Adjustable Anchor Bracket Assembly for Secure Vehicle Roof Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for securing occasional loads on vehicles, such as kayaks or canoes, face issues like high initial cost, wind resistance, potential damage to vehicle components, and the need for two people to secure loads, along with the risk of hooks falling out and causing injuries.
Innovation Solution
A bracket assembly comprising a bracket body with an adjustable load pin and cotter pin design that evenly distributes load, prevents hook disengagement, accommodates various strap types, and allows tool-free installation, while providing environmental sealing and abrasion protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a permanent cross bar assembly is attached to the vehicle roof, then load securement convenience is improved, but initial cost and wind resistance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the load securement system into separate components: individual anchor brackets mounted at specific points on the vehicle roof, rather than a continuous cross bar assembly. This segmentation allows for easier installation and removal while maintaining securement convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function of load securement from the complex permanent cross bar assembly and implements it through simpler anchor brackets with integrated D-rings and strain relief features, eliminating the need for extensive cross bar structures.
2Ease of manufacture
If straps are used to loop through the doorframe, then installation simplicity is improved, but environmental sealing and vehicle damage risk worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces anchor brackets as intermediary components mounted on the vehicle roof, which serve as safe attachment points for straps. This eliminates the need for straps to contact or pass through the doorframe, thereby preserving environmental sealing and preventing damage to door gaskets.
3Reliability
If a d-ring anchor bracket is used, then hook engagement is improved under tension, but hook disengagement and safety risk occur when tension is released
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates a strain relief feature that actively prevents hook disengagement by maintaining engagement force even when strap tension is released. This preliminary protective mechanism counteracts the natural tendency of hooks to fall out of D-rings, eliminating the safety hazard.
4Reliability
If two people are used to secure the load, then proper hook engagement is achieved, but time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor bracket design with integrated strain relief features enables single-person operation. The strain relief mechanism automatically maintains hook engagement without requiring a second person to hold or adjust components, thereby reducing time and operational complexity while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An anchor bracket assembly is described for securing loads on top of passenger vehicles when used in conjunction with a user-supplied cam buckle strap or ratchet strap. The anchor bracket assembly includes a bracket body, an adjustable load pin, and a means to secure position of the adjustable load pin. The assembly may also include a seal, a backing plate, and mounting hardware. The benefits of the invention include the ability to retain a load hook when tension is released on the strap, and design elements that ensure that mounting bolts do not rotate in the bore holes if the mounting nuts work loose. The design is of sufficient dimensions to enable mounting on composite bodies to distribute loads over a wide area and avoid mechanical failure of the composite body at the mounted location.