A fastening assembly, a crossbar including the fastening assembly, and a method of installing the crossbar and the fastening assembly to a truck bed

Abstract

A fastening assembly (2) is suitable for releasably connecting a load-bearing crossbar (1) to a vehicle. The fastening assembly (2) comprises a crossbar mounting portion (3) having a protruding first hinge portion (4) and a vehicle mounting portion (5), wherein the crossbar mounting portion (3) has a protruding first hinge portion (4), and the vehicle mounting portion (5) has a second hinge portion (6) adapted to be releasably and pivotably coupled to the first hinge portion (4). The first hinge portion (4) comprises a tubular first assembly portion (7a). The second hinge portion (6) comprises a second assembly portion (7b) having opposing shank bearings (16; 18) at opposite ends of a mounting base portion (33), and the second hinge portion (6) is adapted to receive the tubular first assembly portion (7a) in a pivotable manner. A shank (27) is releasably arranged to pass through the opposing shank bearings (16; 18) so as to pivotally connect the first hinge portion (4) and the second hinge portion (6).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fastening assembly adapted to releasably connect a load-carrying crossbar to a vehicle, a crossbar mounting portion having a protruding first hinge portion, and a vehicle mounting portion having a second hinge portion adapted to releasably and pivotably couple with the first hinge portion. The fastening assembly of the present invention is particularly suitable for being transversely mounted to a truck bed or a pickup truck bed for use as part of a cargo carrier device. Background Art

[0002] Australian Patent Application No. 2015252083 discloses an assembly for releasably connecting a crossbar to a roof of a vehicle.

[0003] This known assembly comprises a body fixed to the crossbar and a base fixed to the roof of the vehicle. The base has a receiving portion for receiving the body. Relative short spring biased locking pins slidably engage the blind cavity of the base in the locked position. The relative locking pins are moved toward each other by applying a force to the exposed protruding arms of the actuator connected to the corresponding locking pins. Due to the applied spring force, the locking pins are constantly forced apart in the locked position. Therefore, the distance between the locking pins increases in the locked position. By moving the actuator toward each other again, the distance between the locking pins can be reduced, whereby the locking pins disengage the cavity to release the body from the base. A cover with a locking mechanism is provided to seal the open front of the known assembly to prevent access to the originally exposed arms. The locking rod of the locking mechanism extends along the crossbar and has a rotation axis parallel to the axis of the crossbar. Without the cover, anyone can remove the crossbar assembly from the vehicle. When the locking pins are in the locked position, the body can be slightly rotated relative to the base.

[0004] This known assembly requires the application of force to the actuator both when locking the base to the body and for removing the base from the body. Furthermore, the locking pin can only be operated by manipulating the protruding actuator arm and requires a certain travel length to set the opposing locking pin clear of the base, so that this known assembly becomes relatively bulky and relatively wide. The locking of the base to the body is achieved due to the axial displacement of the opposing locking pins away from each other. Summary of the invention

[0005] A primary aspect of the present invention is to provide a fastening assembly having a simpler structure than known crossbar fastening assemblies.

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a crossbar fastening assembly that does not require a cover to seal and conceal the operating components.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a crossbar fastening assembly having a minimum of structural components.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a crossbar fastening assembly that does not require an actuator and a spring bias.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a crossbar fastening assembly that is less bulky than conventional crossbar fastening assemblies.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive crossbar fastening assembly.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a crossbar fastening assembly that is easy to install and remove.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive crossbar fastening assembly having an elegant design.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive crossbar fastening assembly that can be adjusted to be mounted on a number of different vehicles in a number of different positions.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an alternative crossbar fastening assembly.

[0015] The novel and unique features that achieve these and other aspects according to the present invention include a fastening assembly including the following features:

[0016] - the first hinge part comprises a tubular first assembly part defining a hole having a first hinge axis,

[0017] - the second hinge part comprises a second assembly part including a mounting base part defined between opposite arbor bearings and having a second hinge axis, the mounting base part being adapted to receive the tubular first assembly part in a pivotable manner, and

[0018] - an arbor releasably arranged through said opposing arbor bearings and said bore of said tubular first assembly part in order to pivotably connect said first hinge part and said second hinge part.

[0019] The tubular first assembly part is substantially configured as a cylinder with a cylindrical wall which is fitted in a fitting manner and pivotably mounted in a mounting base part of the second assembly part between the shank bearings. The shank has a length which allows the shank to pass through both shank bearings when inserted through the hole of the tubular first assembly part, thereby arranging the shank to be pivotably suspended in the opposing shank bearings through the hole so that the cylindrical wall pivots in the mounting base part.

[0020] In the context of the present invention, the term "arbor bearing" is a mechanical component that provides free linear movement of a moving part and free rotation about a fixed axis of said moving part, which is the arbor. The present invention utilizes two arbor bearings, one at each end of the first assembly part. Preferably, a suitable arbor bearing for use with the present invention may be a simple sliding bearing having a hole into which the arbor can be inserted.

[0021] To achieve the locked state of the fastening assembly, a single arbor is inserted in a sliding manner through the opposing arbor bearings and extends the entire length of the bore when the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion are assembled. The cylindrical portion of the tubular first assembly portion fits inside the mounting base portion without requiring any substantial frictional engagement and without requiring a spring bias and force to be applied to the actuator arm as in the prior art assemblies discussed above.

[0022] In an embodiment, the relative shaft bearings may include a first shaft bearing and a relative second shaft bearing, wherein the first shaft bearing has a first shaft opening and is configured to be arranged at one end of the mounting base of the second assembly part, and the second shaft bearing has a second shaft opening and is configured to be arranged at the opposite end of the mounting base of the second assembly part.

[0023] Thus, the opposing shank bearings include a first shank bearing constituting a shank receiving end bearing and an opposing second shank bearing constituting a locking end bearing. The first shank bearing and the second shank bearing are arranged at a distance from each other corresponding to a distance selected to receive the tubular first assembly portion. The first shank bearing may have a first shank opening and the second shank bearing may have a second shank opening for jointly receiving and supporting the shank when the tubular first assembly portion is arranged in the mounting base portion.

[0024] The shank may be an integral unit comprising a longitudinal shank portion having a free shank end with a shank end wall and an enlarged head at an end opposite the shank end wall. Advantageously, the enlarged head may act as a backstop when the longitudinal shank portion of the shank is inserted through a first shank opening of a first shank bearing, whereby the end of the enlarged head facing the shank abuts against an adjacent first shank bearing while allowing the shank to pass through the bore of the shank opening of the tubular first assembly portion and into and through the second shank opening of an opposite second shank bearing.

[0025] The second shank bearing may constitute a locking end portion bearing, which may have a lock housing defining a lock chamber accommodating the first locking means, and the shank end wall of the free end of the shank may have a second locking means, which is configured to interlock with the first locking means in any selected pivot position of the first hinge part relative to the second hinge part. In this arrangement, after the free shank end of the longitudinal shank portion of the shank is inserted, the interlocking of the first locking means and the second locking means can occur in a confined space within the lock chamber, thereby obtaining a hidden tamper-proof interlocking of the first hinge part and the second hinge part without the need to fix a separate cover part.

[0026] Preferably, the diameter of the shank at the free shank end of the shank may correspond to the diameter of the second shank opening and therefore to the entrance opening to the lock chamber, so that the free shank end seals the entrance to the lock housing and eliminates the need for additional sealing means.

[0027] In order to achieve effective interlocking of the first locking device and the second locking device in the lock chamber, the first locking device may include a T-shaped member, the T-shaped member including a cross member located on one end of a locking rod, the locking rod having a locking rod axis coaxial or parallel to any one of the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis. The locking rod may extend along a length in the lock chamber and have an external locking device at the end opposite to the cross member. The external locking device can be approached from outside the lock housing to rotate the locking rod around its locking rod axis, thereby interlocking the first locking device and the second locking device.

[0028] A secure interlock can be achieved in one embodiment wherein the second locking means may comprise a slot in the shaft end wall, wherein the slot may be sized to receive a cross member to allow the cross member to pass in and out of the slot in the unlocked state of the fastening assembly. In order for the slot and the cross member to securely interlock in a simple and reliable manner, the cross member may have a length that is longer than the width of the slot, whereby the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion may interlock in response to rotating the locking bar to a position in which the longitudinal axis of the cross member is rotated about the locking bar axis relative to the longitudinal axis of the slot (e.g., rotated 90° relative to the longitudinal axis of the slot), thereby positioning the cross bar within the longitudinal shaft portion, at the free shaft end, transverse to the slot, and engaging the shaft end wall.

[0029] The second assembly part may have a shock absorber device or damper device arranged at the mounting base part to reciprocate substantially perpendicularly to the second hinge axis. The shock absorber device or damper device may be urged into engagement with a lower support for the mounting base part.

[0030] Since the fastening assembly of the present invention does not rely on a spring biased locking pin or frictional engagement between the first and second hinge parts, there may be a slight gap between the shank bearing and the shank, which may cause some noise when the vehicle is driving, for example when driving over uneven roads. As a precaution in this case, the shock absorber device or damper device may have a length that enables it to push the longitudinal shank portion so that it cannot vibrate in the shaft opening of the shank bearing.

[0031] The crossbar mounting portion has a main mounting body configured to mount the fastening assembly to the crossbar. To this end, the main mounting body may have a crossbar mounting face and an opposing coupling face having the tubular first assembly portion. The tubular first assembly portion may protrude from the main plane of the mounting body to be able to be lowered into the mounting base portion of the second assembly portion. At the opposite end of the protruding tubular first assembly portion, the main mounting body may extend into an opposing pivot portion having a curvature adapted to receive the convex curvature of the enlarged head and the lock housing, respectively.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the enlarged head and the lock housing have the same outer curvature. When the opposite convex curvatures have the same radius, the vehicle mounting portion can be fixed to the track of the guide rail of the vehicle compartment cover or the top of the side wall of the vehicle in any orientation along the length, and the enlarged head and the lock housing can be accommodated in any pivoting portion without worrying about orientation. Whether the lock housing faces the front or the rear of the vehicle, the external lock device is equally accessible. Therefore, neither the vehicle mounting portion nor the crossbar mounting portion is orientation-restricted.

[0033] The invention further relates to a crossbar comprising a fastening assembly as described above.

[0034] A particularly suitable crossbar for use with a fastening assembly according to the present invention has an outer convex surface having a curvature that is substantially complementary to the curvature of the crossbar mounting surface of the crossbar mounting portion so that the crossbar mounting portion rests securely on top of and in contact with the crossbar.

[0035] Preferably, the crossbar has a mounting slot extending along its length, the mounting slot being suitable for securing the crossbar mounting portion.

[0036] The mounting slot may be configured, for example, as a T-slot having a mounting opening extending along the length that is smaller than the width of the bottom of the mounting slot. In this configuration, the means for securing the crossbar mounting portion may be, for example, one or more T-head bolts. The head of the T-head bolt is simply inserted into the mounting slot and the head is rotated into engagement with the wall of the crossbar defining the mounting opening extending along the length. In the assembled state of the crossbar and the crossbar mounting portion, the first hinge axis is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the crossbar.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the crossbar may be symmetrical about its transverse axis so that the crossbar is also not orientationally limited.

[0038] In an alternative embodiment, both opposing lengthwise extending surfaces of the crossbar may be configured as outer convex surfaces having lengthwise extending mounting slots so that the vehicle mounting portion may be secured to any of said surfaces. In fact, a fastening assembly according to the present invention may even be mounted to two opposing crossbar mounting surfaces to also suspend or support an object in a vehicle facing position, such as an object located in a truck bed.

[0039] The invention further relates to a method of installing a crossbar as disclosed above, the crossbar having one or more fastening assemblies according to the invention, the crossbar spanning a vehicle bed, such as a truck bed or a pickup truck bed.

[0040] The method comprises the following steps:

[0041] a) securing the vehicle mounting portion of the fastening assembly to each of the opposing compartment tracks of the guide rails of the vehicle compartment cover or to the top of each side wall of the vehicle so that the second hinge axis is parallel to said track for the roll-up cover or to the side wall of the vehicle,

[0042] b) providing the crossbar with opposed crossbar mounting portions of the fastening assembly in spaced relationship to the crossbar whereby the distance between first hinge axes of the opposed tubular first assembly portions corresponds to the distance between opposed second hinge axes of the second assembly portions of the vehicle mounting portion secured in step a),

[0043] c) arranging the tubular first assembly part in a mounting base part of the second assembly part, and

[0044] d) passing the shank through the first shank bearing of the second assembly part, through the hole of the tubular first assembly part, and into the second shank bearing having a lock housing for receiving the free shank end of the shank to pivotally connect the first hinge part and the second hinge part of each fastening assembly.

[0045] The method may further include step e): rotating a locking rod located in the lock housing about its locking rod axis, which is coaxial or parallel to any one of the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis, so that a cross member at the end of the locking rod can engage and disengage a narrow groove in the shaft handle end wall of the shaft handle to lock and unlock the first hinge part and the second hinge part respectively at any pivot position of the hinge parts relative to each other. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0047] Figure 1a and Figure 1b is a perspective side view of a crossbar provided with fastening assemblies at both ends, and seen from below and above, respectively,

[0048] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the fastening assembly as seen from below.

[0049] Figure 3 shows an oblique side view of the fastening assembly seen from below,

[0050] Figure 4 Shows the shank from the free shank end,

[0051] Figure 5 The crossbar mounting portion is shown from the crossbar mounting surface.

[0052] Figure 6 Shows the crossbar mounting portion from the joint surface,

[0053] Figure 7 shows the fastening assembly in the assembled state, seen from below and without the crossbar,

[0054] Figure 8 shows the fastening assembly in the assembled state, seen from above and without the crossbar,

[0055] Fig. 9 The vehicle mounting portion is shown in a perspective side view with the axle shank inserted through the axle shank bearing and not assembled to any crossbar mounting portion or vehicle,

[0056] Fig.10 is a perspective view of the locking bar as seen from the cross member,

[0057] Fig.11 shows a perspective view of the locking bar from the opposite end, and

[0058] Fig.12 Shown along Figure 1b A cross section taken along line XII-XII in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] Vehicles having a vehicle bed, such as a truck bed or a pickup truck bed, and / or a corresponding vehicle bed cover are known to the person skilled in the art and are therefore not shown in the drawings.

[0060] It is assumed below, for simplicity only, that the crossbar 1 with the opposed fastening assemblies 2 is used on a truck bed with a roll-up truck bed lid running in rails mounted on top of the side walls of the truck bed and wherein the rails have tracks extending along the length for mounting the fastening assemblies 2 and other components. However, the invention can also be used as or in a roof rack.

[0061] exist Figure 1a and Figure 1b The load-bearing crossbar 1 seen in the drawing is provided with two spaced apart fastening assemblies 2 adapted to releasably connect said load-bearing crossbar 1 to a track extending along its length arranged in a guide rail, which is mounted on top of the opposite side walls of the truck compartment. The guide rail may for example be a guide rail for a roll-up truck compartment cover, such as described in the applicant's international patent applications WO 2019 / 206388 A1 and WO 2020 / 229401 A1. In an alternative, the fastening assemblies 2 may simply be screwed to the side walls of the cargo compartment, the compartment of the truck, and thus directly on top of the side walls of the truck compartment, or the guide rail or a short section of the guide rail, which has a suitable track, may be fixed on top of the side wall as an intermediate fastening member.

[0062] The components of the fastening assembly 2 according to the invention are seen in more detail in the drawings, in particular Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the exploded view of Figure 7 and Figure 8 The fastening assembly 2 is seen in the assembled state but not mounted on the crossbar.

[0063] The fastening assembly 2 has a crossbar mounting portion 3 having a protruding first hinge portion 4 and a vehicle mounting portion 5 having a second hinge portion 6 adapted to be releasably and pivotably coupled to the first hinge portion 4. For more details on the structure of the crossbar mounting portion 3, see Figure 5 and Figure 6 .

[0064] The first hinge part 4 comprises a cylindrical tubular first assembly part 7a defining a hole 8 having a first hinge axis X1. The crossbar mounting part 3 further comprises two bolts 9a with corresponding T-shaped nuts 9b for fastening the crossbar mounting part 3 to the crossbar 1, as in Fig.12 In some embodiments, a single bolt and T-nut may be sufficient to securely fasten the crossbar mounting portion 3 to the crossbar 1 .

[0065] The crossbar mounting portion 3 has a main mounting body 10 having a crossbar mounting face 11 and an opposite coupling face 12 from which the cylindrical tubular first assembly portion 7a projects toward the second hinge portion 6. At opposite ends 13a, 13b of the tubular first assembly portion 7a, the main mounting body 10 extends into opposite mainly concave pivot portions 14a, 14b, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 shown.

[0066] The vehicle mounting portion 5 has a second assembly portion 7b having a mounting base 15 for fastening the fastening assembly 2 to a vehicle (not shown). The mounting base 15 has a first shank bearing 16 and a second shank bearing 18, the first shank bearing 16 being retracted from a first end 17 of the mounting base 15 and protruding upright from the mounting base 15, the second shank bearing 18 being arranged at a second end 19 of the mounting base portion 15 opposite to the first end 17 and protruding upright from the mounting base 15. The first shank bearing 16 has a first shank opening 20. The second shank bearing 18 serves as a lock housing 21, which defines a lock chamber 22 having a second shank opening 23. The second shank bearing 18 has an outer curvature that fits within any of the pivot portions 14a, 14b. Fig. 9 The components of the vehicle mounting portion 5 can be seen in the assembled state.

[0067] The vehicle mounting portion 5 can be fastened to a T-track of a guide rail for a roll-up truck bed cover by means of bolts 24a, 24b having stems 25a, 25b inserted through fastening holes 25a', 25b' in the mounting base 15 so as to be screwed together in a sliding engagement with T-nuts 26a, 26b arranged in a matching manner in the T-track (not shown) so as to enable the fastening assembly 2 to be positioned and fastened at any position along the guide rail (not shown) of the roll-up truck bed cover (not shown).

[0068] The vehicle mounting part 5 further comprises a shaft shank 27 having a longitudinal shaft shank portion 28 having a free shaft shank end 29 with a shaft shank end wall 30 and an enlarged head 31 at an end 32 opposite the shaft shank end wall 30. The enlarged head 31 has an outer curvature that fits within any pivoting portion 14a, 14b. The free open end 31a of the enlarged head 31 can be closed by an end cap 34. For this purpose, the enlarged head 31 has a snap-on connection opening 35 to receive the axially protruding snap-on connection leg 35b of the end cap 34. In this way, the end cap 34 can be releasable from the enlarged head 31 to access the interior of the hollow shaft shank 27. In an alternative, the shaft shank 27 is molded as a single integral part without detachable parts.

[0069] The longitudinal mounting base portion 33 extends longitudinally along the second hinge axis X2 of the shank bearings 16, 18. In the assembled state, the shank 27 is inserted into the opposite shank bearing 16, 18, the enlarged head 31 abutting the outer face of the first shank bearing 16 and resting on the protrusion 36 of the mounting base 15.

[0070] As in Fig.12 As best seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 , in order to lock the first hinge part 4 and the second hinge part 6 together, the free shank end 29 is inserted through the first shank opening 20 to extend the full length of the longitudinal mounting base portion 33 between the shank bearings 16, 18. The free shank end 29 passes through the second shank opening 23 along the longitudinal mounting base portion 33 and enters the lock chamber 22 of the second shank bearing 18, so that the second locking device 37 (such as the one located at the free shank end 29) is locked. Figure 4 ) can be interlocked with a first lock device 38 located in the lock chamber 22.

[0071] like Figure 4 As shown, the second locking device 37 is a slot 39 in the shaft handle end wall 30. The first locking device 38 comprises: a locking rod 40, which has a cross member 41 at a free end 42 facing the second shaft handle opening 23; an external locking device in the form of a lock end portion 43 at the lock rod end 44 opposite to the cross member 41; and a device 45 for rotating the locking rod 40 around its lock rod axis X3. The lock end portion 43 is located in the end wall 46 of the second shaft handle bearing 18 so as to be accessible from outside the lock housing 21. The device 45 for rotating the locking rod 40 around its lock rod axis X3 can be, for example, a key inserted into a keyhole in the locking rod 40. The cross member 41 can enter the slot 39 so that when the cross member 41 rotates across the slot 39, as shown in the attached Fig.12 As shown by the double arrow A in FIG. 8 , the slot 39 and the cross member 41 are securely interlocked so that the shank 27 cannot be pulled out of the shank bearings 16 , 18 .

[0072] The mounting base 15 has a central hole 47 for optional blocking by a transverse and reciprocatingly arranged damper 48 .

[0073] In the assembled state of the fastening assembly 2, the damper 48 can in some embodiments push the longitudinal shaft handle portion 28 upward in the direction toward the inner face of the cylindrical tubular first assembly part 7a, so that the shaft handle 27 cannot vibrate or oscillate during driving, which may cause annoying noise. In other embodiments, the damper 48 absorbs the vibration or oscillation of the fastening assembly 2 relative to the vehicle without acting on the shaft handle 27. The damper 48 can be made of an elastic material such as silicone or rubber.

[0074] A support piece 49 is arranged below the lower face 50 of the mounting base 15 to prevent the damper 48 from being disengaged from its frictional engagement within the central hole 47 and being lost, and to act as a retainer seal against the rails of the roll-up truck bed cover, on the other hand. The support piece 49 is assembled to the mounting base 15 below the damper 48 using the same T-head bolts 24a, 24b used to secure the fastening assembly 2 to the rails of the rails.

[0075] In order to mount the crossbar mounting portion 3 of the assembly 1 to the crossbar 1, the crossbar mounting surface 11 has a curved mounting cavity 51 having a curvature that is substantially complementary to the curvature of the free mounting surfaces 52a, 52b of the crossbar 1, such as best at Figure 1a , Figure 1b and Fig.12 As seen in.

[0076] For example Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the curved mounting cavity 51 has a protruding T-shaped key device 53 extending along the length, which can be inserted and received in a sliding manner into a substantially complementary shaped longitudinal mounting slot 54a, 54b (such as a T-shaped slot) in any free mounting surface 52a, 52b of the crossbar 1, whereby the T-shaped slot 54a, 54b and the T-shaped key device 53 can be securely locked together. Preferably, both free mounting surfaces 52a, 52b of the crossbar 1 are configured with longitudinal T-shaped slots 54a, 54b to serve as free mounting surfaces 52a, 52b and thereby improve the usability of the crossbar 1. The lengthwise extending T-shaped key device 53 can be easily slid from the free ends 55a, 55b of the crossbar 1 into the T-shaped slots 54a, 54b to move the T-shaped nut 9b over the mounting hole 56 in the crossbar mounting portion 3 to allow the shank 9a' of the bolt 9a to pass through the mounting hole 56 and allow the bolt 9a to be securely screwed together with the T-shaped nut 9b to fix the crossbar mounting portion 3 in the correct position to mount the crossbar 1 to the rails of the truck bed. Once the opposing crossbar mounting portion 3 or the entire fastening assembly 2 has been fastened in the desired relative position on the crossbar 1, the free ends 55a, 55b of the crossbar 1 are blocked by the end plugs 57a, 57b and at least the upper longitudinal T-shaped slots 54a, 54b are sealed with the gasket strip 58.

[0077] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the T-key device 53 extending along the length has three spaced-apart T-key device sections 53a, 53b, 53c. Two T-nuts 9b are arranged in the spaces 59a, 59b between the T-key device sections 53a, 53b, 53c and are thus guided into position by the T-key device 53 over the corresponding mounting holes 56 of the crossbar mounting part 3.

[0078] exist Fig.10 and Fig.11The locking bar 40 as seen in FIG. 4 has first radial projections 60a, 60b that engage a first recess or first stop 63 in the lock housing 21 to prevent the locking bar from being pulled out of the lock housing 21. The lock end portion 43 may have a second radial projection 61 that engages the lock housing 21 to further prevent the locking bar 40 from being pulled out of the lock housing 21. A third radial projection 62 extends about a 90° sector of a circle around the locking bar 40 at the lock end portion 43. When the locking bar 40 is rotated, the third radial projection 62 strikes a second stop 64 in the lock housing 21, which is arranged so that when the locking bar 40 is rotated to the locked position, the third radial projection 62 strikes the second stop and the cross member 41 intersects the slot 39. When the locking bar 40 is rotated in the opposite direction, the cross member 41 rotates parallel to the slot 39 and is released. Therefore, the third radial protrusion 62 limits the rotation angle of the lock lever 41 .

[0079] The above-described structural features that retain the locking bar within the lock housing in a limited rotational but not translational arrangement are merely exemplary, and other structural features by which the same properties can be achieved may also be used.

Claims

1. A fastening assembly (2) adapted to releasably connect a load-bearing crossbar (1) to a vehicle, the fastening assembly (2) comprising: - a crossbar mounting portion (3) having a protruding first hinge portion (4), and a vehicle mounting part (5) having a second hinge part (6) adapted to be releasably and pivotably coupled to the first hinge part (4), The first hinge part (4) comprises a tubular first assembly part (7a) defining a hole (8) having a first hinge axis (X1), The second hinge part (6) comprises a second assembly part (7b) including a mounting base part (33) defined between opposite shank bearings (16, 18) and having a second hinge axis (X2), The mounting base portion (33) is adapted to receive the tubular first assembly portion (7a) in a pivotable manner, and The relative shaft bearings (16, 18) include: a first shaft bearing (16), the first shaft bearing (16) having a first shaft opening (20) and being configured to be arranged at one end (17) of the mounting base (15) of the second assembly part (7b); and a relative second shaft bearing (18), the relative second shaft bearing (18) having a second shaft opening (23) and being configured to be arranged at an opposite end (19) of the mounting base (15) of the second assembly part (7b), The fastening assembly (2) further comprises an arbor (27) which is releasably arranged to pass through the opposing arbor bearings (16, 18) and the hole (8) of the tubular first assembly part (7a) so as to pivotably connect the first hinge part (4) and the second hinge part (6), Features The second shank bearing (18) is a locking end bearing having a lock housing (21) defining a lock chamber (22) accommodating a first lock device (38), and The shaft handle (27) has a shaft handle end wall (30), and the shaft handle end wall (30) has a second locking device (37), which is configured to interlock with the first locking device (38) in any selected pivot position of the first hinge part (4) relative to the second hinge part (6).

2. The fastening assembly (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shank (27) comprises a longitudinal shank portion (28) having a free shank end (29) with the shank end wall (30) and an enlarged head (31) at the end (32) opposite the shank end wall (30).

3. The fastening assembly (2) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first locking device (38) comprises a T-shaped member including a locking rod (40) having a cross member (41) at one end thereof.

4. The fastening assembly (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The locking rod (40) has a locking rod axis (X3) that is coaxial or parallel to any one of the first hinge axis (X1) and the second hinge axis (X2); the locking rod (40) extends along the length within the lock housing (21) and is capable of rotating around the locking rod axis (X3).

5. The fastening assembly (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The locking bar (40) has an external locking device (43) at the end opposite to the cross member (41), the external locking device extending through the lock housing (21) so as to be accessible from outside the lock housing (21).

6. The fastening assembly (2) according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second locking means (37) comprises a slot (39) in the shank end wall (30) of the shank (27).

7. The fastening assembly (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that: The slot (39) is dimensioned to receive the cross member (41) to allow the cross member (41) to move in and out of the slot (39) in an unlocked state of the fastening assembly (2).

8. The fastening assembly (2) according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that: The cross member (41) has a length longer than the width of the slot (39) so as to lock the first hinge part (4) and the second hinge part (6) together in response to the locking rod (40) rotating about the locking rod axis (X3) to a position in which the longitudinal axis of the cross member (41) is rotated relative to the longitudinal axis of the slot (39).

9. The fastening assembly (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The second assembly part (7b) has a shock absorber device (48) or a damper device, which is arranged at the mounting base part (33) to reciprocate substantially perpendicularly to the second hinge axis (X2).

10. The fastening assembly (2) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The crossbar mounting portion (3) has a main mounting body (10), the main mounting body (10) has a crossbar mounting surface (11) and an opposite connecting surface (12), and the connecting surface (12) has the tubular first assembling portion (7a) protruding from the connecting surface (12).

11. The fastening assembly (2) according to claim 10, characterized in that: At opposite ends of the tubular first assembly portion (7a), the main mounting body (10) extends into opposite pivot portions (14a, 14b) having curvatures adapted to receive the convex curvatures of the enlarged head (31) and the lock housing (21), respectively.

12. The fastening assembly (2) according to any one of the preceding claims 10-11, characterized in that The enlarged head and the lock housing (21) have the same outer curvature.

13. A crossbar (1) comprising a fastening assembly (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The crossbar (1) has an outer convex mounting surface (52a, 52b), the curvature of the outer convex mounting surface (52a, 52b) is complementary to the curvature of the crossbar mounting surface (11) of the crossbar mounting portion (3), and A mounting slot (54a, 54b) extending along the length is adapted to secure the crossbar mounting portion (3) such that a first hinge axis (X1) is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the crossbar (1).

14. The crossbar (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that The crossbar (1) is symmetrical about its transverse axis.

15. A method of mounting a crossbar (1) according to any one of claims 13 or 14 on a vehicle compartment, wherein: The crossbar (1) has one or more fastening assemblies (2) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: a) fixing the vehicle mounting part (5) of the fastening assembly (2) to each of the opposing tracks of the guide rails of the tonneau cover or on top of each side wall of the vehicle so that the second hinge axis (X2) is parallel to the track for the roll-up cover or to the side wall of the vehicle, b) providing the crossbar (1) with opposed crossbar mounting portions (3) of the fastening assembly (2) in a spaced relationship whereby the distance between the first hinge axes (X1) of the opposed tubular first assembly portions (7a) corresponds to the distance between the opposed second hinge axes (X2) of the second assembly portions (7b) of the vehicle mounting portion secured in step a), c) arranging the tubular first assembly part (7a) in the mounting base part (33) of the second assembly part (7b), and d) passing the shank (27) through the first shank bearing (16) of the second assembly part (7b), through the hole (8) of the tubular first assembly part (7a), and into the second shank bearing (18) of the second assembly part (7b), the second shank bearing (18) having a lock housing (21) for receiving the free shank end (29) of the shank (27) so as to pivotally connect the first hinge part (4) and the second hinge part (6) of each of the fastening components (2).

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method comprises step e): rotating a locking rod (40) in the lock housing (21) about its locking rod axis (X3), wherein the locking rod axis (X3) is coaxial or parallel to any one of the first hinge axis (X1) and / or the second hinge axis (X2), so that a transverse member (41) at the end of the locking rod (40) can respectively engage and disengage a narrow groove (39) in the shank end wall (30) of the shank (27) to lock and unlock the first hinge part (4) and the second hinge part (6) in any pivot position of the hinge parts (4; 6) relative to each other.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The vehicle compartment is a truck compartment or a pickup truck compartment.

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