Modular AV Cargo Top With Independent Sliding Compartment Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous delivery vehicle top applications are heavy, limiting vehicle speed and safety, often have single access points that are prone to technical issues, and lack dynamic compartment configurations, making it difficult to manage multiple compartments and ensure secure, efficient parcel delivery.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic top application with a base frame and multiple vertical compartment sections, each equipped with computer-operated sliding door assemblies that allow independent access and modification, enabling secure, efficient, and flexible storage and retrieval of parcels across multiple compartments simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a traditional top application is used, then parcel storage capacity is provided, but the weight is heavy which limits vehicle speed and safety
Solution Approach 1:
The top application is divided into multiple independent vertical compartment sections (first, second, third compartments) that can be accessed separately. Each compartment has its own door assembly, allowing selective access without opening all compartments. This segmentation reduces the effective weight impact on vehicle dynamics while maintaining full storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic door assemblies that can independently open and close for each compartment. The door guide rails and sliding mechanisms allow flexible, dynamic access to different compartments based on delivery needs, reducing unnecessary weight exposure and improving vehicle aerodynamics and safety while maintaining full storage capability.
2Reliability
If a single door is used for access, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability decreases due to single point of failure and limited access options
Solution Approach 1:
The single door system is segmented into multiple independent door assemblies (first door assembly for first compartment, second door assembly for second compartment, third door assembly for third compartment). Each door assembly operates independently, so if one fails, the others remain functional, significantly improving system reliability while distributing the complexity across modular units.
Solution Approach 2:
Each door assembly is designed with local quality specific to its compartment, with door guide rails and sliding mechanisms optimized for individual access patterns. This allows each door to be simpler and more reliable in its specific function, while the overall system gains redundancy and reliability through multiple independent access points.
3Productivity
If multiple compartments are opened simultaneously, then access efficiency to multiple parcels is improved, but security is compromised as contents of other compartments become exposed
Solution Approach 1:
The top application is segmented into multiple independently accessible compartments, each with its own door assembly. This allows selective opening of only the specific compartment containing the desired parcel, maintaining security of other compartments while enabling efficient access to multiple different parcels in sequence without exposing unrelated contents.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic door assemblies enable selective and independent opening of compartments based on real-time delivery requirements. The system can open only the necessary compartments while keeping others closed, providing dynamic security control that balances access efficiency with content protection, preventing unauthorized viewing or access to non-delivered parcels.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the top application is rigidly mounted, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to different delivery scenarios is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The top application is divided into separate modular compartment sections that can be independently mounted or configured. Each vertical compartment section can be adapted to different mounting positions and configurations while maintaining structural stability through standardized mounting interfaces, enabling versatility without compromising stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic and adjustable mounting capabilities that allow the top application to be configured for different delivery scenarios. The door guide rails and sliding mechanisms provide dynamic adjustment possibilities, allowing the system to adapt to varying parcel sizes and access requirements while maintaining stable mounting through robust attachment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A top application for on an autonomous delivery vehicle is disclosed. The top application may be attached to the vehicle permanently or removably. The top application has at least one vertical compartment section having a housing for one or more compartments defined by shelves, and a computer operated sliding door assembly. The sliding door assembly comprises a bottom door module and a top door module configured to slidingly move along door guide rails such that the door assembly is closed when a lower edge of the top door assembly and the upper edge of the bottom door assembly are adjacent to each other. The door assembly is configured to move to a position where the adjacent edges locate at a level of a predetermined shelf. The top door module moves upward, or the bottom door module moves downward to create an access opening at the level of the predetermined shelf.