Motorcycle Loading Rail with Electric Winch Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for loading and unloading motorcycles into and out of larger vehicles, such as camper vans and trucks, are laborious, require multiple people, and can damage the motorcycle or pose safety risks due to their complexity and reliance on manual or electric systems that apply force to the handlebars or bodywork.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical system comprising a metal rail and an electric engine with a chain or belt mechanism, allowing for easy loading and unloading of motorcycles by blocking the front wheel and using a pinion-driven chain or belt to move a carriage, which is powered by a 12V electric motor, ensuring safe and efficient operation without weight or size limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual systems with multiple people are used to load motorcycles, then the motorcycle can be loaded into the vehicle, but the process becomes laborious and requires multiple operators
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service operation where the motorcycle's own front wheel is used as the interface for loading. The wheel is positioned between the carriage bars and secured by knobs, allowing the motorcycle to serve itself during the loading process without requiring multiple operators to manually guide and position it.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical systems with an electric motor-driven winch system. The 12V electric motor winds a steel cable that pulls the carriage along the rail, substituting human physical effort with automated mechanical power to move the motorcycle into the vehicle.
2Extent of automation
If electric winch systems are used to pull motorcycles up ramps, then loading is automated, but the harness placed on handlebars or bodywork can damage or dent the motorcycle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the front wheel as an intermediary element between the pulling force and the motorcycle body. Instead of attaching the harness directly to the handlebars or bodywork, the steel cable connects to the carriage which in turn secures to the wheel via knobs on tubular bars, creating a safe intermediary connection point that avoids damage to the motorcycle's bodywork.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts the loading force application point from the motorcycle's bodywork and handlebars, and relocates it to the front wheel. This separation allows the electric winch to apply pulling force without directly contacting or damaging the motorcycle's body panels or handlebar assembly.
3Stability of the object's composition
If fixed gear rack systems are used for motorcycle loading, then the structure is stable, but the system becomes heavy and inflexible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid gear rack structure with a flexible cable system. The steel cable runs through a pulley system and can be wound or unwound by the electric motor, providing the necessary stability for loading while being significantly lighter and more flexible than a fixed gear rack installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the heavy mechanical gear rack system with an electric motor-driven cable-pulley system. This replacement maintains the functional stability needed for secure motorcycle loading while dramatically reducing the weight and increasing the flexibility of the overall loading mechanism.
4Ease of operation
If standard size camper vans are produced to accommodate motorcycles, then loading is simplified, but it creates issues for different vehicle types and sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal loading system that can be adapted to different vehicle types (camper vans, trucks, vans) and sizes. The metal rail can be installed along the vehicle opening, and the adjustable carriage with tubular bars can accommodate motorcycles of various dimensions, making the system versatile across different vehicle platforms without requiring vehicle-specific modifications.
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 effortless and safe loading and unloading of motorcycles into various vehicles, eliminating the need for multiple operators and reducing the risk of damage, while being adaptable to different vehicle types and sizes, thus addressing ergonomic, economic, and market requirements.
Implementation Method 1
an electrically driven 12 V engine (2) which is fixed at the end of the rail and operates a chain or a belt (4) by means of a pinion (3)
Implementation Method 2
Said chain or belt is in turn linked to a steel cable that runs outside the guiding rail (1). Said chain or belt is fixed onto the back of the carriage with a linkage, while the steel cable which passes over a pulley (13) is fixed onto the front part with a clamp (16)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A device which allows motorcycles fitted with two or more wheels to easily enter and exit any larger vehicle within which they are transported. The device can be used on camper vans, trucks, vans and so on. It is an entirely mechanical system consisting in a rail (1) and an engine (2) which will facilitate the entry and exit of motorcycles from any dedicated motor vehicle.