WO1998005531A1

WO1998005531A1 - Demountable article carrier for motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO1998005531A1
Application number: PCT/AU1997/000486
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard Arthur Long
Original assignee: Jal Pastoral Co. Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1996-08-01
Filing date: 1997-08-01
Publication date: 1998-02-12
Also published as: AUPO134596A0

Abstract

Tensionable straps (64) are used to secure an article carrier (60) to the exterior of a motor vehicle. The straps (64) are passed inside the vehicle (typically inside the boot) and then the door, bootlid, etc., is closed trapping the straps because transverse members (62) at the ends thereof cannot pass through the gap between the edge of the opening (72) and the closure (73). The article carriers of all embodiments comprise a simple vertical plate (61) held against bumper (71) and having a lower rearwardly projecting flange (75) (and, in certain embodiments, an upper forwardly projecting flange). A carrier frame (not shown) may be fixed so as to extend upwardly from the upper flange or may be detachably held by trapping a lower frame member in a channel formed on the lower flange. The upper regions of such a carrier frame are held in position by further tensionable straps.

Description

DEMOUNTABLE ARTICLE CARRIER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an anchor for securing an object to a vehicle. The invention also relates to a demountable article carrier for a motor vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to an anchor and a demountable article carrier which makes use of closeable openings in the vehicle body for anchorage thereto.

BACKGROUND ART Articles too large for the interior of a vehicle are frequently carried by tying or strapping the article to the roof or side of the vehicle. Anchor points for a rope or strap are often not readily available meaning that the rope or strap must be fixed to some part of the vehicle body. Damage to the vehicle can result from such fixing and in any case, fixing the rope or strap in this manner does not always adequately secure the article to the vehicle.

Elastic ties and tensionable straps are known for securing an article or load to a vehicle but these invariably rely on suitable anchor points being available and are not suitable for use with many motor vehicles, for example.

It is also known to use racks or frames mounted to a vehicle roof for carrying articles. Such racks or frames are usually permanently fixed to the roof which detracts from the appearance of the vehicle when the racks or frame are not being used as an article carrier. Furthermore, permanent fixing of racks or frames to roofs invariably requires holes drilled through the roof which can result in further damage to the roof through rusting.

Trailers hitched to a vehicle can be used for carrying articles. However, the towing vehicle must have a hitch for receiving the trailer. For most motor vehicles intended for non-commercial use, a trailer hitch is an optional extra. In view of the additional cost involved, many purchasers of such vehicles decide against the addition of a trailer hitch since use of a trailer will most likely be infrequent.

Not all articles which can be carried in a trailer can be carried on the roof or side of a vehicle, even if adequately secured. Demountable carries are known but these use hooks to secure mounting straps to a trunk lid or hatch lid. Damage to the vehicle can thus result from use of such carriers.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an anchor for use in securing an article to a vehicle, which anchor overcomes the disadvantages of known methods of securing an article to a vehicle. It is a further object of the invention to provide a demountable article carrier for a motor vehicle which overcomes the disadvantages of known demountable article carriers.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, there is provided an anchor for demountably securing an article to a vehicle via an opening in said vehicle body, which opening includes a removable closure; the anchor comprising a strap having a transverse member at an end thereof, wherein said transverse member has a cross-wise dimension which is substantially greater than any gap between edges of said opening and said closure when positioned in said opening. According to a second embodiment of the invention, there is provided a demountable article carrier for a motor vehicle, the carrier comprising: a substantially planar bumper contact plate which in use has an essentially vertical orientation, said bumper contact plate having a channel along a bottom edge thereof defined by a web portion projection rearwardly of said bumper contact plate and a flange projecting upwardly of said web; and at least one anchor according to the first embodiment tensionably connected to said bumper contact plate at an upper edge thereof.

According to a third embodiment of the invention there is provided a demountable article carrier for a motor vehicle, the carrier comprising: an elongate base member comprising a bumper contact web portion which in use has an essentially vertical orientation, said web portion having a forward projecting flange and a rearward projecting flange at upper and lower edges, respectively, of said web; a frame extending upwardly of said forward projecting flange; and tensionable retaining straps at or adjacent each side of said carrier comprising upper strap portions extending from an upper member of said frame and lower strap portions extending from said carrier base member, wherein ends of said strap portions are secured to said carrier, and wherein said upper and lower strap portions comprise anchors according to the first embodiment or portions of a continuous strap member.

The term "vehicle" as used in the first embodiment refers to any moveable object used for carrying purposes which has a closable opening therein and includes, but is not restricted to, motor vehicles, trailers for motor vehicles, caravans, railway rolling stock, and the like. The term "motor vehicle" includes motor cars, vans, four-wheel drive vehicles, lorries or trucks, and the like. The term "closure" as used in the first embodiment includes doors, hatches, boot or trunk lids, bonnets or hoods, and the like. It will be appreciated that the opening is the area of the vehicle body into which the closure fits, typically pivotably. Any gap between the closure and the edges of the opening will be according to the design features of the vehicle but will typically be between 0.1 and 3 mm.

With reference to the first embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated that an anchor is utilised in the following manner. The anchor is positioned with the transverse member on one side of the opening in the vehicle body with the closure in situ. The strap passes through the gap between the edges of the opening and closure to extend from the other side of the opening and closure where it can be used to hold an article to the vehicle. The transverse member, being of a cross-wise dimension greater than the gap between edges of the opening and closure, prevents dislodgment of the anchor from the vehicle. The strap of the anchor can be tensionable by including length adjustment devices in the strap. The strap end distal the transverse member can include a connector for releasably joining the strap to another strap. The other strap can be the strap of a second anchor. Two interconnected anchors can be used to span a surface between different openings in a vehicle body, such as between doors on opposite sides of a motor vehicle and across the roof. Advantageously, the transverse members of the two anchors are also linked internally of the vehicle by an auxiliary strap. The auxiliary strap prevents inadvertent dislodgment of anchors, when, for example, a vehicle door is opened. Interconnected anchors are typically provided as kits with or without an auxiliary strap. The transverse member can be of any cross-sectional shape although members with rounded edges are advantageous. The transverse member is preferably in the form of a cylinder. Typical dimensions of a transverse member are 30 to 100 mm wide in at least one plane and 50 to 300 mm long.

Transverse members can be fabricated from any suitable material and can be solid or hollow with solid material including material of a cellular structure. Transverse members fabricated from harder materials such as a metal or wood are advantageously covered with a resilient material. Plastics materials are particularly preferred for transverse members with the most preferred material being closed-cell polyurethane. A transverse member can also be an inflatable bag. Transverse members of this type are typically fabricated from a flexible plastics material and include a sealable inlet for inflating the bag with a fluid such as air or water

The transverse member is typically retained within a loop formed in an end of the strap The strap is advantageously fixed to the transverse member, or the transverse member is at least fixedly held within any loop in the strap, to prevent separation of the member and strap

The article carrier according to the second embodiment of the invention is particularly suited for carrying mobile garbage bins in which case the carrier is typically mounted to the boot of the vehicle The lipped bottom of such a bin is held in the channel at the bottom of the bumper contact plate of the carrier To aid retention of the bin on the carrier and for other purposes to be detailed below the channel flange can include a return A transverse rib can also be providec in the bumper contact plate to act as a rest for a wall of the bin To further aid retention of the bin on the carrier, an additional tensionable strap looped around the opening closure can be provided The looped strap includes connectors on the external portion thereof to which can be connected a strap or straps extending from an upper part of the bin Alternatively, anchors according to the first embodiment can be used to secure the top of the bin

For transportation of articles such as mobile garbage bins, the article carrier of the second embodiment of the invention can be provided as part of a kit which also includes a tensionable strap adapted for looping around a vehicle opening closure and including at least one connector for connection to an additional strap Advantageously, the kit further includes at least one strap portion adapied for releasable connection to the foregoing tensionable strap. The article carrier of the second embodiment can include a detachable frame which, with the carrier in situ, extends upwardly thereof Furthermore, the frame can include a plurality of rearwardly and essentially horizontal forks to provide an article support surface. Although detachable, the forks are preferably pivotably mounted to the frame so that they can be swung out of the way when not in use The plurality of forks can extend from an upper or lower member of the frame

In embodiments of the article carrier of the second embodiment which include only a single anchor, the anchor strap typically extends from the centre of the upper edge of the bumper contact plate Preferably, the carrier includes two anchors with the anchor straps extending from at or near opposite corners of the top of the bumper contact plate. In this preferment, a single transverse member is used as the anchor for both tensionable straps. That is, both straps extend from the one transverse member In this instance, the transverse member is preferably a panel of material with slots therein for the straps Stops are provided on the ends of straps to prevent them being drawn through the transverse member when tensioned Length adjustment (tensioning) of the straps is advantageously provided for by buckles on the ends of straps which also acts as the stops.

Padding is advantageously provided on the bumper contact surface of the bumper contact plate. Padding is also advantageously provided on frame components which contact vehicle surfaces.

The bumper contact plate of carriers according to the second embodiment can be 200 to 300 mm in length and 100 to 300 to mm high The channel typically is 20 to 30 mm wide Frames are typically 700 to 1000 mm wide and 600 to 1000 mm high while the forks for the article support platform can extend from 200 to 500 mm from the frame.

Turning to the third embodiment of the invention, this unit is particularly suited for use with motor vehicles having a rear boot or trunk However, the carrier can be fitted to any motor vehicle having suitable closeable openings including the hood (or bonnet) of a vehicle in conjunction with the opening for the engine bay

The forward projecting flange of the carrier base member advantageously rests against a bumper of the vehicle to which the carrier is fitted while the rearward projecting flange can act as a deck for supporting articles. The frame, while acting as an anchor point for retaining straps, can also act as a rest for articles positioned on the carrier.

The rearward projecting flange can be extended by fitting a panel or a plurality or rearward extending forks to the base member. Furthermore, the carrier as a whole, with or without an extended deck, can be adapted for carrying bicycles, wheelchairs, a refuse sack, or any other article frequently carried by motor vehicles, by adding appropriate fittings to the carrier. Examples of such fittings will be described in greater detail below.

The carrier frame typically extends to a height intermediate of the total height of the vehicle to which the carrier is fitted. However, the frame can extend to above the roof line of the vehicle With carriers having extended frames fitted to the front and rear of the vehicle, lengthy articles can be carried in a similar fashion to roof racks.

Carrier components can include tie rails for anchoring restraining straps to the carrier. Padding can also be provided to cushion contact between the carrier and the vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the carrier according to the third embodiment is collapsible. This is provided by having a detachable frame. A detachable frame is advantageously foldable. The detachable frame is typically fixed to the base member by providing sockets in the members into which side members of the frame can be locked. The retaining straps of the carrier can include connectors so that a strap can be broken to facilitate mounting or demounting of the carrier. Tensioning of the straps is typically by providing length adjustment devices as a component of a strap. A length adjustment device can be integral with a connector.

The base member of carriers according to the third embodiment is tyoically 600 to 1000 mm in length while the frame can be of a similar width and 500 to 800 mm high.

Carriers according to the invention are typically fabricated from a metal or metal alloy. Preferred metals are steel, particularly galvanised steel, and aluminium. The straps of the first, second and third embodiments can be a natural or synthetic material. A preferred material is nylon webbing. Straps consisting of nylon webbing are typically 50 mm wide.

Having broadly described the invention, an anchor and a carrier will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings briefly described hereafter. The mode of use of the anchor and carriers will also be described in the exemplifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of an anchor according to the invention Figure 2 is a perspective view of an article carrier according to the third embodiment of the invention in situ on a motor vehicle.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the carrier and motor vehicle shown in Figure 2 along a medial plane of the vehicle.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of components of a carrier according to the third embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 is a perspective view of a carrier according to the third embodiment of the invention in situ on a vehicle, which carrier includes a frame for supporting a refuse sack.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a carrier according to the third embodiment of the invention in situ on a vehicle, which carrier includes a rack for supporting bicycles.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a carrier according to the second embodiment of the invention in situ at the boot of a motor vehicle.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the bumper contact plate of the carrier shown in Figure 7. Figures 9 and 10 depict use of a carrier according to the second embodiment for loading and carrying a mobile garbage bin.

Figure 1 1 is a perspective view of a carrier according to the second embodiment in situ on a motor vehicle, which carrier includes a frame and a load carrying platform. Figures 12a and 12b are partial cross-sectional views of the bumper contact plate of the carrier shown in Figures 7 to 1 1 and which depict fitting of the frame bottom member.

Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the carrier frame shown in Figure 11. Figure 14 is a side view of the carrier and frame shown in Figure 1 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Identical numbering is used for the same component when shown in different drawings.

Figure 1 shows anchor 1 comprising transverse member 2 and strap 3, only a portion of which is shown. Transverse member 2 is retained by a loop 4 at the end of strap 3. The overlapping portion of the strap at 5 are joined by stitching or riveting. Transverse member 2 of the anchor is fabricated from closed cell polyurethane and has dimensions of 300 mm long by 50 mm diameter. Strap 3 is made of woven nylon and has a width of about 50 mm. Referring to Figure 2, there is shown article carrier 11 mounted to the rear of a motor vehicle, 12. Components of the carrier visible in the figure include base member 13, frame 14, upper retaining straps 15 and 16, and lower retaining straps

17 and 18. The retaining straps comprise the anchor depicted in Figure 1 , as will be detailed below. Lower retaining straps 17 and 18 in fact originate at a tie rail mounted to an upper member 20 of frame 14. The straps extend downward past a cross brace 21 through tie rails 22 and 23 on forward flange 24 of base member

13 to then extend through a gap between the bottom edge 25 of boot lid 25 and the boot opening. Upper retaining straps 15 and 16 extend from tie rail 27 on upper member 20 to the forward edge 28 of boot lid 26 where they extend through a gap between the lid and the edge of the boot opening. Other features of the carrier visible in Figure 2 are side members 29 and 30 - which include tie rails - resilient bumpers between the carrier and the vehicle, two of which are indicated at 31 and 32, and web 33 and rearward flange 34 of base member 13.

The manner in which carrier 11 is held to vehicle 12 is depicted in Figure 3. The figure shows base member 13 of the carrier abutting bumper 35 of vehicle 12. Resilient bumpers 31a and 32b can be seen interposed between side member 30 and forward flange 24, respectively. Lower retaining strap 18 is retained by transverse member 36 which abuts the inside surface of the junction of lower edge 25 of the boot lid 26 and the boot opening. Similarly, upper retaining strap 16 is retained by transverse member 37 which abuts the inside surface of the junction of forward edge 28 of boot lid 26 and the boot opening. Connectors 38 and 39, which also include means for adjusting the length of one of the strap portions, can be seen. It can be appreciated that by tensioning retaining straps with the length adjusting means, carrier 11 is held securely in place on the rear of vehicle 12. It will also be appreciated from Figure 3 that transverse members 36 and

37 can be dispensed with and strap 16 made contiguous with strap 18 to form a closed loop which anchors the carrier to vehicle 12.

Carrier 11 as depicted in Figures 2 and 3 is collapsible. Specifically, frame

14 is fordable and separable from base member 13. This can be appreciated from the fragmented drawings comprising Figure 4. In Figure 4, portion of base member 13 is shown. Forward flange 24 includes a receptacle 40 for a flanged end 41 of side member 29. Side member 30 also has a flanged end 42 which is received by a similar receptacle not shown in the drawing. Upper end 43 of side member 29 is hinged to top member 20 while the other end of top member 20 has a tongue which can be received by the upper end 44 of side member 30 and releasably held thereto by T-bar 45.

It can be seen from Figure 4 that side members 29 and 30, and top member 20 are channel sections. Brace 21 of Figure 2 has flanged ends, which flanges locate in the channel sections. Brace 21 also helps to retain side members in the receptacles on the forward flange. Bumper 31 is also shown in Figure 4. The bumper has a backing plate 46 by which the bumper is held to side member 29 but which allows the bumper to be slid along the side member.

Features of base member 13 clearly visible in Figure 4 are apertures, one of which is indicated at 47, in web 33 and spaced apart cleats 48 and 49 on forward flange 34. These apertures and cleats can be used to receive extension forks as will be described below. Cleats also aid retention of articles on flange 34, such as a mobile garbage bin. However, it will be appreciated that retention of such an article on the carrier is also effected by passing a strap anchored to tie rails on members 29 and 30 around the article and tensioning the same. End portions of these tie rails, 50a, 50b, 51a and 51 b, are shown in Figure 4.

Turning to Figure 5, there is again shown carrier 1 1 mounted to the rear of vehicle 12. Base member 13 has a plurality of extension forks, one of which is indicated at 52, which are located by apertures and cleats such as shown in Figure 4. A pin through a fork rearward of web 33 holds the fork in place. A lug can also be provided on the lower surface of a fork which lug abuts the edge of flange 34 and holds the fork in the correct position. A cross rail can be secured across the distal end of forks to further brace the forks and to act as a protective member.

The plurality of forks provide an extended article supporting area. In addition to the forks, a secondary frame 53 can be mounted to the carrier. This arrangement can be used for refuse carrying with a receptacle such as a wool bale sack fitted into the frame.

Figure 6 shows a carrier with a bicycle rack fitted thereto. Vehicle 12 with carrier 1 1 mounted thereon is shown. Bicycle rack 54 is mounted to upper rail 20 of carrier frame and is braced by a member 55 extending between base member 13 and rack 54. Rack 54 includes a pivotal arm 56 which can be lifted to position bicycles in channel sections provided on the rack, one of which is indicated at 57. The pivotal arm is then pivoted into position against the bicycles where it is retained by a screw clamp 58. The carrier depicted in the Figures 2 to 6 has overall dimensions of 900 mm wide by 750 mm high. It will be appreciated that the carrier when centrally positioned does not obscure the vehicle tail lights. In the event that the vehicle registration plate is obscured, a frame for the plate extending laterally of web 33 of the base member can be provided for transfer of the plate thereto. Figures 7 to 14 relate to an article carrier according to the second embodiment Referring first to Figures 7 and 8, there is shown carrier 60 comprising bumper contact plate 61 , transverse member 62 and length adjustable (tensionable) straps 63 and 64. Transverse member 62 is a panel of EVA foam of about 140 by 260 mm having slots therein for the straps, one such slot being indicated at 65 (Figure 7). Buckles are provided at ends of straps 63 to 64 to allow adjustment of strap length and to act as stops. One such buckle is indicated at 66. The other ends of straps 63 and 64 include loops 67 and 68 by which the straps are secured to bumper contact plate 61. Bumper contact plate 61 includes a rib 69 and has a pad of resilient material 70 affixed thereto to protect bumper 71. Figure 7 shows how carrier 60 is held in situ. Bumper contact plate 61 rests against bumper 71 in an essentially vertical position where it is retained by straps 63 and 64 which pass through the gap between the boot sill 72 and the lid 73 to transverse member 62 of the anchor Straps 63 and 64 can be length adjusted to adapt the carrier to different vehicles. Portion of a mobile garbage bin is shown in phantom in Figure 7 In this figure, it can be seen that lip 72 at the bottom of the bin fits into channel 75 of bumper contact plate 61. Return 76 and rib 69 aid retention of the bin in the carrier together with additional straps to be described below.

Figures 9 and 10 show the manner of loading a mobile garbage bin onto a carrier when fitted to a vehicle and the manner of retaining the bin on the carrier/vehicle. Turning first to Figure 9, bin 77 is shown being wheeled towards carrier 60 in position on vehicle 78 with the bin tilted. This allows the lip of the bin to be positioned in channel 75 as shown in Figure 7. A tensionable strap looped around the boot lid includes connectors either on the external portion of the loop or on a short strap section attached to the loop. Such a short strap section is shown at 79 Adjustable strap sections with connectors complementary to those associated with the looped boot lid strap are tied or looped about ends of the bin handle 80. One such strap section is indicated at 81.

Positioning of bin 77 for transportation is shown in Figure 10. Bin 77 is pivoted upwardly on carrier 60 to a position close to the boot lid 82 The short strap sections from the boot lid and the strap sections from the bin are then interconnected as shown in Figure 10 and tensioned if necessary to hold the bin in position on the carrier.

Carrier 60 including a detachable frame 83 is shown in Figure 1 1 Frame 83 has top and bottom members 84 and 85, and side members 86 and 87 As will be detailed below, members of the frame are fabricated from tubular lengths of material of square cross-section. A cross piece 88 is included in the frame and the side members have sleeves 89 and 90 of resilient material thereabout to act as padding between the frame and the rear of the vehicle 91 to which the carrier and frame is mounted.

A plurality of forks, one of which is indicated at 92, extended outwardly and rearwardly of frame 83. Forks are connected to bottom member 85 of frame 83 via pivot blocks, one of which is indicated at 93. The top frame 83 is secured to vehicle 81 via tensionable straps 94a and 94b which are connected to a tensionable strap 95 looped around the boot lid 91 a (only the external portion of strap 95 can be seen in the figure).

Locking of frame bottom member 85 into channel 75 of bumper contact plate 61 is shown in detail in Figures 8, 12a and 12b. From Figures 8 and 12b, it can be seen that bottom member 85 is dimensioned to fit snugly between return 76 and bumper contact plate 61. Bottom member 85 also includes a lipped extension 96 which, with the member in position, fits in the cavity formed by return 76 and flange 97 of channel 75 and aids retention of member 85 in channel 75. Lipped extension 96 has downwardly directed tabs 98 and 99 at each end thereof which prevent sideways movements of member 85 when in position in channel 75 of bumper contact plate 61. This can be appreciated from Figure 12b where portion of tab 99 can be seen projecting below web 100 of channel 75 Tabs 98 and 99 can alternatively be upwardly directed so that with member 85 in position, the tabs engage the ends of return 76.

The manner of fitting member 85 into channel 75 is shown in Figure 12a. It can be appreciated from this figure that the member is tilted so that lipped extension 96 can locate in the cavity formed by return 76 and flange 97. Further downward tilting of member 85 locates the member within channel 75 as shown in Figure 12b It will be appreciated, however, that the member must be positioned during the process depicted in Figure 12a so that tabs 98 and 99 fall each side of the ends of channel 75 when member 85 is in its final position as shown in Figure 12b.

As an alternative to the locking mechanism shown in Figures 12a and 12b, member 85 can be merely secured to bumper contact plate 61 by a locking pin passed through the member and the web portion of channel 75 A recess can be provided in bumper contact plate 61 for receiving at least a portion of member 85 It will be appreciated that in this type of locking mechanism, lipped extension 96 and tabs 98 and 99 are not required on member 85

Top, side and bottom members - 84, 87 and 85, respectively - of frame 83 are shown in greater detail in Figure 13 It can be appreciated from this figure that side member 87 has returns 101 and 102 which are received within the ends of top and bottom members 84 and 85, respectively The fame is held together by cross piece 88 which is received by a sleeve on each side member, such as sleeve 103 on side member 87, where it is locked therein by a pin, such as shown at 104 Members of frame 83 are also shown in greater detail in Figure 14 This figure shows side member 87, top and bottom members 84 and 85, respectively, in cross-section, cross piece 88, again in cross-section, pivot block 93 and fork 92 Pivot block 93 comprises a sleeve 105 which fits over bottom member 85 and has attached thereto a channel 106 which pivotally receives fork 92 The pivoted connection is shown at 107 Pivoting of fork 92 allows it to be positioned as shown in phantom at 108 when not required for supporting an article

Bumper contact plate 61 of the carrier depicted in Figures 7 to 14 has dimensions of 140 mm high by 230 mm wide Frame 83 as shown in Figure 11 has dimensions of 700 mm wide by 600 mm high Top and bottom members 84 and 85, respectively, are fabncated from 33 mm square steel tubing, while side members 86 and 87, cross piece 88, and article support forks are fabricated from 25 mm square steel tubing

A carrier and frame as depicted in Figure 11 can include other elements to carry equipment such as bicycles as described above for the carrier depicted in Figures 2 to 6

It can be appreciated from the exemplifications that carriers according to the invention can be adapted for carrying a wide variety of articles and all of this is achieved without the need for additional fittings to the vehicle

It will be further appreciated that many changes can be made to the carriers as exemplified above without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention

Claims

1. An anchor for demountably securing an article to a vehicle via an opening in said vehicle body, which opening includes a removable closure; the anchor comprising a strap having a transverse member at an end thereof, wherein said transverse member has a cross-wise dimension which is substantially greater than any gap between edges of said opening and said closure when positioned in said opening.

2. The anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said strap includes a device for adjusting the length thereof.

3. The anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said strap includes at a distal end thereof a connector for joining said strap to another strap.

4. The anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said transverse member is a cylinder.

5. The anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said transverse member is an inflatable bag.

6. The anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said transverse member is a panel having at least one slot therein for said strap.

7. The anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said transverse member has dimensions of 30 to 100 mm wide in at least one plane and 50 to 300 mm long.

8. The anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said transverse member is retained within a loop formed in an end of said strap.

9. A kit comprising a pair of anchors according to claim 1 , wherein said anchor transverse members are interconnected by a single tensionable strap.

10. The kit according to claim 9 which further comprises an auxiliary strap for linking said transverse members.

1 1 . A demountable article carrier for a motor vehicle, the carrier comprising: a substantially planar bumper contact plate which in use has an essentially vertical orientation, said bumper contact plate having a channel along a bottom edge thereof defined by a web portion projection rearwardly of said bumper contact plate and a flange projecting upwardly of said web; and at least one anchor according to claim 1 tensionably connected to said bumper contact plate at an upper edge thereof.

12. The demountable carrier according to claim 11 comprising two anchors, wherein said anchor straps extend from at or near opposite corners of the top of said bumper contact plate.

13. The demountable carrier according to claim 1 1 which further includes a detachable frame extending upwardly thereof with said carrier in situ on a vehicle, wherein said frame includes a bottom member held within said bumper contact plate channel, side members, and a top member.

14. The demountable carrier according to claim 13, wherein said flange of said bumper contact plate channel includes a return, and wherein said bottom member is held within said bumper contact plate by way of a lipped extension of said member which is received within the cavity formed by said flange and return, and tabs which dock at each end of said channel.

15. The demountable carrier according to claim 13, wherein said bottom member is held within said bumper contact plate by a locking pin which extends through said member and said channel web.

16. The demountable carrier according to claim 13, wherein said frame side members include returns which are received by recesses in said top and bottom members, and a cross piece is provided to link said side members.

17. The demountable carrier according to claim 13 which includes tensionable straps extending from at or near top corners of said frame for connection to a strap secured to said vehicle or straps extending therefrom.

18. The demountable carrier according to claim 13 which further includes an article support surface comprising a plurality of forks extending rearwardly and essentially horizontally of said frame top or bottom member.

19. The demountable carrier according to claim 18, wherein said forks are pivotably mounted to said frame top or bottom member.

20. The demountable carrier according to claim 12, wherein said anchors comprise a single transverse member having both anchor straps extending therefrom.

21. The demountable carrier according to claim 20, wherein said single transverse member comprises a panel.

22. The demountable carrier according to claim 11 which further includes padding on the bumper contact surface of said bumper contact plate.

23. A kit for carrying an article on a motor vehicle, said kit comprising: a demountable article carrier according to claim 1 1 ; and a tensionable strap for looping about said opening closure, wherein said tensionable strap includes at least one connector for connection to a further strap portion. 24 The kit according to claim 23 which further includes at least one strap portion adapted for releasable connection to said tensionable strap

25 A demountable article carrier for a motor vehicle, said carrier comprising an elongate base member comprising a bumper contact web portion which in use has an essentially vertical orientation, said web portion having a forward projecting flange and a rearward projecting flange at upper and lower edges, respectively, of said web, a frame extending upwardly of said forward projecting flange, and tensionable retaining straps at or adjacent each side of said carrier comprising upper strap portions extending from an upper member of said frame and lower strap portions extending from said carrier base member, wherein ends of said strap portions are secured to said carrier, and wherein said upper and lower strap portions comprise anchors according to claim 1 or portions of a continuous strap member 26 The demountable carrier according to claim 25, wherein said rearward projecting flange is extended by a panel or a plurality of forks fitted thereto

27 The demountable carrier according to claim 25, wherein said frame includes tie rails for anchoring restraining straps thereto

28 The demountable carrier according to claim 25, wherein said frame is detachable

29 The demountable carrier according to claim 28, wherein said detachable frame is foldable

30 The demountable carrier according to claim 25, wherein said retaining straps include releasable connectors