초록 ▼

A load carrier has a flat tray-like body that attaches to a vehicle by load bars. Multiple components may be installed on the tray body in many locations on the tray body, for containing and/or supporting cargo. One component is a cargo container that is captured and locked in one of several possibl

A load carrier has a flat tray-like body that attaches to a vehicle by load bars. Multiple components may be installed on the tray body in many locations on the tray body, for containing and/or supporting cargo. One component is a cargo container that is captured and locked in one of several possible positions on the tray body. Other components are cargo posts that include one or more upending towers for supporting cargo by capturing generally vertical portions of the cargo between the towers, wherein the cargo posts may be non-pivotal, pivotal, slidable and/or adjustable. Another component is a hooked or curved depending assembly that suspends cargo from the edges of the tray body.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A load carrier for attachment to a vehicle roof or other exterior vehicle structure, the load carrier comprising: a tray having a floor panel, front and rear walls, and left and right side walls;a pair of cargo posts, each cargo post comprising a base plate connectable at multiple locations on sa

1. A load carrier for attachment to a vehicle roof or other exterior vehicle structure, the load carrier comprising: a tray having a floor panel, front and rear walls, and left and right side walls;a pair of cargo posts, each cargo post comprising a base plate connectable at multiple locations on said floor panel, and a tower upending from the base plate that is a generally flat plate with a longitudinal axis and having multiple apertures through the flat plate at various distances along the longitudinal axis;said multiple locations comprising at least a first and a second location near each other, each for receiving one of said cargo posts, so that the towers are positionable near each other with a space between the towers; and a fastener extending through one of said apertures of each of the towers above said cargo to connect the towers of the pair of cargo posts for retaining the cargo between the towers; wherein the tower and the base plate of at least one of said cargo posts are pivotal relative to each other such that the tower lies flat against the floor panel. 2. A load carrier for attachment to a vehicle roof or other exterior vehicle structure, the load carrier comprising: a tray having a floor panel, front and rear walls, and left and right side walls;a pair of cargo posts, each cargo post comprising a base plate connectable at multiple locations on said floor panel, and a tower upending from the base plate that is a generally flat plate with a longitudinal axis and having multiple apertures through the flat plate at various distances along the longitudinal axis;said multiple locations comprising at least a first and a second location near each other, each for receiving one of said cargo posts, so that the towers are positionable near each other with a space between the towers; anda fastener extending through one of said apertures of each of the towers above said cargo to connect the towers of the pair of cargo posts for retaining the cargo between the towers;wherein the tray comprises at least one track system parallel to the floor panel, wherein at least one of said cargo posts slides along said track system, and wherein the load carrier further comprises a fastener that secures said at least one cargo post at any one of multiple locations along the track system;and wherein the track system comprises a bracket system fixed to an underside of the tray having an open bottom along the length of the track system so that ice and water can flow out of the bottom of the track system. 3. A load carrier as in claim 1, wherein said fastener is a bolt and at least one cargo post is rotatable on a vertical axis until said bolt is tightened to pull the cargo post tight against the floor panel. 4. A load carrier as in claim 1, wherein the bracket system is fixed to an underside of the floor panel and the floor panel comprises a slit over said bracket system, and the track system further comprising a carriage bolt body slidable in said bracket system, wherein said fastener extends through the base plate of said at least one cargo post and through said slit in the floor panel, and is received in said carriage bolt body. 5. A load carrier as in claim 1, further comprising a depending hook assembly connected to a perimeter edge of said tray, said depending hook assembly comprising a hook extending down and out from said perimeter edge, for suspending cargo beside and generally below the tray. 6. A load carrier as in claim 1, comprising at least a first cargo post and a second cargo post that each have a tower and a base plate that pivot relative to each other on a hinge system, wherein the hinge system comprises a pivotal wing that retains the tower at about 90 degrees to the base plate. 7. A load carrier as in claim 1, comprising at least two cargo posts that each have a tower that is rigid and non-pivotal relative to a base plate. 8. A load carrier as in claim 1, further comprising a cargo container connected to the tray, wherein the front wall of the tray is slanted rearward over a front end of the floor panel, and wherein a front wall of the cargo container is slanted rearward and received under the slanted front wall for retaining a front end of the cargo container on the tray. 9. A load carrier as in claim 8, wherein the rear wall of the tray is slanted rearward from the floor panel, wherein a rear wall of the cargo container comprises at least one portion that slants rearward and the rear wall of the cargo container extends over the slanted rear wall, wherein a tab extends from the rear wall of the cargo container through a slit in the tray at or near the rear wall of the tray, and a lock extends through the tab underneath the rear wall of the tray to lock the cargo container to a rear end of the tray. 10. A load carrier as in claim 1 comprising at least four of said cargo posts slidable and lockable in one track system that extends between a right and a left side of the tray. 11. A load carrier as in claim 10 wherein at least two of the cargo posts have towers that are pivotal to lie flat against said floor panel in a storage position. 12. A load carrier as in claim 1, wherein said tray comprises multiple passages for receiving fasteners that connect said cargo posts to the tray. 13. A load carrier as in claim 12, wherein threaded receivers are fixed to an underside of the tray, the threaded receivers being adapted to connect to a bolt extending through a base plate of said cargo posts to secure the cargo post to the tray. 14. A load carrier as in claim 1, further comprising a cargo container box removably received on the tray, and two removable depending hook assemblies, each hook assembly being attachable along a rail on a perimeter edge of the tray and extending out beyond said perimeter edge and down below said perimeter. 15. A load carrier as in claim 14, wherein one of said hook assemblies is located at or near a front end of the tray and one of said hook assemblies is located at or near a rear end of the tray and the two hook assemblies each receive an end of an elongated cargo item, so that the elongated cargo item is suspended parallel to, and outward from, a right or left edge of the tray. 16. A load carrier as in claim 14, wherein a lower end of each hook assembly is adjustable in an upper portion of each hook assembly, to lengthen and shorten each hook assembly. 17. A load carrier as in claim 14, wherein a lower end of each hook assembly is a J-shaped cradle. 18. A load carrier as in claim 14, wherein a lower end of each hook assembly is an L-shaped cradle.