Vehicle equipped with modular and tamper-proof roof bars

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle comprising a roof and two roof bars, each fixed to said roof by means of at least one support piece, said two bars being removable to allow movement from a first position to a second position on the roof (2). According to the invention, each roof bar comprises a fastening mechanism (100) including a control element, an energy source (101) that can be activated by said control element, a rigid transmission rod (103) having two opposing walls, and a fastening pin (104), the transmission rod (103) being able to move, by means of activation of the energy source (101) by the control element, from a locking position of the fastening pin (105) in which the two opposing walls grip said fastening pin (105) to an unlocking position thereof. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 6

Description

Title of the invention: Vehicle equipped with modular and tamper-proof roof bars

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with modular and tamper-proof roof bars.

[0002] In order to better understand the positioning of the different parts involved in a vehicle according to the invention, the description is made with reference to a direct orthonormal frame XYZ linked to this vehicle and in which X is a front-rear longitudinal axis of the vehicle oriented towards the rear, Y is a transverse axis oriented towards the right of the vehicle and Z is a vertical axis directed upwards.

[0003] Currently, some motor vehicles have two parallel roof bars extending from each side of the roof along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle. For some of these vehicles, these bars can be removed and then reattached to the roof in various configurations to facilitate the securing of specific items, such as luggage, bicycles, various equipment, etc. In these different configurations, the roof bars can, for example, extend along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle, or along an axis having both a component along said transverse axis Y and a component along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle.

[0004] However, changing the roof bars from one configuration to another requires that they be disassembled, then removed from the roof before being repositioned and secured in the new position on the roof. In other words, these removable roof bars, which are fixed to the roof of a vehicle in a given configuration, are easily accessible to anyone from outside the vehicle, and can therefore be easily stolen without having to break into the vehicle.

[0005] A vehicle according to the invention has removable roof bars which have an inviolable character, thanks to the use of a simple and judicious fixing mechanism which can only be operated by the driver of the vehicle.

[0006] The invention relates to a vehicle comprising a roof, and two roof bars each fixed to said roof by means of at least one support piece, said two bars being removable in order to be able to move from a first position in which they are parallel and extend along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, to a second position which is inclined relative to the first position.

[0007] According to the invention, each roof bar comprises, for each support piece on which it is mounted, a fastening mechanism including a control element, an energy source that can be activated by said element The control system consists of a rigid transmission rod with two opposing walls and a fixing pin that passes through the roof bar and the support piece to secure the roof bar to the support piece. The transmission rod, activated by the control element, moves from a locked position, where the two opposing walls tightly grip the fixing pin, to an unlocked position, where the rod moves so that the fixing pin is no longer positioned between the two walls. This movement of the transmission rod, triggered by the activation of the energy source, releases the pin, which can then be manipulated by a person to remove the roof bar or move it onto the vehicle's roof.The two opposing walls act somewhat like jaws, locking the position of the pawl and preventing it from moving. These two walls can be represented, for example, by two parallel arms or by two walls defining an opening in the transmission rod. The power source can be, for example, an electric motor. This power source can either directly cause the movement of the transmission rod or cause its movement via a relay piece that is itself directly moved by the power source. The control element can, for example, be a conventional control button, such as a push button or a dial. This control element is advantageously located inside the vehicle's interior so that it is not accessible to unauthorized personnel.The rigid rod is moved without being subjected to any stress, that is, while retaining its initial shape. Preferably, the transmission rod extends along a longitudinal X axis and horizontally along the vehicle, and the pin extends along a vertical Z axis. The second position of the roof bars could, for example, be one in which the two roof bars are parallel and extend along a transverse Y axis of the vehicle. This second position could also be an intermediate position, along an axis having a component along a transverse Y axis of the vehicle and a component along a longitudinal axis of said vehicle. In this last configuration, the two roof bars can cross on the roof of the vehicle.

[0008] According to one possible feature of the invention, the energy source is an electrical source to be selected from a stepper motor, a linear actuator, and a servo system. This type of energy source is particularly suitable for moving mechanical parts with a small amplitude, typically less than 5 cm, and more advantageously less than 2 cm.

[0009] According to one possible feature of the invention, the control element is to be selected from a control button which is located in a vehicle compartment and which is easily accessible by the driver of said vehicle, and a portable electronic device with a dedicated application for locking / unlocking the roof bars of said vehicle. The control element must not be accessible to persons moving around the vehicle who are not involved with said vehicle. Thus, this control element may be a control button located inside the vehicle's passenger compartment and, unless a means of opening the doors is provided, inaccessible to any person outside the vehicle. Another type of control element particularly suited to a vehicle according to the invention may, for example, be a smartphone or tablet with a dedicated application for unlocking the roof bars of said vehicle.Simply entering a code specific to the vehicle into this application, such as the license plate number, will take you to a page where you can activate the unlocking of the roof bars by touching a screen.

[0010] According to one possible feature of the invention, the fastening mechanism comprises a lever rotatably mounted on the energy source, a first end of the lever being fixed to a rotation axis of said energy source and a second end of said lever being hinged to an upstream end of the transmission rod, such that activation of the energy source by means of the control element causes the rotation axis to rotate, resulting in a rotation of the lever accompanied by a simultaneous displacement of the transmission rod. In this configuration, the rotating lever acts as a connecting rod, causing a substantially linear displacement of the transmission rod to unlock the fastening pin. Advantageously, the lever pivots with an amplitude less than or equal to 15°.To be more precise, the power source is protected by a casing, and the rotation axis emerges from said casing and can be set in rotation by activating said power source.

[0011] According to one possible feature of the invention, the fastening mechanism comprises a toothed wheel fixed to a rotation axis of the energy source, the transmission rod having teeth along at least part of its length, such that activation of the energy source by means of the control element causes the rotation axis to rotate, which in turn causes the toothed wheel to rotate, accompanied by a simultaneous translational movement of the transmission rod through meshing between said toothed wheel and said transmission rod. In this configuration, the transmission rod moves strictly in translation.

[0012] According to a possible feature of the invention, a downstream end of the transmission rod comprises a terminal piece having an opening including an area The opening is enlarged and has at least one narrowed area. In the locked position of the transmission rod, the retaining pin is tightly inserted into the narrowed area, and in the unlocked position, the retaining pin is located in the enlarged area. The narrowed area is defined by two opposing walls that tightly enclose the retaining pin. Movement of the transmission rod will cause a simultaneous movement of the opening, such that the narrowed area will move away from the retaining pin and the enlarged area will come to rest at the level of the retaining pin.

[0013] According to one possible feature of the invention, the opening is elongated and the enlarged area is located in a central zone of said opening, the end piece having two narrowed zones positioned on either side of the central enlarged zone along a longitudinal axis of said opening. In this way, such a mechanism offers two different possibilities for locking the fixing pin, through the presence of the two narrowed zones.

[0014] According to one possible feature of the invention, a downstream end of the transmission rod comprises an end piece having two parallel arms. In the locked position of the transmission rod, the retaining pin is tightly inserted between said two arms, and in the unlocked position of said rod, said pin is outside the space delimited by the two arms. These two parallel arms form the two opposing walls between which the retaining pin is locked. In this configuration, the transmission rod can be considered as a fork whose end is adapted to grip the retaining pin.

[0015] According to one possible feature of the invention, the fastening pin has a central cylindrical body having a first enlarged cylindrical end and a second enlarged cylindrical end whose diameter is greater than that of the first enlarged end. This is a first embodiment of a vehicle fastening pin according to the invention. Such a fastening pin is inserted into the support piece such that a wall of said support piece and a wall of a roof bar are positioned between the first enlarged cylindrical end and the second enlarged cylindrical end of said pin. Once unlocked, such a pin is manipulated so as to detach the roof bar from said support piece.

[0016] According to a possible feature of the invention, the fixing pin has a star-shaped cross-section along at least part of its length, said fixing pin being inserted into the support piece offset relative to a star-shaped opening in said support piece, so that once unlocked, said fixing pin can be rotated to align it with said star-shaped opening in order to slide it into it. In this way, in a locked configuration, the star-shaped cross-section of the fixing pin is offset relative to The star-shaped opening of the support piece. To unlock the roof bar, the locking pin must first be moved freely. Once released, the pin must be manually rotated until its star-shaped cross-section aligns perfectly with the star-shaped opening in the support piece. The pin can then slide into this opening, allowing the roof bar to be removed from the vehicle's roof.

[0017] A vehicle according to the invention has the advantage of having roof bars capable of moving from a first longitudinal position, in which they extend along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, to a second position inclined relative to the first position, without requiring any tools and without having to perform complicated manipulations requiring strength and / or precision. Furthermore, thanks to the presence of a well-designed and simple fastening mechanism, and a control element accessible only by the vehicle's driver, a vehicle according to the invention has the advantage of having tamper-proof roof bars.

[0018] A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention is given below with reference to the following figures:

[0019] [Fig-1] represents a top view of the roof of a vehicle according to the invention, the roof bars being in the initial configuration,

[0020] [Fig.2] represents a top view of the roof of a vehicle according to the invention, the roof bars being in a second configuration,

[0021] [Fig.3] represents a top view of the roof of a vehicle according to the invention, the roof bars being in a third configuration,

[0022] [Fig.4] shows a side view of a roof bar and two support pieces for a vehicle according to the invention,

[0023] [Fig. 5] represents a perspective view of a support piece and part of a roof rack of a vehicle according to the invention, showing a first embodiment of a fastening mechanism placed in said support piece,

[0024] [Fig.6] represents a perspective view of the first embodiment of the fastening mechanism of the [Fig.5],

[0025] [Fig.7] represents a perspective view of a vehicle support part according to the invention, in which is placed the first embodiment of the fastening mechanism of figures 5 and 6,

[0026] [Fig.8] represents a perspective view of an area of ​​a support part for a bar of a vehicle roof according to the invention, showing a second embodiment of a fastening mechanism,

[0027] [Fig.9] represents a perspective view of the second embodiment of the fastening mechanism of the [Fig.8],

[0028] With reference to Figures 1 to 3, a vehicle 1 according to the invention has a roof 2 on to which two roof bars 3, 4 are attached, which can be found in at least three distinct configurations: - a first configuration in which the two roof bars 3, 4 are parallel and extend along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, as illustrated in [Fig.1], - a second configuration in which the two roof bars 3, 4 are parallel and extend along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle as illustrated by the two arrows 5, 6 in [Fig.3], -a third configuration in which at least one of the two bars 3, 4 extends along an axis having a component along a longitudinal axis X and a component along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle as illustrated by arrow 7 in [Fig.2],

[0029] To change configurations, the two roof bars 3, 4 must be disassembled so that they can be detached and removed from the roof, in order to be reassembled in a different position. An immediate problem related to this possible disassembly of the roof bars 3, 4 is that they can be removed by anyone on the street and can therefore be easily stolen.

[0030] To remedy this problem, a vehicle 1 according to the invention implements a roof bar fastening mechanism that can be easily deactivated by means of a remote control element, which is accessible only by the vehicle's driver. The term "remote" means that the control element is not positioned outside the vehicle, near the roof bars 3, 4.

[0031] Referring to [Fig. 4], a roof bar 3, 4 of a vehicle 1 according to the invention is attached to the roof 2 by means of two fixed support pieces 8, 9, each of said support pieces 8, 9 being elongated and extending along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle. In other words, a roof bar 3, 4 is secured to a support piece 8, 9 by means of a fastening mechanism 10 which is included in said support piece 3, 4, while this support piece 3, 4 is attached to the roof 2 of the vehicle 1 so as to be fixed. In this way, there is only one fastening mechanism per support piece 3, 4.

[0032] With reference to Figures 5, 6, 7, a first embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention implements a fastening mechanism 50 for a roof bar 3, 4 to a support piece 8, 9, comprising an energy source 51, a lever 52, a transmission rod 53, a fastening pin 54, and a control element adapted to activate the energy source 51. The energy source 51 may, for example, be a stepper motor, a linear actuator, or a servo system. The lever 52 is fixed to a cylindrical axis of rotation 55 passing through a housing 56 of the energy source 51, said axis of rotation 55 being adapted to be rotated about its axis of revolution by means of an activation of said energy source 51 by The control element. The lever 52 is elongated and comprises a first end fixed to the axis of rotation 55 and a second end pivotally mounted on an upstream end 57 of the transmission rod 53. The lever 52 is mounted on the axis of rotation 55 perpendicular to said axis of rotation 55. The transmission rod 53 is elongated and thus has an upstream end 57 and a downstream end 58, said two ends 57, 58 being considered with respect to a longitudinal axis of said transmission rod 53, said downstream end 58 being extended by an elongated end piece 59, a longitudinal axis of which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of said transmission rod 53. This end piece 59 is fixedly mounted on the transmission rod 53 and has an elongated opening 60, a longitudinal axis of which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of said end piece 59.This elongated opening 60 has a widened central area, extended on each side by a narrowed area. The fixing pin 54 has a central cylindrical body 61 having a first widened cylindrical end 62 and a second widened cylindrical end 63, the diameter of which is greater than that of the first widened end 62. The diameter of the first widened end 62 is less than that of the central widened area of ​​the opening 60 of the end piece 59. The fixing pin 54 passes through the opening 60 of the end piece 59 of the transmission rod 53, being perpendicular to a mean plane in which the end piece 59 would be situated. The fixing pin 54 connects a lower wall of the roof bar 3, 4 to an upper wall of the support piece 8, 9, such that said two walls are located between the first widened end 62 and the second widened end 63 of the fixing pin 54.

[0033] By default, when the roof bar 3, 4 is attached to the support piece 8, 9, the fixing pin 54 is wedged in a narrowed area of ​​the opening 60 of the end piece 59 of the transmission rod 53. A person wishing to remove the roof bars 3, 4 or to change their position on the roof 2 of the vehicle will activate the energy source 51 with the control element, this operation immediately causing the rotation axis 55 to rotate around its axis of revolution and on which the lever 52 is fixed. This results in a simultaneous rotation of said lever 52 which will induce a displacement of the transmission rod 53 and therefore a simultaneous displacement of the end piece 59 with the same amplitude.This end piece 59 moves in translation in a direction that is perpendicular to the axis of revolution of the fixing pin 54, until the enlarged central area of ​​the opening 60 of said end piece 59 reaches the level of said fixing pin 54. This fixing pin 54 is then no longer blocked in the end piece 59 and can therefore be easily manipulated by hand to be moved or removed in order to detach the roof bar 3, 4 from the support piece 8, 9.

[0034] The control element that will activate each energy source 51 of the different fastening mechanisms can take two forms: - a control button, which may be a push button, located inside the vehicle's passenger compartment. In this configuration, the control element is not accessible to passersby moving around the vehicle, thus preserving the tamper-proof nature of the roof bars 3, 4. To prevent the driver from accidentally triggering this control element while the vehicle is in motion, it is preferably located under the dashboard, next to a lever for unlocking the front hood of the vehicle. In this way, the driver is required to take a deliberate action to unlock the roof bars 3, 4. - a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone or tablet. A specific application dedicated to unlocking roof bars 3 and 4 is loaded onto this portable electronic device, and the driver simply needs to enter a confidential code into this application to activate the unlocking of roof bars 3 and 4.

[0035] With reference to [Fig. 7], in certain cases, a roof bar 3, 4 of a vehicle according to the invention may alternately occupy two distinct positions on the same support piece 8, 9, in particular to move from a position in which it extends along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle to a position in which it extends along a transverse axis Y of said vehicle. For example, the roof bar 3, 4 may be attached to a rear point of the support piece 8, 9 when it extends along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, and to a front point of said support piece 8, 9 when it extends along a transverse axis Y of said vehicle.In this scenario, the fastening mechanism 50 will incorporate a control element, an energy source 51, a lever 52 fixed to a rotation axis 55 capable of being rotated by the activation of said energy source 51 by the control element, and a two-component transmission rod 53. Thus, a first component of the rod 53 will terminate in a first end piece 59 having an opening with a widened area and a narrowed area, and a second component will terminate in a second end piece 59 having an opening with a widened area and a narrowed area. The first component of the transmission rod 53 tends to extend away from the energy source 51, while the second component of said transmission rod 53 tends to extend towards said energy source.Thus, depending on the position of the fixing pin 54 on the support piece 8, 9, the energy source 51 will be activated so that either the first component of the transmission rod 53 will move, or the second component of said transmission rod 53 to unlock the fixing pin 54. In conclusion, the support piece 8, 9 has only one fixing mechanism 50. implementing a double transmission rod 53 if the roof bar 3, 4 were to occupy alternately two distinct positions on said support piece 3, 4.

[0036] With reference to Figures 8 and 9, a second embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention implements a fastening mechanism 100 for a roof bar 3, 4 to a support piece 8, 9, comprising a power source 101, a toothed wheel 102, a transmission rod 103, a fastening pin 104, and a control element adapted to activate the power source 101. The power source is the same as that used in the first embodiment of the invention. The toothed wheel 102 is fixed to a cylindrical rotation axis 105 passing through a housing 106 of the power source 101, said rotation axis 105 being adapted to be rotated about its axis of revolution by means of an activation of said power source 101 by the control element. The rotation axis 105 passes through a wall of the housing 106 and the toothed wheel 102 has a central opening through which said rotation axis 105 passes.The toothed wheel 102 is preferably in contact with the wall of the housing 106 through which the axis of rotation 105 passes, and advantageously extends in a horizontal plane. This toothed wheel 102 has teeth continuously along its entire circumference. The transmission rod 103 is advantageously straight and has notches in the form of teeth along at least part of its length. The transmission rod 103 preferably extends along a horizontal axis and is arranged relative to the toothed wheel 102 such that the teeth of said transmission rod 103 mesh with the teeth of said toothed wheel 102. A free end of the transmission rod 103, considered with respect to a longitudinal axis of said transmission rod 103, terminates in two parallel and widely spaced arms 107, 108, extending the length of said transmission rod 103.The fixing pin 104 has a cylindrical body 109 with a narrowing zone 110, and an enlarged end 111 with a star profile, preferably with four points. The support piece 3, 4 has an opening 112 with a star profile, preferably with four points.

[0037] By default, when the roof bar 3, 4 is attached to the support piece 8, 9, the fixing pin 104 is wedged between the two parallel arms 107, 108 of the free end of the transmission rod 103. More precisely, said two arms 107, 108 clamp the fixing pin 104 at its narrowing point 110. The fixing pin 104 is positioned under the star-shaped opening 112 of the support piece 8, 9 such that the prongs of the star-shaped end 111 of said fixing pin 104 are offset relative to the prongs of the star-shaped opening 112 of the fixing piece 8, 9. A person wishing to remove the roof bars 3, 4 or to change their position on the roof 2 of the vehicle will activate the energy source 101 with the control element, this operation immediately causing a rotation of the axis of rotation 105 around its axis of revolution and on which the toothed wheel 102 is fixed. This results in a simultaneous rotation of said toothed wheel 102, which induces a translational displacement of the transmission rod 103 by meshing, and therefore a simultaneous displacement of the two parallel arms 107, 108 of the free end of said transmission rod 103. This translational movement occurs along a horizontal axis. The two arms 107, 108 then disengage from the fixing pin 104 without exerting any further clamping pressure on it. The fixing pin 104, which is no longer blocked between the two arms 107, 108, can then be easily manipulated by hand to be moved or removed in order to detach the roof bar 3, 4 from the support piece 8, 9.This manipulation can consist of rotating the fixing pin 104 around its axis of revolution to place the arms of its star-shaped end 111 in correspondence with the arms of the star-shaped opening 112 of the support piece 8, 9. In this way, the fixing pin 104 can slide in said opening 112 to be moved or removed.

[0038] For this second embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention, the control element is identical in every respect to that described previously, and corresponding to the first embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention.

Claims

Demands

1. A vehicle (1) comprising a roof (2), and two roof bars (3, 4) each fixed to said roof (2) by means of at least one support piece (8, 9), said two bars (3, 4) being removable to allow passage from a first position in which they are parallel and extend along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, to a second position which is inclined relative to the first position, characterized in that each roof bar (3, 4) comprises, for each support piece (8, 9) on which it is mounted, a fastening mechanism (10, 50, 100) including a control element, an energy source (51, 101) that can be activated by said control element, a rigid transmission rod (53, 103) having two opposing walls, and a fastening pin (54, 104) passing through the roof bar (3, 4) and the support piece (8, 9) to secure the said roof bar (3, 4) to the said support piece (8, 9),and in that the transmission rod (53, 103) is capable of passing, by means of an activation of the energy source (51, 101) by the control element, from a locking position in which the two opposing walls tightly grip the fixing pin (54, 104) to an unlocking position in which said rod (53, 103) has moved so that said fixing pin (54, 104) is no longer positioned between said two walls.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the energy source (51, 101) is an electrical source to be selected from a stepper electric motor, a linear actuator and a servo system.

3. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the control element is to be selected from a control button which is placed in a passenger compartment of the vehicle and which is easily accessible by the driver of said vehicle, and a portable electronic device having an application dedicated to locking / unlocking the roof bars of said vehicle.

4. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fastening mechanism (50) comprises a lever (52) rotatably mounted on the energy source (51), and in that a first end of the lever is fixed to a rotation axis (55) of said energy source (51) and a second end of said lever is articulated mounting at an upstream end (57) of the transmission rod (53), such that an activation of the energy source (51) by means of the control element causes a rotation of the axis (55) of rotation generating a rotation of the lever (52) accompanied by a simultaneous displacement of the transmission rod (53).

5. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fastening mechanism (100) comprises a toothed wheel (102) fixed to a rotation axis (1025) of the energy source (101), and in that the transmission rod (103) has teeth on at least part of its length, so that an activation of the energy source (101) by means of the control element causes a rotation of the rotation axis (105) generating a rotation of the toothed wheel (102) accompanied by a simultaneous translational displacement of the transmission rod (103) by means of a meshing between said toothed wheel (102) and said transmission rod (103).

6. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a downstream end (58) of the transmission rod (53) comprises a terminal piece (59) having an opening (60) comprising an enlarged area and at least one narrowed area, and in that in the locking position of the transmission rod (53) the fixing pin (55) is tightly inserted in said narrowed area and in the unlocking position of said transmission rod (53), said pin (55) is found in the enlarged area.

7. Vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that the opening (60) is elongated and the enlarged area is placed in a central area of ​​said opening (60), and in that the end piece (59) has two narrowed areas placed on either side of the central enlarged area along a longitudinal axis of said opening (60).

8. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a downstream end of the transmission rod (103) comprises an end piece having two parallel arms (107, 108), and in that in the locking position of the transmission rod (103) the fixing pin (105) is closely inserted between said two arms (107, 108), and in the unlocking position of said rod (103) said fixing pin (105) is outside the space delimited by the two arms (107, 108).

9. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the fixing pin (55) has a cylindrical central body (61) having a first enlarged cylindrical end (62) and a second enlarged cylindrical end (63) whose diameter is greater than that of the first enlarged end (62).

10. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the fixing pin (105) has over at least part of its length a star cross section (111), and in that the fixing pin (105) is inserted into the support piece (8, 9) by being offset from a star opening (112) of said support piece (8, 9) so that once unlocked said fixing pin (105) can be manipulated in rotation to bring it into correspondence with said star opening (112) in order to slide it into it.

Images