Foldable Trailer with Multi-Pivot Bed for Compact Storage

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional trailers occupy excessive space when not in use due to their large footprint, making them unsuitable for compact areas like campgrounds, as they typically cannot be folded to a vertical position behind the towing vehicle.

Innovation Solution

A foldable transportation trailer design that pivots in two locations, comprising a rear, middle, and front trailer bed portion, with a trailer hitch for attachment, utilizing hydraulic extending and retracting mechanisms to compact into a vertical position, minimizing its footprint to approximately three feet behind the vehicle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If the trailer is designed with a long bed to maintain cargo capacity, then the towing capability is improved, but the footprint when parked increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrailer bed lengthVSAvoidtrailer footprint

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The trailer bed is divided into three separate pivotable sections (front, middle, and rear portions) that can be independently folded relative to each other. This segmentation allows the long trailer bed to be compacted into a vertical configuration, reducing the horizontal footprint while maintaining the total cargo capacity when extended.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The trailer bed transitions from a horizontal extended position to a vertical folded position by utilizing the vertical dimension. The multi-pivot design enables the trailer bed to rotate upward, converting horizontal space occupation into vertical space utilization, thereby minimizing the footprint when parked.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If the trailer bed is made foldable to reduce footprint, then the parking space efficiency is improved, but the structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrailer footprintVSAvoidtrailer structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The trailer bed is divided into three separate pivotable sections (front, middle, and rear portions) that can be independently folded relative to each other. This segmentation allows the long trailer bed to be compacted into a vertical configuration, reducing the horizontal footprint while maintaining the total cargo capacity when extended.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The trailer bed incorporates dynamic pivot points that allow the structure to transition between extended and folded states. These pivot mechanisms enable the trailer bed to be manually or mechanically rotated, providing adaptability between different operational configurations without requiring complex automated systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11021199B2Foldable transportation trailer

Publication Date: 2021.06.01 LINKLETTER WAYNE

AI summary

A foldable transportation trailer able to be folded in two separate locations to enable the folded trailer to assume a vertical position behind the vehicle towing it, when not in use, thus providing a substantially minimal footprint to the trailer in its compacted state. In this manner, when compacted and folded, the trailer reduces from an elongated length of approximately 20 feet, to a length of 3 feet when compacted.