Articulating Elevated Bicycle Rack for Dense Easy Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bicycle racks struggle to efficiently store bicycles in densely populated areas, often requiring a larger footprint and complicating the loading and unloading process, while also failing to maximize storage density.
Innovation Solution
An articulatable elevated bicycle rack design featuring a rack arm with a shuttle and pivot mechanism, allowing the bicycle support tray to articulate up to 90 degrees, which minimizes the operating footprint and facilitates easy loading and unloading by using a damping device to control the tray's movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple-level bicycle storage systems are used to increase storage density, then the number of bicycles stored per footprint area increases, but the systems become difficult to operate and complicate loading and unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The bicycle support tray is made dynamically articulatable via a pivot member, allowing it to rotate between a storage position and a loading position. This dynamic adjustment enables easy access to bicycles at elevated levels without requiring complex manual handling, thus maintaining ease of operation while achieving high storage density through vertical stacking.
2Area of stationary object
If elevated bicycle storage is implemented to maximize storage density, then the footprint area required is minimized, but the loading and unloading process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rack arm is segmented into a stationary support structure and a movable bicycle support tray that can articulate independently. This segmentation allows the tray to be positioned at elevated storage levels while maintaining a simple pivot-based mechanism for loading and unloading, avoiding complex mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The bicycle support tray incorporates a pivot member enabling it to rotate between storage and loading positions. This dynamic capability allows the system to achieve elevated storage (minimizing footprint) while maintaining simple operation through gravity-assisted positioning and minimal mechanical intervention.
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional bicycle racks are used to provide stable bicycle storage, then the storage is secure, but the footprint area occupied is larger than necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from horizontal bicycle storage to vertical storage by elevating the bicycle support tray above ground level. This dimensional change allows multiple bicycles to be stacked vertically, significantly reducing the footprint area while maintaining storage stability through the rigid support structure and articulatable pivot mechanism.
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
The solution enables rapid and dense bicycle storage with minimal footprint, simplifying the loading and unloading process while maintaining stability and security, thus addressing the limitations of existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a damping device coupled between the shuttle and the bicycle support tray to reduce the rate of descent of the bicycle support tray when moving from the storage position to the loading position
Data Source
AI summary
An articulatable bicycle rack includes a rack arm that is coupled to a support structure in an elevated position. The rack further includes a bicycle support tray that is coupled to a shuttle that is movably engaged along a length of the rack arm. The bicycle support tray is articulatable about a pivot member that is coupled to the rack arm so as to selectively position the support tray between the storage position and a loading/unloading position.