Self-Centering Bicycle Accessory Mount with Automatic Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing attachment devices for bicycle accessories on luggage racks are inefficient, require precise manual alignment, destabilize the bicycle during loading, and lack self-centering, making them cumbersome and potentially dangerous, especially for heavy or bulky items.
Innovation Solution
A device with complementary male and female plates featuring lateral centering guides and a mechanical, automatic centering and locking system, allowing secure, one-handed attachment and detachment with a single vertical movement, ensuring self-centering and locking without external intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If straps, ropes, or tensioners are used to attach accessories to the luggage rack, then the accessory can be secured to the vehicle, but the attachment device becomes complicated and time-consuming to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment device is divided into two separate plates: a female plate with centering guides and a male plate with corresponding features. This segmentation allows each plate to have specialized functions, simplifying the overall attachment mechanism while maintaining security through the complementary fitting profiles.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral centering guides with inclined planes automatically center the male plate relative to the female plate during attachment. This self-centering mechanism eliminates the need for manual alignment, reducing complexity and time required for implementation while ensuring reliable attachment.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual alignment is required for attaching the accessory, then precise positioning can be achieved, but the attachment process becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral centering guides with inclined planes perform the alignment function automatically. When the male plate is inserted into the female plate, the inclined planes guide it into precise alignment without requiring the user to manually position it, thus achieving both precision and speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The centering guides are pre-positioned on the female plate, and the inclined planes are pre-formed on both plates. This preliminary preparation of the guiding features ensures that precise alignment occurs automatically during the attachment process, eliminating the need for manual alignment operations.
3Ease of operation
If horizontal movements are required during loading, then the accessory can be positioned on the rack, but the bicycle becomes destabilized
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is designed to work primarily in the vertical dimension. The male plate is lifted vertically onto the female plate, and the lateral centering guides provide automatic horizontal centering during this vertical movement, eliminating the need for separate horizontal positioning movements that would destabilize the bicycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral centering guides automatically perform the horizontal centering function during the vertical loading motion. This self-centering capability allows the accessory to be positioned accurately without requiring the user to make horizontal adjustments that would move the accessory and destabilize the bicycle.
4Device complexity
If play is not recovered when attaching the accessory, then the attachment mechanism remains simple, but heavy loads become uncomfortable and dangerous to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The device merges the centering function and the locking function into a single integrated mechanism. The lateral centering guides with inclined planes not only center the plates but also drive the locking members into their locked positions, eliminating play while maintaining mechanism simplicity through this functional combination.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members are automatically driven into their locked positions by the inclined planes of the centering guides during the attachment process. This automatic locking action recovers any play and secures the connection for heavy loads without requiring additional complex locking mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates secure, efficient, and stable attachment of accessories with reduced manual effort, eliminating play and preventing bicycle destabilization, thus enhancing safety and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
at least two lateral centering guides positioned projecting from a fitting face of the plate along two first opposite sides thereof, the lateral guides each being provided with an inclined plane so as to define with the fitting face of the plate a female fitting profile, and the other plate, called the male plate, comprising: at least two inclined planes formed along first opposite sides of the plate
Implementation Method 2
at least two centering and locking members each comprising a flat surface and positioned along second sides of one and/or the other plate and at least one of which is movable between a locking position in which the plates are locked onto each other with elimination of play and an unlocking position in which the plates are unlocked from each other, the movable centering and locking member being forced into the locking position in the absence of external intervention
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for removable attachment of an accessory to a vehicle, comprising one plate intended to be rigidly connected to the vehicle and another plate to which the accessory is intended to be rigidly connected, one of the plates, referred to as the female plate (2), comprising two lateral centring guides (8), each provided with an inclined plane (10) so as to define, with the interlocking face of the plate, a female interlocking profile, and the other plate, referred to as the male plate (4), comprising two inclined planes (20) forming, with an interlocking face (4b) of the plate, a male interlocking profile able to cooperate with the female interlocking profile of the female plate. The device also comprises a mechanical and automatic centring and locking system having at least two centring and locking members (12), at least one of which is movable between a locked position in which the plates are locked together while eliminating play, and an unlocked position in which the plates are unlocked from one another, and an inclined plane (22) capable of cooperating with one of the members so as to ensure that the plates are centred and locked together.