Vehicle Rear Opening and Trunk Floor Assembly Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing design of rear openings in motor vehicles is complex, heavy, and expensive due to the need for robust structures and multiple hinges to support heavy loads, which complicates access to the trunk and increases manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The design shifts the load-bearing capacity from the rear opening to the trunk floor, allowing the rear opening to be smaller and less robust, with a single central hinge and integrated shock absorption, enabling easier access and reduced manufacturing costs by linking the floor and opening for simultaneous movement and using a structural floor to withstand loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the rear opening is designed with robust structure and multiple hinges to support heavy loads, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the load-bearing function from the rear opening and assigns it to the trunk floor. The rear opening is removed from the load-supporting system, allowing it to be designed as a simple, lightweight component that only needs to contain light elements, while the trunk floor becomes the sole structural element responsible for supporting heavy loads during vehicle operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional functional assignment by making the floor the load-bearing element rather than the rear opening. Instead of the rear opening supporting loads and the floor being merely a covering, the design reverses this by having the floor structurally support all loads while the rear opening becomes a non-structural access component.
2Strength
If the rear opening is designed with robust structure and shrouds to support heavy loads, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the load-bearing requirement from the rear opening design, eliminating the need for expensive robust structures, multiple hinges, and shrouds. The rear opening can now be manufactured as a simple, lightweight component, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while the trunk floor continues to handle all load-bearing requirements.
3Strength
If the rear opening is designed with multiple hinges and robust attachments to support heavy loads, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the load-bearing function from the rear opening, eliminating complex hinge mechanisms and robust attachments. This simplification allows the rear opening to be designed for easy operation and quick access, while the trunk floor independently handles all structural load-support functions.
4Strength
If the rear opening is designed with robust structure to support heavy loads, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the weight of the component increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the load-bearing responsibility from the rear opening and assigns it entirely to the trunk floor. This allows the rear opening to be designed as a lightweight component without robust structure, multiple hinges, or shrouds, significantly reducing its weight while the trunk floor maintains full load-bearing capacity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an assembly comprising a rear opening (14) and the floor (20) of a trunk (16) in an automobile vehicle, said rear opening (14) being pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis (18) provided in the vicinity of its lower edge so as to be displaced between a closed position in which it blocks at least partially the access to the floor (20; 34) and an open position in which it gives access to the floor. The floor (20; 34) is of the structural type and comprises means for connection to the automobile vehicle that allow the floor to be moved between a first position in which it is located in the trunk (16) and a second position in which it protrudes at least partially from the trunk.