Claims
- 1. A vehicle article carrier apparatus adapted to be fixedly secured to an outer body surface of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a pair of side rails adapted to be fixedly secured to said outer body surface generally parallel to one another along a major longitudinal length of said vehicle;
- at least one mounting member adapted to receive an outermost end portion of one of said side rails and to be fixedly secured to said outer body surface;
- an independent mounting plate within an interior of said outermost end of said one side rail such that an outermost edge of said mounting plate is engaged with at least a portion near a distal edge of said outermost end, so as to be retained within said outermost end without the need for an independent fastening element;
- a fastener for engaging within an interior portion of said mounting member and with said mounting plate to secure said outermost end of said one side rail to said mounting member without said fastener or said mounting plate being visible once said one side rail is secured to said mounting member.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said outermost end of said one side rail comprises a pair of opposing slots formed therein; and
- wherein said mounting plate is adapted to engage within said opposing slots when inserted into said outermost end and to be retained therein during assembly of said one side rail to said mounting member.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interior portion of said mounting member comprises an internal boss portion having an opening; and
- wherein said mounting plate includes a threaded opening formed to align with said opening in said boss portion when said one side rail is being secured to said mounting member; and
- wherein said fastener comprises a threaded fastener for securing said mounting plate to said boss portion.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mounting plate has an overall length approximately equal to an outer dimension of said one side rail.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said outermost end portion includes a pair of opposing slots formed therein;
- wherein said mounting plate is adapted to engage with said slots to be retained within said interior area of said outermost end of said one side rail;
- wherein said mounting member includes an internal boss; and
- wherein said fastener secures said mounting plate, and therefore said outermost end of said one side rail, to said boss such that no fastening elements are visible to an individual once said one side rail is secured to said mounting member.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said mounting plate includes a plurality of notches at one end thereof for easing insertion thereof into said interior of said outermost end of said one side rail.
- 7. A vehicle article carrier apparatus adapted to be fixedly secured to an outer body surface of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a pair of side rails adapted to be fixedly secured to said outer body surface generally parallel to one another along a major longitudinal length of said vehicle;
- at least one mounting support member adapted to receive an outermost end portion of one of said side rails and to be fixedly secured to said outer body surface, said support member having an internal portion;
- said outermost end having at least one slot formed therein;
- a mounting plate disposed within said outermost end so that its outermost edge engages with said slot in a manner such that said mounting plate is retained to said outermost end of said side rail; and
- a fastener for engaging with said internal portion of said support member and with said mounting plate to secure said mounting plate to said internal portion, and thereby said outermost end of said one side rail to said support member, without said fastener and said mounting plate being visible once said one side rail is secured to said support member.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said outermost end of said one side rail includes a pair of opposing slots formed therein; and
- wherein opposite ends of said mounting plate engage within said slots such that said mounting plate is retained within said slots.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said internal portion of said mounting support member comprises an internal boss portion having an opening therein; and
- wherein said mounting plate includes a threaded aperture; and
- wherein said fastener extends through said opening in said boss portion and engages with said threaded aperture to secure said mounting plate, and therefore said one side rail, to said mounting support member.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said mounting support member comprises a neck portion and a base portion, said internal portion being disposed within said neck portion; and
- said neck portion being operable to receive said outermost end of said one side rail therein.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said mounting plate comprises a metal plate having notches formed at one end thereof to ease insertion into one of said slots formed in said outermost end of said one side rail.
- 12. A vehicle article carrier apparatus adapted to be fixedly secured to an outer body surface of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a pair of side rails adapted to be fixedly secured to said outer body surface generally parallel to one another along a major longitudinal length of said vehicle;
- at least one mounting support member adapted to receive an outermost end portion of one of said side rails and to be fixedly secured to said outer body surface, said support member having a base portion and a neck portion, said base portion adapted to be fixedly secured to said outer body surface and said neck portion being operable to receive said outermost end portion of said one side rail;
- said neck portion of said mounting support member further including an internally formed boss portion having an opening;
- said outermost end of said one side rail having at least one slot formed therein;
- a mounting plate disposed within said outermost end so that its outermost edge engages with said slot in a manner such that said mounting plate is retained to said outermost end of said side rail; and
- a fastener for engaging with said internal boss portion of said support member and with said mounting plate to secure said mounting plate to said internal boss portion, and thereby said outermost end of said one side rail to said support member, without said fastener and said mounting plate being visible once said one side rail is secured to said support member.
- 13. A method for securing a tubular side rail of a vehicle article carrier to a support member, wherein the support member is adapted to be fixedly secured to an outer body surface of a vehicle, and where the side rail and support member are secured together without any fastening component being visible once the support member and side rail are secured together, the method comprising the steps of;
- forming at least one slot in an outermost end portion of said side rail;
- inserting a mounting plate within said outermost end portion of said side rail and engaging said slot with said mounting plate;
- placing said mounting plate against an internal portion of the support member; and
- using a fastening element to secure said mounting plate, and therefore said outermost end portion of said side rail, to said internal portion of said support member such that said fastening element and said mounting plate are not visible once said side rail and said support member are secured together.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 09/328,572, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Vehicle Article Carrier Having Clamping Cross Bar", attorney docket no. 0210B-000233.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
4320762 |
Jan 1994 |
DEX |