GB2377418A

GB2377418A - Attachment device for a roof rack

Info

Publication number: GB2377418A
Application number: GB0215898A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Morgan Lindell
Original assignee: Thule Sweden AB
Current assignee: Thule Sweden AB
Priority date: 2001-07-11
Filing date: 2002-07-09
Publication date: 2003-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-09
Also published as: GB0215898D0; SE0102477D0; DE10223778A1; SE517334C2; SE0102477L; GB2377418B

Abstract

An attachment device (6) for clamping a load carrying bar (i.e. roof rack) (4) on a vehicle roof (5) with an anchor lug (7), has retaining elements (18, 20) including a first retaining part (18) fixedly attached to the device (6) and engaging the anchor lug (7), and a second retaining part (20), pivotally connected via a resilient element (25) to the device (6). The second retaining part (20) is movable between a first position in which does not co-operate with the anchor lug (7) and a second position in which it does co-operate with the anchor lug (7).

Description

A LOAD CARRYING FOOT HAVING A RESILIENTLY MOUNTED RETAINING PART The invention relates to a load carrying foot for clamping a load carrying bar on a vehicle roof, the vehicle roof being equipped with an anchor lug which is provided for the load carrying foot and in which a gripping element, arranged on the load carrying foot, engages in a clamping manner when the load carrying foot is fastened on the vehicle roof, the said gripping element comprising a first retaining part, which is fixedly connected to the foot and cooperates with the anchor lug, and a second retaining part, which is connected to the foot such that it may be rotated about a rotary axis, it being possible for the latter retaining part to be rotated between a first position, in which it does not cooperate with the anchor lug, and a second position, in which it cooperates with the anchor lug in clamping manner, the latter second position being achieved in that the retaining part is actuated by a clamping device arranged in the load carrying foot.

A load carrying foot of the type described above is already known, and a load carrying foot of this type is described in patent applications DE 198 53 321 and WO 01/00450. However, both of these arrangements are disadvantageous in that it can be difficult to anchor them reliably on the vehicle roof as a result of the tolerance variations which readily occur both during manufacture of the foot and when mounting the anchor lugs in the vehicle roof. For example the said

lerance variations can easily cause the retaining rts to surround the anchor lug in such a way that the nnection produced between the load carrying foot and e anchor lug is not free of play, and, in the worst se, the variations can be so great that it is possible to rotate the rotatable retaining part into e clamping position. If the connection produced ring the clamping procedure is not free of play, the ad carrying foot will vibrate on the vehicle roof ring transportation, and this can cause a load unted on the load carrier to become loose and, in the rst case, to slip down. Moreover, the vibrations can suit in the material of the load carrying foot coming fatigued and the load carrying foot thus coming undesirably weakened. If the rotatable taining part cannot be brought into the clamping sition, it is impossible to use the load carrying ot at all for the intended purpose. e invention proposed here serves the purpose of oviding a load carrying foot of the type described at e outset, for which a play-free connection is seduced when it is fastened on the vehicle roof. The vention also serves the purpose of providing a load

rrying foot, for which it is ensured that the : atable retaining part can always be brought into the moping position. s objects on which the invention is based are lieved if the load carrying foot described at the : set is characterised in that the rotatable retaining

part is rotatably mounted in the rotary axis by means of an intermediate resilient element.

The objects are furthermore achieved if the load carrying foot described at the outset is characterised in that the resilient element comprises a sleeve of a polymer material.

The present invention is described in more detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle equipped with a front and a rear load carrier; Fig. 2 is a schematic rear view of a vehicle equipped with a load carrier; Fig. 3 shows a load carrying foot according to the present invention, in the clamped position having a load carrying bar mounted thereon, seen from the side which points outwards on the vehicle when the load carrying foot is mounted on a vehicle such that it is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the load carrying bar; Fig. 4 shows a load carrier according to that shown in Fig. 3, although the load carrying foot is angled in relation to the longitudinal direction of the load carrying bar;

g. 5 shows a load carrier according to that shown in g. 3, which is located in the non-clamped position ; g. 6 shows a load carrier according to that shown in g. 4, which is located in the non-clamped position; g. 7 is a detailed view of a retaining part and an chor lug; g. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7, in which the rt denoted by the line A-A in Fig. 7 has been itted. gs. 1 and 2 show a vehicle 1 having a front and a ar load carrier, 2 and 3 respectively, each load rrier being equipped with a load carrying bar 4 which tends over a vehicle roof 5 such that it is ansverse to the longitudinal direction thereof, and ich is connected to the edge regions of the vehicle of at its outer ends by means of load carrying feet gs. 3-4 show a load carrying foot, this being clamped an anchor lug 7, and Figs. 5-6 show the load crying foot placed on the anchor lug, but in a nonmoped position. Therefore, these four figures show a ad carrying foot 6, having a housing part 8 on which Load carrying bar 4 is fixedly mounted according to a ) wn technique with the aid of a clamping element 9. A ) porting part 11 is fixedly connected to the housing

t 8 with the aid of a connecting means 10. Here, the meeting means 10 is shown as comprising two tubular

rivets, although it should be obvious to the person skilled in the art that it is essentially possible to use any suitable connecting means, such as a screw connection, welded connection or the like, for the purpose intended here. The vehicle roof 5, of which only a fraction can be seen in Fig. 3, has a depression 12 in which an anchor lug 7 is fastened according to a known technique by means of a clamping element 13. The supporting part 11 has a first bearing surface 14 and a second bearing surface 15, which two bearing surfaces each abut against the vehicle roof 5 at each side of the depression 12 when the load carrying foot is mounted on the vehicle roof 5. The anchor lug 7 has a first connecting element 16 and a second connecting element 17. A retaining part 18 fixedly arranged on the supporting part 11 surrounds the first connecting element 16 ; a retaining part 20, which is mounted such that it may be pivoted about an axis 19 arranged in this supporting part, can be rotated between a first position according to Figs. 5 and 6, which does not cooperate with the second connecting element 17, and a second position according to Figs. 3 and 4, which cooperates with the said connecting element 17 in a clamping manner. A clamping device 21 is arranged on the housing part 8. This arrangement includes a lever 22, which is rotatably arranged on the housing part 8 according to a known technique by way of a joint 23, which is indicated merely schematically in the Figures.

The lever 22 can be pivoted between the upper position illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 and the lower position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. It is particularly clear from Fig. 6 that the lever 22 has an angled face 24

ich is angled slightly outwards to the right in the gure and which, when the lever 22 is moved into the wer position, cooperates with the rotatable retaining rt 20 and retains the retaining part 20 in operating engagement with the other connecting ement 17 in clamping manner, as shown most clearly in g. 4. g. 7 shows the retaining part 20 mounted on the axis d in force fitting engagement with a retaining lug 7. g. 8 shows the retaining part 20 without the part ich is located to the right of the dashed line A-A cording to Fig. 7. Fig. 8 shows that, arranged in the aring between the axis 19 and the retaining part 20, ere is a resilient element 25 which preferably mprises a sleeve manufactured from a polymer such as dia rubber or the like. e description of the invention will refer to Figs. 3When mounting the load carrying foot 6 on the hicle roof 5, the load carrying foot is positioned th the pivotal retaining part 20 in the nonoperating position according to the illustration in j. 5. In this position, the fixed retaining part 18 grounds the connecting element 16, and the lever 22 located in the upper position. The movable retaining et 20 is then pivoted into the position illustrated Figs. 3 and 4, and the lever 22 is brought into the

ier position, in which this lever cooperates with the : aining part 20 in clamping manner. In this position, fixed retaining part and the movable retaining part round the anchor lug 7, thus securing the load

carrying foot against the vehicle roof. As a result of the pivotal retaining part being mounted on the axis 19 by way of a resilient element, it is possible for the retaining part 20 to move resiliently in relation to the pivot axis 19, and any tolerance variations which may be present in the construction are thus compensated and a reliable and play-free fastening is achieved.

Claims

AIMS A load carrying foot for clamping a load carrying r on a vehicle roof, the vehicle roof being equipped th an anchor lug which is provided for the loadrrying foot and which, when the load carrying foot is unted on the vehicle roof, is clamped by retaining ements arranged in the load carrying foot, the taining elements comprising a first retaining part, ich is fixedly connected to the load carrying foot d clamps around the anchor lug such that it operates therewith, and a second retaining part which connected to the load carrying foot such that it may pivoted about a rotary axis by means of an Ltermediate resilient element, it being possible for LC latter retaining part to be pivoted between a first , sition, in which it does not cooperate with the

. chor lug, and a second position, in which it operates with the anchor lug in clamping manner, and e said second position being achieved in a manner ch that the retaining part is actuated by a clamping vice arranged in the load carrying foot.

A load carrying foot according to claim 1, erein the resilient element comprises a sleeve which manufactured from a polymer.