This patent for SUV loading ramps would help people better utilize their inherent cargo advantage.
SUVs have largely displaced sedans from showrooms and driveways in part because of their ability to carry more cargo. But the tall ride height of an SUV can also make loading and unloading items more difficult—something a recently surfaced Ford patent application aims to address.
Published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on March 7, but filed by Ford on Sept. 1, 2022, the application deals with a deployable loading ramp that would allow users to slide items in and out of an SUV's cargo area instead of lifting them and risking strained backs.The ramp would deploy from a channel at the same height as the cargo floor, a bit like the slide-out ramps on box trucks.
Made from multiple layers of material bonded together with resin, the ramp would be just 0.3-1.1 inches thick, but would be able to support at least 220 pounds, and perhaps as much as 661 pounds, according to the application.The design also calls for moisture sensors to help prevent the ramp from being used in conditions where moisture would get into its workings and freeze.
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