Utility Vehicle Entry Steps with Inward-Offset Outer Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing road rollers with entry stairs protrude significantly beyond the vehicle's outline, requiring folding to achieve a flush finish, which complicates visibility and safety during entry and exit, and limits the driver's field of vision.
Innovation Solution
The outer surface below the driver's cab is inclined, with steps offsetting inwardly, allowing the lowest step to protrude the most, providing clear visibility and a wider field of view, eliminating the need for folding the steps, and enhancing the driver's cab's field of vision by offsetting the side paneling inwardly and widening the side surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the steps are designed to protrude far outwards beyond the vehicle outline, then the steps provide adequate footing and visibility for users, but the steps must be folded up to achieve a flush finish with the outer contour
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the steps foldable to achieve a flush finish, the patent inverts the approach by designing the outer surface to be offset inward, allowing fixed steps to protrude minimally while maintaining both visibility and flush appearance. The step protrusion is kept to a minimum by redesigning the outer surface geometry rather than the step geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the contradiction by introducing a dimensional change in the outer surface design - creating an offset or setback in the outer surface relative to the vehicle's main contour. This dimensional offset allows the steps to protrude minimally from the outer surface while the outer surface itself creates the visual boundary, eliminating the need for folding mechanisms.
2Shape
If the steps are folded up to achieve a flush finish, then the outer contour is smooth, but the visibility and safety during entry and exit are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than folding the steps to achieve a flush contour, the patent inverts the solution by offsetting the outer surface inward. This allows the steps to remain fixed and visible while the outer surface creates the smooth contour, reversing which element is modified to achieve the flush appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset outer surface acts as an intermediary element between the vehicle body and the steps. It provides a transition zone that maintains the flush outer contour while allowing the steps to protrude minimally for visibility and safety, mediating between the conflicting requirements of smooth contour and step visibility.
3Loss of information
If the outer surface is offset inward, then the field of vision is improved, but the steps must protrude further from the outer surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the offset distance of the outer surface. The outer surface is offset inward by a specific distance that balances two competing requirements: providing sufficient field of vision improvement while limiting the step protrusion distance to a minimal acceptable value. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between vision improvement and protrusion minimization.
Data Source
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AI summary
A utility vehicle is described, in particular a vehicle for traffic route construction, with a driver's cab (7) and entry steps (9), which have a plurality of skeleton steps, below a driver's cab door (13), and with a side panel (8) which forms a closed outer surface (12) in the region of the entry steps (9). Below the driver's cab (7), the outer surface (12) has a downwardly increasing offset with respect to the vehicle. The outer edges of the skeleton steps protrude from the outer surface (12), forming the gradation in the manner of steps, in such a manner that the lowermost skeleton step protrudes furthest from the outer surface (12).