Vehicle Storage Compartment Locking Guide for Adjustable Capacity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing adjustable vehicle shelves with elastic elements face issues such as damage to fragile objects due to restoring forces, inefficient storage of rectangular items, and loss of elasticity over time, leading to suboptimal space utilization and reliability.

Innovation Solution

A shelf design featuring a wall element divided into sections with a locking mechanism, allowing for defined opening and closing, and mechanical connections between sections to vary the shelf's capacity without relying solely on elastic deformation, ensuring secure and efficient storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If elastic elements are used to adjust storage compartment capacity, then the storage compartment can adapt to different storage needs, but fragile objects are exposed to restoring forces that can damage them

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage capacity adjustmentVSAvoidrestoring force damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful restoring force function is extracted and separated from the capacity adjustment function. The elastic element is removed from the storage compartment interior, and its adjustment function is replaced by a guide device with locking elements that provide mechanical guidance without exerting damaging forces on stored objects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A guide device with locking elements is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the wall element and the storage compartment. This intermediary provides the necessary mechanical guidance and position control without the harmful restoring forces characteristic of elastic elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If elastic elements are used for adjustment, then the storage compartment can vary its interior space, but the storage of rectangular objects becomes inefficient due to rounded contours

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterior space variationVSAvoidstorage efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic element that causes rounded contours is extracted from the system. The adjustment function is replaced by a guide device with locking elements that enable linear, rectangular movements of the wall element, eliminating the contour rounding issue while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Stability of the object's composition

If elastic elements remain in a tensioned position for extended periods, then the storage compartment maintains its adjusted capacity, but the elastic elements become brittle and lose functionality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjusted position stabilityVSAvoidelastic element durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic element is completely extracted from the system and replaced by a guide device with locking elements. This eliminates the durability issue of elastic elements while maintaining the ability to hold adjusted positions through the locking mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The position-holding function of the elastic element is copied and implemented through a different mechanism - a guide device with locking elements that can maintain adjusted positions without the time-dependent degradation characteristics of elastic materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

4Volume of moving object

If the storage compartment is designed with maximum capacity, then more space is available for storage, but the installation space required increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidinstallation space
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The storage compartment is designed with a dynamic wall element that can be adjusted between different positions using a guide device and locking elements. This allows the storage capacity to be varied according to needs while maintaining a compact installation footprint, as the wall element can be repositioned rather than requiring permanent maximum-space allocation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4098488B1Storage location for a vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.03.13 LISA DRAXLMAIER GMBH
  • EP4098488B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4098488B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4098488B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a storage compartment for a vehicle and to the use of a storage compartment according to the invention as an interior trim part for a vehicle. A storage compartment (1) comprises a wall element (10) and a retaining element (20), wherein the wall element (10) comprises a first section (11) and a second section (12), and the first section (11) is at least partially mounted in a first guide device (24) of the retaining element (20). According to the invention, the first section (11) can be locked in a defined manner within the guide device (24) by means of at least one locking element (26), and a movement of the first section (11) and/or the second section (12) ensures a defined opening or closing of the storage compartment (1) due to the locking of the locking element (26).