Mechanic's Creeper With Retractable Lighting And Tool Carriers
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Solution Overview
Problem
When performing maintenance or repairs on apparatuses, mechanics face discomfort and safety issues due to unsuitable working surfaces, inadequate illumination, and difficulty accessing underside components, which existing mechanic's creepers do not adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A creeper with a support member for a human body, featuring a padded head and body support, pivotable head portion, adjustable wheels, and retractable light housings with movable connectors, solar panels, and rechargeable battery for improved comfort and illumination, along with removable carriers and trays for tool organization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional creeper is used to access underside components, then access to apparatus is improved, but comfort and safety deteriorate due to direct contact with contaminated surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The creeper is divided into a support member portion and a base portion, with the support member elevated above the contaminated surface by wheels and structural elements. This segmentation allows the user to lie on the clean support member while the base interacts with the contaminated surface, eliminating direct contact between the user and hazardous materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member acts as an intermediary between the user and the contaminated surface. It provides a clean, elevated platform that mediates the interaction, allowing the user to work on underside components without direct exposure to oil, grease, and other hazards on the ground.
2Illumination intensity
If ambient light is relied upon for illumination, then device complexity is reduced, but illumination intensity becomes insufficient for detailed work
Solution Approach 1:
The light housing serves multiple functions: it provides illumination for detailed work, houses the battery for power supply, and can be positioned in various locations along the creeper to illuminate different work areas. This multi-functionality delivers improved illumination intensity while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery is nested within the light housing, allowing the illumination system to be self-contained. This nesting arrangement provides sufficient illumination intensity for detailed work while keeping the overall structure compact and avoiding excessive complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the head support is fixed in position, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates due to inability to adjust to different working positions
Solution Approach 1:
The head support transitions from a fixed position to a dynamic, adjustable position through the pivot mechanism. This allows the head support to adapt to different working positions and user preferences, significantly improving ease of operation while adding only minimal complexity through the pivot connection.
4Productivity
If tools and parts are placed directly on the working surface, then device complexity is reduced, but organization and retrieval efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier system divides tools and parts into separate, organized compartments and containers. This segmentation allows for systematic organization of items, enabling quick identification and retrieval, thereby improving productivity while the modular nature of the carriers keeps the added complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriers utilize vertical space and three-dimensional organization rather than simple flat-surface placement. By stacking and arranging containers in multiple dimensions, the system achieves efficient tool organization and retrieval without requiring a large horizontal footprint, balancing productivity improvement with space efficiency.
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
Enhances comfort and safety by providing a stable, well-lit working surface with improved access to underside components, reducing exposure to hazardous materials and improving tool organization and illumination flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
solar panels, and rechargeable battery
Data Source
AI summary
A creeper including a support member with a head portion and a body portion. A rectangular light housing may be attached to either side or to both sides of the creeper, and may be extended away from, and retracted to, the side or sides. First and/or second carriers may be reversibly attached to the rectangular light housing or the body of the creeper, and may be adapted and configured to hold parts, tools, and other objects of use when working on an apparatus. The creeper may include an electric aperture for connection to an external source of power, a rechargeable battery, and/or solar panels. The creeper may further include a grounded outlet and a USB port that receive power from the electric aperture, solar panels, and/or rechargeable battery.