US 5,419,479 AGranted

Transverse carrier clamp for roof luggage carrier for automotive vehicles with roof rack

AssigneeHappich Fahrzeug-Dachsysteme GmbH

InventorsBrigitte Evels, Harald Brunner, Gerrit Fluss

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Abstract

A roof luggage carrier for an automotive vehicle includes a pair of rails running the length of the vehicle and at least one transverse carrier extending between the rails. A clamping device at each end of the carrier clamps the respective rail. The carrier is a hollow section with an open channel on its bottom. The clamping device includes a support jaw held stationary on the carrier and positioned on the side of the rack pipe toward the outer side of the vehicle. A swingable clamping jaw cooperates with the support jaw to clamp the pipe between them. The clamping jaw is positioned on the side of the pipe toward the middle of the vehicle. The clamping jaw is a double arm lever swingable around a pivot pin that is supported on the support jaw. The upper parts of both the support jaw and the clamping jaw extend through the longitudinal opening in the carrier and into the interior of the carrier. An adjustable screw in the upper part of the support jaw is movable to abut and move the upper part of the clamping jaw to swing the lower part of the clamping jaw to clamp against the pipe.

A roof rack for an automotive vehicle, wherein the roof rack comprises a rack pipe adapted to be connected to the roof of the vehicle extending lengthwise on the length of the roof and a transverse carrier extending transversely to the rack pipe, the transverse carrier having an end region;

a detachable clamping device connected at the end region of the carrier for fastening the carrier to the rack pipe, the clamping device including a support jaw and a clamping jaw;
with respect to the roof of the vehicle and the respective pipe clamped by the clamping device, the support jaw lies on the side of the pipe toward the outside of the vehicle and the clamping jaw lies on the side of the pipe toward the middle of the vehicle;
the support jaw being located on the carrier such that the support jaw abuts the rack pipe, said support jaw including an upper jaw part extending within the carrier and a lower jaw part extending below the carrier;
a clamping jaw moving means received at the upper jaw part for moving the clamping jaw;
the clamping jaw comprising a lever having an upper part disposed for being engaged by the clamping jaw moving means which is supported to be movable with respect to the support jaw upper part and a lower part which is movable with respect to the lower part of the support jaw for clamping the pipe between the support jaw and clamping jaw lower parts upon operation of the clamping jaw moving means in a direction to move the clamping jaw upper part to clamp the pipe between the clamping jaw and the support jaw lower parts;
a pivot pin mounted on the support jaw for pivotally supporting the lever thereon wherein the clamping jaw upper part is located above the pin and the lower part is located below the pin, and with the upper part of the clamping jaw being engageable with the clamping jaw moving means which pivotally moves the upper part of the lever and the lower part of the clamping jaw having a side which clamps to the pipe.

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Abstract

Claims13