Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Mascotech, Inc.

Advanced Accessory Systems, LLC

Masotech, Inc.

Craig R Prasatek

Gregory L Eilers

Junji Tanabe

John S MacKay

David Esparza

Craig A Stapleton

Gary M Cronce

An article carrier for mounting to a vehicle body panel is formed by a crossbar connecting longitudinal rails. The crossbar is made of a cross rail and stanchions which support the cross rail for displacement along and locking engagement with the longitudinal rails. The split stanchions are formed of first and second jaw members, and one of the jaw members is carried by a shelf on the other jaw member and displaced along the shelf by a retainer. The retainer is manipulated by an actuator, preferably in the form of a rotary knob which is selectively engageable with a nut. The nut is threadably engaged on a threaded shaft that is engaged in an insert in the one of jaw parts and extending through the other jaw part. At least one of the jaw parts includes an engagement surface for locking the stanchion to the rail when the retainer has moved the jaws to the closed position. Conversely, the retainer separates engagement surfaces from the longitudinal rail when the jaw parts are moved to an open position, in which the cross rail is displaceable along or removable from the longitudinal rail.

Split stanchion article carrier

Vehicle luggage carrier siderail

Vehicle top with luggage carrier siderails

Vehicle luggage carrier crossrail

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Craig R Prasatek