Vehicle mounted service unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camper trailers are cumbersome, costly, and occupy significant space, posing challenges for convenient camping due to their separate vehicle nature, limited sturdiness, and inefficient storage solutions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-mounted camping unit with retractable support legs, a levelling system, and a mounting mechanism that allows the unit to transition between a compact travel configuration and a spacious camping configuration, providing amenities like a counter, cook plate, wash basin, and storage, while being easily attachable and detachable from the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a camper trailer is used to provide camping amenities, then camping functionality is improved, but vehicle space occupation and storage difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The camping unit is divided into separable components: a vehicle-mounted service unit and detachable support legs. The service unit can be mounted on various vehicles and the support legs can be attached or removed as needed, allowing the camping functionality to be segmented and reconfigured based on storage and usage requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The support legs are designed to be storable within or attached to the vehicle-mounted service unit when not in use. The service unit itself can be mounted on the vehicle in a compact configuration, nesting the camping amenities within the vehicle's existing structure to minimize space occupation during transport.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a camper trailer is used to provide camping amenities, then camping functionality is improved, but cost and compliance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle-mounted service unit is designed to be universally applicable to different vehicle types without requiring separate compliance certifications for each configuration. The modular design allows the same service unit to be mounted on various vehicles, eliminating the need for expensive vehicle-specific manufacturing and compliance processes required for traditional camper trailers.
Solution Approach 2:
The service unit employs simpler, less expensive materials and construction methods compared to traditional camper trailers. The design accepts that the unit may require replacement or upgrading over time, using cost-effective components that can be easily swapped rather than investing in expensive, permanent vehicle modifications.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the support legs are extended to support the service unit, then stability is improved, but the compact configuration for travel is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support legs are designed as dynamic, adjustable components that can be extended or retracted based on the operational state. During travel, the legs are retracted to maintain a compact configuration; during camping operations, the legs are extended to provide stable support, allowing the system to adapt its physical configuration to different functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The support legs act as intermediary elements between the vehicle-mounted service unit and the ground surface. They can be deployed only when needed for stability during camping operations, serving as a mediating structure that provides ground support without being permanently extended, thus maintaining compactness during travel while ensuring stability during use.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle mounted camping unit having a unit housing for providing amenities for use in camping activities. A vehicle mounting arrangement extends from the unit housing. The mounting arrangement has a tow hitch that is configured for operatively coupling the camping unit to a vehicle. The camping unit has first and second retractable support legs mounted on the unit housing that are configured to support the unit housing on a support surface. The first and second retractable support legs are laterally spaced from each other on the unit housing and defining a transverse leg axis therebetween. The camping unit further includes a jockey wheel on the vehicle mounting arrangement that is configured to support the camping unit on the support surface.