Foldable Rear Carrier Luggage Box With Stable Fabric Side Walls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional luggage boxes attached to rear load carriers occupy significant space when not in use, making them cumbersome for transportation and storage.

Innovation Solution

A foldable luggage box design featuring deformable fabric side walls that can be folded between a rigid bottom and cover element, with support yokes and beam arrangements for stability, and attachment mechanisms for secure fastening to a rear load carrier, allowing for space-saving transport and storage configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the luggage box is designed with rigid structure and closed form to protect luggage, then the protection function is improved, but the space occupation when not in use increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection functionVSAvoidspace occupation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The luggage box employs dynamic side walls made of fabric that can be folded and collapsed when not in use, transforming the structure from a static enclosed form to a compact configuration. The side walls are connected to the rigid bottom and cover elements through flexible joints, allowing the box to transition between an expanded protective state and a collapsed space-saving state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The side walls are constructed from fabric material instead of rigid panels, creating a flexible shell that can deform and fold. This flexible membrane structure maintains the enclosed protective function when extended but allows compact folding when collapsed, directly addressing the contradiction between protection and space occupation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Volume of stationary object

If the side walls are made of fabric to enable folding, then the space-saving transport configuration is improved, but the mechanical stability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace-saving transport configurationVSAvoidmechanical stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The luggage box employs different material qualities in different regions: rigid bottom and cover elements provide structural stability and shape, while flexible fabric side walls enable folding and space-saving configuration. This local differentiation of material properties allows the structure to simultaneously achieve mechanical stability where needed and flexibility where folding is required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The luggage box combines rigid materials (for bottom and cover elements) with flexible fabric materials (for side walls) to create a composite structure. This composite design integrates the advantages of both material types: the rigid parts maintain structural integrity and stability, while the fabric parts enable folding and compact storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Stability of the object's composition

If the side walls are connected over the entire circumference to ensure stability, then the mechanical stability is improved, but the ease of folding decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical stabilityVSAvoidease of folding
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The side walls are divided into multiple segments or panels that can fold independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the side walls to maintain circumferential connection for stability while enabling progressive folding through the segmented joints, reducing the complexity of folding the entire structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4289673B1Luggage box
Publication Date: 2024.07.10 CARMAN ENTERPRISE
  • EP4289673B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4289673B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4289673B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a luggage box (1), in particular for releasable attachment to a rear load carrier (36) to be mounted to a vehicle, the luggage box (1) comprising a rigid bottom element (2), a rigid cover element (3), and side walls (8) made of fabric, wherein the luggage box (1) is foldable between a use configuration, in which the bottom element (2) and the cover element (3) are spaced apart from one another and the side walls (8) connect the bottom element (2) and the cover element (3), thus forming a luggage receiving space inside, and a transport configuration, in which the cover element (3) lies on the bottom element (2) and the side walls (8) are folded in between the cover element (3) and the bottom element (2) and a rear load carrier (36) for mounting to a vehicle.