Rigidly Coupled Wheeled Carrier for Stable Cargo Towing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for expanding cargo capacity in smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles, such as rooftop carriers and trailers, often compromise safety, fuel efficiency, and ease of use, due to improper fitting, weight distribution issues, and increased wind resistance, while traditional trailers lack stability and safety during towing.
Innovation Solution
A wheeled carrier with a rigid framework and passive steering assembly, directly coupled to the towing vehicle's chassis via a universal mounting base and carrier coupler, providing interchangeable body styles and improved stability and safety through a shorter turning radius and multiple coupling points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a rooftop carrier is used to expand cargo capacity, then cargo storage space is increased, but wind resistance increases and fuel economy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier transitions from a rooftop mounting configuration to a ground-level towing configuration, changing the spatial dimension where cargo is carried. This positions the cargo lower to the ground, reducing its impact on aerodynamics and wind resistance, thereby maintaining fuel economy while still providing expanded cargo capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier design incorporates adjustable parameters including interchangeable body styles, adjustable cargo bed length, and configurable wheelbase dimensions. These parameter changes allow optimization of the carrier's aerodynamic profile and cargo volume to balance storage needs with fuel efficiency requirements.
2Volume of moving object
If a trailer hitch is used to tow a trailer, then cargo capacity is expanded, but stability and safety decrease due to trailer sway and uneven weight distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier integrates the cargo bed, wheel assembly, and coupling mechanism into a single unified structure that is rigidly attached to the towing vehicle. This merging eliminates the separate trailer component that causes trailer sway, creating a stable integrated towing system where the cargo is carried as part of the vehicle assembly rather than as a detached trailer.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of attaching cargo to a separate trailer that trails behind the vehicle, the invention inverts the approach by creating a carrier that is rigidly coupled to the vehicle chassis, effectively making the cargo platform an extension of the vehicle itself rather than a separate trailing object.
3Volume of moving object
If a larger vehicle is purchased to provide both passenger comfort and cargo space, then cargo capacity and passenger space are increased, but fuel efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution segments the vehicle system into two components: a fuel-efficient base vehicle and a separate expandable carrier. This allows the base vehicle to maintain its small, fuel-efficient size while the carrier provides additional cargo capacity when needed, eliminating the need to purchase a larger vehicle that would consume more fuel during normal operation.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid coupling system is used to attach the carrier to the chassis, then stability and safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system employs a universal mounting base with standardized coupling mechanisms that can attach to multiple positions on the vehicle chassis. This universal design provides rigid, stable coupling while maintaining relative simplicity through standardization, allowing the same coupling hardware to be used across different attachment points and potentially different vehicle types.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates in general to carriers intended to be utilized with towing vehicles, and more specifically, to a wheeled carrier and method of use for providing additional cargo space while being towed behind an automobile or all-terrain vehicle. One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a variety of removable and interchangeable body styles each designed to be utilized with different types of cargo (e.g., luggage, bikes, small animals) such that the carrier may support a wide range of uses depending on certain preferences of the consumer. Another aspect of the present disclosure is providing a wheeled carrier that is rigidly and removably coupled to the chassis of the towing vehicle at multiple positions without requiring a ball hitch, pivoting pin box, or sliding hitch. Rigidly coupling the carrier directly to the chassis of the towing vehicle at multiple positions significantly improves stability and safety while towing as compared to traditional trailers that are pivotably coupled at a single location. The carrier and method of use of the present disclosure is designed to be utilized with smaller, more fuel-efficient towing vehicles to offer additional cargo storage space. Moreover, the carrier and method of use allows the carrier to be decoupled from the towing vehicle to lessen the impact on overall fuel economy and range mileage for the towing vehicle when the carrier is not being used.