Retaining device for vehicle racks

{
  "publication_number": "US10399504B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Retaining device for vehicle racks",
  "abstract": "A retaining device for securing one or more accessory racks to a base rack on a vehicle is provided herein. The device comprises a housing member that extends through the one or more accessory racks and into the base rack, a head, secured to the housing member that engages one or other of the racks, a detent that engages the other of the racks, and an engagement mechanism that extends the detent and pulls it toward the head. The device may further comprise a lock that secures the detent in a clamping position. The lock may comprise a ratchet and pawl arrangement defined by first and second levered tabs disposed on the head, the first tab being operably connected to the engagement mechanism. An ATV comprising one or more accessory racks secured to a base rack by a retaining device as described herein is also provided.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A retaining device comprising: a housing member and a head portion, the housing having a longitude; a first tab pivotally attached to the head portion and a second tab pivotally attached to the head portion, the first tab comprises one of a ratchet and pawl and the second tab comprises the other of the ratchet and pawl, the ratchet and pawl engageable with one another; a latch assembly, the latch assembly comprising a pair of retaining arms and a longitudinally extending portion, the longitudinally extending portion having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the retaining arms are pivotally coupled to the distal end portion of the longitudinally extending portion, the longitudinally extending portion being moveable along the longitude of the housing, wherein the proximal end portion of the longitudinally extending portion is pivotally coupled to the first tab, each retaining arm in the pair of retaining arms having a first retaining arm aperture and a second retaining arm aperture that is disposed opposite the longitudinally extending portion from the first retaining arm aperture.",
    "2. The retaining device of claim 1, further comprising a cylindrical pin, wherein the pair of retaining arms of the latch assembly are disposed on opposite sides of the cylindrical pin.",
    "3. The retaining device of claim 1, wherein the first tab and the second tab are movable between a latched configuration and an unlatched configuration, in the latched configuration the ratchet and pawl being engaged with one another and in the unlatched configuration the ratchet and pawl being disengaged.",
    "4. A retaining device comprising: a housing member and a head portion, the housing having a longitudinal axis; a first tab pivotally attached to the head portion at a first pivotal coupling; a second tab pivotally attached to the head portion; a latch assembly, the latch assembly comprising a pair of retaining arms and an elongated member, the elongated member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the retaining arms are pivotally coupled to the distal end portion of the elongated member, the elongated member being moveable along the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein the proximal end portion of the elongated member is pivotally attached to the first tab at a second pivotal coupling, each retaining arm in the pair of retaining arms having a first retaining arm aperture and a second retaining arm aperture that is disposed opposite the elongated member from the first retaining arm aperture; and wherein, when a lever portion of the first tab is in a downward configuration, the first tab is in contact with the second tab.",
    "5. The retaining device of claim 4, wherein an upper configuration of the elongated member corresponds to an extended configuration of the retaining arms.",
    "6. The retaining device of claim 5, wherein the elongated member has a lower configuration that corresponds to a retracted configuration of the retaining arms.",
    "7. The retaining device of claim 1, wherein the first tab or second tab is connected to a torsion spring and is in an upper configuration when not engaged with the other tab.",
    "8. The retaining device of claim 7, wherein an upper configuration of the lever portion of the first tab corresponds with a downward configuration of the elongated member and a retracted configuration of the retaining arms.",
    "9. The retaining device of claim 4, wherein the first tab comprises one of a ratchet or pawl and the second tab comprises the other of a ratchet or pawl.",
    "10. The retaining device of claim 4, further comprising a torsion spring that biases the lever portion of the first tab to an upward configuration, wherein the upward configuration of the lever portion of the first tab corresponds to a retracted configuration of the retaining arms.",
    "11. A retaining device comprising: a housing member and a head portion, the housing having a longitudinal axis; a first tab pivotally attached to the head portion; a second tab pivotally attached to the head portion; a latch assembly, the latch assembly comprising a pair of retaining arms and an elongated member, the elongated member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the retaining arms being pivotally coupled to the distal end portion of the elongated member, the elongated member being moveable along the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein the proximal end portion of the elongated member is pivotally attached to the first tab, each retaining arm in the pair of retaining arms having a first retaining arm aperture and a second retaining arm aperture that is disposed opposite the elongated member from the first retaining arm aperture; and a torsion spring that biases the first tab to an unlocked configuration.",
    "12. The retaining device of claim 11, wherein the unlocked configuration corresponds to a retracted configuration of the retaining arms.",
    "13. The retaining device of claim 11, wherein the unlocked configuration corresponds to the first tab being disengaged from the second tab.",
    "14. The retaining device of claim 11, wherein the first tab has a lever portion that is movable to a downward configuration that corresponds to the first tab engaging the second tab in a locked configuration.",
    "15. The retaining device of claim 11, wherein the first tab has a lever portion that is movable to a downward configuration that corresponds to an extended configuration of the retaining arms in a locked configuration.",
    "16. The retaining device of claim 11, wherein the first tab comprises one of a ratchet or pawl, and the second tab comprises another of the ratchet or pawl.",
    "17. The retaining device of claim 11, wherein a securing rod extends from the head portion through the first tab.",
    "18. The retaining device of claim 1, further comprising a torsion spring having a first end disposed between the first and second retaining arm apertures of a first retaining arm in the pair of retaining arms and a second end disposed between the first and second retaining arm apertures of a second retaining arm in the pair of retaining arms.",
    "19. The retaining device of claim 4, further comprising a torsion spring having a first end disposed between the first and second retaining arm apertures of a first retaining arm in the pair of retaining arms and a second end disposed between the first and second retaining arm apertures of a second retaining arm in the pair of retaining arms.",
    "20. The retaining device of claim 11, further comprising a torsion spring having a first end disposed between the first and second retaining arm apertures of a first retaining arm in the pair of retaining arms and a second end disposed between the first and second retaining arm apertures of a second retaining arm in the pair of retaining arms."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention relates generally to mechanisms for securing receiver racks to vehicles, and more particularly to securing accessory racks to a vehicle having a base rack.\n\nPersonal recreational vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), have grown in popularity, both for utilitarian and recreational purposes. ATVs are now employed for a variety of uses, ranging from hunting to recreational transport to enabling work projects in otherwise difficult-to-reach locations. Accordingly, ATVs are often used to carry such wide-ranging items as tool sets, hay or brush bundles, coolers, firearms, or other hunting implements, grills, milk crates, and the like. Corresponding to the breadth of tasks and uses to be pursued, ATV users may require a single ATV to transport diverse forms of cargo. Previously, little provision was made for carrying and securing items to ATVs. Ad hoc fastening by ropes, tethers, bungee cords, and straps offers imperfect, time-consuming, and often frustrating solutions. To this end, efforts have been made to improve the carrying scheme of an ATV. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,526 B2 to Tweet et al. provides a sectional receiver rack comprised of a main framework piece to be mounted to a recreational vehicle and auxiliary frame rack pieces that may be reversibly coupled to the main framework to form a cargo-carrying unit.\n\nHowever, the ability of an ATV to carry objects of varying size and shape remains to be improved.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60R 9/06",
    "B60R 9/00",
    "F16B 13/04",
    "F16B 2/18",
    "F16B 2/185",
    "F16B 5/0642"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60R 9/00",
    "B60R 9/06",
    "F16B 13/04",
    "F16B 2/18",
    "F16B 5/06"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "ARCTIC CAT INC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "BENEDICT TIMOTHY",
    "LANE JEFFREY"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-02-02",
  "publication_date": "2019-09-03",
  "grant_date": "2019-09-03",
  "priority_date": "2015-09-04",
  "application_number": "US-201815887517-A",
  "family_id": "58185846",
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}