Hinged Foldable Pickup Ramp for Strength and Easy Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Folding ramps for pickup trucks face a trade-off between ease of transport and weight-bearing capacity, with heavier materials required for increased capacity making them difficult for a single person to handle and store.
Innovation Solution
A foldable ramp design featuring a first and second ramp element connected by a hinge, with tension elements and support members providing structural support and rigidity, allowing for a low angle approach without the need for heavier materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If heavier materials or thicker structural profiles are used to increase weight bearing capacity, then the weight bearing capacity is improved, but the ease of handling and storage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ramp is divided into multiple segments (first ramp element and second ramp element) connected by a hinge, allowing the structure to achieve necessary strength through modular construction while keeping individual segments lightweight and easy to handle
Solution Approach 2:
The ramp combines lightweight materials with strategic structural reinforcement, using composite construction to achieve high weight-bearing capacity without requiring uniformly thick or heavy materials throughout the entire structure
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable ramp includes a first ramp element including a first end, a second end, and a first ramp surface extending between the first end and the second end, a second ramp element including a first end portion, a second end portion, and a second ramp surface extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a hinge connecting the second end of the first ramp element and the second end portion of the second ramp element. A first tension element has a first end section connected to the first end and a second end section. A second tension element has a first end segment pivotally connected to the first end portion and a second end segment connected to the second end section.