Telescopic Jack Support Assembly for Floor Jack Stand Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic floor jacks lack a safe and efficient mechanism to convert into a jack stand, particularly for vehicles with limited jack points and space constraints, and traditional jack stands require separate positioning from the jack, complicating the lifting process.
Innovation Solution
A jack support apparatus comprising an outer and inner tube assembly that telescopically engage with a hydraulic floor jack, allowing it to be converted into a jack stand by locking the jack against further downward movement, using a pin mechanism to adjust and lock the apparatus at desired lengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional jack stands are used to support a vehicle, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases due to requiring separate positioning from the jack
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the jack stand support function directly with the hydraulic floor jack by adding a support leg assembly that integrates with the jack's lift arm. This merging eliminates the need for separate jack stand positioning while maintaining safety support functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between safety improvement and positioning complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic floor jack is given dual functionality: it serves both as the lifting mechanism and as its own support stand through the integrated support leg assembly. The support leg can be positioned to provide stable support while the jack remains in its original location, making the single device universal for both lifting and supporting functions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If jack stands are positioned separately from the jack, then stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support leg assembly is integrated with the jack's lift arm, allowing the support function to be activated simply by lowering the lift arm to the ground. This merging maintains support stability through proper ground contact while dramatically simplifying operation to a single action, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The jack performs its own support function through the integrated leg assembly that contacts the ground when the lift arm is lowered. The system is self-sufficient, eliminating the need for separate jack stand positioning operations, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining stability through the grounded support leg.
3Reliability
If the jack is converted into a jack stand by locking against downward movement, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the support function from the main jack body and implements it through a separate, simple support leg assembly that contacts the ground. This extraction provides fail-safe support through mechanical ground contact while keeping the locking mechanism simple and integrated with the existing lift arm structure, resolving the contradiction between safety improvement and complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The support leg assembly acts as an intermediary between the jack and the ground, providing mechanical support and stability. This intermediary structure enables fail-safe support through simple ground contact while keeping the overall system relatively simple, as the leg assembly is a straightforward mechanical addition rather than a complex locking system.
4Ease of operation
If a compact jack support apparatus is used, then ease of operation is improved, but support stability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The compact support leg assembly is integrated with the jack's lift arm, allowing rapid deployment by simply lowering the lift arm to the ground. This merging maintains stability through proper ground contact while enabling quick conversion, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and support stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The support leg assembly is designed to contact the ground at an optimal position that provides stable support while maintaining compact dimensions. By positioning the support point at the appropriate location on the lift arm, the system achieves both compactness for ease of operation and adequate ground contact for stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A jack support apparatus has an outer tube having an outer tube body with an outwardly-extending outer tube jack cradle and an opposite outer tube opening, an inner tube having an inner tube body with a plurality of spaced-apart inner tube holes and an outwardly-extending inner tube jack cradle, the inner tube body slidably received within the outer tube body through the outer tube opening, the outer and inner tube jack cradles configured to each selectively engage one of the wheel axle and the cup axle of the jack, and a pin operable through an outer tube hole for selectively engaging any of the plurality of inner tube holes.