle rack crossbar system comprising:

a crossbar having a longitudinal opening to a cavity having first and second opposing side walls connected to a floor portion, the opening having a width defined between opposing lips, the floor portion being connected to the opposing lips by the first and second opposing side walls; and

a resilient infill having a base connected to a dome to form a hollow interior, the base being seated on the floor portion, the dome having a continuously convex upper surface that spans the cavity from the first opposing side wall to the second opposing side wall, the convex upper surface of the dome pressing upward on the opposing lips.

16. The vehicle rack crossbar system of claim 15, wherein the convex upper surface of the dome contacts concavely curved edges of the opposing lips.

17. A vehicle rack crossbar system comprising:

a crossbar having a longitudinal opening to a cavity having first and second opposing side walls connected to a floor portion, the opening having a width defined between opposing lips, the floor portion being connected to the opposing lips by the first and second opposing side walls; and

a tree-shaped resilient infill having a canopy portion connected to a base by a trunk portion to form a hollow interior, the base being seated on the floor portion of the cavity, the canopy portion spanning the cavity from the first opposing side wall to the second opposing sidewall and pressing upward on the opposing lips, the trunk portion having a narrower horizontal width than the canopy portion, the canopy portion including first and second branch portions, the first branch portion contacting the first opposing side wall but not contacting the floor portion, a first portion of the hollow interior being disposed in the first branch portion and overhanging the floor portion, the second branch portion contacting the second opposing side wall but not contacting the floor portion, a second portion of the hollow interior being disposed in the second branch portion and overhanging the floor portion.

18. The vehicle rack crossbar system of claim 17, wherein the trunk portion has a narrower horizontal width than the base, the base having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion being disposed closer to the first opposing side wall than the second opposing side wall, the second end portion being disposed closer to the second opposing side wall than the first opposing sidewall, the first branch portion overhanging the first end portion of the base, the second branch portion overhanging the second end portion of the base.

19. The vehicle rack crossbar system of claim 17, wherein convex portions of the canopy press upward on concavely curved edges of the opposing lips.