WO2008140157A1

WO2008140157A1 - Side bar

Info

Publication number: WO2008140157A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/004966
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cheon Bok Lee
Original assignee: Moldpia Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2007-05-11
Filing date: 2007-10-11
Publication date: 2008-11-20
Also published as: KR100773387B1

Abstract

The present invention provides a side bar, which is constructed such that a pair of mounting parts (12a) and (12b) and a connection part (14) are integrally manufactured into a single body, and which has reduced manufacturing costs and sufficient strength. To achieve the above-mentioned purposes, the side bar of the present invention includes the mounting parts (12a) and (12b), which are fastened to the upper surface of the vehicle, and the connection part (14), which is connected between the mounting parts. The mounting parts and the connection part are formed by injection molding plastic to form an integrated structure. A portion of the connection part (14) is open, and a covering plate (18) is coupled to the open portion of the connection part. Furthermore, a reinforcing member (50) is provided in the connection part.

Description

Description SIDE BAR

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to side bars and, more particularly, to a side bar, which is manufactured by injection molding plastic to form an integrated structure.

[2] Generally, side bars are provided on a roof panel of a vehicle for loading leisure sports equipment and other cargo thereon, thus solving the problem in which the cargo space provided in the vehicle is insufficient. Background Art

[3] FIG. 1 is a view showing conventional side bars mounted to a vehicle. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional side bar.

[4] As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional side bars 10 are provided on opposite sides of a roof panel of the vehicle 1 and are oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[5] Furthermore, each side bar 10 includes mounting members 12a and 12b, which are mounted to opposite ends of the upper surface of the roof panel of the vehicle, and a connection rod 14, which is connected between the mounting members 12a and 12b. The mounting members 12a and 12b are fastened to the upper surface of the vehicle. Covers 16a and 16b are respectively coupled to the upper ends of the mounting members 12a and 12b. Furthermore, ribs 12c for reinforcing are provided in a lattice arrangement in each mounting member 12a, 12b.

[6] However, in a process of manufacturing the conventional side bar, two mounting members are manufactured using plastic and, thereafter, they are coupled to the connection rod, which is manufactured using aluminum through a separate manufacturing process. Therefore, there is a problem in that the manufacturing process is inconvenient.

[7] In an effort to overcome the above problem, a method of manufacturing a side bar as an integrated structure was proposed. However, in this case, because the connection rod cannot have a hollow structure, the weight of the side bar is markedly increased, and the cost of manufacturing the side bar is increased.

[8] Furthermore, in the conventional arts, there is a disadvantage in that, because it is difficult to load an object on a vehicle provided only with the side bars, a cross bar or a separate locking device is required. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[9] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a side bar in which a pair of mounting parts, which are mounted to an upper surface of a vehicle, and a connection part, which is connected between the mounting parts, are integrally manufactured into a single body.

[10] Another object of the present invention is to provide a side bar, the manufacturing costs of which are reduced although it has an integrated structure, and which has sufficient strength.

[11] A further object of the present invention is to provide a side bar, which is constructed such that an object can be easily held on the side bar. Technical Solution

[12] In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a side bar, comprising a pair of mounting parts fastened to an upper surface of a vehicle, and a connection part connected between the pair of mounting parts, the side bar being oriented in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the pair of mounting parts and the connection part are formed by injection molding plastic to form an integrated structure, and a portion of the connection part is open, the open portion being coupled to a covering plate, with a reinforcing member provided in the connection part.

[13] The reinforcing member may be inserted into a protruding support, which protrudes from an inner surface of the connection part and extends in a longitudinal direction of the connection part.

[14] Furthermore, the connection part may be open on a lower surface thereof, and the covering plate may be coupled to the open lower surface of the connection part. In addition, protrusions may be provided on a circumferential outer surface of the connection part at positions spaced apart from each other at regular intervals.

[15] The connection part may comprise a reinforcing rib, which protrudes from an inner surface of the connection part and has a continuous structure. As well, upper surfaces of the mounting parts may be open, and covers may be coupled to the open upper surfaces of the respective mounting parts.

Advantageous Effects

[16] A side bar according to the present invention has a structure such that a pair of mounting parts and a connection part are manufactured by injection molding plastic into an integrated structure and a covering plate is coupled to the connection part, thus facilitating the manufacturing process thereof, and reducing the manufacturing costs.

[17] Furthermore, reinforcing ribs protrude from the inner surface of the connection part or, alternatively, a reinforcing member is inserted into the connection part. Therefore, the side bar of the present invention can have sufficient strength despite being manufactured as an integrated structure.

[18] In addition, because protrusions are formed on the circumferential outer surface of the connection part, an object to be loaded on the vehicle can be securely fastened to the side bar using a string or a locking device. Brief Description of the Drawings

[19] FIG. 1 is a view showing conventional side bars mounted to a vehicle;

[20] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional side bar;

[21] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a side bar, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [22] FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the side bar according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[23] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line a-a' of FIG. 4; and

[24] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line a-a' of FIG. 4 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [25] <Description of the elements in the drawings>

[26] 1: vehicle 10: side bar

[27] 12a, 12b: mounting part 14: connection part

[28] 14a: protruding support 16a, 16b: cover

[29] 18: covering plate 18a: protrusion

[30] 20: reinforcing rib 50: reinforcing member

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [31] Hereinafter, a side bar according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. [32] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the side bar, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4 and 5 are, respectively, a bottom perspective view and a sectional view of the side bar according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. [33] As shown in the drawings, the side bar 10 according to the present invention includes a pair of mounting parts 12a and 12b and a connection part 14, which are integrated into a single body. A portion of the connection part 14 is open, and a covering plate 18 is coupled to the open portion of the connection part 14. [34] In a manner similar to the conventional side bar, the mounting parts 12a and 12b are mounted to the upper surface of a vehicle, and the connection part 14 is connected between the mounting parts 12a and 12b. [35] The mounting parts 12a and 12b are open on the upper surfaces thereof, covers 16a and 16b are respectively coupled to the open upper surfaces of the mounting parts 12a and 12b, and a rib is provided in each mounting part 12a, 12b, in the same manner as that of a conventional side bar. [36] Each cover 16a, 16b can be coupled to the corresponding mounting part 12a, 12b by various methods, for example, using an adhesive or a structure in which a locking protrusion is formed in each mounting part 12a, 12b.

[37] Preferably, the connection part 14 is configured into a tubular shape having a circular, elliptical or streamlined cross-section in order to reduce the weight of the side bar. Furthermore, in the case where the connection part 14 is made of plastic and is formed by injection molding to have a structure integrated with the mounting parts 12a and 12b, because it is relatively difficult to form the connection part 14 so that it has a hollow tubular shape, a portion of the connection part 14 is open, and the covering plate 18 is coupled to the open portion of the connection part 14, thus forming a tubular shape.

[38] That is, in the present invention, the mounting parts 12a and 12b and the connection part 14 are manufactured to form an integrated body, and difficulty in manufacturing can be solved using the structure comprising the covering plate 18.

[39] To ensure the superior external appearance of the vehicle, it is preferable that the connection part be open on the lower surface thereof and that the covering plate 18 be coupled to the open lower surface of the connection part.

[40] Here, the covering plate 18 can be coupled to the connection part 14 by various methods, for example, using an adhesive or a structure in which a locking protrusion is formed in the connection part 14.

[41] As shown in FIG. 3, protrusions 18a are provided on the circumferential outer surface of the connection part 14, so that, when a cross bar is fastened to the side bars or an object is placed thereon, it is prevented from undesirably moving, and can be thus reliably fastened to the side bars.

[42] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, protrusions 18a are also provided on the circumferential outer surface of the covering plate to conduct the same function as that of the connection part.

[43] Reinforcing ribs 20 will be described herein below.

[44] As shown in FIG. 4, the strength of the structure of the connection part 14, in which a portion thereof is open and the covering plate 18 is coupled to the open portion, is unavoidably compared to that of the conventional connection member. Therefore, in the present invention, the reinforcing ribs 20, each of which has a continuous structure, are preferably formed in the connection part 14 to reinforce the connection part 14.

[45] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line a-a' of FIG. 4. As shown in the drawing, each reinforcing rib 20 is a protrusion, which has a rib shape and protrudes from the circumferential inner surface of the connection part 14. The reinforcing ribs 20 serve to reinforce the side bar such that the side bar can withstand a horizontal load and a vertical load, which are applied thereto.

[46] As shown in FIG. 5, each reinforcing rib 20 preferably has a protruding structure such that it is continuous, but this is not limited to the shape illustrated in the drawing. In other words, the structure in which the reinforcing rib protrudes from the inner surface of the connection part 14 may be variously changed.

[47] However, it is preferable that the direction in which each reinforcing rib 20 protrudes be oriented towards the open portion of the connection part to ensure further increased strength, as shown in FIG. 5.

[48] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described herein below.

[49] If the connection part has insufficient strength in the prior embodiment, the present invention may be constructed such that a separate reinforcing member is inserted into the connection part.

[50] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line a-a' of FIG. 4 according to this embodiment of the present invention.

[51] As shown in the drawing, in this embodiment, a reinforcing member 50 is provided in the connection part 14. In detail, the reinforcing member 50 is inserted into a protruding support 14a which protrudes from the inner surface of the connection part 14 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the connection part 14. The reinforcing member 50 may be made of a solid shaft, but, preferably, it is made of a hollow pipe to reduce the weight thereof.

[52] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 50 is not limited to a circular- shaped cross- section. That is, the cross-section of the reinforcing member 50 may have various shapes, for example, a rectangular shape or triangular shape, in consideration of the load to be applied to the side bar.

[53] Hereinafter, the method of manufacturing the side bar according to the present invention and the usage thereof will be explained.

[54] To manufacture the side bar of the present invention, the two mounting parts and the connection part are formed into an integrated structure by injecting plastic into a mold. Thereafter, a covering plate, which is manufactured through a separate process, is coupled to the connection part, thus completing the side bar.

[55] Here, in the case where the reinforcing member is provided in the connection part, the reinforcing member is previously placed in the mold and, subsequently, the mounting parts and the connection part are formed by injecting melted material into the mold.

[56] Meanwhile, typically, the mounting parts of the side bar are bolted to the upper surface of the vehicle. Therefore, the side bar of the present invention is preferably manufactured such that bolt holes are formed through the mounting parts during the injection molding process so as to facilitate the process of mounting the side bar to the vehicle.

[57] As described above, it will be appreciated that the technical spirit of the present invention is to provide a side bar, which can be manufactured as an integrated structure at low cost and which has sufficient strength. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from this spirit.

Claims

[1] A side bar, comprising a pair of mounting parts fastened to an upper surface of a vehicle, and a connection part connected between the pair of mounting parts, the side bar being oriented in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the pair of mounting parts and the connection part are formed by injection molding plastic to form an integrated structure, and a portion of the connection part is open, the open portion being coupled to a covering plate, with a reinforcing member provided in the connection part.

[2] The side bar according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member is inserted into a protruding support, which protrudes from an inner surface of the connection part and extends in a longitudinal direction of the connection part.

[3] The side bar according to claim 1, wherein the connection part is open on a lower surface thereof, and the covering plate is coupled to the open lower surface of the connection part.

[4] The side bar device according to claim 1, wherein protrusions are provided on a circumferential outer surface of the connection part at positions spaced apart from each other at regular intervals.

[5] The side bar device according to claim 1, wherein the connection part comprises a reinforcing rib, which protrudes from an inner surface of the connection part and has a continuous structure.

[6] The side bar device according to claim 1, wherein upper surfaces of the mounting parts are open, and covers are respectively coupled to the open upper surfaces of the mounting parts.