Sliding Console Assembly for Vehicle Floor Trim Tray Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional center console assemblies in vehicles are stationary and lack the functionality to provide additional storage or accessibility to the floor trim tray area, which can be aesthetically compromised by support structures and prone to contamination.
Innovation Solution
A floor-mounted console assembly with a cradle and connector wings that translate along support bars, allowing the console to move from a covered to a retracted position, exposing the floor trim tray platform while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing, smooth surface and providing additional storage without the need for tracks or holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the console is made stationary to ensure structural stability, then the structural stability is improved, but the storage accessibility and versatility are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The console is transformed from a stationary structure to a dynamic sliding structure. The console body can move along the support bars between a retracted position (providing access to floor trim tray storage) and an extended position (blocking access but providing armrest functionality). This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction by allowing the structure to adapt its state based on functional requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If support structures are added to enable console movement, then the storage accessibility is improved, but the aesthetic appearance and surface smoothness are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is moved from the horizontal plane to the vertical dimension. The support bars are positioned above the floor trim tray platform, allowing the console to slide overhead without requiring tracks or holes in the platform surface. This maintains the smooth aesthetic appearance of the platform while enabling console movement through vertical spatial utilization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the console translates to expose the floor trim tray, then the storage capacity is improved, but the risk of contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The console movement mechanism is extracted from the floor trim tray platform itself and relocated to the vertical space above it. By using support bars positioned overhead, the system eliminates the need for tracks, slots, or holes in the platform surface. This extraction prevents contamination risks associated with openings in the platform while maintaining full storage accessibility when the console is retracted.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor-mounted console assembly includes a stationary floor bracket having a longitudinal first support bar and a longitudinal second support bar positioned parallel to the first support bar. The console assembly further includes a cradle having a first connector wing and a second connector wing. The first connector wing is slidably received over the first support bar and the second connector wing is slidably received over the second support bar. The console assembly further includes a console connected to the cradle and supported by the first connector wing and the second connector wing such that the console is vertically spaced above the first support bar and the second support bar. The console and the cradle are configured to translate along the first support bar and the second support bar.