Load carrying foot for clamping of a load carrier

Technical area

The present invention refers to a load carrier foot of a load carrier, for simultaneously clamping at a roof rail of a vehicle, in the lower part of the load carrying foot, and at a load carrying bar of the load carrier, in an upper part of the load carrying foot, comprising an essentially rigid body and a clamping jaw, arranged with an initially distance between each other, in a lower part of the load carrying foot, which is larger than the width of the roof rail, whereby the load carrying foot can essentially freely be located on the roof rail with the body and the clamping jaw arranged on adjacent sides of the roof rail, and with the load carrying bar arranged displaceable along the load carrying foot, whereby a tightening means is arranged to bring the clamping jaw towards the body such that the load carrying foot being clamped in right position at the roof rail, simultaneously as the load carrying bar being clamped between the clamping jaw and the body, whereby the clamping jaw in the upper part comprising a main portion and beneath that a narrowing neck portion, which is arranged to be brought into the load carrying bar such that the neck portion extends through a corresponding elongated opening in the load carrying bar, and whereby the main portion having a width which exceed the width of the opening in the load carrying bar and having lower support surfaces, which abuts against a lower inside of the load carrying bar, and that a lower outside of the load carrying bar abuts against a corresponding support surfaces of the body.

Prior art

A load carrier foot of introductory described kind is previously known by for example SE 522 120, which shows a clamping means comprising a support foot with a tightening means connected with a lever for clamping of the load carrying foot at a roof rail of a vehicle. The lever having also an upper part which at tightening of the tightening means provide a simultaneously clamping of a load carrying bar. The lever is intended to achieve an expansion effect perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the load carrying bar, by that the support foot comprising an oblique surface along which surface the end portion of the lever acts such that it being pushed against the load carrying bar and locks it against the support foot.

It is unclear how the expansion in the previously known load carrying foot occurs and how the end portion is pushed against the load carrying bar, but probably the expansion occurs by

pressing the support foot upwards by the lever.

Problem

The problem with a load carrier of known kind is that it can be difficult to achieve a sufficient clamping force to lock the load carrying bar against the load carrying foot at each end of the load carrying bar and simultaneously grip around respective roof rail to fulfil necessary safety requirements.

The problem solution The purpose with the present invention is to achieve a simultaneously clamping of the load carrying foot to a rail and to a load carrying bar, which clamping fulfils necessary safety requirements.

The present invention overcome the above mention disadvantages with a load carrying foot of the introductory mention kind which being characterized in that the clamping jaw being twisted towards the body at tightening of said tightening means, that the main portion being brought downwards such that the support surfaces being pressed against the inside of the load carrying bar, and that the load carrying bar being clamped between the support surfaces of the main portion and the support surfaces of the body, whereby the clamping jaw only abuts against the roof rail and against said lower inside of the load carrying bar.

Short description of the figures

A load carrying foot according to the present invention shall hereinafter be described with reference to the enclosed figures, in which:

figure 1 is a schematic view in perspective of a load carrier foot according to the present invention,

figure 2 is a schematic cross section view of the load carrying foot, according to figure 1. with a covering housing, and

figure 3 is a schematic cross section view, in larger scale, along the line III-III of figure 2.

Preferred embodiment

The load carrying foot 1 shown in figure 1 to 3 is intended for clamping of a load earner 2 at a fixed roof rail 3 of a vehicle (not shown). In the figures only one load carrier foot 1 being shown and for clearly illustrating the invention it is shown in figure 1 and 3 without any covering housing. A load carrier comprising, as is generally known, a load carrying bar 4 which extends across the roof of the vehicle between two along with the roof of the vehicle fixed arranged roof rails 3. with one in each end arranged load carrier foot 1, for clamping of the load carrier 2 at the roof rails 3. The load carrying bar 4 can naturally have optional cross section, as an example square profile or oval profile and is preferably made of metal, as steel or aluminium.

The load carrying foot 1 is made of metal, plastic or similar rigid material and comprising a essentially rigid body 5 and a moveable clamping jaw 6 arranged with an initially distance between each other, in the lower part of the load carrying foot, which is larger than the width of the roof rail 3, whereby the load carrying foot 1 essentially freely can be located on the roof rail 3 with the body 5 and the clamping jaw 6 arranged on adjacent in- and outsides of the roof rail 3. The load carrying foot 1 also comprising a tightening means 7, which is arranged to bring the clamping jaw 6 towards the body 5 such that the load carrying foot 1 being clamped at the roof rail 2.

The tightening means 7 comprising in the embodiment showed a screw 8, which extends through a hole 9 in the clamping jaw 6 to a threaded nut 10, which is located just above the railing 3 in a trace 1 1 in the body 5. The nut 10 is in relation to the vertical line somewhat moveable in the trace 1 1 such that it follows the movement of the clamping jaw at tightening of the screw 8. At tightening of the screw 8 the clamping jaw 6 is brought in direction towards the body 5 until that the clamping jaw 6 abuts towards the railing 3. Subsequently the clamping jaw 6 turns around the railing 3 and towards the body 5. By the fact that the clamping jaw 6 inclines towards the body 5 the upper part of the clamping jaw 6 will at a further tightening being brought downwards, which result in a decreased clamping height of the clamping jaws 6. The tightening means 7 is preferably arranged in the lower part of the load carrying foot, whereby the clamping force acting in close connection to the roof rail 3. Naturally the tightening means 7 may also consist of an eccentric coupling or another known quick coupling.

The clamping jaw 6 is preferably made of a bent metal plate and comprising reinforcement to increase its rigidity, for an example, as appear from the bent side edges 12. As appear from

figure 3 the upper part of the clamping jaw 6 is designed with a main portion 13 and beneath that a narrowing neck portion 14, which being arranged to be brought into the load carrying bar 4 such that the neck portion 14 extends through a corresponding elongated opening 15 in the load carrying bar 4. The load carrying foot 1 is initially displaceable along the opening 15 in the load carrying bar 4 and at tightening of the tightening means 7 fϊxable in right position in relation to the essentially parallel roof rails 3.

The main portion 13 shaped according to the present invention having a width which exceeds the width of the opening 15 in the load carrying bar 4 and having lower support surfaces 16. which abuts against the lower inside 17 of the load carrying bar 4. Simultaneously the lower outside 18 of the load carrying bar 4 abuts against corresponding support surfaces 19 of the body 5. At tightening of the screw 8 the clamping jaw 6 will be turned towards the body 5, whereby the main portion 13 is brought downwards such that the support surfaces 16 being pressed against the inside 17, and such that the load carrying bar 4 being clamped between the support surfaces 16 of the main portion and the support surfaces 19 of the body.

An essential feature of the present invention is that the body 5 is arranged on the inside of the roof rail and abuts towards the roof rail 3. and that the clamping jaw 6 is arranged on the outside of the roof rail and is arranged inclined towards the roof. An essential additional feature is that the main portion 13 can be moved essentially freely at mounting in the load carrying bar 4, i.e. the main portion 13 is designed such that it will not be in contact with the upper inside of the load carrying bar 4. Thus, it shall not be any risk that the main portion 13 wedge between the inside surfaces of the load carrying bar. Thus, the clamping jaw 6 abuts only towards the railing 3 and against lower inside 17 of the load carrying bar 4.