Pickup Bed Side Rack Clamp Assembly for Cover-Compatible Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-sport racks for pickup trucks with bed shells or tonneau covers lack a stable and rigid mounting system that can securely attach to the truck bed without obstructing the bed shell or tonneau cover, leading to vibrations during travel.
Innovation Solution
A multi-sport rack with a special base plate assembly that includes a top plate, side plate, and bottom plate, clamped underneath the bed shell or tonneau cover, featuring T-brackets and ratcheting tire clamps for secure attachment, along with harp members and webbing to hold bicycles, snowboards, and skis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a multi-sport rack is mounted on a pickup truck bed with a bed shell or tonneau cover, then the rack can provide sports equipment storage, but the mounting system lacks stability and causes vibrations during travel
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate assembly is divided into multiple components: a base plate with clamping mechanism, vertical posts, and crossbars. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to create a stable mounting system that distributes loads and reduces vibrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The base plate assembly uses a clamping mechanism that applies counteracting forces between the base plate and the truck bed surface. The clamping force creates friction and mechanical interlocking that counteracts vibration-induced loosening and maintains mounting stability during travel.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the base plate assembly is designed to clamp underneath the bed shell or tonneau cover, then the rack can be installed on trucks with covers, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate assembly is designed as a universal mounting system that can accommodate different truck bed configurations, including naked beds, bed shells, and tonneau covers. The adjustable clamping mechanism and modular design allow the same assembly to adapt to various surfaces and geometries without requiring multiple specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The base plate assembly incorporates adjustable and movable elements, such as the clamping mechanism that can adapt to different bed thicknesses and the modular post-c横bar configuration that can be adjusted for various rack setups. This dynamic design allows versatility while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized connection interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A pickup truck rack or a multi-sport rack for a pickup truck that is reversibly attachable to the bed of a pickup truck that also has a bed shell, bed cap, or tonneau cover installed thereon. The multi-sport rack sets off to the side of the pickup truck bed like a saddle bag in order to provide clearance for the bed shell, bed cap, or tonneau cover. The multi-sport rack can be installed on the right side, the left side, or both sides of a pickup truck. Each multi-sport rack can hold: a bicycle, snow boards, surf boards, and/or skis. The multi-sport rack includes a base plate assembly that can be clamped onto the pickup truck bed, underneath the bed shell, bed cap, or tonneau cover in order to yield exceptionally strong and stable mounting of the multi-sport rack along with the bicycle, snow boards, surf boards, and/or skis.