Hitch-Mounted Lift Gate Pivoting Door Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lift gate solutions require permanent installation, specialized mounting, and significant electrical power, limiting their versatility and ease of use across different vehicle types and loading scenarios.

Innovation Solution

A receiver-mounted lift gate system with a pair of laterally spaced uprights, a cross member, and a drive mechanism, allowing for pivoting between vertical and horizontal positions, coupled with a removable wheeled skate body assembly for easy attachment and detachment, enabling efficient loading and unloading of cargo on vehicles with drop tail gates or rear doors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a lift gate is permanently installed to provide sufficient lifting capacity, then lifting reliability is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelifting reliabilityVSAvoidinstallation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lift gate system is divided into separate modular components: a receiver-mounted lift gate assembly and a removable wheeled skate body assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured, installed, and removed, reducing overall installation complexity while maintaining lifting reliability through proper mechanical coupling of the modules.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from a static permanent installation to a dynamic removable configuration. The lift gate can be detached and reattached to different vehicles as needed, providing adaptability while maintaining sufficient lifting capacity through the mechanical connection between the lift gate and skate body assemblies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Force

If a lift gate is permanently mounted to the vehicle frame, then lifting capacity is improved, but adaptability to different vehicle types decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelifting capacityVSAvoidvehicle compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver-mounted lift gate assembly is designed with universal compatibility to attach to different vehicle types through standard receiver mounts. The removable wheeled skate body assembly can be detached and transferred between vehicles, allowing a single lift gate design to serve multiple vehicle platforms while maintaining adequate lifting capacity for various cargo configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Power

If significant electrical power is supplied to the lift gate, then lifting power is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelifting powerVSAvoidelectrical power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides sufficient lifting power for typical cargo applications without over-engineering the electrical power supply. The removable wheeled skate body assembly allows the lift gate to be detached when not in use, eliminating continuous energy consumption while maintaining adequate power availability during active lifting operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS10981487B1Hitch mounted lift gate system with pivoting door-access drop feature and method of loading and unloading a payload

Publication Date: 2021.04.20 GATOR ELEVATORGATES LLC

AI summary

A hitch mounted lift gate system and method of loading and loading a payload from a cargo vehicle using the lift gate system. The frame and platform of the lift gate system is pivotable relative to the hitch and hitch receiver as between a vertical use position and a horizontal dropped position for facilitating opening and closing of rear doors on the vehicle to which the lift gate system is mounted when the rear doors pivot about a vertical axis.