Clutch Assembly for Drop-Down Utility Rack Reducing Lever Arc
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ladder storage systems for vehicles require excessive operator movement to pivot levers, especially for smaller vehicles, due to the need to manage larger tools like ladders, which can be cumbersome and pose safety risks during installation and removal.
Innovation Solution
A drop-down utility rack with a rotating bar and clutch mechanism that reduces the arc of rotation, allowing the lever to rotate through a smaller arc of travel, thereby minimizing operator effort and enhancing safety by automatically disengaging the lever from the rotating bar as it completes its arc, facilitating easier movement between transport and access positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional lever mechanism is used to control the drop-down rack, then the rack can be moved between transport and access positions, but the operator must move the lever through a large arc which requires excessive physical effort and exposes the operator to moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the lever mechanism by introducing an offset between the lever's pivot point and the rotating bar's pivot point. This offset creates a mechanical advantage that reduces the arc of travel required by the lever while maintaining the full arc of rotation for the rack. The parameter change transforms a 1:1 motion transmission into a reduced-ratio mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary offset pivot point between the lever and the rotating bar. This intermediary point acts as a mediator that transforms the lever's small arc motion into the rotating bar's large arc motion, reducing the operator's physical effort while maintaining the rack's full range of motion.
2Reliability
If the lever is directly connected to the rotating bar, then the mechanism is simple, but the operator is exposed to moving parts during operation which creates safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the direct connection between the lever and rotating bar by introducing an offset pivot point. This segmentation creates a mechanical barrier that reduces the operator's exposure to the rotating bar's moving parts while maintaining the functional connection. The offset geometry ensures the lever's path of motion does not intersect with the rotating bar's path.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a full arc of rotation is used for the rotating bar, then the rack can fully transition between positions, but the lever must also travel through a large arc which increases physical effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters by introducing an offset between the lever pivot and rotating bar pivot. This parameter change decouples the lever's arc of travel from the rotating bar's arc of rotation, allowing the rack to maintain its full position range while the lever travels through a reduced arc that requires less physical effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic relationship between the lever and rotating bar through the offset pivot. As the lever moves through its reduced arc, the offset geometry dynamically transforms this motion into the rotating bar's full arc of rotation, maintaining adaptability while reducing operator effort.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a drop-down utility rack that has a rotating bar for controlling the position of the utility rack between a transport position and an access position. The rotating bar rotates through an arc of rotation which moves the rack between the transport and access positions. A lever is connected to the rotating bar for rotating the rotating bar. The lever is adapted to move through an arc of travel. A clutch is mounted between the lever and the rotating bar. The clutch engages and disengages the lever and the rotating bar such that the lever rotates through the arc of travel to rotate the rotating bar over a portion of the arc of rotation. The clutch automatically disengages the lever from the rotating bar as the rotating bar completes its arc of rotation. In this way, the arc of travel is less than the arc of rotation.