Actuatable Bicycle Wheel Holder With Pivoting Lock Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bicycle storage solutions, such as ceiling hooks and horizontal racks, are ergonomically deficient, making it difficult to securely store bicycles due to their awkward shape and weight distribution, leading to user safety concerns and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
An actuatable holding system with pivotally connected arms and a biasing mechanism that can be easily opened and closed to accommodate bicycle wheels, featuring a base that can be attached to various surfaces and includes a locking mechanism for secure positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a simple ceiling hook is used to store a bicycle, then the storage device is inexpensive and minimal, but it creates ergonomic deficiencies making it difficult to hang and remove the bicycle securely
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system transitions from a static hook to a dynamic clamp mechanism with movable jaws that can open and close. The clamp body includes a fixed jaw and a movable jaw actuated by a cam mechanism, allowing the user to easily open the clamp, place the bicycle wheel, and securely close it without the ergonomic difficulties of balancing on a fixed hook.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam-actuated clamp mechanism serves as an intermediary between the user and the bicycle wheel. Instead of directly balancing the bicycle on a hook, the user operates the cam lever which mediates the clamping action, providing mechanical advantage and precise control over the clamping force applied to the wheel.
2Reliability
If a user tries to line up the bicycle wheel precisely on a small hook, then the bicycle can be suspended, but the user must align in three planes with little tolerance for error
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp mechanism provides a dynamic clamping action that can accommodate minor misalignments. The movable jaw with cam actuation allows the user to apply clamping force progressively, adjusting the position of the wheel within the clamp jaws rather than requiring perfect initial alignment on a fixed hook point.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp mechanism changes the parameter of contact from a single point (hook) to a distributed surface contact between the clamp jaws and the wheel. This surface contact provides tolerance for alignment errors in multiple planes, making the operation more forgiving and reliable.
3Device complexity
If a stationary hook system is used, then the structure is simple, but it is vulnerable to jarring forces causing the bicycle to accidentally exit or the system to fail
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp mechanism with cam actuation provides a dynamic locking action that can withstand jarring forces. The cam lever creates a mechanical lock between the movable jaw and the cam body, preventing accidental opening even under sudden loads, unlike a simple stationary hook that can easily disengage.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp design incorporates preliminary anti-action by applying continuous clamping force on the bicycle wheel, preventing the wheel from moving or exiting the clamp. The cam mechanism maintains constant pressure counteracting any forces that might cause the bicycle to dislodge, rather than relying on passive hook engagement.
4Ease of manufacture
If a ceiling hook with limited space is used, then the mounting is minimal, but the user has less than 2.5 cm in either direction to catch the wheel
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp mechanism compensates for the limited mounting area by using a movable jaw system that can accommodate larger wheel dimensions. The cam-actuated mechanism provides sufficient clamping surface area within the compact clamp body, effectively increasing the catching area despite the minimal overall device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp mechanism is nested within a compact housing that mounts to the ceiling. The movable jaw telescopes or folds within the clamp body, allowing a larger effective clamping area to be achieved within a small overall footprint, maximizing the catching area while maintaining minimal mounting dimensions.
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
The system provides a safe and easy method to store bicycles by reducing the ergonomic challenges of lifting and aligning the bike, offering improved user safety and reducing the risk of damage to the bicycle and surrounding objects.
Implementation Method 1
a spring disposed within the actuator housing and biased to move the arm contacting element toward the opened position
Implementation Method 2
first and second arms pivotally connected to the base and extending outward therefrom
Data Source
AI summary
An actuatable holding system is provided for holding an object, such as a bicycle. In one exemplary embodiment of the system, first and second arms are pivotally connected to a pivot base and are actuated between an opened and closed position by an assembly that can include an actuator housing with a length and extending from the base, an arm contacting element that can slide along at least a portion of the length of the actuator housing, and a button slideably disposed on the housing, distal to the arm contacting element, and operable to releasably lock the arm contacting element in at least a first position, in which the first and second arms are in the opened position, and a second position, in which the first and second arms are in the closed position. A variety of features of actuatable holding systems, as well as methods of manufacturing such systems, are also disclosed herein.