Vehicle Kickstand Latch Mechanism Against Accidental Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kickstands for cargo bikes and similar vehicles are prone to accidentally retracting, posing a risk of the vehicle falling and potential injury or damage, especially due to their increased weight and load capacity.
Innovation Solution
A kickstand with a support member and a latch mechanism that allows controlled positioning, featuring a locking mechanism to prevent accidental retraction and a release device for convenient operation, optionally enhanced with a securing mechanism for theft prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a simple kickstand without locking mechanism is used, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability is poor as the support may accidentally retract
Solution Approach 1:
The latch is automatically engaged when the support member is in the extended position, preventing accidental retraction. The release device is pre-positioned to allow manual disengagement when needed, combining automatic safety with manual control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch acts as an intermediary component between the support member and the ground, mediating the locking function. It connects the support base to the support member, providing the locking mechanism without requiring complex structural changes to the main kickstand components.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism with release device is added, then the reliability improves by preventing accidental retraction, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch automatically locks the support member in the extended position without requiring user intervention. The spring-loaded mechanism self-activates when the support member is deployed, providing automatic safety while minimizing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking function is extracted as a separate, modular latch component rather than being integrated into the main support structure. This allows the locking mechanism to be added independently, simplifying the overall design and maintenance while providing enhanced reliability.
3Reliability
If the latch is always locked to prevent theft, then the security against theft improves, but the ease of operation deteriorates as the user cannot quickly deploy the kickstand
Solution Approach 1:
The latch transitions between locked and unlocked states dynamically based on user action. When the support member is deployed, the latch automatically unlocks to allow deployment, then automatically locks to provide security. This dynamic behavior provides both ease of operation and theft prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The release device is pre-positioned and spring-loaded to automatically disengage the latch when the support member is deployed. This preliminary positioning ensures that the locking mechanism does not interfere with deployment while automatically providing security afterward, eliminating the need for manual locking/unlocking operations.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3a~4
AI summary
This disclosure provides a kickstand (10) for supporting a vehicle (60), comprising a support base (20) fixedly attached to a frame (61) of a vehicle (60), a support member (30) pivotally attached to the support base (20), said support member (30) being movable between an extended position and a retracted position, and a latch (40) connected to the support base (20) and a locking member (33) connected to the support member (30), wherein said latch (40) is movable between a locked position, in which it hinders movement of the locking member (33), and a release position, in which it does not hinder movement the locking member (33), such that the support member (30) is movable from the extended position to the retracted position only when the kickstand (10) is in the unlocked state, and a release device (50) configured to control the position of the latch (40).