Folding Trunk Cover Structure for Stable Upright Locking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle trunk covers with single-sided supporting rods experience significant wear on hinges and car bodies, making them difficult to handle and user-unfriendly.
Innovation Solution
A folding and fixing structure for vehicle trunk covers that includes a cover assembly with articulated movable plates and a fixing assembly featuring locking and traction components, which maintain the cover in a stable folded position, avoiding wear by balancing tension with gravity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If single-sided supporting rod is used for folded panels, then the structure is simple, but wear on hinges and car body increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting function is segmented from the cover plate itself and transferred to separate supporting rods that are independently mounted on the car body. This segmentation allows the rods to bear the full weight and traction forces without the cover plate structure needing to support itself, significantly reducing wear on hinges and contact points.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting rods act as intermediary elements between the cover assembly and the car body. These rods transmit forces and maintain the folded position without direct contact between the cover plates and the car body, thereby reducing mechanical wear and improving reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If single-sided supporting rod is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but handling difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting function is extracted from the cover plate structure and implemented as separate, independently adjustable supporting rods. This extraction allows for optimized handling characteristics where the rods can be positioned to balance the folded cover assembly, making it easier to lift and maneuver without increasing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting rods are designed to be adjustable in position and angle, allowing dynamic optimization of the folded cover assembly's center of gravity and balance point. This dynamic adjustability improves handling ease by enabling the user to configure the support system for different lifting and storage scenarios.
3Volume of moving object
If cover plates are folded without proper support, then the structure is compact, but the folded position is unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting rods are positioned and configured to counterbalance the weight of the folded cover plates. By strategically placing the rods to support the center of gravity of the folded assembly, the system achieves stable equilibrium in the compact folded position, preventing unintended opening or shifting during storage.
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 structure stabilizes the folded cover plates, reducing friction and mechanical damage, enhancing user-friendliness and extending the cover's lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
a first elastic element and a latching element being disposed in the inner cavity with an end of the pressing portion sticking out of the lock housing and an end of the snap portion pressing against the first elastic element
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is provided with a folding and fixing structure for covering a carriage. A cover assembly includes multiple hinged movable plates that can be folded in a standing position or flattened to cover the carriage. A fixing assembly includes at least two locking components located on opposite sides of the cover assembly folded in the standing position. A traction assembly with at least two traction components configured to connect the cover assembly respectively to two locking components. The traction components apply pulling forces through the locking components to keep the cover assembly in the standing position stably rested on a movable cover plate laid flat on the carriage, avoiding wear and tear between the cover assembly and the carriage.