Foldable Mechanic's Creeper With Raised Liquid Basin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanic's creepers are not suitable for vehicles with low ground clearance, are costly due to rollers or casters, and fail to contain liquids effectively, leading to environmental damage and storage challenges, especially in winter conditions.
Innovation Solution
A foldable creeper with a waterproof, foldable body and a raisable circumferential wall, supported by rigid panel members, that forms a liquid-catching basin when unfolded, and can be easily stored in a compact form.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If rollers or casters are used in the creeper, then the creeper can move easily on the floor, but the framework is raised and becomes unsuitable for vehicles with low ground clearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes rollers and casters from the creeper design entirely, extracting the problematic moving components that raised the framework height. The creeper instead relies on direct contact between the bottom surface and the floor for movement, eliminating the height increase caused by rolling elements while maintaining mobility through sliding motion.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using rolling elements to facilitate movement, the patent inverts the approach by using a flat bottom surface that slides directly on the floor. This inversion of the movement mechanism eliminates the need for elevated rollers or casters, allowing the creeper to maintain a low profile suitable for vehicles with limited ground clearance.
2Loss of substance
If open ends are provided for draining water or oil, then liquid can drain out of the creeper, but this causes environmental damage and ruins garage floors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional drainage approach by eliminating open ends entirely. Instead of providing pathways for liquid to escape, the creeper is designed with sealed edges that prevent liquid from leaving the structure, thereby protecting the garage floor and environment from oil and water contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of liquid leakage into a benefit by using the liquid containment to protect the environment. The sealed design transforms what would be a harmful leakage issue into a protective feature, where the creeper actively prevents environmental damage by containing spills rather than allowing them to escape.
3Strength
If the creeper body is made rigid for structural stability, then it can support the user effectively, but it becomes difficult to store and collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the creeper body into multiple foldable sections or panels that can be collapsed relative to each other. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain rigidity when assembled for use while enabling compact folding for storage, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and ease of storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic characteristics to the creeper body through foldable joints or hinges that allow the structure to transition between rigid and compact states. When in use, the joints lock to provide structural stability; when storage is needed, the joints allow folding into a compact form, making the creeper easy to store.
4Ease of operation
If casters are used to enable movement, then the creeper can be easily positioned, but they get jammed and ice logged in winter snow conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes casters from the design, extracting the component that fails in winter conditions. By eliminating wheeled or rolled movement mechanisms, the creeper avoids the problem of casters becoming jammed or ice-logged in snow, while still maintaining the ability to be positioned through direct sliding contact with the floor.
5Loss of substance
If open ends are provided for drainage, then liquid can escape, but snow enters the creeper and onto the user in winter conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the drainage concept by eliminating open ends that allow both liquid escape and snow intrusion. The sealed design prevents snow from entering the creeper while the foldable structure can still manage liquid containment, protecting the user from snow contact in winter conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect there is provided a foldable creeper having a body comprised of a foldable material. The body has a first end, a second end and is foldable in a direction along a folding axis. The creeper further comprises a bottom, a raisable circumferential wall having first end portion, a second end portion, a first side wall and a second side wall, said first and second side walls running along axes that are substantially parallel to the folding axis, and a plurality of rigid panel members. The plurality of rigid panel members are positioned at panel locations within or along each of the first and second side walls. The first end portion, the second end portion and the first and second side walls are moveable relative to the bottom and cooperate to form a circumferential raised barrier around the periphery when the creeper is in an unfolded configuration.