Advanced Accessory Systems, LLC

Masco Corporation

Masco Industries, Inc.

Huron/st. Clair Incorporated

Gary M Cronce

Craig A Stapleton

William A Rasor

Charles R Schriner

Richard I Pudney

Mark C Towns

Charles E Stringer

Craig R Prasatek

Robert S Zauner

Brian W Glombowski

Ronald W Reid

Christopher M Hiebert

Dean Graboske

An article carrier includes a cross member rollingly engaging a pair of longitudinally extending side rails. The cross member has rollers that engage the side rails for reducing the amount of effort required to move the cross member along the side rails. A cross member lock mechanism is also disclosed having three distinct modes of operation: automatically re-locking, manually re-locking, and locked.

Article carrier having cross member with rollers

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

An article carrier for attachment to an automobile rooftop including a pair of luggage roof rails rhine to the rooftop, each roof rail having at least one detent disposed therein, an elongated crossbar having a first end and a second end, a pair of support members for slidably connecting the crossbar to the roof rails, one of the pair affixed to the first end of the crossbar and the other of the pair connected to the second end of the crossbar each support member including, a track follower on the support slidably engaging the track, a latch for releasably positioning the support member along the track at the at least one detent, the latch having a protrusion and a protrusion support that selectively positions the protrusion in a recessed position wherein the support member is freely slidable along the track, and a latched position wherein the protrusion is urged toward engagement with the at least one detent for securing the support at a fixed position along the track, means for resiliently urging the protrusion support to the latched position and a retainer for selectively maintaining the protrusion in the recessed position.

Article carrier

An article carrier comprises a crossbar to be detachably engaged with carrier rails secured to a motor vehicle body panel. The longitudinal rails may be aligned to correspond with style lines of the body panel and need not be aligned parallel to each other in order to receive the crossbar. The crossbar includes an elongated rail carrying at least one slider, the slider having an end removably engageable with the longitudinal rail. A guide carries the slider along an elongated rail of the crossbar while a latch fixedly locates the position of the slider along the elongated rail of the crossbar. In addition, a lock retains the latch in an engaged position to restrict manual operation of the latch. In the preferred embodiment, the longitudinal rails include a track adapted to accommodate correspondingly conforming ends on the slider.

Adjustable crossbar for article carrier

An article securing member for an automobile luggage rack is provided with a spring biased retractable lock pin which can selectively engage a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures formed in the side rail of the rack. A push button is provided for actuating a lever link which lifts the retractable lock pin against the spring bias when the button is depressed to disengage the lock pin from the apertures and permit sliding movement of the article securing member along the side rail.

Locking mechanism for automobile luggage racks

An adjustable mounting for an article restraining cross bar of an automobile luggage rack is provided to interconnect the cross bar to a pair of stanchion members mounted for longitudinal movement along a pair of parallel side rails so that one stanchion may be longitudinally adjusted relative to the other stanchion. A pivot plug is provided which is secured to each end of the cross bar and includes an extending tongue portion having a slot therein. The stanchions each contain a socket adapted to receive the tongue portion of the pivot plug and a fastening screw extends through the socket and tongue slot to secure the plug within the socket while permitting limited inward and outward movement of the tongue within the socket and limited pivotal movement of the plug around the fastening screw disposed in the slot.

Pivotable cross bar and stanchion connection

An end piece of a support slat of a luggage carrier which facilitates attachment of the end piece to the slat body prior to mounting to the vehicle body. The end piece has a tongue which extends into the slat body. The tongue includes a snap-in ramp designed to cooperate with an opening formed in the floor of the slat body to prevent withdrawal of the end piece and a series of alignment flanges extending upwardly from the tongue to engage the rub strip retaining shoulders of the slat body. A separate fastener is used to secure the slat assembly to the vehicle body.

Snap-together luggage carrier slat

An aerodynamic spoiler construction for a vehicle in which substantially all of the fasteners are hidden from exterior view. The spoiler includes base members secured to the vehicle, supports mounted to the base members and secured to the spoiler cross wing. End fins are received within the ends of the cross wing. The base members are mounted to the vehicle and the supports are attached to the wing by fasteners hidden within the supports. Additional fasteners secure the supports to their respective base members.

Vehicle spoiler construction

An article carrier for mounting on a substantially flat exterior surface of a motor vehicle. The article carrier has two slat assemblies fixedly secured to the motor vehicle surface in a spaced apart, parallel relationship. Each slat assembly has at least one longitudinal rib. At least two pairs of brackets are provided, two brackets being removably and slidably fastened to the rib of each of the slat assemblies. A locking mechanism depending from the bracket is provided for securing the bracket in a fixed position along the slat assembly by clamping the rib between the bracket and a clamping member. One rail is supported by each pair of brackets to extend transversely therebetween above the surface.

Article carrier with adjustably positionable bracket

An article carrier for mounting on a substantially flat surface of a motor vehicle. The article carrier has two parallel slats fixedly secured to the motor vehicle surface in a spaced apart and parallel relationship. Each slat has at least one longitudinal rib. At least one pair of brackets is provided, one of the brackets being fastened to the rib of each of the slats. A locking mechanism depending from the bracket is provided for securing the bracket in a fixed position along the slat by clamping the rib between the bracket and a clamping member. At least one transverse rail is provided, each end of the transverse rail being fastened to one of the brackets.

An article carrier for mounting on a substantially flat exterior surface of a motor vehicle and a bracket for the article carrier. The article carrier has two slats secured to the surface in a spaced apart, parallel relationship. One bracket is removably fastened to each of the slats. A movable fastening member depending from each bracket selectively secures the bracket in a fixed position along the corresponding slat. The article carrier also includes a transverse rail fastened at each of its end to one of the brackets.

Growing community of inventors

Port Huron, MI, United States of America

Gary M Cronce