Vehicle Loading Shelf with Sliding Front Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing loading shelves for vehicle luggage compartments do not effectively utilize the space when the backrests of the rear seats are folded forward, as they fail to create a continuous loading surface by covering the gap between the backrests and the main board.
Innovation Solution
A loading shelf design that includes front panels made of cell-like material, coupled to the side panels via a guide-and-slide device, allowing them to slide along the longitudinal direction and rotate to rest on the backrests when folded, thus creating a continuous loading surface and adjustable to various positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the loading shelf has fixed side fastening members coupled to the side panels, then the loading shelf can be held fixed in the raised position, but the loading shelf cannot adapt to the configuration when backrests are folded forward
Solution Approach 1:
The front plates are made movable relative to the main board through a guide-and-slide device, allowing them to dynamically adjust their position. When backrests are folded forward, the front plates can slide along the guide rails and rotate to rest on the folded backrests, creating a continuous loading surface. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction by enabling the structure to adapt between fixed stability and flexible configuration as needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the front plates are made movable to cover the gap between backrest and main board, then the loading surface continuity is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional guide-and-slide mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The loading shelf is segmented into a main board and separate front plates that can move independently. This segmentation allows the front plates to be equipped with simplified guide-and-slide mechanisms rather than making the entire loading shelf complex and movable. The segmentation enables localized adaptability where only the necessary portions (front plates) have movement capabilities, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining loading surface continuity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the front plates are designed to rest on folded backrests, then the continuous loading surface is achieved, but the structural complexity and bulkiness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The front plates are designed as thin, flat panels that can flexibly rotate and rest on the folded backrests. These thin plate structures provide the necessary adaptability to form a continuous loading surface without adding significant bulk or structural complexity. The simplicity of the plate design, combined with the guide-and-slide mechanism, achieves the continuous surface goal while minimizing added complexity compared to more rigid or voluminous structural solutions.
Data Source
AI summary
A loading shelf for a luggage compartment of a vehicle has one rear panel and at least one front panel coupled by means of a guide-and-slide device, which has two longitudinal channels, fixed relative to the rear panel, and two front slides and two rear slides, which are carried by the front panel and engage the channels; the rear slides are coaxial along an axis orthogonal to the longitudinal direction in which the front panel may slide; channels have respective openings having position, shape and size so as to let the front slides coming out of the channels; when the front slides are outside of the channels, the front panel is rotatable about the axis of the rear slides.


