Systems and methods for reducing friction on cargo area surface
AssigneesToyota Research Institute, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsManuel Ludwig Kuehner, Hiroshi Yasuda, Jaime S. Camhi, Guillermo Pita Gil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for optimizing the loading or unloading of cargo in a cargo area is provided. Friction-reducing elements, such as rails, may be disposed atop a surface of the cargo area. The friction-reducing elements vibrate pursuant to the application of vibrational energy generated by one or more vibration actuators operatively connected, directly or indirectly, to the friction-reducing elements. The application of vibrational energy reduces the time that cargo contacts the friction-reducing elements, which in turn, reduces the amount of friction applied to the cargo, easing the burden of loading/unloading the cargo.
Claims11
A system, comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- memory operatively connected to the one or more processors and including instructions that when executed by at least one of the one or more processors cause the system to:
- determine at least one of weight or shape of a cargo item loaded into a cargo area of a vehicle;
- determine a vibration pattern for facilitating unloading of the cargo item based on the determined at least one of weight or shape of the cargo item;
- and
- individually cause friction-reduction elements in the cargo area to vibrate with different vibration characteristics in accordance with the determined vibration pattern to facilitate unloading of the cargo item.
A vehicle, comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- memory operatively connected to the one or more processors and including instructions that when executed by at least one of the one or more processors cause the vehicle to:
- determine the vehicle is parked on a hill grade;
- and
- individually cause friction-reduction elements in a cargo area of the vehicle to vibrate with varied vibration characteristics from a rear of the cargo area to a front of the cargo area to counter the hill grade when loading a cargo item into the cargo area or unloading the cargo item out of the cargo area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.