Universal crossmember assembly for a roof rack of a motor vehicle

A universal crossmember assembly for a motor vehicle having a roof with first and second rails attached to the roof, and each of the first and second rails having one of a range of widths and spaced from one another by one of a range of distances, the universal crossmember assembly comprising:

• a crossbar having first and second ends along an axis;
• a first clamp mechanism engaged with the first end of the crossbar for securing the crossbar to the first rail;
• and
• a second clamp mechanism engaged with the second end of the crossbar for securing the crossbar to the second rail;
• wherein each of the first and second clamp mechanisms comprises:
• at least first and second jaws having an associated one of first and second rail gripping surfaces;
• an actuator engaged with at least one of the first and second jaws and movable between a non-actuated position and an actuated position;
• and
• a biasing mechanism coupled to at least one of the first and second jaws and capable of urging the first jaw away from the second jaw;
• wherein the first and second rail gripping surfaces of the first clamp mechanism are capable of moving toward one another to grip the first rail of one of the range of widths in response to the associated actuator being disposed in the actuated position, and the first and second rail gripping surfaces of the first clamp mechanism are capable of moving away from one another by the biasing mechanism of the first clamp mechanism in response to the associated actuator being disposed in the non-actuated position;
• wherein the first and second rail gripping surfaces of the second clamp mechanism are capable of moving toward one another to grip the second rail of one of the range of widths in response to the associated actuator being disposed in the actuated position, and the first and second rail gripping surfaces of the second clamp mechanism are capable of moving away from one another by the biasing mechanism of the second clamp mechanism in response to the associated actuator being disposed in the non-actuated position;
• wherein at least one of the first and second clamp mechanisms is displaceable along the axis of the crossbar, such that the crossbar is capable of mounting to the first and second rails that are spaced from one another by one of the range of distances.

A method of operating a universal crossmember assembly for a motor vehicle having a roof with first and second rails attached to the roof, each of the first and second rails have one of a range of widths, with the first and second rails spaced from one another by one of a range of distances, and the universal crossmember assembly includes a crossbar and first and second clamp mechanisms, with each of the first and second clamp mechanisms having at least first and second jaws with associated first and second rail gripping surfaces, an actuator, and a biasing mechanism, the method comprising:

• positioning the crossbar at a predetermined location relative to the first and second rails;
• moving the actuator of each of the first and second clamp mechanisms from a non-actuated position to an actuated position;
• moving, for each of the first and second clamp mechanisms, the first rail gripping surface of the first jaw toward the second rail gripping surface of the second jaw in response to the actuator being disposed in the actuated position;
• gripping, using the first and second rail gripping surfaces of the first clamp mechanism, the first rail;
• gripping, using the first and second rail gripping surfaces of the second clamp mechanism, the second rail;
• urging, using the biasing mechanism of the first clamp mechanism, at least the first jaw away from the second jaw in response to the actuator of the first clamp mechanism being disposed in the non-actuated position;
• and
• urging, using the biasing mechanism of the second clamp mechanism, at least the first jaw away from the second jaw in response to the actuator of the second clamp mechanism being disposed in the non-actuated position.