Vehicle Bed Leveling via Pivotable Joint and Actuators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Truck sleeping cabin beds are often inclined due to uneven parking spaces, leading to discomfort and suboptimal rest during legally prescribed breaks, affecting drivers' fitness to drive.
Innovation Solution
A three-point mounting system with a pivotable joint and height-adjustable actuators allows the bed to be leveled horizontally by rotating about both longitudinal and transverse axes, using a ball joint and cam mechanisms for precise adjustment, either manually or automatically with inclination sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the bed is rigidly mounted in the sleeper cab, then the mounting structure is simple and stable, but the bed cannot be leveled when the vehicle is parked on an inclined surface
Solution Approach 1:
The bed mounting system transitions from a rigid fixed structure to a dynamic adjustable structure. The bed is mounted on a pivotable joint that enables rotational movement, and height-adjustable actuators are introduced to dynamically change the bed's position and orientation, allowing it to adapt to inclined parking surfaces while maintaining structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system is divided into separate functional components: a pivotable joint for rotational movement, height-adjustable actuators for vertical position control, and a leveling device for orientation adjustment. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, resolving the contradiction between operational flexibility and structural simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the bed is mounted to pivot about both longitudinal and transverse axes, then the bed can be precisely leveled on inclined surfaces, but the mounting structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable joint is designed to provide universal rotational capability about both the longitudinal and transverse axes simultaneously. This multi-functional joint eliminates the need for separate mechanisms for each axis, achieving precise leveling capability while minimizing structural complexity through a unified mounting solution.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual actuators are used for adjustment, then the structure remains simple, but automatic leveling with sensors increases precision
Solution Approach 1:
Tilt sensors are integrated into the mounting system to detect the vehicle's inclination angle in real-time. This feedback information is used to automatically control the height-adjustable actuators, enabling the bed to level itself precisely without manual intervention. The closed-loop feedback system resolves the contradiction by using sensor data to drive automatic adjustment while maintaining high precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures a flat sleeping surface despite inclined parking, enhancing rest quality and driver readiness by compensating for vehicle inclinations, improving comfort and safety.
Implementation Method 1
The actuators can, for example, include a rotatable cam, in particular a helical cam, which is arranged under the bed and whose curved surface acts on the bed from below, pivoting the bed into a specific swivel position according to the rotational position of the cam.
Implementation Method 2
The joint can be designed as a ball joint. The two actuators, on the other hand, are located on the opposite longitudinal edge of the bed at the outer ends of the longitudinal edge, i.e., on opposite sides of the transverse axis of the bed.
Implementation Method 3
The cam preferably has numerous detent elements (e.g., recesses) distributed around its curved surface in the circumferential direction, which form a detent connection with a correspondingly adapted detent element (e.g., bearing pin) on the underside of the bed.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
The storage structure has a leveling device that is provided for leveling deck (5), when vehicle such as truck (1) is parked on an inclined parking lot. The deck is leveled about longitudinal and transverse vehicle axes by the leveling device. Independent claims are included for the following: (1) commercial vehicle; and (2) method for adjusting deck.