Modular Vehicle Flooring with Integrated Securing Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor structures for vehicles are complex and time-consuming to install, limited in flexibility for furniture positioning, and require careful bolt placement to avoid damage to vehicle components, with plywood sections being relatively weak and bulky, making it difficult to reposition furniture without assistance.
Innovation Solution
A flooring system comprising interconnected primary and platform panels that can be attached to the vehicle floor using glue, allowing for flexible positioning and stronger bonding, with a snap-fit mechanism for easy assembly and a securing rail with cable holders for power and signal provision, enabling furniture to be repositioned without lifting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal securing rails with bolts are used to attach furniture to the vehicle floor plate, then furniture is held firmly in place, but the installation process becomes complex and time-consuming, requiring careful bolt placement and temporary removal of vehicle parts
Solution Approach 1:
The floor structure is divided into modular floor panels that can be independently installed and positioned. Each panel contains integrated securing rails, allowing the system to be segmented into manageable units that simplify installation while maintaining secure furniture attachment capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The securing rails are merged into the floor panel structure itself rather than being separate components. This integration eliminates the need for separate bolt placement operations and temporary removal of vehicle parts, as the rails are already positioned and ready to receive furniture securing elements
2Reliability
If metal securing rails are positioned on the ribs of the vehicle floor plate, then furniture is securely held, but the position of securing rails is limited to ribbed sections which may not correspond to desired furniture positions
Solution Approach 1:
The floor panels are designed to be movable and repositionable along the vehicle floor, allowing the securing rails to be dynamically positioned at different locations. This enables furniture to be secured at various positions rather than being constrained to fixed rib locations, providing both security and positioning flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The floor panels serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, contain integrated securing rails for furniture attachment, and can be positioned at various locations along the vehicle floor. This multi-functionality allows the same panel design to adapt to different furniture positioning requirements while maintaining secure attachment capabilities
3Quantity of substance
If plywood is used between securing rails to minimize costs, then cheaper materials are used for lower-load-bearing sections, but the floor structure becomes bulky and the plywood is relatively weak
Solution Approach 1:
The floor structure uses composite construction combining metal floor panels with integrated securing rails. This eliminates the need for separate plywood layers while maintaining structural integrity and load-bearing capacity, as the metal panels provide both strength and furniture attachment functionality in a single component
Solution Approach 2:
The plywood layer is extracted from the floor structure and replaced by the metal floor panels with integrated rails. This removal of the weak plywood component eliminates the bulkiness issue while the metal panels provide sufficient strength for both structural support and furniture securing functions
4Reliability
If furniture is secured to the floor structure using lifting and anchoring, then furniture is firmly attached, but repositioning furniture becomes laborious particularly for heavy furniture
Solution Approach 1:
The securing system allows furniture to be dynamically repositioned along the floor panels without complete removal. The integrated rails enable furniture to be slid or rolled to new positions and then secured, transforming the static attachment process into a dynamic, easily reversible operation that maintains firm attachment while enabling simple repositioning
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a flooring system for forming a floor structure in a vehicle, comprising: (i) a primary floor panel, having a top surface extending to an edge of the floor panel; and (ii) a platform floor panel, having a top surface which provides a platform for supporting a secondary floor panel; wherein the primary and platform floor panels include complementary engageable features which allows said edge of the primary floor panel to be connected to: (a) an edge of a like primary floor panel; or (b) an edge of the platform floor panel, such that the platform of the platform floor panel is relatively lower than the top surface at said edge of the primary floor panel, such that, in use, the secondary floor panel can be placed on the platform so that the surface of the secondary floor panel lays flush with the top surface of the primary floor panel.