Grab Handle Assembly With Sliding Rail For Removable Roof Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Typical grab handles for vehicles are incompatible with vehicles that have removable roof panels and do not allow for the attachment of components like cameras.
Innovation Solution
A grab handle assembly with anchoring features and a rail that extends between these features, featuring a slot for key feature attachment, allowing for compatibility with removable roof panels and enabling the attachment of additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a typical grab handle is coupled to the vehicle roof, then it provides a fixed mounting position, but it becomes incompatible with vehicles that have removable roof panels
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is divided into separate components: anchoring features that attach to the vehicle body and a rail that can be independently positioned and adjusted. This segmentation allows the grab handle assembly to function whether the roof panel is present or removed, as the anchoring features provide stable mounting points on the vehicle body while the rail provides the actual handle functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The grab handle assembly is designed to serve multiple functions and configurations: it can be used with fixed roof panels, removable roof panels, or no roof panels at all. The rail system can be positioned in multiple locations along the anchoring features, providing universal applicability across different vehicle configurations and uses.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a typical grab handle uses a fixed mounting structure, then it is simple to manufacture, but it does not allow for attachment of additional components such as cameras
Solution Approach 1:
The rail is designed to be adjustable and repositionable along the anchoring features, allowing dynamic reconfiguration of the grab handle position and orientation. This dynamic capability enables the system to adapt to different component attachment requirements, such as mounting cameras at various positions or angles, while maintaining a relatively simple base structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The rail acts as an intermediary element between the fixed anchoring features and the grab handle or other attached components. This intermediary structure provides a flexible mounting interface that can accommodate various components like cameras, lights, or sensors without requiring changes to the fundamental anchoring system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the rail is made adjustable between multiple positions, then it enhances versatility for different configurations, but it increases the complexity of the anchoring features
Solution Approach 1:
The rail system is designed to nest within or along the anchoring features, with the rail able to slide or position itself within the structure provided by the anchoring features. This nesting arrangement allows for multiple rail positions without requiring equally complex anchoring mechanisms at each potential position, as the anchoring features provide a continuous guide or track structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A grab handle assembly for a vehicle includes first and second anchoring features coupled to a vehicle surface. A rail extends between the first and second anchoring features in a spaced relationship with the vehicle surface. A slot is defined by the rail and configured to receive a key feature for attachment of the key feature to the rail.