Lightweight Transporter with Lowerable Bed for Hauling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional transporters for equipment, such as lawn care and light construction vehicles, are either too heavy and costly or unsuitable for hauling machines, requiring a special commercial driver's license due to exceeding the 26,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight limit, limiting access for contractors and small business owners.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight transporter with a rear bed that can be lowered for easy loading and unloading, featuring a frame supported on wheels, a cab, and a bed made from high-strength steel, along with a ramp system with inclined slats in a herringbone pattern, allowing for a rated hauling capacity of at least 10,000 lbs. without exceeding the 26,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight, enabling legal highway driving without a CDL license.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional large tractors and trailers or heavy duty trucks with roll-back beds are used, then load capacity and durability are improved, but vehicle weight increases causing gross vehicle weight to exceed 26,000 lbs requiring CDL license
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional heavy steel to high-strength steel (HSS) with grade 80 or higher, achieving the same load capacity with reduced weight. This material parameter change allows the transporter to maintain strength while staying under the 26,000 lbs gross vehicle weight limit
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction combining high-strength steel components with conventional materials, creating a hybrid structure that optimizes the strength-to-weight ratio. The HSS bed and frame sections are strategically placed where strength is most needed while keeping overall weight under control
2Weight of moving object
If traditional trailers that can be pulled by smaller truck are used, then vehicle weight is reduced, but they are ill-suited for hauling heavy machines like skid-steer loaders and mini-excavators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a dynamically adjustable bed system that can be tilted and positioned at various angles. This dynamic capability allows the lightweight transporter to adapt to different loading scenarios and machine types, providing the versatility of heavier vehicles without the weight penalty
Solution Approach 2:
The transporter is designed with universal features including a configurable bed system, multiple tie-down points, and adjustable ramp arrangements that enable it to handle various types of equipment from small lawn care machines to larger construction vehicles, making it suitable for diverse hauling needs
3Ease of operation
If the bed is lowered for loading and unloading, then ease of operation is improved by reducing ramp angle, but structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The bed is designed as a dynamic structure that can be tilted to various angles during loading and unloading operations, then securely locked in position. This dynamic capability reduces the effective ramp angle for easier equipment loading while maintaining structural integrity through the locking mechanism and HSS construction
Solution Approach 2:
The bed structure is segmented into multiple sections that can move independently, allowing the rear portion to be lowered for loading while the front remains stable. This segmentation enables differential movement that maintains overall structural stability during loading operations
Data Source
AI summary
A transporter includes a frame supported on wheels, a cab mounted on a front portion of the frame, and a bed mounted on the rear portion of the frame. The bed includes deck plates and supports mounting the deck plates on the frame. At least a rear end portion of the bed is raiseable and lowerable relative to the frame. The bed is sufficiently lightweight that the transporter has a hauling capacity of at least 10,000 lbs. and a fully loaded gross vehicle weight of no more than 26,000 lbs. At least portions of the bed may be made from high strength steel (HSS) such as ASTM A1011/1011M steel having a grade of 80 or higher. A ramp, which may also be made of HSS, may be attachable to the rear of the bed and may have longitudinally extending supports and slats that may be arranged in a herringbone pattern.