ME 4182 Problem Statement, Design Partition, Project Plan, Task Assignments Team: GT Rack 2:00 pm Se

1
ME 4182 Problem Statement, Design Partition,
Project Plan, Task Assignments Team GT Rack
200 pm September 7, 2005

• Ryan Glenn
• Andrew Mrasek
• Japheth Nelson
• Manuel McMillan
• Brian Collins
• Hyun Lee

2
Objectives

• Present the problem statement for the selected
  project.
• Provide an overview of the Design Partition for
  the project.
• Review the Project Plan over the course of the
  semester.
• Present the Task Assignments for the project.

3
Problem Statement

• There exists a need for a more compact roof
  mounted bicycle rack device that will minimize
  the overall height added to a vehicle when a
  bicycle is being transported.
• With existing top loaded bike racks, drivers are
  restricted from entering a height restricted
  areas such as a parking garage, fast food
  restaurant drive-through, drive-through bank
  tellers, etc.
• Alternatives to roof mounted bicycle carrier
  systems available to consumers exist
• Hitch mount racks, mount to a tow hitch located
  at the rear of the vehicle. These requires a user
  to own a vehicle with a tow hitch or the user
  must have a tow hitch installed.
• Trunk mounted removable racks, offer a universal
  method of transporting bicycles on a broad range
  of vehicles. They do not offer optimal levels of
  fit and may not restrain a bicycle safely if the
  rack is not installed properly.

4
Problem Statement

• Consumers opt for roof mounted rack systems since
  they offer the range of versatile carrying
  capabilities.
• items such as bicycles, boats, canoes, kayaks,
  camping equipment, snow sport gear, and cargo
  boxes can be carried using the appropriate rack
  attachment.

5
Problem Statement

• The goal of this project is to extend the
  versatility of roof mounted rack systems by
  developing a compact bike carrier that will allow
  consumers the freedom to travel unrestricted in
  height restricted areas.

6
Design Partition

• Attach Bike Carrier to Rack System
• -design attachment system to place trough rail
  onto standard aftermarket Yakima or Thule rack
  system.
• Secure Bike
• -trough rail needed to extend entire length of
  bike
• -support bike at front and rear ends of trough
  rail.
• -torsional rigidity should be achieved when
  bike is secure.

7
Design Partition

• Lowering/Raising Mechanism
• -should lower/rotate bike and trough rail 90
  degrees safely, controlled, and with little
  human effort.
• -when lowered, a specified clearance should be
  achieved so the bike does not come in contact or
  damage car roof.
• -bike should be able to be lifted back to
  upright position for easy and stable
  loading/unloading. (additional device may be
  needed)
• -place stress on rack and not on bike.
• Lock Lowered Bike in Position
• -keep bike from bouncing/traveling during
  driving
• -lock empty (not in use) rack system.

8
Project Plan
9
Task Assignments

• Brian Collins
• CAD Design
• Prototype Development
• Andrew Mrasek
• Engineering Analysis
• Team Website
• Video and Photo Documentation
• Ryan Glenn
• Team Website
• Engineering Analysis
• Hyun Lee
• Conceptual Designs
• CAD Design

10
Task Assignments

• Jay Nelson
• Patent Research
• Prototype Productions
• Manual McMillan
• Conceptual Evaluation
• Materials

11
Collapsible Space Saver Bike Rack

• Roof mounted sport racks are popular and useful
  for carrying bikes and other items that cannot be
  carried using a hitch mounted rack.
• However, when transporting bicycles, the
  advantages of a roof rack are diminished since
  the bike effectively raised the overall height of
  the vehicle.
• When carrying a single bicycle, a collapsible
  space saving bike rack would minimize the effects
  of the added height added by the bicycle.