Vehicle Recovery Ladder With Replaceable Traction Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Four-wheel drive vehicles often get stuck in sand and mud, and existing recovery ladders face issues with traction member wear or melting during wheel spinning, which hampers performance.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle recovery ladder with traction members that can be readily released and replaced, bonded with a chemical and mechanical bond, and made from durable materials like polymeric, metal, or ceramic, featuring rotational release mechanisms and inhibitors to prevent unintentional release, ensuring they are less durable than tires and designed for easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traction members are made from polymeric material to provide improved traction and reduce weight, then the ladder becomes lighter and provides better traction, but the traction members wear or melt in extreme circumstances
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder is divided into modular components: a reusable body and replaceable traction members. The traction members can be independently removed and replaced when worn or damaged, while the main ladder body remains intact. This segmentation allows the lightweight polymeric structure to be maintained while replacing only the worn components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a two-stage molding process that changes the physical parameters of the materials during manufacturing. The traction members are molded with a lower melting point material that bonds to the body material during a second molding stage. This parameter change enables chemical bonding while maintaining the ability to release damaged members through thermal or mechanical means.
2Reliability
If traction members are made more durable to withstand extreme use, then they resist wear and melting, but they become as durable as or more durable than tires, causing potential tire damage
Solution Approach 1:
The traction members are designed with localized durability characteristics appropriate for their specific function. They are made sufficiently durable to withstand the forces involved in vehicle recovery but not so durable as to damage tires. The material selection and structural design provide just enough strength for the intended application while maintaining compatibility with tire materials.
3Strength
If traction members are permanently bonded to the body for structural integrity, then the ladder maintains strength, but damaged traction members cannot be replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding system transitions from a static permanent bond to a dynamic reversible bond. The traction members are chemically bonded during manufacturing to provide structural integrity, but the bond can be reversed through thermal treatment or mechanical release mechanisms. This allows the structure to maintain strength during use while enabling repair when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The molding process incorporates preliminary bonding actions that create strong initial bonds between traction members and the body. Release features such as threaded holes or bayonet connectors are pre-formed during manufacturing, enabling future release and replacement without compromising the original structural integrity.
4Ease of repair
If a release mechanism is added to allow traction member replacement, then repairability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The release mechanism is merged with the bonding structure itself. The same features that provide chemical bonding during manufacturing (threaded holes, bayonet connectors, or thermal release layers) also serve as the release mechanism for replacement. This integration avoids adding separate complex release systems while maintaining repairability.
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
The solution maintains the ladder's performance by allowing for quick replacement of damaged traction members, preventing damage to tires, and ensuring continued effective traction without the need for costly tire repairs.
Implementation Method 1
The traction members are bonded to the body with a chemical and mechanical bond formed during molding
Implementation Method 2
The rotational release means may include a thread
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2
Figure 3a~5b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle recovery ladder. The ladder includes a body and traction members for releasably fastening to the body. Advantageously, any damaged traction members may be readily released and replaced to maintain the performance of the ladder. The traction members may be bonded to the body with a chemical bond (e.g. crosslinked materials) and/or mechanical bond (e.g. engaged threads).