Deployable Under-Seat Cargo Assembly With Rotatable Cover Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle cargo compartments are difficult to operate, provide limited storage space, and do not adapt well to different vehicle floor configurations, making it challenging to store miscellaneous items during travel.
Innovation Solution
A deployable under-seat cargo assembly featuring a support member, a receptacle body, bracket plates, and cover plates that can be moved between a stowed and deployed position, providing additional storage space and accommodating various vehicle floor configurations through a mechanism of slots, pins, and link sets that allow the cover plates to form a wall of the storage compartment when deployed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional fixed cargo compartment is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the storage space is limited and cannot adapt to different vehicle floor configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo assembly employs a movable receptacle body that can transition between stowed and deployed positions, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one. This allows the storage compartment to adapt its volume and configuration based on different vehicle floor layouts while maintaining operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The cargo assembly is divided into distinct modular components including the receptacle body, bracket plates, cover plates, and link sets. This segmentation enables each component to be independently optimized and assembled in different configurations to suit various vehicle floor configurations.
2Ease of operation
If a traditional fixed cargo compartment is used, then the structure is stable and reliable, but the ease of operation is poor and requires difficult access
Solution Approach 1:
The link sets are received within cavities in the receptacle body when stowed, creating a nested configuration. During deployment, the link sets extend from the cavities to enable the cover plates to form the storage compartment wall, providing easy access while maintaining a compact stowed state.
Solution Approach 2:
The link sets act as intermediary elements that connect the bracket plates to the cover plates, mediating the transformation between stowed and deployed states. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the operation by providing a clear mechanical pathway for deployment.
3Quantity of substance
If a traditional fixed cargo compartment is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the storage capacity is limited and cannot be expanded
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket plates and cover plates serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, enable deployment motion through rotatable coupling, and form the storage compartment walls when deployed. This multi-functionality increases storage capacity without proportionally increasing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cargo assembly utilizes the vertical dimension by having the receptacle body move between stowed and deployed positions relative to the vehicle floor. This dimensional transformation allows the storage capacity to expand vertically while maintaining a compact footprint when stowed.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle cargo assembly that is located between a seat and a floor of the vehicle, including a support member that supports the seat and is fixed to the floor; a receptacle body that is movably coupled to the support member between a stowed and deployed position; a pair of bracket plates that are fixed to opposing ends of the support member; and a pair of cover plates that rotatably couple the receptacle body to the pair of brackets plates, wherein the receptacle body is movable between the stowed position in which the receptacle body defines a storage compartment, and a deployed position in which the receptacle body, the pair of cover plates, and the pair of bracket plates define the storage compartment.