Accessory Mount Using Brake Light Opening for Secure Roof Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle accessory mounts often require modifications or additional holes, making installation difficult and leaving openings when removed, and there is a need for an improved mount that can efficiently attach to existing openings without additional modifications.
Innovation Solution
A single-piece accessory mount with multiple bends, side plates conforming to the vehicle's curvature, and a shaped clamp with an intermediate fastener that secures within an existing opening, allowing for easy installation and secure attachment without additional modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mounting methods are used to attach accessories to vehicles, then secure attachment is achieved, but additional holes or modifications are required in the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is divided into separate components: a mounting plate that attaches to the vehicle through an existing opening, and a shaped clamp that secures the accessory. This segmentation allows the mounting plate to use the existing opening without requiring additional holes, while the shaped clamp provides secure attachment independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaped clamp is designed to be positioned within the existing opening in the vehicle, nesting the mounting mechanism inside the available space. This allows the mounting system to utilize the existing opening structure rather than requiring new modifications to the vehicle body.
2Reliability
If traditional mounting methods are used, then secure attachment is achieved, but installation becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting plate is pre-formed with bends and folds that create the final mounting structure in a single piece. This preliminary forming during manufacturing eliminates the need for complex assembly steps during installation, reducing installation time while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple mounting functions are combined into a single integrated mounting plate structure. The plate includes mounting surfaces, attachment points, and structural support all in one component, simplifying the installation process to a single attachment operation rather than multiple separate steps.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single-piece body with multiple bends is used, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but the structure must adapt to vehicle curvature
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting plate incorporates curved surfaces and bends that match the typical curvature of vehicle roofs. This curvature is built into the single-piece structure during manufacturing, allowing the plate to conform to vehicle shapes without requiring additional shaping operations or multiple assembled parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The single-piece body is manufactured with specific geometric parameters including bend angles, radii, and dimensions that are optimized for both ease of manufacture and conformity to vehicle surfaces. These parameters are established during the forming process to achieve the desired shape while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An accessory mount mountable to a roof of a vehicle with the use of an existing brake light opening. The accessory mount has a horizontal mounting surface and a vertical mounting surface. Accessories, such as lights, may be mounted on the mounting surfaces. A shaped clamp is placed through the existing brake light opening and when rotates the horizontal mounting surface tightly against the roof of the vehicle securely attaching the accessory mount to the vehicle without the need for making any additional holes in the vehicle.