Lockable Storage Drawer in Vehicle Front Bumper
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for improved storage systems in sports utility vehicles, trucks, and other vehicles that provide secure, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing storage for gear, emergency equipment, tools, and accessories, as existing solutions are often larger, less aesthetically pleasing, and lack theft-proof mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A front bumper with a lockable storage drawer is designed, featuring a bumper member with a slideable lockable drawer that moves from a closed position within a receptacle on the bumper to an open position, providing a secure and accessible storage compartment with a locking mechanism for securing contents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a storage box is incorporated into the rear bumper, then storage functionality is provided, but the bumper becomes larger and less aesthetically pleasing
Solution Approach 1:
The storage drawer is nested within the bumper structure, with the drawer body positioned inside the bumper's receptacle. The drawer can be fully retracted into the bumper when closed, maintaining a sleek appearance, and extends outward when opened for access to stored items.
Solution Approach 2:
The bumper is divided into functional zones: a receptacle portion that houses the storage drawer, and a cover portion that provides aesthetic coverage. The drawer itself is segmented into a movable drawer body and a fixed frame structure, allowing independent movement and locking.
2Ease of operation
If a storage drawer extends forwardly of the rear bumper, then accessibility is improved, but the bumper structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer body is designed to be movable relative to the bumper frame, transitioning between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic configuration allows the drawer to extend forwardly for easy accessibility while maintaining a compact form when closed, managed through sliding mechanisms and locking systems.
3Reliability
If a lockable mechanism is added to the storage drawer, then theft-proof security is provided, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is integrated into the drawer assembly, where the drawer body itself incorporates locking features that engage with the bumper frame. The lockable mechanism operates as part of the drawer's inherent structure rather than as a separate added component, reducing overall system complexity while providing secure locking functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle front bumper includes a bumper member and a lockable drawer slideably coupled to the bumper member. The bumper member includes a middle portion including a coupled between two or more lateral portions. The middle portion of the bumper member includes a receptacle. The drawer includes a bottom wall and a perimeter of walls extending upwardly therefrom and defining a storage compartment therein. The lockable drawer is slideably moveable from a closed position, in which the storage compartment is disposed within the receptacle, to an open position, in which at least a portion of the storage compartment is disposed outward from a front end of the vehicle front bumper.