초록 ▼

A vehicle article carrier adapted to carry articles above an outer body surface of a vehicle. A pair of support rails are used, each formed from a non-metallic material, and each further including a bottom wall having at least one cutout potion at an intermediate point along its length. At least one

A vehicle article carrier adapted to carry articles above an outer body surface of a vehicle. A pair of support rails are used, each formed from a non-metallic material, and each further including a bottom wall having at least one cutout potion at an intermediate point along its length. At least one cross bar may be supported from the support rails. At least one bracket may be associated with each support rail. The bracket is dimensioned to fit within the cutout portion in its support rail. The cross bar may be secured directly to the brackets such that ends of the cross bar are fully supported only by the brackets and the outer body surface of the vehicle. Thus, the support rails experience substantially no load from the brackets and the cross bar attached to the brackets.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vehicle article carrier adapted to carry articles above an outer body surface of a vehicle, the vehicle article carrier comprising: a pair of support rails formed from a non-metallic material, each said support rail further including a bottom wall having at least one cutout potion at an interme

1. A vehicle article carrier adapted to carry articles above an outer body surface of a vehicle, the vehicle article carrier comprising: a pair of support rails formed from a non-metallic material, each said support rail further including a bottom wall having at least one cutout potion at an intermediate point along a length thereof;at least one cross bar having a length sufficient to span a distance between the support rails;a plurality of fasteners for securing the support rails to the outer body surface such that the support rails extend along a major longitudinal length of the vehicle and generally parallel to one another;at least one bracket associated with each one of the pair of support rails, the bracket being dimensioned to fit within the cutout portion in its associated said support rail, each said bracket including: a base portion and a mounting portion extending generally transversely of the base portion;a pair of mounting flanges for securing opposing ends of the base portion to the bottom wall of its associated said support rail;a mounting component for securing to structure associated with the outer body surface; andthe mounting portion including structure for enabling a fastening component associated within the cross bar to be secured directly to the mounting portion of the bracket, such that an end of the cross bar is fully supported only by the bracket and the outer body surface of the vehicle, and such that said associated support rail experiences substantially no load from the bracket and the cross bar attached to the bracket. 2. The vehicle article carrier 1, wherein the flanges are offset from the base portion, and the base portion is dimensioned to rest within a roof ditch channel in the outer body surface, with the flanges being generally co-planar with the outer body surface. 3. The vehicle article carrier of claim 1, wherein each said support rail includes an inside wall portion having at least one hole adjacent the cutout portion, and wherein the structure of the mounting portion of the bracket is in registration with the hole in the inside wall portion, with the mounting portion being disposed within an interior area of the support rail. 4. The vehicle article carrier of claim 3, wherein the structure includes a boss having a threaded hole. 5. The vehicle article carrier of claim 1, wherein the mounting portion of the bracket includes a pair of bosses each having a threaded hole, the threaded holes adapted to engage with the cross bar such that the end of the cross bar is supported from the mounting portion of the bracket. 6. The vehicle article carrier of claim 1, wherein each said support rail includes a plurality of cutout portions at intermediate points along the length thereof, and a bracket is secured at each of the cutout portions. 7. The vehicle article carrier of claim 1, wherein the mounting component comprises a threaded mounting post. 8. The vehicle article carrier of claim 1, further comprising metallic channel components adapted to rest within interior portions of each of the support rails, with each said metallic channel portion being secured directly to the outer body surface of the vehicle. 9. The vehicle article carrier of claim 1, further comprising a pair of cross rails. 10. A vehicle article carrier adapted to carry articles above an outer body surface of a vehicle, the vehicle article carrier comprising: a pair of support rails formed from a non-metallic material, each said support rail further including a bottom wall having a plurality of cutout potions at intermediate points along a length thereof;at least one cross bar having a length sufficient to span a distance between the support rails;a plurality of fasteners for securing the support rails to the outer body surface such that the support rails extend along a major longitudinal length of the vehicle and generally parallel to one another;a pair of brackets associated with each one of the pair of support rails, the brackets each being dimensioned to fit within a respective one of the cutout portions in its associated said support rail, each said bracket including: a base portion and a mounting portion extending non-parallel to the base portion;a pair of mounting flanges for securing opposing ends of the base portion to the bottom wall of its associated said support rail;a mounting component for securing to fastening structure associated with the outer body surface, such that the base portion is able to be secured against the outer body surface; andthe mounting portion including structure that enables the cross bar to be secured directly to the mounting portion of the bracket, such that an end of the cross bar is fully supported only by the bracket and the outer body surface of the vehicle, and such that said associated support rail experiences substantially no load from the bracket and the cross bar attached to the bracket, with the load from the articles supported on the cross bar being transmitted directly through the bracket to the outer body surface of the vehicle. 11. The vehicle article carrier of claim 10, wherein the flanges of the bracket are offset from the base portion, and wherein the base portion is dimensioned to be positioned within a roof ditch on the outer body surface of the vehicle. 12. The vehicle article carrier of claim 10, wherein each said bracket includes at least one gusset. 13. The vehicle article carrier of claim 10, wherein the mounting component includes a threaded mounting post. 14. The vehicle article carrier of claim 10, wherein each said support rail includes an inside wall portion having at least one hole adjacent the cutout portion, and wherein the structure of the mounting portion of the bracket is in registration with the hole in the inside wall portion, with the mounting portion being disposed within an interior area of the support rail. 15. The vehicle article carrier of claim 14, wherein the structure of the mounting portion includes at least one boss adapted to lie in registration with the hole adjacent the cutout portion. 16. The vehicle article carrier of claim 15, wherein the boss includes a threaded hole. 17. The vehicle article carrier of claim 10, further comprising a pair of metallic channel elements each adapted to be positioned substantially within an interior portion of an associated one of the support rails, and adapted to be fixedly secured directly to the outer body surface. 18. A vehicle article carrier adapted to carry articles above an outer body surface of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a pair of support rails formed from a plastic material, each said support rail further including a bottom wall having a plurality of cutout potions at intermediate points along a length thereof;at least one cross bar having a length sufficient to span a distance between the support rails;a plurality of fasteners for securing the support rails to the outer body surface such that the support rails extend along a major longitudinal length of the vehicle and generally parallel to one another;a pair of brackets associated with each one of the pair of support rails, the brackets each being dimensioned to fit within a respective one of the cutout portions in its associated said support rail, each said bracket including: a base portion and a mounting portion extending generally perpendicular to the base portion;a pair of mounting flanges for securing opposing ends of the base portion to the bottom wall of its associated said support rail;a threaded mounting post for securing to fastening structure associated with the outer body surface, such that the base portion is able to be secured against the outer body surface without interference from its associated said support rail; andthe mounting portion including at least one boss portion having a hole in registration with an opening in an inside wall portion of the associated said support rail, which enables the cross bar to be secured directly to the mounting portion of the bracket, such that an end of the cross bar is fully supported only by the bracket and the outer body surface of the vehicle, and such that said associated support rail experiences essentially no load from the bracket and the cross bar attached to the bracket, with the load from the articles supported on the cross bar being transmitted directly through the bracket to the outer body surface of the vehicle. 19. The vehicle article carrier of claim 18, further comprising a pair of cross bars adapted to be secured to the brackets. 20. The vehicle article carrier of claim 18, wherein each said bracket is formed from a single piece of material.