Automated Step Device with Dual Support and Motorized Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional step stools and ladders occupy storage space and require manual movement or erection, lacking automated deployment and safety features to prevent collapse when in use.
Innovation Solution
An automated step device with a carriage, jack, and rotatable legs that can extend from a retracted position to a deployed position, featuring a controller to manage the extension and retraction, and sensors to detect obstructions and user safety, ensuring stable deployment and retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional step stools and ladders are used, then they provide step functionality, but they occupy storage space and require manual movement
Solution Approach 1:
The step device deploys and retracts automatically through a motorized carriage system without requiring manual movement or erection by the user. The controller activates the carriage to extend the platform and deploy legs when needed, and automatically retracts it after use, making the system self-serving.
Solution Approach 2:
The step device transitions from a static stored position to a dynamic deployed position through motorized actuation. The carriage moves the platform between retracted and extended positions, and the legs rotate between stowed and extended configurations, providing dynamic adaptability.
2Reliability
If conventional step stools are used, then they are simple in structure, but they lack safety features to prevent collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system detects potential hazards before collapse occurs. The obstruction detection sensor identifies objects in the path of the carriage or legs before deployment completes, and the platform presence sensor detects if a user is on the platform before full deployment, allowing preventive action to be taken.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the sensors and the mechanical components. It processes sensor signals and coordinates the carriage, jack, and legs to ensure safe deployment and retraction sequences, preventing collapse through controlled operation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the automated step deploys with single support element, then the structure is simpler, but it is unstable during deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is segmented into two independent elements: the jack that raises/lowers the platform and the rotatable legs that provide additional support. This segmentation provides redundant support paths, ensuring stability even if one element is temporarily unavailable during deployment transitions.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated step includes a carriage moveable between a retracted position and a deployed position; a jack disposed on the carriage; a platform disposed on the jack; rotatable legs coupled to the platform and rotatable between a stowed position and an extended position; and a controller coupled to the carriage, the jack, and the legs. The controller, when activated to deploy the automated step, directs the carriage to extend, directs the jack to raise the platform, and directs the legs to rotate to the extended position and, when activated to retract the automated step, directs the legs to rotate to the stowed position, directs the jack to lower the platform, and directs the carriage to retract. The jack and legs both support the platform when a user stands on the automated step.