Neglect every part you understand about truck accent racks. Rivian has a brand new thought that would change the way you tie down and carry virtually something.
Rivian is revolutionizing extra than simply what powers our pickups. In its newest patent, the corporate is turning the truck accent the other way up, with simpler attachment and removing plus energy and system communication.
The patent was filed in late January, nevertheless it wasn’t revealed till late April. In patent converse, it covers “car accent port and plug.” What does that imply? We’ll discover the patent language and break down what it might imply for the Rivian R1T truck, R1S SUV, and different future fashions.
Rivian Will get Severe About Accent Mounting
“A car might embody an built-in connector system,” it says, earlier than explaining what a car is. You possibly can learn the patent for your self, however put together for lots of that kind of language. The necessary half is that this: “Every attachment port is configured to obtain and interact with an attachment plug of an adjunct.”
Within the submitting, Rivian states the apparent: that many individuals use their pickups to haul stuff that received’t match within the cabin or the mattress. Like skis, surfboards, and kayaks on the roof, bikes on the hitch, and others. “It might be advantageous to offer a straightforward to make use of common and adaptive mounting system for gear,” the patent doc says.
Standard mounting {hardware} often wants a help construction and adapters, Rivian states. Like crossbars hooked up to a manufacturing unit roof rack, or a mounting bracket for a cargo basket.
These equipment are onerous to put in, and tougher to take away, in order that they’re usually left on the car all the time. They can be eliminated by the improper particular person, or because the submitting calls it, “prone to mechanical destruction by an unauthorized consumer.”
Tailgate-Like Latch for Straightforward Set up and Elimination
The answer from Rivian engineers is a latching connection for equipment that appears quite a bit just like the latch inside a tailgate.
In determine 13, you possibly can see the a part of the latch mechanism. A spring-loaded catch hooks round a hinge pin to lock the attachment in place. It makes for a safe and secure approach to connect equipment to the car that don’t want instruments to put in or take away.
The latch system itself is ingenious. Rivian’s patent exhibits how helpful and versatile the system may very well be: attachment factors on the roof of the cab, on the truck field rails, and within the mattress itself, and all capable of maintain a Rivian accent mount.
Flush-mount and floor mounts are attainable, so among the accent connections could be all however invisible when not in use.
Mild- and Heavy-Obligation Ports Deliberate
Security options are additionally a part of the patent. The wording states that “in some embodiments, there are two phases of retaining a plug inside an attachment port.” It means an attachment that has a weaker first-lock functionality after which a second extra optimistic lock.
The primary would preserve the accent in place, and the second safe it from undesirable removing. Like the 2 phases of a hood launch pull, the place pulling the under-dash deal with doesn’t finish with the hood flying open. It’s a must to undo the second catch.
Rivian’s patent additionally talks about two totally different connections, one for light-duty equipment like a low-capacity D-ring, foam block pad, or a mattress cap. The second could be for heavy-duty mounting, together with gear racks or a single-plug bike rack. A lightweight-duty accent may very well be utilized in an HD mount, however not the opposite approach round.
Truck Battery Might Energy Kitchen Accent, Lighting, Extra
Right here’s the place it will get actually fascinating, although. Merchandise 64: “In some embodiments, an attachment port features a receiving function configured to obtain and interact with an adjunct.” Adopted by merchandise 65: “In some embodiments, electrical energy is supplied to, or obtained from electronics through connections made throughout the receiving port.”
The accent mounting plugs might have electrical and communications ports, you possibly can see them in figures 14 and 15, above. That will let your racks be secured and unlocked utilizing the power-locking mechanism.
Or, they may very well be used to produce energy to or from the accent. Rivian mentions a “cook dinner station” (just like the camp kitchen the corporate has already proven) that would obtain energy from the truck.
Rivian suggests an electrical jack, lighting, a fridge, and different powered equipment that may very well be pushed by the mounts — even a photo voltaic panel or transportable generator that will ship energy again into the truck’s battery utilizing these attachment plugs.
So far as the accent mounts proven, Rivian has crossbars for bikes, a rooftop canoe rack (with tie-downs), and a bedside mount for a smaller surfboard.
Is This the Greatest Truckside Hammock?
Our favourite? The hammock proven in determine 5. Utilizing arms that connect with the roof of the truck and the bedside, Rivian is displaying off a snug place for a nap, one which doesn’t make you climb all the best way as much as a rooftop tent. Utilizing the info connection, Rivian might even be sure to don’t by accident drive away along with your hammock nonetheless in place!
Rivian has proven some intelligent patents earlier than, just like the bike rack that attaches to the inside tailgate, in addition to a swinging tailgate that would open 180 levels. However this newest one is one thing actually particular, one that would set the corporate other than each different pickup so long as consumers are prepared to go for Rivian-specific and -compatible accent mounts.