Removable Dock Plate Rod Bracket Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing loading dock plates face challenges such as limited mounting options, creating safety hazards and requiring frequent assembly/disassembly, which can lead to improper use or neglect, and may become dislodged during cargo operations, posing tripping and falling risks.
Innovation Solution
A loading dock ramp system with a platform and rod attachment mechanism that allows for easy installation and removal without tools, featuring brackets with holes and slots for secure rod engagement, enabling the platform to pivot and adjust to different heights and angles, ensuring stability and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If dock plates are made removable for storage, then ease of transport and storage is improved, but assembly and disassembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dock plate system is divided into separable components (dock plate, brackets, rods) that can be independently stored and quickly reassembled. The brackets are mounted on the storage structure while the dock plate and rods remain separate until needed, enabling rapid deployment without full disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The brackets are pre-mounted on the storage structure in advance, so that when the dock plate is needed, only the plate and rods need to be attached rather than assembling the entire system from scratch. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces assembly time.
2Device complexity
If limited mounting options are used for dock plates, then device complexity is reduced, but safety and ideal grading are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket design with slots and holes can accommodate multiple rod positions and orientations, allowing the same mounting structure to work with various dock plate configurations and vehicle types. This universal design provides both mounting simplicity and safety through proper positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system allows for adjustable rod positions within the bracket slots, enabling dynamic adaptation to different loading scenarios, vehicle heights, and safety requirements. The rods can be positioned at optimal locations rather than fixed positions.
3Ease of operation
If dock plates are installed at certain angles or positions, then ease of installation is improved, but they may come loose creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The brackets serve as intermediary elements between the storage structure and the dock plate rods. The slots in the brackets provide controlled movement paths that guide the rods into proper positions while maintaining secure engagement, preventing both improper installation and loosening during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The slot-and-rod design allows the rods to self-align and self-lock into the bracket slots during installation without requiring precise manual positioning or additional fastening operations. The geometry of the slots provides inherent positioning and retention.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for utilizing a removable loading dock ramp system. One of the apparatus includes a platform having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the platform comprising at least one rod attached to the bottom surface at the first end; and a first bracket and a second bracket each attached to a storage structure, the first bracket comprising a first planar surface extending away from the storage structure and defining a hole, sized to accept the rod, through the first planar surface, the second bracket comprising a second planar surface extending away from the storage structure and defining a slot comprising an opening at an edge of the second planar surface, the slot sized to accept the rod such that the rod passes through the opening and rests at a bottom of the slot.