Segmented Vehicle-Loading Ramp Design for Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle-loading ramps are heavy and cumbersome to install and uninstall due to their construction, which hinders efficient loading and unloading operations.
Innovation Solution
A low-weight vehicle-loading ramp designed with high-strength steel, optimized by minimizing welds in tension areas, incorporating profiled weight-saving holes, and using computer-driven profiling to reduce mass while maintaining structural integrity and grip through strategically placed gaps and elliptical projections for wheel support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional steel, iron or aluminium plate construction is used for loading ramps, then structural strength and durability are ensured, but the weight becomes excessive making the ramp cumbersome to install and uninstall
Solution Approach 1:
The loading ramp is divided into multiple discrete panels (typically 3-5 panels) that can be separately handled, installed, and removed. Each panel is a self-contained structural unit with standardized dimensions and attachment mechanisms, allowing the ramp to be segmented into manageable sections that reduce overall handling weight while maintaining structural integrity through the interconnected panel design.
Solution Approach 2:
The ramp structure implements varying material thickness and density at different locations based on local load requirements. Critical load-bearing areas use thicker, higher-strength sections, while non-critical areas use thinner, lighter sections. This localized optimization reduces overall weight while ensuring sufficient strength where needed, applying the principle of matching structural properties to functional requirements at each specific location.
2Ease of operation
If the ramp structure is made lighter by removing material, then ease of installation and uninstallation improves, but structural integrity and load-bearing capacity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The ramp panels utilize composite construction combining high-strength steel components with lighter aluminum or composite materials in non-critical areas. This composite approach maintains structural integrity in load-bearing regions while reducing overall weight in areas requiring less strength, achieving the balance between ease of operation and structural reliability through strategic material selection and combination.
3Weight of moving object
If gaps are increased in the rolling surface to reduce weight, then weight reduction is achieved, but gripping function for vehicle tyres may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The ramp surface implements localized quality variations with different gap sizes and patterns in different zones. Areas requiring superior gripping (such as entry and exit zones where vehicle acceleration and deceleration occur) feature smaller gaps or enhanced surface textures, while mid-sections can have larger gaps for weight reduction. This zoned approach optimizes both gripping performance and weight reduction by matching surface characteristics to functional requirements at each location.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A vehicle-loading ramp (1) is described, which consists of two assemblies: a ladder, and a plurality of panels arranged in the spaces left free within the ladder, wherein the ladder consists of three major parts: two side profiles (3); elongated end elements (7, 9) placed at respective ends of the side profiles (3) and operatively connected thereto; a plurality of connecting rungs (15), connected to each of the side profiles (3) along their longitudinal extension and internally with respect to the elongated end elements (7, 9); and wherein each of the panels consists of two major parts: a deck skin (11); and end brackets (12) placed at the two ends of the deck skin (11) in contact with each respective side profile (3).