Toronto, Ontario — Rivian has recently filed a patent application for a cargo bay divider that can also charge tools and other devices stored in it.
The application, which was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on January 18, shows a vertical pegboard that attaches to the floor of the cargo area via mounting floors and hardware in the floor. The patent indicates that items would be hung on the board similar to a standard peg board on a garage wall.
However, in this instance, the patent differs by also charging the devices attached to the board via a power source that would also be built into the assembly.
In the patent, Rivian further notes that an accessory camera mount could be included to allow a camera to send video to a dashboard screen. This would let drivers keep an eye on pets or cargo in the back.
Moreover, Rivian suggests that future applications of the design could be used in electric vehicles, although some modifications would need to be made to the design, the automaker says.
As always, there is no guarantee that this idea will ever make it to a manufacturing stage. However, the idea does propose one way that vehicle powertrains can be used in other ways outside of the driving experience.
