Aaron Kent – Trolley Roof Rack
Aaron with his trolley roof rack
The inspiration for Aaron's trolley roof rack came from his mother's requests that one of her children accompany her to the beach to help get the kayak off the car, as it was a two person job.
Aaron drew some sketches based on the idea of a roof rack, using Google SketchUp , software which allows students to model their concepts in 3D. He discussed these ideas with his father and researched the materials he could use, deciding on steel box section.
After planning and constructing his prototype Aaron tested it but the product failed as it wasn't strong enough. The normal steel box section proved to be too thin, and bent when used.
Aaron decided to alter the design of the roof rack so that it could be used as a trolley as well. He took the trolley roof rack idea to his client who liked it, so his next design incorporated this.
After further research he made the decision to construct his invention using a marine grade stainless steel. He had to work out how he could make the wheels pivot, so that it could go from the kayak to the trolley position. This was quite difficult and he made quite a few pictures and cardboard models "to suss out if it would work."
He found that the hardest part of the project was keeping costs within the $60 budget, because stainless steel is expensive, and ended up paying the extra himself. He did get some help from his father who welded the material but says the most challenging part was the basic design work.
Aaron says that if doing it again he would change the trolley section to make it lighter, possibly by using thinner materials or plastic, so that there was less chance of dropping it on the car when putting it on the roof. He would also look at how he could cut down on the cost.
However, he is pleased with how well it came out and that his mother is using it. She reported that it was exactly what she wanted, was relatively easy to use and, most importantly, that she can take the kayak to the beach by herself.
Since completing this project Aaron has investigated a provisional patent on the idea and researched local market interest in the product, which looks very promising.
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