Removable Vehicle Storage Floor with Scissor Lift and Detent Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Utility vehicle storage areas face challenges with limited access due to the stacking of cargo and the need for efficient loading and unloading of heavy or bulky items, especially with decreased storage area footprints in modern designs, which require more versatile and accessible lift mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A lift assembly with a scissor mechanism and rollers that allows the floor to pivot and be completely removed, providing access to the spare tire compartment and underlying systems, while utilizing guide members and detents to facilitate easy installation and removal without tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the storage area footprint is reduced to accommodate additional passenger space, then passenger space is improved, but cargo storage accessibility and loading efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The floor is designed as a dynamic component that can be raised, lowered, and completely removed from the storage area. This dynamic configuration allows the floor to adapt between providing full cargo coverage when installed and providing complete access when removed, resolving the contradiction between limited footprint and loading accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor is segmented into a removable load-supporting floor and the vehicle body structure. This segmentation allows the floor to be separated into independent parts that can be easily installed or removed, enabling both compact storage when installed and full accessibility when removed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the floor is made fixed and permanent, then structural stability is improved, but access to wiring and spare tire compartment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The floor transitions from a fixed permanent structure to a dynamic removable component. When installed, it provides structural stability for cargo support; when removed, it provides complete access to wiring, power outlets, speakers, and the spare tire compartment beneath.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor serves multiple functions: it acts as a structural support surface for cargo, provides access to wiring and systems when removed, and can be configured in intermediate positions. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between structural stability and accessibility.
3Volume of moving object
If the storage area floor is lowered to increase cargo volume, then cargo storage volume is improved, but loading and unloading heavy cargo deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The floor is designed as a dynamic lift mechanism that can be raised to meet the upper lip of the access area. This allows cargo to be loaded at a convenient height and then lowered to the storage area, reducing the force required for loading and unloading while maintaining increased cargo volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The lift mechanism acts as an intermediary between the access area and the lowered storage area floor. It provides a movable intermediate surface that bridges the height difference, making it easier to transfer heavy cargo between levels without requiring excessive lifting force.
4Ease of operation
If the floor is made removable to improve access, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The floor is segmented into removable components with rollers that interface with guide members. This segmentation simplifies the removal and installation process, allowing the floor to be easily detached and reattached without complex tools or procedures, offsetting the added complexity of the lift mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor incorporates rollers and guide members that enable self-aligning and self-latching during installation and removal. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for complex alignment procedures or specialized tools, simplifying the overall system despite the added functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A lift assembly for a storage area includes a floor supported by a scissor mechanism, an actuator for raising the floor from a neutral position to an elevated position, a plurality of members attached to the floor, guide members within which the plurality of members move, and a detent movable between an extended position wherein a portion of the detent protrudes into the guide member and contacts one of the at least two members sufficient to resist movement of the at least two members and a retracted position wherein the at least two members freely move within the guide members. The floor is movable between a non-extended position and a fully extended position when the scissor mechanism and the floor are in the neutral position, the elevated position, or any position between the neutral and elevated positions, and may be removed from the assembly.