Adjustable Bicycle Carrier Wheel Holders for Side-Stacked Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional load carriers for vehicles, such as bicycle carriers, are cumbersome, unstable, and fail to securely fasten or balance bicycles, often causing damage during transport due to rigid positioning and obstruction of vehicle information. They require adjustments for side stacking and specific loading orders, limiting versatility and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-mounted load carrier system featuring a base, bicycle tray, wheel holder, and rotatable wheel securement arm, allowing for adjustable tilt, translation, and side stacking of bicycles, with a securement strap system and actuator mechanism for flexible positioning and secure attachment of wheels, enabling easy loading and unloading of bicycles without damaging them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional load carriers rigidly position bicycles, then bicycles are secured to the carrier, but bicycle components contact and cause damage during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The load carrier employs adjustable load arms that can be positioned at multiple discrete locations along the carrier structure, allowing the bicycles to be secured in a dynamic configuration that prevents component contact while maintaining securement. The adjustable positioning enables the system to adapt to different bicycle sizes and prevent rigid positioning damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameters of the load arms relative to the carrier body, allowing verification of at least two different positions. This parameter adjustment enables the bicycles to be secured without rigid contact between components, resolving the damage issue while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional load carriers block vehicle information, then the load carrier is mounted on the vehicle, but vehicle identification and lights are obscured
Solution Approach 1:
The load carrier incorporates an adjustable tilt mechanism that allows the load arms and mounted bicycles to be angled relative to the vehicle body. This dynamic tilting capability enables the carrier to be mounted securely while adjusting the orientation to prevent obstruction of vehicle information and lights.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional load carriers require adjustment for side stacking, then multiple bicycles can be loaded, but the process becomes complex and requires specific loading orders
Solution Approach 1:
The load carrier divides the securing function into multiple independent adjustable load arms, each capable of being positioned separately. This segmentation allows multiple bicycles to be loaded and secured independently without requiring complex coordinated adjustments or specific loading orders, simplifying the process while maintaining versatility.
4Reliability
If conventional load carriers use cumbersome securement mechanisms, then bicycles can be fastened to the carrier, but the devices are difficult to use and fail to securely fasten bicycles
Solution Approach 1:
The securement mechanism utilizes the adjustable positioning capability of the load arms, which can be moved to multiple discrete locations. This dynamic adjustment system provides both secure fastening and ease of operation, as users can quickly reposition the load arms to appropriate locations without complex mechanisms, improving both reliability and ease of use.
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.