Sliding Drawer Between Vehicle Compartments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motor vehicles lack a convenient and accessible storage solution that allows items to be stored and retrieved from multiple compartments, such as the passenger and front storage compartments, without compromising space or safety.
Innovation Solution
A sliding storage drawer system that extends through a housing between the passenger and front storage compartments, allowing access from both areas, equipped with a track, actuator, and locking mechanism, including a keypad and imaging device for secure and monitored access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a drawer is fixed in one compartment, then it is easily accessible from that compartment, but it cannot be accessed from multiple compartments
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer is designed to be movable between compartments through a sliding mechanism rather than fixed in one location. The actuator enables the drawer to dynamically change its position between the first compartment and the second compartment, allowing flexible access from either location while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a drawer is made accessible from multiple compartments, then versatility is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it provides the sliding track for the drawer, acts as a structural connector between compartments, and houses the actuator mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in structural complexity despite achieving multi-compartment access.
3Ease of operation
If an actuator is added to move the drawer between compartments, then accessibility is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator is designed to automatically position the drawer between compartments based on detected user presence or input, reducing the need for manual operation. This automation improves ease of operation while the self-service nature minimizes the need for complex control systems and user interaction mechanisms.
4Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added for security, then safety is improved, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is integrated with the actuator system and uses feedback from the drawer position and user input to automatically engage or disengage the lock. This feedback-based control maintains security while minimizing manual intervention, thereby preserving ease of operation despite the added security feature.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle including a passenger compartment is configured with one or more seats, a storage compartment separated from the passenger compartment by way of at least one wall, a housing extending through the at least one wall, and a drawer slidably positioned within the housing and movable between a first position accessible from within the passenger compartment and a second position accessible from the storage compartment.