Articulating Bicycle Cargo Rack for Vehicle Access and Roof Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle-mounted bicycle racks face challenges such as difficulty in accessing the vehicle interior, increased wind resistance, potential damage to vehicles or bicycles, and cumbersome installation/removal processes when carrying both bicycles and other cargo, particularly due to the need for multiple points of connection and elevated mounting.
Innovation Solution
A combined bicycle and roof cargo holder that uses a vehicle hitch for secure attachment, featuring articulation points to allow access to the vehicle interior and easy loading/unloading of roof cargo, with a rotatable upper beam for securing and positioning cargo without requiring ladder access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If bicycles are mounted on the vehicle roof, then cargo capacity is improved, but access to the vehicle interior becomes difficult and wind resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo rack is divided into multiple levels: an upper level for cargo and a lower level for bicycles. This segmentation allows both functions to coexist without interfering with each other, maintaining access to the vehicle interior while providing both cargo and bicycle transport capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes vertical space by stacking cargo and bicycle carrying functions in different vertical levels. The upper horizontal beam carries cargo while the lower level carries bicycles, effectively using the third dimension (height) to resolve the conflict between cargo capacity and access ease.
2Quantity of substance
If bicycles are mounted on the vehicle roof, then cargo capacity is improved, but wind resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating cargo and bicycles into different levels, the invention reduces the overall wind profile compared to mounting everything on the roof. The lower bicycle level is positioned where it causes less aerodynamic disruption than roof-mounted bicycles would.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the rack is mounted to multiple portions of the vehicle, then structural stability is improved, but mounting complexity and risk of vehicle damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the mounting function to a single, dedicated location (the vehicle hitch) rather than requiring attachment to multiple vehicle portions. This simplifies the mounting process to a single connection point while maintaining structural stability through proper hitch design.
4Ease of operation
If bicycles are mounted by the frame alone, then mounting simplicity is improved, but wheel stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rack applies different securing methods to different parts of the bicycle: the frame is held by simple clamps for easy mounting, while the wheels are secured by separate mechanisms (such as wheel trays or straps) to prevent spinning. This localized differentiation of securing qualities maintains both simplicity and stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A bicycle rack and a cargo rack are disclosed, which can operate together as a single unit. The rack articulates in a variety of ways such as to allow access to the vehicle while mounted with bicycles in the rear and to ease access to the roof for placement and removal of cargo.