Stabilized cargo box for a vehicle rack system

Abstract

A vehicle rack system including a stabilized cargo box attached to a pair of crossbars. In some embodiments, the stabilized cargo box includes a container defining a long axis and having a bottom portion hinged to a lid portion to form an enclosure to hold cargo. A plurality of clamp devices may mount the container to the pair of crossbars attached to a roof of a vehicle. The bottom portion may include a housing member defining a groove and also may include a stiffening tube disposed in the groove and providing first and second tubular regions that are laterally spaced from each other and that each extend at least generally parallel to the long axis. The first and second tubular regions may be connected to each other by a third tubular region of the stiffening tube that extends at least part way across a nose of the container.

1 . A stabilized cargo box for a vehicle, comprising:
 a container defining a long axis and including a bottom portion hinged to a lid portion to form an enclosure to hold cargo;   a front pair of clamp devices and a rear pair of clamp devices attached to the bottom portion and configured to mount the container to a pair of crossbars attached to a roof of a vehicle,   wherein the bottom portion includes a housing member defining a groove and also includes at least one stiffening tube disposed in the groove and providing first and second tubular regions laterally spaced from each other and each extending at least generally parallel to the long axis and connected to each other by a third tubular region that extends at least part way across a nose of the container.   
     
     
         2 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 1 , wherein the housing member includes a bottom wall, side walls, and end walls, and wherein the stiffening tube is disposed adjacent the bottom wall. 
     
     
         3 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 1 , wherein the stiffening tube is disposed outside the container. 
     
     
         4 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 1 , wherein the front pair and the rear pair of clamp devices collectively provide a left pair and a right pair of clamp devices, wherein a central vertical plane conceptually divides the container into a left half and a right half, and wherein the first tubular region is disposed between the central vertical plane and the left pair of clamp devices and the second tubular region is disposed between the central vertical plane and the right pair of clamp devices. 
     
     
         5 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 1 , wherein the housing member is formed of plastic and the stiffening tube is formed of metal. 
     
     
         6 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second tubular regions extend forward from positions near the rear clamp devices. 
     
     
         7 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second tubular regions extend from a tail to a nose of the container. 
     
     
         8 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second tubular regions do not intersect each other in the tail. 
     
     
         9 . A rack system for a vehicle, comprising:
 a pair of crossbars configured to be attached to a roof of a vehicle; and   a stabilized cargo box including
 a container having a bottom portion and a lid portion that fit together to collectively form an enclosure to hold cargo, 
 one or more front clamp devices and one or more rear clamp devices disposed under the bottom portion and configured to mount the container to the pair of crossbars, 
   wherein the bottom portion includes a stiffening tube that extends from a rear region of the container to a position at least generally forward of the front clamp devices, to strengthen the bottom portion against deformation.   
     
     
         10 . The rack system of  claim 9 , wherein the stiffening tube extends along a U-shaped path. 
     
     
         11 . The rack system of  claim 9 , wherein the stiffening tube extends along a pair of laterally spaced paths from a tail to a nose of the container. 
     
     
         12 . The rack system of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom portion includes a housing member that at least substantially forms the enclosure with the lid portion, and wherein the stiffening tube is disposed in a groove formed in an outer surface of the housing member. 
     
     
         13 . A stabilized cargo box for a vehicle, comprising:
 a container including a bottom portion hinged to a lid portion to form an enclosure to hold cargo;   one or more front clamp devices and one or more rear clamp devices attached to the bottom portion and configured to mount the container to a pair of crossbars attached to a roof of a vehicle,   wherein the bottom portion includes a pair of tubular stiffening regions each extending from a rear region to a nose of the container, to strengthen the bottom portion against deformation.   
     
     
         14 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 13 , wherein the tubular stiffening regions meet each other in or on the nose. 
     
     
         15 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 14 , wherein the tubular stiffening regions collectively extend along a path that is U-shaped. 
     
     
         16 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 13 , wherein the tubular stiffening regions extend from a tail to a nose of the container. 
     
     
         17 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 13 , where the bottom portion includes a housing member that forms the enclosure with the lid portion, and wherein the tubular stiffening regions are formed by one or more tubes that are discrete from the housing member. 
     
     
         18 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 17 , wherein the tubular stiffening regions are formed by the same tube. 
     
     
         19 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 17 , wherein the housing member is formed of plastic and the one or more tubes are formed of metal. 
     
     
         20 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 13 , wherein the tubular stiffening regions do not intersect each other in the rear region of the container. 
     
     
         21 . The stabilized cargo box of  claim 13 , wherein the bottom portion includes a housing member, and wherein at least a portion of the tubular stiffening regions are formed integrally with the housing member.