Vehicle roof drip channel mounting system for roof rack and roof rail attachment
AssigneesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMitchell J. Gerczak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus for a roof drip channel mounting system include a first member structured to be attached to a roof of a vehicle, a first plug pivotally coupled to the first member, a second plug pivotally coupled to the first member, and a wedge movably coupled to the first member and disposed between the first plug and the second plug. The first plug and the second plug are configured to pivot in opposite directions with respect to the first member in response to the wedge extending from the first member to mechanically lock the roof rack mounting system to the roof of the vehicle.
Claims20
A roof rack mounting system, comprising:
- a first member structured to be attached to a roof of a vehicle;
- a threaded fastener configured to be threadingly coupled to the first member;
- a first plug pivotally coupled to the first member;
- a second plug pivotally coupled to the first member;
- and
- a wedge movably coupled to the first member and disposed between the first plug and the second plug, the wedge is configured to extend from the first member in response to the threaded fastener rotating with respect to the first member, and the first plug and the second plug are configured to pivot in opposite directions with respect to the first member in response to the wedge extending from the first member to mechanically lock the roof rack mounting system to the roof of the vehicle.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a roof including an elongated slot;
- and
- a roof rack mounting system coupled to the vehicle via the elongated slot, the roof rack mounting system having:
- a first member structured to be attached to the roof of the vehicle;
- a threaded fastener threadingly coupled to the first member;
- a first plug pivotally coupled to the first member and located at least partially in the elongated slot;
- a second plug pivotally coupled to the first member and located at least partially in the elongated slot;
- and
- a wedge movably coupled to the first member and disposed between the first plug and the second plug, the wedge is configured to extend from the first member in response to the threaded fastener rotating with respect to the first member, and the first plug and the second plug are configured to pivot in opposite directions with respect to the first member in response to the wedge extending from the first member to mechanically lock the roof rack mounting system to the roof of the vehicle.
A method of attaching a roof rack mounting system to a vehicle, comprising:
- moving the roof rack mounting system at least partially into an elongated slot disposed in a roof of the vehicle;
- rotating a threaded fastener with respect to a first member of the roof rack mounting system to cause the threaded fastener to translate along a threaded aperture of the first member;
- moving a wedge to extend from the first member in response to the threaded fastener rotating with respect to the first member;
- rotating a first plug and a second plug with respect to the first member in response to the wedge extending from the first member to mechanically lock the roof rack mounting system to the roof of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.