Slidable Bed Carrier With Zero-Degree Loading Angle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle carriers with slidable beds either require complex cable operations for loading and unloading or occupy a large footprint when the bed is laid flat on the ground, lacking a solution for controlled hydraulic movement and efficient loading at a zero-degree angle.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle carrier with a tiltable subframe and a slidable bed that includes parallel longitudinal slide rails, hydraulic tilt cylinders, and motor-driven gear boxes, allowing the bed to be tilted to a zero-degree loading angle while maintaining an engaged connection to the subframe, enabling controlled forward and rearward movement without cables and accommodating a smaller footprint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a roll-off carrier uses a highly inclined subframe to enable the bed to lay flat on the ground, then the bed can be loaded at ground level, but the carrier occupies a large footprint on the ground and requires complex cable operations for loading and unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The bed is divided into two portions: a front portion that remains engaged with the subframe and a rear portion that can extend to the ground. This segmentation allows the rear portion to provide ground-level loading while the front portion maintains connection to the inclined subframe, reducing the overall footprint requirement while enabling easy loading operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The bed is made dynamically adjustable through hydraulic cylinders that control the angle between the front and rear portions. This dynamic adjustment allows the bed to transition between different configurations - fully engaged with the subframe for transport, or extended to the ground for loading - optimizing both footprint and ease of operation as needed.
2Area of stationary object
If a traditional slideback carrier uses an inclined subframe with engaged bed, then the carrier occupies a smaller footprint on the ground, but the bed cannot lay flat on the ground for loading
Solution Approach 1:
The bed configuration is made dynamic through hydraulic control systems that adjust the angle between the front and rear portions. This allows the bed to adapt its position - maintaining a compact engaged configuration for small footprint requirements, or extending to a flat ground position for ease of loading operations.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the bed into front and rear portions that can move relative to each other, the system can optimize footprint by keeping the front portion engaged with the subframe while extending only the rear portion to the ground for loading, rather than requiring the entire bed to extend.
3Ease of operation
If a roll-off carrier uses cable and hook operations to reel the bed back onto the subframe, then the bed can be repositioned, but the operation requires significant skill to prevent cable slack and entanglement
Solution Approach 1:
The manual cable-and-hook repositioning system is replaced with a hydraulic cylinder system that provides powered, controlled movement of the bed relative to the subframe. This substitution eliminates the need for skilled cable handling while providing smooth, controlled repositioning through hydraulic actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic system provides self-contained powered movement of the bed, eliminating the need for external cable operations. The bed repositioning is achieved through the carrier's own hydraulic power system, making the operation simpler and less skill-dependent.
4Ease of operation
If a bed is designed to lay flat on the ground for loading, then cargo securing is improved, but the carrier requires a larger footprint and separated connection from the subframe
Solution Approach 1:
The bed is segmented into front and rear portions with the front portion maintaining engagement with the subframe while the rear portion extends to the ground for loading. This segmentation allows the bed to provide ground-level cargo loading while maintaining a connected state with the subframe, preserving versatility for different operational modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The bed connection state is made dynamic through hydraulic control, allowing the bed to transition between fully engaged, partially extended, and fully separated positions. This dynamic adaptability enables the bed to maintain connection when needed for versatility while extending to the ground for improved cargo loading operations.
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 efficient loading and unloading at a zero-degree angle with controlled hydraulic power, reducing the need for complex cable operations and minimizing the vehicle's footprint, thereby improving operational safety and versatility.
Implementation Method 1
one or more hydraulic tilt cylinders are pivotally attached at an upper end to the subframe, and at a lower end to vehicle frame brackets
Implementation Method 2
The rear portion of the bed preferably includes rear rollers for rolling the rear end of the bed along the ground
Implementation Method 3
Hydraulic pressure may be applied to the motor-driven gear boxes to cause the bed to travel longitudinally along the subframe
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle carrier mountable to a vehicle frame, and a method for using same, including a tiltable subframe pivotally attached to a rear end of the vehicle frame, and a slidable bed with a transverse hinge mounted on and slidably attached to the subframe. The subframe is tiltable, enabling a rear portion of the bed to lay generally horizontally flat along the ground, and thereby provide an essentially zero-degree loading angle for a vehicle to be transported, while the front portion of the bed remains slidably attached to the inclined subframe.