Vehicle Cargo Rail Shelving Without Drilling or Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cargo compartment configurations in vehicles often require permanent modifications, such as drilling or welding, which can degrade the vehicle and are not compatible with different configurations, limiting the adaptability and ease of use of shelving systems.
Innovation Solution
A mobile storage assembly that secures to cargo compartment rails without modifying the vehicle walls or rails, using rail mounts that fit within clearances or engage with slots, allowing for easy installation and removal without damaging the vehicle, and adjustable shelves for various cargo configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If permanent shelving is installed by welding brackets to vehicle walls or drilling holes in rails and walls, then the shelving is securely fixed and stable, but the vehicle components are degraded and modified permanently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces rail mounts as intermediary components that couple the shelving system to the cargo compartment rails without requiring permanent modification to the vehicle. The rail mounts engage with the existing rails through clearance fit or slot engagement, serving as a mediator between the shelving brackets and the vehicle structure, thereby avoiding direct attachment that would cause degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelving system is divided into separate modular components: shelving brackets, mobile storage assemblies, and rail mounts. This segmentation allows each component to be independently designed and assembled, with the rail mounts being removable and replaceable, thus avoiding permanent modification while maintaining stability through proper mechanical engagement.
2Stability of the object's composition
If shelving brackets are permanently welded or bolted to vehicle walls and rails, then the shelving is securely fixed, but the shelving cannot be easily removed or reconfigured for different cargo compartment configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The shelving system transitions from a static, permanently fixed configuration to a dynamic, reconfigurable system. The rail mounts can be easily attached and detached from the cargo compartment rails, allowing the shelving to be repositioned, reconfigured, or removed based on different cargo compartment configurations or user needs, while maintaining secure fixation during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The rail mounts are designed with universal engagement features that can accommodate different cargo compartment rail configurations. The same rail mount design can engage with various rail types through clearance fit or slot engagement, making the shelving system adaptable to multiple vehicle configurations without requiring custom-bracketed solutions for each scenario.
3Strength
If shelving is permanently attached to vehicle walls or rails, then the shelving structure is stable and strong, but the installation process requires drilling holes or welding which may compromise the structural integrity of the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The rail mounts serve as intermediary components that distribute and transfer loads from the shelving system to the cargo compartment rails without requiring penetration or permanent attachment to the vehicle walls. This intermediary approach maintains vehicle structural integrity by avoiding holes or welds in critical structural components while still providing adequate load capacity through proper mechanical engagement with the non-structural rails.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If shelving brackets are inserted into rails without permanent modification, then the vehicle components remain undamaged, but the shelving may lack sufficient securement strength
Solution Approach 1:
The shelving brackets are nested within or coupled to the mobile storage assemblies, which in turn are coupled to the rail mounts that engage with the cargo compartment rails. This nested arrangement allows the shelving system to leverage the structural support of the vehicle rails through multiple engagement points and mechanical features (such as clearance fit or slot engagement) without requiring permanent modification, thereby achieving both vehicle preservation and adequate securement strength.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for storage of cargo within a vehicle. In one example, a mobile storage assembly for a vehicle cargo compartment comprises a rail mount coupled to a first rail via a shaft inserted through each of an opening of the first rail and an opening of the rail mount, with the first rail positioned on a first side of a stationary component of the vehicle cargo compartment and the rail mount positioned on a second side of the stationary component. The mobile storage assembly additionally comprises a first shelf bracket inserted into the first rail and a second shelf bracket inserted into a second rail, and a shelf positioned on the first shelf bracket and the second shelf bracket.