Integrated Tailgate Lock Cable for Bicycle Theft Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bike racking systems for pickup trucks lack effective locking mechanisms, making them vulnerable to theft, as they only secure the tailgate and require additional cable locks to secure the bicycle.
Innovation Solution
A tailgate locking system that includes a tailgate pad body with integrated bicycle holder structures and a lock cable system, where the lock cable is permanently secured to the pad body and encloses a cable lock device, providing secure attachment and locking of bicycles to the tailgate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If only a strap is used to hold the bicycle in place, then the tailgate pad system is simple and easy to use, but the system is vulnerable to theft as the bicycle can be easily removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the tailgate pad with an integrated locking mechanism that includes a lockable cable, bicycle holder structure, and enclosure. This merging of functions allows the system to provide both securing and locking capabilities in a single integrated device, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and anti-theft capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable lock device is enclosed within a lockable enclosure that is integrated into the tailgate pad structure. The cable passes through the bicycle holder and can be locked within the enclosure, creating a nested configuration where the locking mechanism is contained within the pad structure, providing security without excessive external complexity.
2Reliability
If a separate cable lock is used to secure the bicycle, then the bicycle can be securely locked, but the user must perform additional separate locking actions increasing operation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is merged into the tailgate pad structure itself. The cable is permanently secured to the pad body and passes through an integrated bicycle holder, allowing the user to secure the bicycle in a single integrated action rather than using separate locking devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed so that the locking mechanism serves itself through its integrated structure. The cable is permanently attached to the pad body and the holder is built-in, eliminating the need for users to separately handle and coordinate multiple locking components.
3Reliability
If the lock cable is permanently secured to the pad body, then the locking system is more reliable and secure, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The permanently secured cable is nested within the pad body structure, with the cable running through integrated pathways and the holder structure. This nesting allows the cable to be permanently attached without creating excessive external complexity, as the cable management is contained within the pad's internal structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A tailgate locking system, includes a tailgate pad body for mounting on a tailgate of a vehicle, including at least one bicycle holder structure, a first lock cable, a cable lock device and a lock enclosure, such that the at least one bicycle holder structure is configured to detachably secure the bicycle, such that the first lock cable is extendable through a frame of the bicycle, such that the bicycle is securely locked to the tailgate pad body.