Why StowRight?
A few years back, with both of us working and raising our two kids, we were always too busy to cook, even just one meal a day. I stopped by different restaurants on the way home from work to pick up different foods-to-go. A lot of these packages tumbled and spilled along the way. Asian foods were the worst, with a lot of sauces and liquids, they often made a mess. On occasion, I bought flower arrangements for my wife and have to drive home with the vase in between my legs. I looked and could not find any cargo organizer on the market that would allow me to adjust to different sizes of cargo.
Being an engineer, my frustration pushed me to come up with a solution. My first thought was 2 adjustable rods, which could compartmentalize and secure different sizes of cargo. Several concepts were evaluated and a few different prototypes were made. I originally designed a rail system on the box walls, in which a cam at the end of the rods can be rotated and locked. Vibration spelled the end of this concept. So I settled with spring loaded rods, which somehow would snap and secure themselves to the container walls.
The next obvious challenge was to make the package collapsible to take less space, when not in use. Different potential solutions were visualized and rehearsed over and over in my head over the following months. I was jogging one day, and came up with a connected wall system, which can fold flat on itself. Then the idea of a leak proof case to serve as the bottom of the container completed the concept. The last few pieces of the puzzle such as a telescoping rod end, how the rods can snap securely into the wall, how the wall assembly and the case could be secured together, etc.
Slowly, Stowright emerged. A prototype was made and evaluated by the members of the Orange County Inventor Forum. I passed out a 10 question survey to get their feedback. Everyone thought it was a great concept with good potential for many other applications. What can StowRight do? An ABS cargo organizer in a form of a self contained brief case 3.0 inches thick. In less than 10 seconds, one can easily pop it into a 24” x 24” x 11” leak proof organizer.
StowRight was designed to handle 6 paper grocery bags. We found that it can also secure 4 five-gallon buckets or 10 one-gallon paint cans. Each StowRight unit comes with 2 telescoping rods, which can secure cargo of all different sizes.
I have customers who use it to secure small tanks of propane, a gas can, a single bag of groceries, books from the library, plants/flower pods, a large water melon, etc… The case serves as a leak proof bottom, which holds up to 3.5 gallons. My neighbor found this feature particularly useful saving her new Mercedes trunk from a spill from a brand new bottle of Windex. Unfortunately, my other neighbor did not use StowRight to secure his 10 one-gallon paint cans from Home Depot. Three out of the 10 cans spilled on the way home and completely ruined the back of his SUV. He is still negotiating with Home Depot to pay for the damage. I wished him luck.
Having a sturdy, durable, and leak proof trunk organizer can come in very handy on many occasions, a trip to the market, home improvement center, picnic at the beach, even to pick-a-part auto salvage place. This thing would secure all your precious cargo, beer, wine, liquor and would haul your trash, and junk back. It works great with dirty ski boots, muddy soccer shoes, and sandy bathing suits. I forget Stowright at home on a few occasions, and realize when I need it, I really need it!!
By Thai Truong, inventor/engineer
Check it here:
http://www.cargocatch.com/shop/stowright-cargo-carrier.html
Got questions? Call us 619-884-8563
