Modular Cargo Storage Panels for Vehicle Item Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The cargo compartment of motor vehicles experiences shifting of small items during acceleration, deceleration, or cornering, leading to potential damage due to G-forces, and existing storage solutions do not effectively protect fragile items or manage the movement of loose, heavy items.
Innovation Solution
A modular storage system comprising interlocking panels with crenulations and lug receivers, which can be easily erected and secured within the vehicle to create a confined storage space, utilizing a combination of receivers in the cargo compartment floor and rear seat to stabilize the panels and prevent shifting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If small items are transported in the cargo compartment, then the cargo compartment provides adequate space for items, but G forces cause items to shift and potentially damage fragile items
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo compartment is segmented into multiple storage areas using dividers and barriers. These partitions create separate zones that prevent items from shifting across the entire cargo space, while still allowing adequate room for transporting multiple types of items simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Friction-reducing coatings or intermediate layers are applied to the cargo compartment surfaces and storage structures. This intermediary layer reduces friction between items and surfaces, allowing items to be easily loaded and unloaded while preventing them from sticking or getting damaged during placement and removal.
2Stability of the object's composition
If storage structures are added to the cargo compartment, then item stability is improved, but the total storage space of the cargo area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system employs dynamic, adjustable components such as movable dividers and collapsible barriers that can be reconfigured based on the size and type of items being transported. This allows the storage space to adapt to different cargo configurations, maintaining stability when needed while maximizing space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
Flexible barriers and thin-film partitions are used instead of rigid, bulky structures. These flexible elements provide the necessary stability and separation for stored items while occupying minimal space when not in use, thereby preserving the total storage capacity of the cargo compartment.
3Reliability
If a storage system is designed to quickly erect confined spaces, then item protection is improved, but the complexity of the storage system increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than designing a completely new complex storage system, the invention applies localized protective measures at specific critical areas where items are most vulnerable to shifting and damage. This targeted approach provides effective protection while minimizing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system uses nested, modular components that can be quickly assembled and disassembled. Dividers and barriers are designed to nest within each other or attach to existing cargo compartment features, enabling rapid deployment of protective structures without requiring complex mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Various storage system embodiments are described. Each storage system is displaceable between a stowed position and an erected configuration wherein the storage system provides a storage compartment for retaining and protecting smaller delicate items from being displaced and potentially damaged within the greater expanse of a cargo compartment of a motor vehicle.