Electromechanical Bed Cover Deployment for Drag and Cargo Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bed covers for vehicles are cumbersome to manually open and close, making selective use impractical for covering and securing cargo, and reducing aerodynamic drag, especially in electric vehicles where minimizing drag is crucial for battery range.
Innovation Solution
A deployable bed cover assembly with a deployment mechanism that includes a roller mechanism, extension mechanism, and expansion mechanism, controlled by sensors and an operator interface, allowing for automatic or on-demand deployment based on vehicle speed, environmental conditions, and operator presence, while preventing deployment if obstacles are detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a manual bed cover is used, then the cargo can be covered and secured, but the operation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical operation system with an automated electromechanical deployment mechanism. Motors and control systems are integrated to automatically open and close the bed cover, eliminating the need for manual manipulation while maintaining reliable cargo coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The bed cover system performs self-service through automated deployment and retraction based on detected conditions (vehicle speed, driver presence, environmental factors). The system monitors itself and executes deployment actions without requiring continuous human intervention, thereby maintaining cargo security while improving ease of operation.
2Loss of energy
If a bed cover is continuously used, then aerodynamic drag is reduced, but the utility of the covered bed space decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The bed cover transitions from a static continuously-closed design to a dynamic system that automatically adjusts its state. The cover deploys when aerodynamic efficiency is needed (high vehicle speed) and retracts when cargo access is required, allowing the system to adapt between energy efficiency and utility based on real-time conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The bed cover operates periodically rather than continuously, deploying and retracting based on alternating conditions such as vehicle speed thresholds, driver presence detection, and environmental factors. This periodic action maintains aerodynamic efficiency during driving while preserving full bed space utility when the vehicle is stationary or loaded.
3Ease of operation
If automatic deployment is implemented, then ease of operation improves, but the risk of deploying on obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of obstacles using sensors (cameras, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors) before initiating the deployment action. If obstacles are detected in the deployment path, the system prevents activation or alerts the driver, thereby maintaining ease of operation while eliminating the harmful effect of deploying onto obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The deployment system incorporates feedback mechanisms through various sensors that continuously monitor the bed area and deployment path. The control system processes this feedback information in real-time to determine whether deployment conditions are safe, automatically adjusting or preventing deployment based on detected obstacles, thus resolving the contradiction between automatic operation and obstacle safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A bed cover for a vehicle that may be deployed electromechanically, either on demand or automatically, when a vehicle operator so desires, when predetermined weather conditions are detected, when the vehicle reaches a predetermined speed or experiences predetermined operating conditions, and/or when predetermined aerodynamic drag conditions are detected. The bed cover is deployable from a stowed configuration to one or more use configurations. These use configurations may include a traditional horizontal bed cover and/or an angled “cap-style” bed cover, with the angled bed cover providing enhanced aerodynamic drag reduction characteristics. A vehicle control module and camera, sensor, and/or stop trigger are used to ensure that is safe to deploy and use the bed cover, without negatively impacting an item, animal, or person present in the bed or rear cargo space of the vehicle.