Vehicle Headliner Handle with Nested Sunglasses Housing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a compact and accessible storage solution within vehicles that utilizes minimal interior volume for personal items like sunglasses, while also providing a convenient location for passengers.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle headliner assembly with a pivotable handle and housing system, where the handle is rotatable between stowed and deployed positions, and the housing is rotatable between closed and open positions, incorporating a hook for additional storage and attachment points, all mounted on a pivotable coupling attached to the headliner, allowing for secure storage and hanging of items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If sunglasses are stored in designated storage spaces in consoles, pockets in door trim, and glove compartments, then storage functionality is provided, but vehicle interior volume is consumed and accessibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The housing containing the sunglasses is nested within the handle structure. When the handle is in the stowed position, the housing is received within the handle, effectively utilizing the handle's interior volume for storage without adding external bulk to the vehicle interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle assembly serves multiple functions: it provides a grab handle for passenger support, contains a housing for storing sunglasses, and includes a hook for hanging items. This multi-functionality consolidates what would traditionally require separate storage spaces into a single integrated component.
2Volume of moving object
If a compact storage solution is implemented, then vehicle interior volume is minimized, but storage accessibility and functionality are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The handle assembly integrates multiple functions including a grab handle, sunglasses storage housing, and a hook for hanging items. This allows the compact structure to serve multiple purposes rather than requiring separate dedicated spaces for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is nested within the handle, and the hook is nested within the handle, creating a compact integrated structure that maximizes functionality within minimal volume.
3Ease of manufacture
If a fixed storage structure is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but adaptability and accessibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is pivotably coupled to the vehicle interior, allowing it to rotate between a stowed position (where the housing is received within the handle) and a deployed position. This dynamic capability provides adaptability while maintaining a relatively simple pivot coupling mechanism for manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle headliner assembly includes a headliner, a handle, a housing, and a pivotable coupling. The pivotable coupling defines an axis. The handle and the housing are operably coupled to the pivotable coupling. The handle is selectively rotatable about the pivotable coupling from a stowed position to a deployed position. The housing is selectively rotatable about the pivotable coupling from a closed position to an open position.