In-line Jack with Planetary Gear and Motor for Camper Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional tubular jacks for pick-up truck campers are externally mounted, making them susceptible to damage, aesthetically unpleasing, and requiring time-consuming attachment and removal, while their crank mechanisms necessitate additional clearance for operation.
Innovation Solution
An in-line jack design featuring a tubular body with an extendable shaft and a drive assembly, including a planetary gear system and motor, allows for internal mounting, reducing external exposure, enhancing durability, and enabling compact operation with minimal clearance requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If external jacks are mounted to the outside of the camper, then the jack is accessible for operation, but the jack is susceptible to damage from impact and environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The jack is nested within the camper body structure, with the jack shaft and drive mechanism housed inside the camper walls. This nesting protects the jack components from external damage while maintaining operational functionality through controlled access points.
Solution Approach 2:
A crankshaft mechanism serves as an intermediary, allowing the jack to be operated from inside the camper through a port in the camper wall. This mediator enables accessibility without requiring the jack itself to be externally mounted.
2Ease of operation
If external jacks are mounted to the camper, then the jack can be used for lifting, but the attachment and removal process is time-consuming and laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The jack is merged with the camper body as an integrated component, eliminating the need for separate attachment and removal operations. The jack becomes a permanent part of the camper structure, available for use whenever needed without additional setup time.
Solution Approach 2:
The jack is pre-installed and permanently mounted to the camper during manufacturing, so that no attachment action is required at the time of use. This preliminary installation eliminates the time-consuming attachment process entirely.
3Ease of operation
If crank mechanisms extend radially outwardly from the jack tube, then the jack can be operated manually or powered, but additional clearance space is required for operation
Solution Approach 1:
The crankshaft mechanism operates in a different dimensional space by extending through a port in the camper wall rather than radially outward from the jack tube. This dimensional repositioning allows operation with minimal external clearance while maintaining full operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The crankshaft is positioned locally at a specific access point in the camper wall, concentrating the operational interface in a small area. This localized positioning minimizes the overall clearance space required while maintaining ease of operation at the access point.
4Ease of operation
If external jacks are mounted to the camper, then the jack is accessible, but the appearance is unsightly
Solution Approach 1:
The jack components are nested within the camper body, hiding them from external view. Only minimal access points or indicators are visible on the exterior, maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the camper while preserving full jack functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The unsightly external jack components are extracted from the exterior surface and relocated to the interior of the camper. This extraction removes the aesthetic burden from the external appearance while maintaining operational accessibility through internal or minimally invasive access points.
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 in-line jack design provides a compact, internally mounted solution that reduces damage risk, improves aesthetics, and simplifies operation by allowing the jack to be operated from within the camper with reduced clearance needs, enhancing user convenience and structural integration.
Implementation Method 1
The drive mechanics include a planetary gear system
Implementation Method 2
The jack screw assembly is attached to both the tubular body and the shaft and is adapted to selectively move the shaft relative to the body along the longitudinal axis
Data Source
AI summary
An in-line jack includes a body, an extendable shaft, drive mechanics, and a motor. The body has first and second distal ends. The extendable shaft is movably disposed within the body and has a distal end extending out of the second distal end of the body. The drive mechanics are disposed within the body and are adapted to move the extendable shaft with respect to the body. The motor is mounted at the first distal end of the body and is adapted to selectively drive the drive mechanics. A coupling mechanism can be provided to selectively alternately couple: (i) a planetary gear system associated with the motor to a drive shaft of a jack screw assembly and (ii) a manual crankshaft to the drive shaft to operate the jack manually. The body and the motor each has a generally cylindrical outer surface with an outer diameter equal to or less than about three inches. The body, the jack screw assembly, the coupling mechanism, the planetary gear system, and the motor are substantially axially aligned with each other.