YAKIMA INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150191127 | BOARD CARRIER - A vehicle rooftop system for carrying boards, such as SUP boards, may include a support unit having an elongate body, a self-adjusting strap slidably attached to the body, and a load-assist roller. A lockable cam buckle for securing the strap may be included at one end portion of the unit, and a paddle carrier may be included at another end portion. | 07-09-2015 |
20150076197 | CROSSBAR CLAMP DEVICES - Racks are used to carry cargo on top of vehicles. Racks include crossbars and assemblies configured to secure specific cargo items to the crossbars. Clamps for connecting cargo-specific assemblies to the crossbars, include first and second jaws, and an adjustment device for selectively controlling horizontal relative movement between the jaws. | 03-19-2015 |
20140246467 | VEHICLE CARRIER SYSTEM - A carrier that mounts to a vehicle. In some embodiments, the carrier may include a pair of arms to support a bicycle. Each arm may include one or more securing devices each including a strap to contact a frame region of a bicycle and a pair of buckles to fasten the strap over the frame region. In some embodiments, the carrier may include a mount for a vehicle hitch. The mount may include a pair of user-actuated coupling members, such as a wedge member and a retractable retainer, each configured to attach the mount to the hitch. One of the coupling members (e.g., the retainer) may serve as a backup for the other coupling member to improve safety. In some embodiments, the carrier may include a mast that is releasable for backward pivotal motion away from the vehicle. | 09-04-2014 |
20140217141 | BICYCLE CARRIER - A bicycle rack for carrying a bicycle adjacent the rear of a vehicle. The bicycle rack includes an adjustable frame assembly having a first frame member attached to a housing and a second frame member attached to a connecting member. The connecting member is rotationally coupled to the housing to allow relative pivotal movement between the first and second frame members. A locking member is disposed within the housing and selectively movable between a first position, in which the locking member engages the connecting member to impede relative rotational movement between the connecting member and the housing, and a second position, in which the locking member is disengaged from the connecting member to allow relative rotational movement between the connecting member and the housing. At least one support arm is coupled to the housing and configured for sliding and pivotal movement between a stowed position and an extended position in which the arm engages the housing to support a bicycle adjacent the vehicle. A mounting assembly is positionable on the support arm to hold the bicycle in place during travel. | 08-07-2014 |
20140191004 | UNIVERSAL GUNWALE BRACKET - An apparatus for carrying a boat is disclosed. In some examples, the apparatus may include a crossbar, a pair of towers for coupling the crossbar to a vehicle, a gunwale support device configured to support a gunwale of the boat, and a clamp device coupled to the gunwale support device configured to selectively grip crossbars of various sizes and shapes. The gunwale support device may include a bench having a seat (or seat surface), a back (or back wall surface), and a top surface on which the gunwale and/or other portion of the boat may be supported. The seat, back wall, and/or top surfaces may be convexly curved, tapered, angled, and/or have a progressive curvature corresponding to a curved portion of a cone, which may compensate for misalignment between the gunwale and the bench. The clamp device may include an actuator located above the crossbar for manipulating the clamp device between open and clamped positions. The back may define a plane substantially perpendicular to a core axis of the crossbar, and a portion of the bench and the actuator may be on opposite sides of the plane. | 07-10-2014 |
20140166710 | CROSSBAR CLAMP DEVICES - Racks are used to carry cargo on top of vehicles. Racks include crossbars and assemblies configured to secure specific cargo items to the crossbars. Clamps for connecting cargo-specific assemblies to the crossbars, include first and second jaws, and an adjustment device for selectively controlling horizontal relative movement between the jaws. | 06-19-2014 |
20140166709 | RESILIENT INFILL - The invention relates to a resilient infill for positioning in a channel in a crossbar of a roof rack or load carrier. The infill comprises a flexible upper portion and a base comprising a bottom. A pair of flexible, opposing side walls extend from the bottom and curve upwardly and outwardly to meet with outer edges of the flexible upper portion. The width of the upper portion is greater than the width of the bottom and the infill has a substantially hollow interior. The infill is compressible and makes minimal wind noise when positioned in the crossbar of a roof rack located on a moving vehicle. | 06-19-2014 |
20140158728 | CROSSBAR T-SLOT INFILL - An infill device may include a lower portion pressing against a floor portion of a cavity of a slotted crossbar of a vehicle rack, and an upper portion pressing upward on first and second opposing lips of a longitudinal opening to the cavity. The infill is operable between a flush position corresponding to the upper portion substantially filling the opening, and a compressed position corresponding to the upper portion moving away from the opposing lips and closer to the floor portion to allow a retention device of a cargo-specific rack accessory to enter the channel and clamp the opposing lips. | 06-12-2014 |
20140158727 | CARRIER FOR A VEHICLE - Carrier, such as a cargo box, for a vehicle. In an exemplary embodiment, the cargo box may comprise a bottom portion mountable to a vehicle, and a lid portion that fits together with the bottom portion to form a container for cargo. The container may have a pair of lateral sides opposite each other. The cargo box also may comprise a plurality of hinge-latch members to connect the lid portion to the bottom portion adjacent each lateral side. At least one hinge-latch member adjacent each lateral side may include a hinge, a first latch, and a second latch. The first and second latches may be adjustable individually to connect the lid portion to the bottom portion via the hinge. In another exemplary embodiment, the carrier may comprise a clamp device having a force indicator. | 06-12-2014 |
20140144960 | UPRIGHT BIKE MOUNT - Bike mount designs for carrying bikes in connection with vehicles are described. A bike mount may include a base and a frame or wheel-gripping arm. A bike mount frame may also have ratcheting wheel grip assemblies which may be switched between tensioning and release modes. | 05-29-2014 |
20140144958 | LOAD-CARRYING DEVICES FOR VEHICLE ROOFS - A load-carrying device may be configured for use with a crossbar mounted to a vehicle roof. The load-carrying device may include a body having a load-bearing surface and an arm pivotably mounted to the body. The arm of the device may be pivotable between a collapsed position and an in-use position. A proximal end of the arm may be operatively connected to the body, and may move toward one end of the body when the arm is pivoted from the collapsed position to the in-use position. | 05-29-2014 |
20140124551 | VEHICLE RACK SYSTEM WITH A BICYCLE-GRIPPING CARRIER - Roof-mounted vehicle rack system including a load carrier. In some embodiments, the load carrier may be a bicycle carrier having an elongate base and an arm equipped with a frame-gripping device. The frame-gripping device may be operated with an actuating member, which may be centered transversely on the base for equal accessibility from either lateral side of the carrier. The actuating member and the arm may be mounted separately to the base at respective positions that are spaced along the base from each other. | 05-08-2014 |
20140117062 | TRUCK CROSSBAR ATTACHMENT - A crossbar system for a truck bed and methods of mounting a crossbar system to a truck bed are disclosed. In some examples, the crossbar system may include two towers, each coupling an end portion of a crossbar to a truck bed wall. Each tower may include a crossbar housing having a clamp device for securing the crossbar housing around a selected location along the crossbar, and a coupling mechanism configured to secure the crossbar housing to the truck bed. The crossbar housing may have a ledge portion configured to sit on an upper surface of the truck bed wall. The coupling mechanism may include a hook member configured to removably engage the ledge portion of the crossbar housing; and an over-center lever that is operable between open and closed positions, which may cause a bridge piece to move between unclamped and clamped positions. The coupling mechanism may include a plurality of alternate bridge pieces, each configured to engage a different truck bed rail structure. | 05-01-2014 |
20130284779 | RETENTION DOCK - A retention dock device may include a body and one or more clamping assemblies, each clamping assembly operable by an actuator and having a cleat with an enlarged head portion configured to clamp the body of the device to a slotted crossbar of a vehicle rack. | 10-31-2013 |
20130175308 | UPRIGHT BIKE MOUNT - A bike mount has an elongate body for supporting a bike. A front end of the bike mount may include a pair of hoop structures for gripping the front wheel of a bike. One of the hoop structures may have a ramp for causing rotation of the hoop structure as a bike rolls on to the ramp. One or more clamps are included for fastening the bike mount to one or more crossbars. | 07-11-2013 |