Vehicle Cargo Cover Rail and Crossmember for Bin Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Items stored in vehicle luggage compartments or truck beds often roll, slide, or move during vehicle movement, leading to instability and potential loss.
Innovation Solution
A storage system with a cover that includes a crossmember and rail system to obstruct or allow sliding movement of a bin based on its position, using a crossmember to reinforce the system and a rail system to support the bin, with an engagement portion and stopper to restrict movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cover is used to store items in a vehicle luggage compartment or truck bed, then storage security is improved, but items can still roll or slide during vehicle movement
Solution Approach 1:
The crossmember is designed to be movable between a retracted position and an extended position. When extended, it actively prevents item movement by contacting the items directly. When retracted, it allows access to stored items. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to adapt between storage security mode and access mode, resolving the contradiction between preventing item movement and allowing retrieval.
Solution Approach 2:
The crossmember acts as an intermediary element between the cover and the stored items. It provides direct mechanical contact with the items to prevent rolling or sliding, while being controlled by the cover system. This intermediary structure enables the cover to exert stabilizing force on items without requiring the entire cover structure to be rigid or complex.
2Volume of moving object
If the cover section is unfolded to provide storage space, then storage capacity is improved, but access to items becomes restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The crossmember is extracted as a separate, independently controllable element from the main cover structure. It can be extended or retracted independently of the cover section position. This allows the cover to remain unfolded for storage while the crossmember is retracted to enable item access, or the crossmember to be extended separately to prevent item movement during transit without affecting cover configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic control of the crossmember position to resolve the access contradiction. When the cover is unfolded and items need to be accessed, the crossmember is retracted to the storage position, clearing the access path. When the vehicle is stationary and storage security is needed, the crossmember extends to contact and stabilize items. This temporal separation of functions resolves the spatial contradiction.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid structure is used to prevent item movement, then item stability is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire cover structure rigid and complex, the patent applies stabilization locally through the crossmember. The crossmember is a simple, localized element that contacts only the items needing stabilization. This localized approach provides sufficient item stability without requiring complex rigid structures throughout the entire cover system.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover system is segmented into independent functional elements: the cover section for storage enclosure and the crossmember for item stabilization. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function with simple structure. The crossmember can be a simple extendable rod or bar that contacts items directly, avoiding the need for complex rigid frameworks while achieving the same stabilization effect.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage system for a vehicle is provided. The storage system includes a cover including a section operable to move between a folded position and an unfolded position, a crossmember disposed on an underside of the section, and a rail system disposed on the underside of the cover and configured to slidably support a bin. The crossmember obstructs sliding movement of the bin when the section is in the unfolded position, and the crossmember allows sliding movement of the bin when the section is in the folded position.