System and method for vehicle article carrier having stowable cross bars

A vehicle article carrier system for supporting articles above a roof of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

• a cross bar assembly adapted to be secured to be secured to opposing door jams on opposing sides of a vehicle roof;
• the cross bar assembly being configurable:
• in a first configuration where the cross bar assembly has a first length and a non-planar configuration allowing at least a portion thereof to be elevated above the roof, and to be secured to the opposing door jams;
• and in a second configuration where the cross bar assembly has a second length which is less than the first length, and extends along a generally flat plane such to enhance stowability;
• the cross bar including:
• a tubular central portion;
• a pair of outer cross bar portions configured to extend telescopically into opposing ends of the tubular central portion;
• a pair of locking levers operably associated with the outer cross bar portions;
• a pair of tap plates disposed in the outer cross bar portions, with each one of said pair of tap plates being operably associated with one of the pair of locking levers, and configured to cooperate with its associated said locking lever to secure its associated said outer cross bar portion fixedly to the tubular central portion to prevent telescopic movement therebetween;
• a pair of pivotally mounted end supports each having a pivotally mounted latching lever for translating an associated latching element into and out of engagement with an associated one of the door jams;
• and
• a pair of locking blocks operably integrated into the end supports, each one of the pair of locking blocks being moveable laterally with respect to the outer cross bar portions to place the end support in a first position where each said end support is held in an angled orientation non-planar with the outer cross bar portions, and a second position where the end supports are positionable longitudinally in line with the outer cross bar portions such that an entire length of the cross bar assembly extends along a flat plate and facilitates stowing of the cross bar assembly.

A vehicle article carrier system for supporting articles above a roof of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

• a cross bar assembly adapted to be secured to be secured to opposing door jams on opposing sides of a vehicle roof;
• the cross bar assembly being configurable:
• in a first configuration where the cross bar assembly has a first length and a non-planar configuration allowing at least a portion thereof to be elevated above the roof, and to be secured to the opposing door jams;
• and in a second configuration where the cross bar assembly has a second length which is less than the first length, and extends along a generally flat plane such to enhance stowability;
• the cross bar including:
• a tubular central portion;
• a pair of outer cross bar portions configured to extend telescopically into opposing ends of the tubular central portion;
• a pair of locking levers operably associated with the outer cross bar portions;
• a pair of tap plates disposed in the outer cross bar portions, with each one of said pair of tap plates being operably associated with one of the pair of locking levers, and configured to cooperate with its associated said locking lever to secure its associated said outer cross bar portion fixedly to the tubular central portion to prevent telescopic movement therebetween;
• a pair of pivotally mounted end supports each having a pivotally mounted latching lever, an associated latching element and an associated biasing leaf-spring biasing element, each said latching element being movable into and out of engagement with an associated one of the door jams when its associated said latching lever is moved from a closed position to an open position, and each said biasing element operating to provide a user adjustable degree of tension to its associated said latching element;
• and
• a pair of locking blocks operably integrated into the end supports, each one of the pair of locking blocks being moveable laterally with respect to the outer cross bar portions to place the end support in a first position where each said end support is held in an angled orientation non-planar with the outer cross bar portions, and a second position where the end supports are positionable longitudinally in line with the outer cross bar portions such that an entire length of the cross bar assembly extends along a flat plate and facilitates stowing of the cross bar assembly.