Deployable Ramp Mechanism for Mobility Obstacles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ramp solutions for assisting vehicles with reduced mobility across steps or thresholds are bulky, complex, and require significant space, limiting their usability and implementation due to the need for permanent encroachment on public areas, and are not adaptable to irregular sidewalk conditions.
Innovation Solution
A compact, deployable, and retractable ramp system with a stationary frame, a movable plate, and a pivoting flap mechanism that provides both a shutter function and additional ramp functionality, allowing for height adjustment and easy deployment, while minimizing footprint and accommodating uneven surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a deployable and retractable ramp is installed to allow vehicles to cross steps, then accessibility is improved, but the device complexity increases and significant clearance is required for deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The ramp is designed as a dynamic structure that can be deployed and retracted. The platform is movable between a high position (stored) and a low position (deployed), transforming from a static to a dynamic configuration to provide accessibility only when needed, thus avoiding permanent encroachment while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The flap is nested within the platform structure. When the platform is in the high position, the flap forms the front face and is stored within the device footprint. When the platform lowers, the flap pivots outward to form a second access ramp, effectively nesting one functional element within another to minimize space requirements.
2Ease of operation
If a ramp with significant clearance for deployment is installed, then vehicle accessibility is improved, but the area occupied on sidewalk and roadway increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism utilizes vertical dimension for deployment clearance rather than horizontal space. The platform moves vertically between high and low positions, and the flap pivots in a vertical arc, allowing the ramp to be deployed without requiring significant horizontal clearance on the sidewalk or roadway.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic deployment mechanism allows the ramp to be compact when stored (platform in high position) and expand only when needed. The flap pivots from a vertical stored position to a deployed position, dynamically adjusting the ramp configuration to minimize permanent footprint while providing adequate clearance during actual use.
3Force
If the flap articulation is positioned higher on the flap, then the applied torque decreases, but the hinge may require more space and the structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The articulation is positioned at a specific location on the flap (between one-third and two-thirds from the lower edge) that optimizes the balance between torque reduction and structural integrity. This local positioning creates the most favorable mechanical conditions for the specific geometry and loading conditions of the ramp structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulation position is optimized as a specific parameter of the flap design. By changing the articulation height from the extreme options (top or bottom edge) to an intermediate position, the system achieves optimal torque characteristics while maintaining sufficient structural strength and avoiding hinge interference with the ground.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables safe and efficient crossing of steps with minimal space requirements, ensuring accessibility for vehicles with reduced mobility and delivery carts while maintaining structural integrity and aesthetic harmony with building facades, and is adaptable to various environmental constraints.
Implementation Method 1
a mechanism for deploying the shutter, comprising at least one connecting rod having a front end articulated to the shutter, the articulation being distant from the upper and lower edges of said shutter
Implementation Method 2
a rear end connected to a first slider mounted to slide in a linear guide formed in the plate, and a central portion connected to a second slider mounted to slide in a guide formed in one side of the frame, the connecting rod moving in a substantially vertical plane
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for helping a wheeled vehicle pass over an obstacle, in particular for a person with impaired mobility. It comprises: - a stationary frame (2) comprising a bottom and two side walls (9, 10), - a plate (3) provided with two ends, a first end being movable between a high position and a low position in which said plate constitutes a first access ramp, - an assembly for driving the vertical translational movement at least of said first end supported by said assembly, - a flap (4) forming a front surface of the device in the high position of the plate and forming a second access ramp in the low position of the plate, the flap (4) being pivotably mounted on the plate at the first end of said plate, and - a mechanism for deploying the flap (4), comprising at least one connecting rod including a front end hingedly connected to the flap (4), the hinge being separated from the upper edge and from the lower edge of said flap (4), a rear end linked to a first slide slidably mounted in a linear guide provided in the plate, and a central portion linked to a second slide (45) slidably mounted in a guide (19) provided in one side of the frame, the connecting rod moving in a substantially vertical plane.