Roof box clamping device for vehicles

Abstract

To provide an on-vehicle roof box clamp device which can prevent looseness of fixation to a roof carrier without fail.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle roof box clamp device 2 includes: a case 22; a pair of first and second clamp claw members 21; an operation rod 27 which opens or closes the first and second clamp claw members 21; a knob member 24 attached to one end of the operation rod 27; and a lock mechanism (a slide member 22d having an engagement projection 22e which may engage with the knob member 24) which is provided at the case 22 and locks rotation of the knob member 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a roof box clamping device for use in a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Roof boxes are used that are fixed onto the roof of a vehicle. More specifically, a roof carrier is fixed to the roof of the vehicle, and the roof box is fixed to the crossbar of the roof carrier. There are various possible methods for fixing the roof box to the crossbar, but it is common to place clamp devices at two locations in the front part and two locations in the rear part of the roof box. The following Patent Document 1 discloses a clamp device. A crossbar extending laterally at the front part of the roof is clamped by the clamp devices at two locations in the front part, and a crossbar extending laterally at the rear part of the roof is clamped by the clamp devices at two locations in the rear part.

[0003] The clamp device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a pair of first and second clamp claw members that are provided opposite to each other. An operating rod extends from the first clamp claw member to the second clamp claw member. A first screw portion and a second screw portion that screw into a male screw portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the operating rod are formed at the base end of the first and second clamp claw members, respectively. The female screw portion of the first screw portion and the female screw portion of the second screw portion are spirally arranged in opposite directions. A knob member is attached to the center of the operating rod for rotating the operating rod around its central axis when opening and closing the first and second clamp claw members. By rotating the operating rod around the central axis by the knob member, the first and second clamp claw members are symmetrically swung to open and close their tips. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Russian Utility Model Certificate No. 193498 (RU193498U1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above-mentioned knob member is disposed inside the roof box. Therefore, there is a risk that the knob member may be unintentionally rotated by luggage stored inside the roof box. As a result, the clamping device may loosen, and the roof box may become loosely fixed to the roof carrier. Vehicles may also travel at high speeds, and the air resistance acting on the roof box during high-speed travel is quite large. Therefore, it is dangerous if even one of the multiple clamping devices loosens the fixation of the roof box to the roof carrier.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a roof box clamp device for mounting on a vehicle that can reliably prevent loosening of the fixation to the roof carrier. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is a roof box clamp device for a vehicle, comprising: a bottom part of a bottom case of a roof box; in Slideable N A case; a pair of first and second clamp claw members provided facing each other inside the case; Along the sliding direction of the caseThe clamping device includes an operating rod extending from the first clamping claw member to the second clamping claw member, a knob member attached to one end of the operating rod for rotating the operating rod about its central axis when opening and closing the first clamping claw member and the second clamping claw member, and a locking mechanism provided on the case for locking the rotation of the knob member. The first clamping claw member and the second clamping claw member are each attached to the case so as to be able to swing. The base end of the first clamping claw member and the second clamping claw member are each provided with a first screw portion and a second screw portion that screw into a male screw portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the operating rod. The female screw portion of the first screw portion and the female screw portion of the second screw portion are screwed in opposite directions. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle roof box clamp device that can reliably prevent loosening of the fixation to the roof carrier. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of a roof box equipped with a clamp device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an internal perspective view of the roof box. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the clamp device (with clamp claw members in an open / unlocked state). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the clamp device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an internal side view of the clamp device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the clamp device. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a locking mechanism of the clamp device (in a locked state). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a vehicle roof box clamping device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a roof box 1, seen from the bottom side. The left side in FIG. 1 is the front of the vehicle. A roof carrier (not shown) is fixed to the vehicle, and the roof box 1 is fixed to two cross bars of the roof carrier by its four clamp devices 2. The cross bars extend laterally of the vehicle, one located at the front part of the roof, and the other located at the rear part of the roof. The cross bar extending laterally at the front part of the roof is clamped by the clamp devices 2 at two locations at the front, and the cross bar extending laterally at the rear part of the roof is clamped by the clamp devices 2 at two locations at the rear.

[0012] The roof box 1 includes a bottom case 1a and a cover 1b that closes the upper opening of the bottom case 1a. In the roof box 1 of this embodiment, the cover 1b can be opened upward from either the right or left side of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 2, four metal rails 20 are attached to the bottom of the resin bottom case 1a by rivets in accordance with the four clamp devices 2. The clamp devices 2 are slidably attached to the rails 20. A slit is formed in each rail 20, and a slit is also formed in the bottom case 1a in accordance with the slits in the rails 20. Clamp claw members 21 (21X and 21Y) of the clamp devices 2, which will be described later, protrude from the slits below the bottom case 1a (see FIG. 1).

[0013] Since the four clamp devices 2 have the same configuration, one clamp device 2 will be described as an example. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the clamp device 2 has a resin case 22. The case 22 is formed into a box shape by fitting a right side panel and a left side panel together, and the lower part is open to allow the clamp claw members 21 (21X and 21Y) to extend. An attachment portion 22a for a strap 1c (see Fig. 2) that prevents the load inside the roof box 1 from shifting is formed on the upper surface of the case 22. The attachment portion 22a has a gate shape that protrudes upward so as to form a hole through which the strap 1c passes.

[0014] At the bottom of each side panel of the case 22, locking claws 22b are formed at the front and rear to prevent the case 22 from falling off the rail 20. The rail 20 is fixed to the bottom case 1a at its front and rear ends with rivets. The case 22 abuts against the protruding parts of the rivets at the front or rear end of the rail 20, preventing the clamp device 2 from slipping off the rail 20 in the sliding direction. The rail 20 also has a rubber packing 20a (see FIG. 4).

[0015] A pair of shaft holes are formed in each side panel of the case 22, to which the shaft 23 that holds the clamp claw members 21 (21X and 21Y) so as to be able to swing is attached. The shaft holes are formed in the center of a circular recess 22c. Each shaft 23 is composed of a plug member 23a having a flange formed on one end and a flange member 23b that is fixed to the other end of the plug member 23a by crimping. Therefore, when the clamp device 2 is in an assembled state, the shaft 23 has flanges on both ends. The flanges are located outside the side panels and are housed inside the recess 22c. The recess 22c that houses the flange member 23b is deeper than the recess 22c that houses the flange of the plug member 23a.

[0016] The clamp device 2 of this embodiment is attached to the roof box 1 so that a knob member 24, which will be described later, faces the rear of the roof box 1. That is, in Fig. 3, the right side is the rear. A slide member 22d serving as a locking mechanism for locking the rotation of the knob member 24 is slidably attached to the upper part of the rear end (one end) of the case 22. An engagement protrusion 22e protrudes from the slide member 22d toward the knob member 24. The operation of the slide member 22d serving as a locking mechanism will be described in detail later.

[0017] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a pair of clamp claw members 21, i.e., a first clamp claw member 21X and a second clamp claw member 21Y, are provided facing each other inside the case 22. In Figure 4, the flange member 23b is fixed to the plug member 23a, but one side panel has been removed to show the inside of the case 22. The cross-sectional view of Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view including the central axis of the shaft 23 on the right side in Figure 3 (Figure 5), as seen from the knob member 24 side. The first clamp claw member 21X and the second clamp claw member 21Y are formed of a metal plate having a crank shape, and are the same part.

[0018] The tip of the clamp claw member 21 extending from the case 22 is curved towards the opposing clamp claw member 21. A resin protective cover 25 is attached to the tip of the clamp claw member 21 to prevent damage to the cross member of the roof carrier being clamped. The clamp claw member 21 is positioned in the left-right direction by the left and right panels of the case 22 (see FIG. 6). The left-right positions of the first clamp claw member 21X and the second clamp claw member 21Y are offset.

[0019] A fulcrum hole through which the above-mentioned shaft 23 is inserted is formed in the center of the crank shape of the clamp claw member 21. The clamp claw member 21 is swingably supported by the case 22 via the shaft 23. A force point hole is formed in the base end of the clamp claw member 21 to which an actuating plug 26 (26X and 26Y) is attached, which serves as a force point when swinging the clamp claw member 21. The actuating plug 26 is attached to the clamp claw member 21 so as to be rotatable around its central axis. The actuating plug 26 has a shape in which a flange is formed at one end of a cylinder, and a female screw hole 26a into which the operating rod 27 is screwed is formed in the cylindrical portion (see FIG. 6). A female screw portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the female screw hole 26a.

[0020] A male screw portion 27a that screws into the female screw portion of the female screw hole 26a of the actuation plug 26 (26X and 26Y) is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the actuation rod 27 (see FIG. 5). That is, the actuation plug 26 is a screw portion that screws into the male screw portion 27a of the actuation rod 27. The helical direction of the male screw portion 27a that screws into the female screw portion of the first actuation plug (first screw portion) 26X of the first clamp claw member 21X is opposite to the helical direction of the male screw portion 27a that screws into the female screw portion of the second actuation plug (second screw portion) 26Y of the second clamp claw member 21Y.

[0021] In other words, the helical direction of the female screw portion of the first actuating plug (first screw portion) 26X and the helical direction of the female screw portion of the second actuating plug (second screw portion) 26Y are opposite to each other. Therefore, as described above, the first clamp claw member 21X and the second clamp claw member 21Y are the same part, but the first actuating plug 26X and the second actuating plug 26Y are different parts that differ from each other only in the helical direction. With this structure, when the operating rod 27 is rotated around its central axis, the first actuating plug 26X and the second actuating plug 26Y move in opposite directions along the operating rod 27. In other words, when the operating rod 27 is rotated, the tip portions of the first actuating plug 26X and the second actuating plug 26Y are opened and closed.

[0022] A pair of male screw portions 27a formed on the operating rod 27 are each formed to an end portion for screwing the actuation plug 26. A metal hexagonal bolt 27b is fitted into the resin knob member 24. The knob member 24 is fixed to the rear end of the operating rod 27 so as not to rotate by screwing the hexagonal bolt 27b from the opposite side into a slide restriction nut 27c (see FIG. 5) screwed into the end portion of the male screw portion 27a on the second clamp claw member 21Y side. The knob member 24 is used when rotating the operating rod 27 around the central axis, and has three outwardly protruding extensions that are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction to facilitate rotation.

[0023] A locking recess 24a is formed on the back side of each extension (see FIG. 7). The slide restriction nut 27c described above is disposed immediately in front of the knob member 24. The end of the male threaded portion 27a of the operating rod 27 and the tip of the hexagonal bolt 27b are screwed into the slide restriction nut 27c from the opposite sides, and a thread locking agent is used when screwing them together. The slide restriction nut 27c and the knob member 24 restrict the axial sliding of the operating rod 27 relative to the case 22. When the knob member 24 is rotated clockwise, the tips of the pair of clamp claw members 21 close, and when the knob member 24 is rotated counterclockwise, the tips of the pair of clamp claw members 21 open.

[0024] The knob member 24 of the operating rod 27 and the slide restriction nut 27c are housed in a rod hole 22f formed in the case 22. The above-mentioned operating plug 26 moves along the operating rod 27 while tracing a circular trajectory centered on the shaft 23 relative to the case 22. Therefore, the operating rod 27 moves slightly up and down relative to the case 22. For this reason, the rod hole 22f is formed as an elongated hole that is long in the vertical direction. In addition, a restriction protrusion 22g that restricts the first clamp claw member 21X from falling off the operating rod 27 is also formed on the right panel of the case 22 (see FIG. 5).

[0025] The above-mentioned locking mechanism will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 7. Slide member 22d constituting the locking mechanism is slidably fitted to the upper rear end of case 22. A plurality of protrusions are formed on the side surface of slide member 22d to facilitate sliding of slide member 22d. Although not visible in Fig. 7, an engagement protrusion 22e protrudes from slide member 22d toward knob member 24 (see Fig. 3).

[0026] When the slide member 22d is slid to the frontmost position (left position in FIG. 7), the engagement protrusion 22e does not enter the locking recess 24a formed on the back side of the knob member 24, and the slide member 22d does not engage with the knob member 24. On the other hand, when the slide member 22d is slid to the rearmost position (the state shown in FIG. 7), the engagement protrusion 22e enters the locking recess 24a, and the slide member 22d engages with the knob member 24, locking the rotation of the operating rod 27, i.e., the opening and closing of the clamp claw member 21. The slide member 22d will not fall off the case 22 in its sliding direction due to interference with the knob member 24, regardless of the rotation position of the knob member 24.

[0027] The cross-sectional shape of the engagement projection 22e is trapezoidal to match the shape of the locking recess 24a. Also, holes 22h are formed in the case 22 to provide a clicking sensation when the slide member 22d is in the frontmost position and the rearmost position. Although not visible in FIG. 7, a projection is formed on the inner surface of the slide member 22d to engage with the hole 22h to provide a clicking sensation. The hole 22h and the projection also have the effect of maintaining the slide position of the slide member 22d.

[0028] When locking, the correct operation is to insert the engagement projection 22e into the locking recess 24a. However, even if the engagement projection 22e is mistakenly inserted between two adjacent extensions of the three extensions of the knob member 24, the rotation of the operating rod 27 is restricted to the range between the two extensions (120°). Therefore, even in such a case, loosening of the clamp of the pair of clamp claw members 21 that clamp the crossbar of the roof carrier is restricted.

[0029] The clamp device 2 of this embodiment is equipped with a locking mechanism (slide member 22d and locking recess 24a) that locks the rotation of the knob member 24. Locking the rotation of the knob member 24 by the locking mechanism restricts the rotation of the operating rod 27, i.e., restricts the opening and closing of the clamp claw member 21. Therefore, the locking mechanism can reliably prevent the roof box 1 from being loosened from being fixed to the roof carrier.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operating rod 27 is arranged parallel to the rail 20 on which the clamp device 2 is slidably attached, that is, parallel to the bottom of the bottom case 1a of the roof box 1. Furthermore, a knob member 24 for opening and closing the clamp claw members 21 is attached to one end of this operating rod 27. Therefore, the knob member 24 itself hardly reduces the capacity inside the roof box 1. Moreover, the rotation of the knob member 24 is hardly hindered by luggage inside the roof box 1.

[0031] For example, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the knob member is attached to the center of the operating rod to be rotated, so the knob member is pinched and operated. In this case, it is difficult to apply a rotational force to the operating rod that is strong enough to clamp with the knob member. Also, for example, in the case of a clamp device structured such that the rotation plane of the knob member that operates the clamp claw member is parallel to the bottom of the bottom case, the rotation plane of the knob member becomes horizontal, so the placement of the knob member reduces the capacity inside the roof box. Also, if the rotation plane of the knob member becomes horizontal, the rotation operation of the knob member is also hindered by the luggage inside the roof box.

[0032] Here, in this embodiment, the locking mechanism is composed of a slide member 22d slidably provided on one end side of the case 22. The slide member 22d has an engagement protrusion 22e that engages with the knob member 24 only when it is slid toward the knob member 24 to lock the rotation of the knob member 24. By configuring the locking mechanism in this way, it is possible to construct the locking mechanism with space efficiency. In other words, in addition to the fact that the capacity inside the roof box 1 is not reduced by providing the knob member 24 as described above, the capacity inside the roof box 1 is hardly reduced by providing the locking mechanism. Moreover, the locking mechanism having such a structure is easy to understand how to operate, and the operation can be easily performed. And, the locking / unlocking operation is hardly hindered by the luggage inside the roof box 1, as in the case of the rotation operation of the knob member 24 described above.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper part of the case 22 is provided with an attachment portion 22a for a strap 1c that prevents the load inside the roof box 1 from shifting. Therefore, the clamp device 2 can also be used to prevent the load inside the roof box 1 from shifting. In addition, since the strap 1c extends from the upper part of the case 22 of the clamp device 2, the strap 1c is unlikely to be buried in the load and the strap 1c is easy to find, making it easier to tie up the load with the strap 1c. Furthermore, since the strap 1c is held by the roof carrier via the clamp device 2, the load inside the roof box 1 can be held more reliably.

[0034] Although the embodiments have been described above, the embodiments can be modified or altered based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments and all features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. For example, in the above embodiment, the knob member 24 is located at the rear of each clamp device 2, but it may be located at the front. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 Roof box 1a Bottom case 1c Strap 2 Clamping device 20 Rail 21 Clamp jaw member 21X First clamp jaw member 21Y Second clamp jaw member 22 cases 22a (for strap 1c) attachment 22d Slide member (lock mechanism) 22e Engagement protrusion (lock mechanism) 24 Knob material 26 Operating plug (threaded part) 26X First working plug (first screw part) 26Y Second operating plug (second screwed part) 26a female screw hole (female screw portion of screw-in portion 26) 27 Operating rod 27a (operating rod 27) male thread

Claims

1. A roof box clamping device for a vehicle, comprising: A sliding case at the bottom of the roof box bottom case, A pair of first and second clamp claw members provided facing each other inside the case; an operating rod extending from the first clamp claw member to the second clamp claw member along a sliding direction of the case; a knob member attached to one end of the operating rod for rotating the operating rod about its central axis when opening and closing the first clamp claw member and the second clamp claw member; a lock mechanism provided on the case for locking rotation of the knob member, The first clamp claw member and the second clamp claw member are each attached to the case so as to be able to swing, a first screw portion and a second screw portion that screw-engage with a male screw portion formed on an outer circumferential surface of the operating rod are provided at base ends of the first clamp claw member and the second clamp claw member, respectively; The spiral direction of the female thread portion of the first screw thread portion and the spiral direction of the female thread portion of the second screw thread portion are opposite to each other, A roof box clamp device for mounting on a vehicle, wherein the locking mechanism is slidably provided on one end side of the case and includes a slide member having an engagement protrusion that engages with a locking recess formed on the back side of the knob member only when slid toward the knob member to lock the rotation of the knob member.

2. 2. The roof box clamp device for mounting on a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the case is provided with an attachment portion for a strap for preventing collapse of the contents of the roof box.

Images