Motorcycle Loading Cradle with Pivot Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for loading two-wheeled vehicles onto trailers are unsafe and require significant effort, often necessitating multiple people and the use of the vehicle's engine, posing risks due to imbalance, uncontrolled acceleration, and instability, especially with high center of gravity loads like motorcycles or scooters.
Innovation Solution
A loading device with a cradle secured by pivot links and a carriage moving on rollers, guided by a winch, maintains constant orientation and facilitates loading without engine assistance, while a trailer with a ball-and-socket link and inclined suspension assemblies prevents yawing and transmits rolling movements independently, ensuring stability and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual loading methods are used for two-wheeled vehicles on trailers, then the structure remains simple, but safety deteriorates due to imbalance, uncontrolled acceleration, and instability requiring multiple people
Solution Approach 1:
A cradle is introduced as an intermediary device between the trailer and the two-wheeled vehicle. The cradle receives the vehicle, maintains it in a stable orientation, and transfers it safely to the trailer, eliminating the need for manual balancing and control during loading
Solution Approach 2:
The cradle is made movable relative to the trailer support structure through pivot links, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and orientation. This enables the cradle to adapt to different loading positions while maintaining constant orientation of the vehicle, improving safety without requiring a completely rigid complex structure
2Ease of operation
If a cradle is made movable to facilitate loading, then ease of operation improves, but maintaining constant orientation during movement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle is designed as a movable structure connected to the trailer support through pivot links, allowing it to move between loading and transport positions. The dynamic configuration of the pivot links ensures that the cradle maintains a constant orientation throughout its movement, solving the contradiction between movability and orientation stability
Solution Approach 2:
The loading mechanism is segmented into multiple independent components: the cradle, the pivot links (upper and lower), and the support structure. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the cradle holds the vehicle, the pivot links enable controlled movement, and the support structure provides stability - while maintaining overall orientation consistency
3Ease of operation
If trailers have pivoting wheels for maneuverability, then ease of operation improves, but tire wear increases due to steering phenomenon requiring regular adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined suspension assemblies act as counterbalancing elements that compensate for the steering forces generated by pivoting wheels during maneuvering. The inclination angle creates a geometric relationship that reduces lateral forces on the tires, thereby reducing wear while maintaining maneuverability
4Adaptability or versatility
If ball-and-socket links are used for vertical movement, then adaptability improves, but yawing movement control becomes necessary to prevent instability
Solution Approach 1:
The ball-and-socket links are positioned asymmetrically relative to the trailer's centerline, creating a geometric configuration that naturally resists yawing movements. The asymmetric arrangement ensures that vertical movement capabilities are maintained while the geometry itself provides inherent stability against rotational instability
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 safe and effortless loading of two-wheeled vehicles by a single person, reducing the risk of accidents and tire wear, and stabilizes the trailer during maneuvers by preventing yawing and distributing load evenly.
Implementation Method 1
performing a rotational movement of said securing means (GB, PB), which cause a translational movement of the cradle via said pair of pivot connections
Implementation Method 2
The carriage (C) moves on rollers (G) and is laterally guided by said rollers (G) when moving between said positions
Implementation Method 3
a connection with said vehicle via at least one ball-and-socket link (BR), said ball-and-socket link comprising at each of its ends a pivot connection (Ip1, lp2)
Implementation Method 4
at least two rolling suspension assemblies (S), each fixed to one end of an axle (E) of said chassis, a rolling suspension assembly (S) comprising a rotation pivot (S1) of said rolling assembly, said rotation pivot (S1) being inclined at an angle α with respect to the vertical axis
Data Source
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AI summary
The device has a cradle (R) i.e. rail, movable relative to a support structure i.e. traveling structure. The cradle is moved between a loading position in which a loading platform (R3) rests on ground, and a rolling position in which the cradle is related to the structure. A displacement unit moves the cradle between the positions by maintaining orientation of the cradle as constant. A carriage (C) is movable in translation relative to a support, attached with the cradle via a lower connection pivot (R1) and attached with a rod (PB) via a complementary connection pivot (R5). An independent claim is also included for a load transport trailer.