PROTOTYPING
PROTOTYPE 1
An initial low fidelity prototype was made to test out a new concept which would aid in usability when folding down a bike rack full of bikes. The concept was that there would be a handle on the top of the main shaft where the top part of the rack hinges. Grabbing this handle would engage a thick steel wire onto both the pivot points (top and bottom) and this wire would keep the two parallel surfaces, being the ground (via the car tow bar) and the rack part, parallel. It would do this by anchoring to the bottom pivot point, forcing the top rack part to pivot as the user folded the rack down. This concept was discovered as a possible way to keep the bikes vertical when the rack folded, instead of making them lean in a dramatic fashion like the folding Thule rack. This would reduce the bad strain on the wheels and frames to no strain at all, making it safer for expensive elite bikes.
PROTOTYPE 2
A high fidelity prototype has been made to physically demonstrate a proposed design and its key features. The prototype was developed using Sketchup software and then printed using 3D printing technology. This designed prototype explores the possibilities of shape and how the shape interacts with the user, the car boot and the bikes. It was given its curved main shaft shape to allow clearance for the boot without having to fold the rack as far down. The hollow pivot points were inspired by the Shimano Hollowtech bottom bracket for mountain bikes which is hollow right through and uses a spinning tube inside bearings. The overall effect of this design is very eye catching and appealing. The hollow pivot points, especially, give it a futuristic look that is complemented by the curve in the shaft. The design looks to be one piece from far away because the lines are smooth and flow into one another, which makes the design nice to look at.
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bike_rack_sketchup.skp | |
File Size: | 250 kb |
File Type: | skp |