Folding Step Ladder with Stabilizing Bar for Vehicle Wheel Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing folding step ladders lack stability and safety when used on large vehicles with multiple axle arrangements, as they often fail to provide a secure platform for maintenance tasks due to curved wheels and lack of support, leading to instability and easy dislodgment from single wheels.
Innovation Solution
A folding step ladder design featuring a pair of spaced apart parallel rails connected by rungs, with a platform pivotally connected and a stabilizing bar positioned between the wheels and vehicle body, providing additional support and stability through a high friction surface and telescopic stabilizing bar for secure mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single wheel mounting device is used, then the device can be easily installed, but the device lacks stability and can be easily dislodged
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder mounting system combines multiple wheels into a single stable platform. The rungs engage with multiple wheels simultaneously, merging their individual stability contributions into a unified stable base that prevents dislodgment while maintaining ease of installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ladder extends across the dimensional space between multiple wheels rather than attaching to a single point. By spanning across wheels in the lateral dimension and engaging them simultaneously, the system transforms single-point attachment into multi-point distributed attachment, achieving both ease of installation and enhanced stability.
2Ease of operation
If a ladder is mounted on curved wheels, then the ladder can be positioned for maintenance access, but the curved surface causes the ladder to slide off easily
Solution Approach 1:
The rungs are designed with specific local qualities including textured surfaces and engagement geometries that provide high friction contact points. These localized features at each rung-wheel interface prevent slippage on curved surfaces while maintaining the overall ladder structure for maintenance access.
Solution Approach 2:
The rungs incorporate composite material properties combining high-friction surface treatments with structurally sound core materials. This composite approach provides both the anti-slip capability needed for curved wheels and the structural integrity for supporting users during maintenance operations.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a stabilizing bar is added between wheels and vehicle body, then stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing function is segmented into separate modular components including the stabilizing bar, crossbar, and rungs. Each component performs a specific stabilizing function and can be independently positioned or adjusted, providing enhanced stability while keeping individual components simple and the overall assembly manageable.
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 solution enhances stability and safety by allowing secure mounting between multiple wheels, preventing slippage and rotational movement, and includes a hand hold member for easier climbing, while also allowing for convenient folding and storage.
Implementation Method 1
The platform includes a high friction surface for frictionally engaging the wheels to prevent movement
Data Source
AI summary
A folding step ladder is provided. The folding step ladder includes a platform that can be positioned atop a vehicle's wheels and support a user. The platform is connected to a pair of spaced apart parallel rails via a hinge and the rails are connected to each other by one or more rungs that span therebetween to form a ladder. The platform includes a stabilizing bar that can be positioned between the vehicle and the vehicle's wheels. In one embodiment, the stabilizing bar includes one or more elongated sections in a telescoping arrangement that allows a user to adjust the length of the stabilizing bar. In one embodiment, a second side of the platform includes a high friction surface that prevents slippage when mounted to the vehicle's wheels. The platform and ladder may be moved together at the hinge into a folded configuration as desired.