Rooftop Cargo Carrier Linear Rail Tilting Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rooftop cargo carriers face challenges in safely and conveniently transporting bulk and unwieldy objects like ladders due to stowing issues within vehicle spaces.
Innovation Solution
A rooftop cargo carrier system featuring a linear rail mounted on a rack secured to the vehicle roof, with a support structure that can be slid and tilted to maintain colinearity, preventing tilting and ensuring secure positioning through a rocker mechanism and securing hook, allowing for efficient transition between transport, intermediate, and loading positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the support structure is made movable to enable tilting and sliding for loading, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of accidental tilting or slipping increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker mechanism applies preliminary anti-action by using gravity and mechanical geometry to prevent the support structure from tilting beyond the intended loading position. The rocker's curved surface creates a natural stop that counteracts any force attempting to tilt the structure excessively, thereby maintaining safety while allowing controlled movement for loading.
Solution Approach 2:
The rocker mechanism acts as an intermediary between the support structure and the frame, mediating the tilting motion. It allows controlled angular movement during loading while preventing uncontrolled tilting, thus enabling ease of operation without compromising safety. The securing hook similarly mediates the latching function, allowing easy engagement while ensuring secure retention.
2Reliability
If the support structure is constrained to prevent tilting during transport, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation for loading decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically transitions between two states: during transport, the support structure is constrained in a horizontal position for safety; during loading, it can tilt to an angled position for ease of access. The rocker mechanism enables this dynamic behavior, allowing the structure to be secure when needed and movable when required, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates preliminary action by pre-positioning the support structure in a secure horizontal state for transport. When loading is required, the structure can be deliberately tilted using the rocker mechanism, which has already been designed to permit this motion. This preliminary securing followed by controlled release resolves the contradiction by ensuring safety during transport while enabling ease of operation during loading.
3Reliability
If a securing mechanism is added to prevent accidental tilting, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker mechanism provides self-service security by using the weight of the support structure itself and the geometry of the rocker surface to prevent accidental tilting. No additional active locking mechanism is needed during transport, as the horizontal position is naturally stable. The securing hook similarly uses simple mechanical latching that relies on the structure's own geometry rather than complex active systems, thus improving reliability without significantly increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A rooftop cargo carrier having a rack that can be mounted on the roof of an automotive vehicle and on which a linear rail is disposed, along which linear rail a support structure for an object to be transported can be moved between a transport position, in which the support structure is disposed above the linear rail, and an intermediate position, in which the support structure is disposed on the side as an extension of the linear rail. The configuration comprising the linear rail and the support structure can be pivoted between the intermediate position and a loading position, in which the linear rail and the support structure are disposed at a blunt angle relative to the rack. The rooftop cargo carrier also includes a retainer that allows joint pivoting movement of the linear rail and the support structure relative to the rack only after the intermediate position has been reached.