Extruded Ramp Beam Structure to Eliminate Weld Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing combination ramp and load levelers are constructed with multiple welded components, resulting in a heavier and more complex device prone to weld failure, which can cause damage to loads, semi-trailers, and other vehicles.
Innovation Solution
The development of a ramp apparatus featuring an extruded beam structure with internal brace walls and a plate secured across the top, utilizing a tongue and groove joint for beam connection and a handle for easy handling, which enhances strength, rigidity, and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple welded components are used to construct combination ramp and load levelers, then the structural strength can be improved, but the device weight increases and the complexity of construction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate welded components into a single extruded beam structure with integrated web, flanges, and internal brace walls. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate parts that would require welding, thereby reducing device weight while maintaining structural strength through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The extruded beam utilizes a composite structural design combining flat web material with integrated flange and brace wall features. This composite approach creates a unified strong structure that replaces multiple welded components, achieving high structural strength without the weight penalty of assembled welded parts.
2Strength
If multiple welded components are used to construct combination ramp and load levelers, then the structural strength can be improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate components (web, flanges, brace walls) into a single extruded beam unit. This integration dramatically simplifies construction by eliminating the need to assemble and weld multiple separate parts, reducing device complexity while preserving structural strength through the unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The extruded beam is designed with segmented functional features (web, flanges, brace walls) that are integrated into a single component. This segmentation within integration allows each structural function to be optimized while maintaining overall construction simplicity, as the entire assembly is produced as one piece rather than multiple welded components.
3Strength
If welded construction is used, then structural integrity can be achieved, but the risk of weld failure increases which can cause damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the welding process entirely from the construction method by using a single extruded beam design. This eliminates the source of potential weld failures while maintaining structural integrity through the inherently strong integrated extrusion structure, thereby improving reliability by removing the failure-prone welding step.
Solution Approach 2:
By merging all structural elements into a single extruded beam, the patent eliminates the welds that connect separate components. This unified structure removes the reliability risk associated with weld failure while preserving structural integrity through the continuous material design, directly addressing the harmful effect of potential weld failures.
Data Source
AI summary
A ramp apparatus may include a first beam and a second beam extending between a first ramp end and a second ramp end. The beams may include a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, and a side walls that each extend between the top and bottom walls. Brace walls interior to the first beam and the second beam. The first beam and the second beam are arranged in a lengthwise manner and a side wall of the first beam secured to a side wall of the second beam by a tongue and groove joint.