US 5,855,840 AGranted

One-piece end support and method of forming thereof

AssigneeJAC Products, Inc.

InventorsJohn S. Cucheran, John Michael Heuchert

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A vehicle article carrier having a pair of one-piece, integrally formed side rail members. Each side rail member has a side rail portion and a pair of end supports integrally formed with terminal ends of the side rail portion. The side rail portion includes a hollow area formed therein and extending along the entire length of the side rail portion. Each end support further includes an inaccessible hollow portion in communication with the hollow portion formed in the side rail portion. Each side rail member forms a lightweight yet rigid member which does not require molding lines, seams or other markings on any portion of the outer surface which is clearly visible to an observer once the side rail members are mounted on an outer body surface of a vehicle. The cost of manufacture is also reduced because the number of molding tools needed to manufacture the side rail member is reduced, as is the complexity and time to assemble the side rail members to an outer body surface of a vehicle. The method of manufacture of the invention further permits the side rail portions of the side rail members to be formed with varying shapes and functional features which would not be possible with conventional roll forming and extrusion techniques.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A method for forming an aerodynamically shaped one-piece side rail for a vehicle article carrier, said one-piece side rail having an elongated side rail portion having a pair of integrally formed end support portions at opposite ends thereof, and wherein said end support portions are adapted to be secured to an outer body surface of a vehicle for supporting said side rail portion above said outer body surface of said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

moving a first molding tool and a second molding tool, each having an interior surface cooperating to define said side rail portion and said end support portions towards each other into engagement with each other so as to at least partially define a cavity representing said side rail portion and said end support portions at each end of said side rail portion;
injecting a molten plastic through an opening formed in at least one of said molding tools into a cavity formed by said interior surfaces therebetween, said molding cavity defining exterior surfaces of said one-piece side rail, such that said molten plastic enters said side rail and said end support portions of said cavity;
injecting a fluid under pressure through a second opening in one of said molding tools to cause said molten plastic to be urged against said side rail portion and said end support portions of said interior surfaces of said cavity to thereby form said one-piece side rail;
removing the supply of said pressurized fluid into said molding cavity after a predetermined period of time;
waiting for said molten plastic to cool;
after said molding plastic has cooled, moving said first and second molding tools away from each other;
and
removing said one-piece side rail from one of said first and second molding tools.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/840,673Filed 29 Apr 1997 · division
Priority: 30 Jun 1995
Granted: 5 Jan 1999
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B60R 9/04
Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like: carriers associated with vehicle roof
B29C 45/1704
Introducing an auxiliary fluid into the mould: the fluid being introduced into the interior of the injected material which is still in a molten…
B29C 2045/172
The fluid being introduced into the interior of the injected material which is still in a molten state, e.g. for producing hollow articles: making…
B60R
Vehicle fittings and parts

Family

Serial497,208Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Jun 1995
Serial638,167Parent of this division · filed 26 Apr 1996
US 5,622,298 AParent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Apr 1997
US 5,765,737 AParent of this division
US 5,855,840 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.