Sliding Hard Top Rail Design for Single-Person Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Removable hard tops for vehicles are often difficult to remove, requiring multiple people due to their bulkiness and heaviness, and existing systems are either expensive or require manual labor.
Innovation Solution
A hard top removal assist system featuring rails mounted on the vehicle body, with a slidable connection allowing the hard top to move between installed and removed positions, and a rolling cart for easy handling and support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual removal method is used, then system cost is low, but operation difficulty increases and requires multiple people
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces rails as an intermediary component between the hard top and the removal system. These rails provide a guided path that allows the hard top to be easily slid on and off the vehicle body, transforming the difficult manual lifting operation into a simple sliding motion that one person can perform.
2Ease of operation
If existing lift systems are installed, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of support and guidance from complex powered lift systems, leaving only the necessary rails and slidable connection components. This simplification removes unnecessary complexity while retaining the core functionality of enabling easy hard top removal and installation.
3Volume of moving object
If hard top is made bulky for vehicle coverage, then vehicle protection improves, but handling difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, fixed-position hard top into a dynamic system that can easily transition between installed and removed states. The rails and slidable connection enable the hard top to move freely along a guided path, making handling as easy as sliding while maintaining full vehicle coverage when installed.
Data Source
AI summary
A hard top removal assist system for a vehicle. The system includes a vehicle body having a plurality of rails mounted to the vehicle body. A hard top has a connection that is used to connect the hard top to the plurality of rails. There is at least one connection on the hard top that is slidable in the one or more rails between an installed position and a removed position. The hard top can be fully removed from the vehicle body and the one or more rails.