IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,434,713
Granted Patent B2
US 7,434,713 · App. 10/711,769 · Granted Oct 14, 2008

Load carrier foot

Assignee: Thule Sweden AB
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,434,713
App. No.
10/711,769
Granted
Oct 14, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A load carrier foot for mounting a load carrier bar on a vehicle roof includes a foot part having an upper end attached to the load carrier bar, and a lower end mounted on a roof edge area. The foot part is secured to the roof by a clamping plate gripping a body fold. The clamping plate has a tightening mechanism and a pivot pin in pivotable engagement with the foot part. The foot part and the clamping plate are each provided with contact faces above and below the pivot pin, which interact in a locking manner to prevent the clamping plate from turning about the pivot pin and losing a grip on the body fold when the clamping plate is tightened against the foot part.

Claims (24)

1. A load carrier foot for mounting a load carrier bar on the roof of a vehicle, said load carrier foot comprising:

a foot part having a base part and a housing part, the foot part having an upper end for attachment to the load carrier bar, and the foot part having a lower end for mounting on a roof edge area on the vehicle, the foot part having a clamping plate for securing the foot part to the roof of the vehicle, the clamping plate having integral gripping portion for gripping a body fold located under a body edge area of the vehicle, the clamping plate being in pivotable engagement with the foot part by means of a pivot pin and in tightenable engagement with the foot part by means of a tightening arrangement, the foot part and the clamping plate each having contact faces which are located under the pivot pin when the load carrier foot is secured to the vehicle roof which faces interact in a locking manner to prevent the clamping plate from turning about the pivot pin and causing the gripping portion to lose its grip on the body fold when the clamping plate is tightened against the foot part, wherein the pivot pin is pivotably connected to the foot part, the clamping plate and the foot part each have contact faces which are located above the pivot pin and which interact in a locking manner, and which further prevent the clamping plate gripping portion from losing its grip on the body fold when the clamping plate is tightened by the tightening arrangement, wherein the tightening means includes a screw threaded into a tapped hole in the pivot pin.

2. The load carrier foot as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pivot pin is connected to walls included in the housing part.

3. The load carrier foot as recited in claim 1 , wherein the housing part has walls formed with channels into which the pivot pin is seated.

4. The load carrier foot as recited in claim 1 , wherein the clamping plate is movable in a downward direction with respect to the foot part for enabling the contact faces to become separated for removing the load carrier foot from the roof of the vehicle.

5. A load carrier foot for mounting a load carrier bar on a roof of a vehicle, the load carrier foot comprising:

a foot part having an upper end for attachment to the load carrier bar, and a lower end for mounting on a roof edge area; and a clamping plate for gripping a body fold of the vehicle and securing the foot part to the roof of the vehicle, the clamping plate being coupled to the foot part by a tightening mechanism and a pivot pin in pivotable engagement with the foot part, wherein the foot part and the clamping plate are each provided with contact faces above and below the pivot pin, the contact faces interacting in a locking manner to prevent the clamping plate from turning about the pivot pin and losing a grip on the body fold when the clamping plate is tightened against the foot part, wherein the tightening mechanism includes a screw threaded into a tapped hole in the pivot pin.

6. The load carrier foot as recited in claim 5 , wherein the foot part has housing walls, and the pivot pin is connected to the housing walls of the foot part.

7. The load carrier foot as recited in claim 5 , wherein the foot part has housing walls formed with channels into which the pivot pin is seated.

8. The load carrier foot as recited in claim 5 , wherein the clamping plate is movable in a downward direction with respect to the foot part for enabling the contact faces to become separated for removing the load carrier foot from the roof of the vehicle.

9. A load carrier foot for mounting a load carrier bar on a roof of a vehicle, the load carrier foot comprising:

a foot part having an upper end for attachment to the load carrier bar, and a lower end for mounting on a roof edge area; and a clamping plate for securing the foot part to the roof of the vehicle, the clamping plate having a gripping portion for gripping a body fold of the vehicle, the clamping plate being coupled to the foot part by tightening means and a pivot pin in pivotable engagement with the foot part, wherein the foot part and the clamping plate are each provided with contact faces above and below the pivot pin, the contact faces interacting in a locking manner to prevent the clamping plate from turning about the pivot pin and causing the gripping portion to lose its grip on the body fold when the clamping plate is tightened against the foot part, wherein the tightening means includes a screw threaded into a tapped hole in the pivot pin.

10. The load carrier foot as recited in claim 9 , wherein the foot part has housing walls, and the pivot pin is connected to the housing walls of the foot part.

11. The load carrier foot as recited in claim 9 , wherein the foot part has housing walls formed with channels into which the pivot pin is seated.

12. The load carrier foot as recited in claim 9 , wherein the clamping plate is movable in a downward direction with respect to the foot part for enabling the contact faces to become separated for removing the load carrier foot from the roof of the vehicle.

13. A load carrier foot 4 mountable on the roof 2 of a vehicle 1 having a longitudinal centerline and a pair of lateral side edges 5 , each forming a fold 11 upon which a load carrier foot 4 is releasably anchorable, said load carrier foot 4 comprising:

a foot part 6 having a base part 13 locatable proximate one of the lateral side edges of the roof of the vehicle in an installed configuration;

a clamping plate 9 pivotably connected to the foot part 6 by a pivot pin 22 , said clamping plate 9 having a hook portion 10 releasably hookable on the fold formed at the respective lateral side edge of the vehicle proximate the base part 13 ;

said foot part 6 further having an inner side positioned toward the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle interior to the pivot pin 22 , and an outer side positioned toward the respective lateral side edge of the vehicle exterior to the pivot pin 22 ;

said base part 13 comprising a first upper contact surface 33 located interior of the pivot pin 22 and inclining from the outer side toward the inner side of the foot part 6 ;

a tightening arrangement 22 that advances the clamping plate 9 toward the inner side of the foot part 6 from a released configuration to a secured configuration; and

said clamping plate 9 comprising a second upper contact face 31 slidingly abutting the first upper contact surface 33 in face-to-face engagement therewith, the second upper contact face 31 and the first upper contact surface 33 being configured so that in the secured configuration the clamping plate 9 is restrained against pivotation relative the foot part 6 ;

said base part 13 comprising a first lower contact surface 30 located exterior of the pivot pin 22 and inclining from the outer side toward the inner side of the foot part 6 ; and

said clamping plate 9 comprising a second lower contact face 32 slidingly abutting the first lower contact surface 30 , the second lower contact face 32 and the first lower contact surface 30 being configured so that in the secured configuration the clamping plate 9 is restrained against pivotation relative the foot part 6 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2004
From: LINDEN, CLAES-GORAN
To: THULE SWEDEN AB
Reel/Frame 015213/0112 →
Priority Claims (1)
SE 0201015 · Apr 4, 2002 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTSE030046500 · Mar 20, 2003
Related Publication 20050051684A1 · Mar 10, 2005