Bicycle Carrier Wheel Securement for Adjustable Side Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional load carriers for vehicles are cumbersome, unstable, and fail to securely fasten or balance loads, often blocking vehicle information and causing damage to adjacent items during transport, especially when multiple bicycles are stacked.
Innovation Solution
A load carrier with a rotatable load arm, adjustable tilt, and variable adjustment for securing loads, featuring a wheel securement arm that translates and rotates to accommodate different bicycle sizes, and a vehicle information device that adjusts to avoid obstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional load carriers use rigid positioning for multiple bicycles, then the bicycles are securely held in place, but the bicycles cannot be adjusted for side stacking and may contact and damage each other
Solution Approach 1:
The load carrier employs a rotatable load arm that can be adjusted to different positions and locked in place. This dynamic adjustment mechanism allows the load carrier to adapt between transporting single bicycles (with secure rigid positioning) and multiple bicycles (with adjusted angles for proper side stacking clearance), resolving the contradiction between secure holding and adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The load carrier is divided into separable components including the rotatable load arm, adjustable wheel holders, and independent securement mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to be adjusted independently, enabling the system to provide both secure rigid positioning when needed and adaptability for different loading configurations
2Device complexity
If conventional load carriers use fixed positioning mechanisms, then the structure is simple, but the load carrier blocks vehicle information and lights
Solution Approach 1:
The load arm is designed to be rotatable between a transport position (where it extends outward to carry bicycles) and a storage position (where it rotates inward against the vehicle body). This dynamic repositioning allows the simple structural design to be maintained while eliminating the information blocking issue when not in use
3Reliability
If conventional load carriers use cumbersome securement mechanisms, then the loads can be securely fastened, but the devices are difficult to use and require complex adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel holders are designed to translate automatically along the load arm as it rotates, and the securement arms are pre-positioned to engage bicycle wheels naturally during the loading process. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for complex manual adjustments while maintaining secure fastening
Solution Approach 2:
The load carrier features self-adjusting mechanisms where the wheel holders and securement arms automatically position themselves during the loading process. The translating wheel holders and rotatable securement arms work together to secure bicycles without requiring complex manual intervention, improving ease of operation while maintaining reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A bicycle carrier includes a base, a bicycle tray, a wheel holder, and a wheel securement arm. The bicycle tray can couple to the base and be configured to support a bicycle. The wheel holder can couple to the bicycle tray and be configured to translate relative to the bicycle tray. The wheel securement arm can rotatably couple to the bicycle tray or the wheel holder and be configured to secure a bicycle wheel in the wheel holder.