Pickup Truck Loading Device with Sliding Platform and Telescoping Ramp
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing loading devices for pickup trucks often damage the tailgate and fail to accommodate varying truck bed lengths, and they do not provide a stable working surface or allow for the full use of the truck bed length.
Innovation Solution
A loading device with a housing that slides on the truck bed, featuring a dolly slide and ramp system that can extend and fold to accommodate different truck lengths, allowing the ramp to be used as a working surface and ensuring no weight is borne by the tailgate, with components that can be stowed or deployed as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wheels rest on the tailgate to support the loading device, then the loading device can be supported, but the tailgate may be damaged or its operation compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the support function from the tailgate by introducing a separate support system. The loading device is supported by the truck bed surface through a platform assembly that distributes weight across the bed, eliminating concentrated loads on the tailgate. This separates the support function from the tailgate structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a platform assembly as an intermediary between the loading device and the truck bed. This platform assembly includes a frame with crossmembers and a surface that distributes the load, acting as a mediator that prevents direct transmission of concentrated forces to the tailgate while providing adequate support.
2Manufacturing precision
If the loading device is designed for a specific truck bed length, then it can be optimized for that configuration, but it cannot accommodate varied pickup truck bed lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a telescoping ramp assembly that can dynamically adjust its length. The ramp includes nested sections that can extend or retract based on the required length, allowing the same device to accommodate different truck bed lengths while maintaining optimal performance for each configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The loading device is segmented into modular components including a platform assembly, telescoping ramp assembly, and interchangeable side rails. These segments can be independently adjusted or reconfigured to suit different truck bed lengths, providing versatility while maintaining manufacturing precision for each module.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the ramp is extended rearwardly to accommodate longer loads, then longer truck beds can be served, but the surface cannot be used as a stable working surface
Solution Approach 1:
The platform assembly is designed to be dynamically positionable along the length of the truck bed. It can be moved forward to create a stable working surface when the ramp is extended, or repositioned rearward when full bed length is needed. This dynamic repositioning allows the system to adapt to different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform assembly serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the loading device, creates a stable working surface when positioned appropriately, and can be repositioned to accommodate different ramp extensions. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between extending the ramp and maintaining a stable working surface.
4Reliability
If the loading device structure is made rigid to provide stability, then it can support loads reliably, but it cannot be folded or collapsed for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The loading device is divided into segmented components including the platform assembly, telescoping ramp assembly, and side rails that can be independently folded or collapsed. Each segment maintains structural integrity when deployed for load support but can be compacted for storage, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and collapsibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The loading device incorporates dynamic folding mechanisms that allow the structure to transition between rigid deployed states for load support and collapsed states for storage. Hinged connections and telescoping sections enable the device to maintain stability when needed while being easily stowed when not in use.
Data Source
AI summary
A device that may be mounted on a bed of a pickup truck to enable smaller vehicles, such as motorcycles, snowmobiles, or all-terrain vehicles to enter from the ground level upon a platform of the loading device. This is accomplished by the loading device having a ramp that can be pulled outwardly or rearwardly from said device, and a motorcycle can drive up the ramp to the platform. A dolly slide is pulled outwardly from the device, and extends above the tailgate. The ramp then extends downwardly from the dolly slide, so that no weight or load is displaced on the tailgate.