Vehicle roof rack mounting bracket system
AssigneeNAADE, Inc.
InventorsManuel Alvarez Martinez, Abraham Ramirez Moreno
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mounting bracket system for a vehicle roof, and a method for its attachment to a vehicle having a side rail including a drip well, is contemplated in which no drilling of holes or other permanent modifications to the vehicle roof is required, and in which each individual mounting bracket may be independently fixed in place without requiring any structural support from interconnections with any other mounting bracket via crossbars or other interconnections. In this regard, a number of problems associated with prior mounting bracket systems may be overcome.
Claims20
A mounting bracket system for a vehicle roof having a side rail including a drip well and a peripheral edge region having an upper side and a lower side, the mounting bracket system comprising:
- a roof rail bracket, the roof rail bracket comprising a hook portion and a flange portion, the hook portion being configured to engage with the side rail via the hook portion extending downward around the peripheral edge region from the upper side to the lower side, the flange portion defining a lower flange aperture and including an upper flange connector;
- a drip well bracket, the drip well bracket comprising a drip well portion and a mounting portion, the drip well portion defining a lower drip well aperture and comprising an upper drip well fastener configured to engage with the upper flange connector as well as a drip well occlusion region configured for insertion within the drip well, the drip well occlusion region having a thickness sufficient to substantially occupy the majority of a width of the drip well, the drip well portion being configured for engagement with the drip well via insertion of the drip well occlusion region into the drip well;
- and
- a lower aperture fastener;
- wherein when the hook portion is engaged with the side rail, the drip well portion is engaged with the drip will, and the upper drip well fastener is engaged with the upper flange connector, the lower flange aperture and the lower drip well aperture are configured to be in substantial alignment so as to permit the placement of a lower aperture fastener therethrough, the lower aperture fastener being operative to tension the roof rail bracket against the drip well bracket so as to fix the mounting bracket system to the side rail.
A method for installing a mounting bracket system for a vehicle roof having a side rail including a drip well and a peripheral edge region, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a mounting bracket system comprising:
- a roof rail bracket, the roof rail bracket comprising a hook portion and a flange portion, the hook portion being configured to engage with the side rail via the hook portion extending downward around the peripheral edge region from the upper side to the lower side, the flange portion defining a lower flange aperture and comprising an upper flange connector;
- a drip well bracket, the drip well bracket comprising a drip well portion and a mounting portion, the drip well portion defining a lower drip well aperture and comprising an upper drip well fastener configured to engage with the upper flange connector as well as a drip well occlusion region configured for insertion within the drip well, the drip well occlusion region having a thickness sufficient to substantially occupy the majority of the width of the drip well, the drip well portion being configured for engagement with the drip well via insertion of the drip well occlusion region into the drip well;
- and
- a lower aperture fastener;
- wherein when the hook portion is engaged with the side rail, the drip well portion is engaged with the drip will, and the upper drip well fastener is engaged with the upper flange connector, the lower flange aperture and the lower drip well aperture are configured to be in substantial alignment so as to permit the placement of a lower aperture fastener therethrough, the lower aperture fastener being operative to tension the roof rail bracket against the drip well bracket so as to fix the mounting bracket system to the side rail;
- engaging the hook portion with the side rail;
- engaging the drip well portion with the drip well;
- placing the lower aperture fastener through the lower flange aperture and the lower drip well aperture;
- and
- operating the lower aperture fastener in order to tension the roof rail bracket against the drip rail bracket so as to fix the mounting bracket system to the side rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.