This project was done in conjunction with Johnson Controls Inc., an automotive interior supplier in Holland, MI. After spending the summer as an engineering intern, I had a desire to stay involved in the automotive industry. One way to accomplish this was to combine this work with schoolwork, and when the opportunity presented itself for me to do a design project for JCI, I jumped at the chance.

The project was to design a storage bin for the floor console of the Lincoln Town Car. JCI desired to use a carryover design, but a few alterations needed to be made. One of these involved adding a storage bin into the space of the previous design's shift handle. Ford asked that this bin be two-tiered, with a removable upper bin. Each bin must be aesthetically pleasing, and be able to hold a variety of small items. The upper bin needed to be able to latch when put into position, and must remain intact if the vehicle is in a collision. Additional requirements come into play when a latch is involved, including maximum latch efforts, specifications for the minimum amount of cycles. On top of this, the design must be produced for the lowest cost possible.

A basic design process was followed in order to determine the best way to meet the requirements. This included a breakdown of the basic functions needed and possible ways to complete them. These brainstorms were then analyzed further; forming into conceptual designs that could possibly be implemented. The basic functions of this problem were determined to be the support of items on the bins, the latching and removability of the upper bin, and the retention of the upper bin in a vehicle collision. Support ideas such as aluminum rods, a molded lip fitting over a groove and a ledge to sit the upper bin on were all considered. Similarly, latch concepts included a fully plastic molded latch, a torsion spring latch, and a latch with tabs that push in on the sides. Additional features such as a latch cover piece, and rubber-like mats in the bins were carefully thought about.

The design process was followed further when deciding on which conceptual design to implement as a final product. The decision matrix was helpful here in that it put the top conceptual designs against each other. This made it easy to see where certain ideas were strong or deficient. The matrix also weighted all criteria, allowing for the best idea about which would be the best design for the situation. The selected design was to make the upper bin a one-inch deep tray with a plastic molded latch at the front. The molded latch was chosen for its lack of assembly, and low cost - along with the fact that it was a feasible design. The material for the bins was chosen according that which would best accommodate the latch specifications, and calculations were done to determine the proper dimensions of the plastic latch. The upper bin is covered with a separate molded piece that hides the latch from the driver's view. It will also be lined with a rubberized mat.

A few unexpected problems were encountered along the way, including the misunderstanding of how difficult it would be to find a material that could work for a molded latch. However, the process went quite smoothly overall. An SLA model of the final design was produced, and it is evident from this that the design will fulfill all of the essential Ford specifications.