Underfloor Vehicle Lifting Platform With Removable Stainless Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing underfloor lifting platforms for vehicles are costly, complicated to manufacture, and difficult to install, with stainless steel canisters being both expensive and prone to wear, while existing solutions do not meet market needs.
Innovation Solution
A canister design featuring a removable stainless steel frame connected to a hot-dip galvanized body via a plug system, allowing for aseptic appeal and durability, with the frame and body components assembled without welding, optimizing transport and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire canister is made of stainless steel to ensure robustness against wearing and aesthetic appeal, then durability and aesthetic appeal are improved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material qualities to different parts of the canister: the visible frame is made of stainless steel for aesthetic appeal and wear resistance, while the hidden body can be made of less expensive materials such as galvanized steel or aluminum. This local differentiation allows the structure to meet aesthetic and durability requirements where needed without unnecessarily increasing overall manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The canister is constructed as a composite structure combining stainless steel frame with non-stainless steel body materials. This composite approach allows the expensive stainless steel to be used only for the visible frame portion requiring aesthetic appeal and wear resistance, while the cheaper body materials provide the necessary structural function, thereby reducing overall manufacturing cost while maintaining required durability.
2Device complexity
If the canister is constructed from a single material to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the ability to optimize for both aesthetic appeal and cost-effectiveness is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The canister is divided into distinct segments: a visible frame portion and a hidden body portion. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured from materials optimized for its specific function and aesthetic requirements, rather than using a single material for the entire structure. The frame can be made of stainless steel for aesthetic appeal while the body can be made of cost-effective alternative materials.
3Strength
If welding is used to connect the frame and body, then structural strength is improved, but the hot-dip galvanized layer deteriorates and components cannot stay straight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary connection system consisting of connecting elements (such as bolts, clips, or mechanical fasteners) that join the frame and body without requiring welding. This intermediary connection method preserves the integrity of the hot-dip galvanized layer on the body by avoiding the thermal damage caused by welding, while still providing sufficient structural strength to assemble the canister components together.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the frame is permanently welded to the body, then assembly stability is improved, but transport and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the frame and body is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed - using removable mechanical fasteners that allow the assembly to be easily disassembled and reassembled. This dynamic connection system provides sufficient stability during operation while enabling easy transport and installation, as the components can be quickly assembled and disassembled without requiring permanent welding or complex fastening procedures.
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 design provides a cost-effective, durable, and easy-to-install lifting platform with improved aesthetic appeal, reducing manufacturing complexity and transport costs while maintaining robustness.
Implementation Method 1
The body is made of metal and is hot-dip galvanized
Data Source
AI summary
An underfloor lifting platform (1) for lifting vehicles comprises: a canister (200), configured to be arranged underground to define an inground environment; a plate (300), couplable with the canister (200) so to close the inground environment and to be flush with the floor (F); a first and a second cylinder piston units (400A, 400B), operatively arranged within the canister (200) and being movable along a vertical direction (V), wherein the canister (200) includes: a body (20), surrounding the inground environment, extending in the vertical direction (V) between a first edge (20A), proximal to the plate (300), and a second edge (20B), opposite to the first edge (20A), and defining a supporting surface for supporting the plate (300); a frame (22), made of stainless steel, connected to the body (20) at the first edge (20A) of the body (20), the frame (22) having an outer perimeter that is flush with the floor (F) and surrounds the plate (300), the frame (22) is removably connected to the body (20) through a plug system (23).