Two-stage vehicle cargo floor with recessed storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for flexible and adaptable vehicle interiors that minimize mass while maintaining functionality, particularly in sport utility vehicles and mini-vans, to efficiently utilize space and reduce weight, which affects power and fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
A storage receptacle integrated into the vehicle floor with a housing and lid that can rotate 90 degrees to change between two storage positions, allowing for increased cargo capacity without removing the lid, and can accommodate a spare tire by being recessed when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the vehicle interior mass is reduced to minimize overall vehicle weight, then fuel consumption and power requirements are reduced, but the storage capacity and functionality of the vehicle interior are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo floor is designed with a two-stage mechanism where the second portion can be selectively positioned in either a first position (flush with first portion) or a second position (recessed relative to first portion). This dynamic reconfigurability allows the same structure to provide both maximum storage capacity when recessed and a flat load floor when flush, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall vehicle mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The cargo floor structure serves multiple functions: it provides storage capacity when the second portion is recessed, maintains a flat load floor surface when the second portion is flush, and enables selective access to stored cargo. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate storage compartments and floor structures, thereby reducing vehicle mass while maintaining versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cargo floor is designed to provide storage capacity, then storage functionality is improved, but the flatness of the load floor surface is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo floor incorporates a movable second portion that can be positioned in two distinct states: a first position where it is substantially flush with the first portion creating a flat load floor surface, and a second position where it is recessed to provide storage capacity. This dynamic positioning capability allows the same structure to satisfy both requirements of flatness and storage functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The cargo floor is divided into two distinct portions: a first portion that forms the main floor surface and a second portion that can be selectively positioned. This segmentation allows independent control of each portion's position, enabling the second portion to be recessed for storage while the first portion maintains its flat surface, or both to be flush for a complete flat load floor.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a recessed cargo floor is used to store items, then storage capacity is improved, but access to the cargo area becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo floor's second portion is designed to be selectively repositionable between a recessed position (providing storage capacity) and a flush position (providing easy access). When cargo storage is needed, the second portion is recessed; when access is required, it is positioned flush with the first portion, creating an unobstructed pathway to the cargo area. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the permanent access difficulty associated with fixed recessed floors.
Solution Approach 2:
Before accessing the cargo area, the second portion of the cargo floor can be preliminarily positioned in the flush state, clearing the access path in advance. This preliminary positioning action ensures that no obstacles block the way to the cargo area, making access as easy as if no storage mechanism were present.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage receptacle integrated into the floor of a vehicle. The storage receptacle includes a housing. The housing includes a collar, a lower surface, and a plurality of side surfaces extending between the collar and the lower surface. The side surfaces each define an upper surface and an intermediate surface that extend continuously around an inner periphery of the housing and are oriented substantially parallel with the collar and the lower surface. A lid is configured to rest on the upper surface in a first storage position when the lid has a first orientation, and is configured to rest on the intermediate surface in a second storage position when the lid has a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is rotated 90 degrees relative to the first orientation.