Inverted y-shaped foldable ladder having a pivotal linkage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable ladders face issues with inflexible stepping platforms and deformation of pulling rods due to stress on rear leg pipes, leading to reduced durability and reliability.
Innovation Solution
An inverted Y-shaped foldable ladder with a pivotal linkage design, featuring pulling rods connected to stepping platforms and rear leg connecting rods, which allows for flexible folding and supports the unfolding process, reducing deformation and enhancing durability by distributing stress away from the pulling rods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pulling rods are connected to rear leg pipes to enable flexible folding, then the stepping platforms can fold more flexibly, but the pulling rods are subjected to stress from the rear leg pipes which causes deformation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces rear leg connecting rods as intermediary components that connect the rear leg pipes to the stepping platforms. These connecting rods act as mediators that transfer and distribute the stress, preventing direct force transmission from the rear leg pipes to the pulling rods. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining folding flexibility through the connecting rods while protecting the pulling rods from deformation-causing stress.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pulling rods are connected to rear leg pipes, then folding motion is enabled, but stress concentration on pulling rods leads to deformation and reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the force transmission path by introducing rear leg connecting rods as separate components between the rear leg pipes and the pulling rods. This segmentation divides the stress distribution, allowing the pulling rods to perform their folding function without bearing the full stress load from the rear leg pipes, thereby maintaining strength while preserving folding capability.
3Device complexity
If stepping platforms are directly pivotally connected to leg pipes, then structure is simple, but the stepping platforms become inflexible and prone to getting stuck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses rear leg connecting rods as intermediary components that facilitate smooth folding motion. These connecting rods provide additional degrees of freedom and act as buffers that prevent direct rigid constraints between the stepping platforms and leg pipes, eliminating sticking issues while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An inverted Y-shaped foldable ladder having a pivotal linkage includes two ladder frames symmetrically arranged, a plurality of stepping platforms, one or more pulling rods, and one or more rear leg connecting rods. Each of the two ladder frames includes a front leg tube and a rear leg tube, and the front leg tube and the rear leg tube form an inverted Y-shaped unfolding and folding structure. The plurality of stepping platforms are disposed between the front leg tubes of the two ladder frames. The one or more pulling rods are connected to one or more sides of each of the plurality of stepping platforms, and two ends of each of the one or more rear leg connecting rods are respectively pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the rear leg tubes of the two ladder frames and one of the plurality of stepping platforms.