Hitch-Mounted Loading Ramp for Motorcycles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing loading ramps for vehicles like motorcycles and ATVs are cumbersome, difficult to set up, transport, and dismantle due to their size and weight, and pose challenges when trying to transport both ramps and trailers simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A multi-functional apparatus that can transition between a ramp for loading/unloading vehicles, a trailer for transporting additional vehicles, and a compact transporting position, utilizing a hitch attachment mechanism with spring-loaded hinges and locking mechanisms to facilitate easy movement and secure positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ramps are built strong and sturdy to withstand vehicle weight, then structural strength is improved, but the ramp becomes cumbersome and difficult to set up, transport, and dismantle
Solution Approach 1:
The ramp is divided into multiple sections that can be easily assembled and disassembled. The hitch attachment mechanism itself is a segmented structure with separate components (hitch receiver, support arms, locking mechanisms) that can be easily connected and disconnected, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ramp and hitch mechanism incorporate movable and adjustable components. The support arms can be positioned at different angles and heights, and the locking mechanisms allow for quick transitions between deployed and stored positions, enabling the strong structure to be easily reconfigured and transported.
2Strength
If the ramp is made large in size to support heavy vehicles, then load capacity is improved, but the ramp becomes difficult to maneuver and transport within truck bed size restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The ramp sections and hitch mechanism components are designed to nest within each other when not in use. The support arms fold into compact positions, and the entire hitch assembly can be stored within or alongside the truck bed, maintaining full load capacity while minimizing footprint during transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The ramp and hitch mechanism utilize vertical space and three-dimensional configuration rather than only horizontal expansion. The support arms extend vertically and at angles, allowing the structure to achieve necessary strength and span without requiring excessive horizontal footprint within the truck bed.
3Quantity of substance
If a trailer is attached to transport additional vehicles, then transportation capacity is improved, but the complexity of maneuvering and transporting both ramp and trailer increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hitch attachment mechanism serves dual functions: it supports the ramp structure for loading/unloading operations and simultaneously provides the attachment point for a trailer. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate attachment systems, reducing overall complexity while maintaining the ability to transport multiple vehicles.
Solution Approach 2:
The hitch mechanism is designed as a universal attachment system that can accommodate both the ramp configuration and trailer towing. The same hitch receiver and support structure used for ramp deployment also serve as the trailer hitch, allowing one device to perform multiple functions without increasing maneuvering complexity.
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
Enables efficient loading, unloading, and transportation of vehicles while minimizing the complexity of handling ramps and trailers, allowing for more vehicles to be transported in a single truck bed by providing a versatile and space-efficient solution.
Implementation Method 1
spring-loaded hinges
Implementation Method 2
locking mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus that includes a mainframe, first and second adjustment disks, an L-arm, and a drive is provided. The mainframe can associate with a hitch of a vehicle, and the first and second adjustment disks can be connected to respective first and second sides of the mainframe. The L-arm can connect to each of the first and second adjustment disks at a plurality of affixation points, and the drive can be braced between the mainframe and the L-arm so as to be capable of supporting the L-arm in a first position. Dimensions of the vehicle can effect at which affixation point in the plurality of affixation points that the L-arm connects to the first and second adjustment disks.