Sliding Rear Package Tray for Hatchback Trunk Space Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rear package trays for hatch back style vehicles are inefficient in loading bulky articles as they only utilize the upper space, making it difficult to accommodate items of great bulk or varying sizes effectively.
Innovation Solution
A rear package tray system with sliding rails, 'U'-shaped utility bars, and 'T'-shaped connection rods that allow the package tray panels to be slid, folded, and rearranged for optimal use of space, enabling the tray to be easily assembled and disassembled, and stored in the lower luggage compartment when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the package tray panel is fixed in position, then the structure is simple and stable, but the adaptability for different loading needs is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The package tray panel is designed to be movable along sliding rails instead of being fixed, allowing it to slide forward and backward to accommodate different loading needs. This dynamic positioning capability resolves the contradiction by enabling adaptability while maintaining a relatively simple sliding rail structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between package tray panels is achieved through separable connection rods with fixing grooves, allowing the tray to be divided into segments that can be independently positioned or removed. This segmentation enables flexible configuration for different loading scenarios while keeping each component relatively simple.
2Quantity of substance
If the package tray utilizes only the upper space, then the assembly is simple, but the luggage loading capacity is insufficient for bulky articles
Solution Approach 1:
The package tray system extends utilization from only upper space to both upper and lower spaces of the trunk compartment. By adding lower tray panels that can be positioned beneath the sliding rails, the system effectively uses vertical dimension to double the available loading capacity while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding rails serve multiple functions: they guide the movement of upper tray panels, provide structural support for both upper and lower trays, and enable the lower trays to be positioned at different heights. This multi-functionality increases loading capacity without proportionally increasing overall structure complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the package tray is permanently mounted, then the reliability is high, but the ease of operation for assembly and disassembly is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The connection rods are pre-formed with T-shaped ends that match the fixing grooves, and the sliding rails are pre-installed with positioning features. This preliminary preparation of connection interfaces allows for quick and reliable assembly without complex fastening procedures, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and mounting reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection rods act as intermediary elements between the package tray panels and the sliding rails. These standardized connectors provide reliable mechanical coupling while enabling easy insertion and removal, thus achieving both high reliability and ease of operation for assembly and disassembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A rear package tray for hatch back style vehicles is mounted in a trunk compartment of the vehicle such that the rear package tray can be slid back and forth, and can be assembled and disassembled as occasion demands. The rear package tray includes sliding rails fixed to opposite side panels of a trunk compartment of the vehicle, respectively; package tray panels positioned at the sliding rails at opposite ends thereof, connection members mounted at the front and rear ends of the package tray panels, respectively, and utility bars fixed to opposite side parts of the lower surfaces of the package tray panels at opposite ends thereof, each of the utility bars being formed in the shape of a “U.”