Translating roller load assist

摘要

A roller load assisted roof-top carrier for elongate articles such as kayak boats. The roof-top carrier includes a space frame having at least a U-shaped portion, the legs of which are each slidingly mountable to each of a front and back cross bar of a vehicular roof rack. In this manner, the space frame translates unitarily relative to the vehicular roof rack. Forward and back cross members are provided that are mounted upon the space frame, the front cross member carrying a pair of kayak saddles, each faced with a friction inducing material for discouraging slippage between a secured kayak and the space frame and the back cross member carrying a pair of guide panels, each faced with a slip inducing material for encouraging slippage between a kayak being loaded on or unloaded from the space frame. A roller can be mounted on a back portion of the space frame.

主权项

1. A vehicular roof-top load carrier mountable on the roof of a vehicle for carrying articles, the carrier comprising:
two legs connectable by a base portion to form a U-shaped frame having a long axis; the base portion having an article engagable portion and each leg being mountable crosswise to vehicular cross bars, the long axis of the U-shaped frame extendable parallel to a long axis of a carrying vehicle; a guide member having a receiving portion configured to receive at least one of the legs; the guide member having a locked configuration wherein a leg received therein is pinched within the receiving portion, thereby locking the received leg in place, and a slide permitting configuration, wherein the received leg is not pinched within the receiving portion, thereby permitting translational movement of the received leg within the receiving portion; and a lever, actuable to transition the guide member between the locked configuration and slide permitting configuration, wherein in the slide permitting configuration the received leg is translatable from a contracted position to an expanded position in which the article engagable portion of the base portion is extended further from the guide member than in the contracted position.