Luggage Carrier With Illuminating Means

Luggage carriers or racks have long been used on outer surfaces of automotive vehicles for carrying many different types of articles which are secured to the carrier in one way or another. However, none are known which include illuminating means, either reflective or direct, as a part of the carrier itself. A search of the prior patents failed to reveal any. Lights on the tops of vehicles are known, such as those on emergency vehicles.

According to the present invention, illuminating means, either direct or reflective, or both, are disposed in the stanchions of the carrier which secure the carrier to the roof. In the preferred form of the invention electric light bulbs are disposed inside the stanchions, connected to the electrical system of the vehicle and operated by a conventional switch conveniently located within the vehicle. Transparent windows are disposed in the inner faces of the stanchions facing inwardly of the carrier so that the entire area of the carrier may be illuminated in the dark. Further, reflective light sources are disposed in the end edges of the stanchions. Thus the entire area of the carrier may be illuminated in the dark not only facilitating the loading and unloading of the carrier but also serving as a signal to oncoming traffic and protecting the user against accidents.

The luggage carrier per se by way of illustration may be like that shown in J. A. Bott U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,180, granted July 7, 1976. However, the invention may be used with other known forms of luggage carriers as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a vehicle body having a luggage carrier mounted thereon which incorporates the illuminating stanchions of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view toward the inside surface and the end edge of one of the stanchions of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a separated, perspective view of the stanchion shown in FIG. 2 with the inner face of the stanchion removed and showing the electrical connection for the light bulb mounted therein.

FIG. 4 is a partial view similar to FIG. 3 of a modified form of electric light bulb mounting.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, an automotive vehicle 10 is shown having a luggage carrier 12 mounted on the horizontal roof portion thereof. The luggage carrier 12 is shown by way of illustration as that disclosed in Bott U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,180. The carrier 12 embodies side rails or members 14 arranged parallel and extending longitudinally of the body 10. The opposite ends of the side rails 14 are supported on stanchions 16. A pair of cross members 18 extend transversely between the side rails 14 adjacent the forward and rearward ends of the carrier 12.

The stanchions 16 are specially constructed for combination with the carrier 12 to provide illumination for the entire carrier area. The preferred embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 and a modified embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, each stanchion 16 comprises a hollow casing 20 having a top 22, a rear sloping surface 24, a closed outer wall 26, a bottom 28 and a removable inner wall 30.

The inside face of the wall 30 has a projecting shelf 32 fixed adjacent the lower edge thereof. The shelf serves to support a bulb socket 34 mounted on a bracket thereon with electric wires 36 projecting therefrom having a plug connector 38 at the ends thereof. An electric light bulb 40 is removably disposed in the socket 34.

Electric wires 42, suitably connected to the electric system of the vehicle extending through an opening in the roof and an opening 44 in a corner of the base 28. The wires 42 have a plug connector 46 connected to the ends of the wires 42 which is adapted to plug into the cooperating and interfitting connector 38 to complete the electric circuit to the bulb 40 when the wall 30 is mounted on the casing 20.

The stanchions 16 are secured to the vehicle top by screws (not shown) which pass through openings 48 in the base 28 and are screwed into underlying holes in the vehicle top.

The side 30 is formed with a transparent window 50 of glass or plastic.

The rear sloping wall 24 has a reflector 52 mounted thereon such reflector being of a selected, colored reflecting material and construction so that the vehicle is readily visable to oncoming traffic.

The side 30 is removably secured to the casing 20 by screws 54 which pass through openings 56 in the casing and into cooperating screw sockets 58 in the casing.

Referring to FIG. 4, a modified way of mounting the light bulb 40 is illustrated. In this embodiment a bulb socket assembly 60 is mounted on the roof of the vehicle and projects above the roof. The assembly 60 is electrically connected to the electric system of the vehicle through suitable lead wires. The assemblies 60 are positioned so that when the stanchions 16 and the carrier 12 are mounted on the vehicle roof the assemblies 60 will project through aligned openings 62 in the bases 28 of the stanchions.

The shelf 32 and the bulb mountings 34 of the prior embodiment FIGS. 2 and 3 are dispensed with the inner cover or wall 30 is applied as above described.

In both embodiments and with the stanchions assembled and the bulbs 40 lit, light is projected over the entire carrier area as well as being projected beyond the car top so that plenty of illumination is provided to aid and protect the one loading or unloading the carrier. The reflectors 52 aid in protecting the user from being struck by oncoming traffic.

While the more illumination the better and therefore having all four stanchions illuminated is preferred, it is not necessary within the broad scope of the invention. For example, only the front pair, or the back pair, or one or the other of the side pairs may be illuminated within the scope of the invention as set forward in the claims.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiments of the invention illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.