Ramp structures for a mobile platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11084456-B2
Application number	US-201916565587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2019
Priority date	Sep 10, 2019
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A ramp structure for a mobile platform includes a housing structured to be mounted on the mobile platform, and a ramp member coupled to the housing so as to be movable with respect to the housing. At least one airbag is operably coupled to the housing and is configured to be inflatable to move the ramp member from a retracted position to an extended position in which the ramp member defines a ramp structured to guide a wheel of a subject vehicle onto an exterior surface of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ramp structure for a mobile platform, the ramp structure comprising:
a housing structured to be mounted on the mobile platform;
a ramp member coupled to the housing so as to be movable with respect to the housing; and
at least one airbag operably coupled to the housing and configured to be inflatable to move the ramp member from a retracted position to an extended position in which the ramp member defines a portion of a ramp structured to guide a wheel of a subject vehicle onto an exterior surface of the housing.

2. A guided test platform comprising:
a mobile platform; and
a ramp structure in accordance with claim 1 attached to the mobile platform.

3. The ramp structure of claim 1 wherein the housing has a first wall, a second wall extending from the first wall and a third wall extending from the first wall opposite the second wall, wherein the first, second, and third walls are structured to support a portion of a weight of the subject vehicle as transmitted through at least one subject vehicle wheel moving along the first wall, when the ramp structure is positioned on a ground surface.

4. The ramp structure of claim 3 wherein the housing first wall is structured to form an acute angle with the ground surface when the housing is mounted on the mobile platform and the mobile platform is positioned on the ground surface so as to be rollable along the ground surface.

5. The ramp structure of claim 1 wherein the ramp member is coupled to the housing so as to be rotatable from the retracted position to the extended position, and wherein the at least one airbag is configured to be inflatable to rotate the ramp member from the retracted position to the extended position.

6. The ramp structure of claim 5 wherein the at least one airbag is positioned within the ramp member.

7. The ramp structure of claim 1 wherein the ramp member defines a cavity therein and the at least one airbag is positioned within the cavity and secured to the ramp member, the at least one airbag being configured to inflate in a first direction to contact a reaction surface, and wherein contact of the airbag with the reaction surface produces a reaction force urging the ramp member in a second direction opposite the first direction to move the ramp member from the retracted position to the extended position.

8. The ramp structure of claim 7 structured such that the reaction surface is formed by a mobile platform to which the ramp structure is attached when the ramp structure is attached to the mobile platform.

9. The ramp structure of claim 7 structured such that the reaction surface is formed by a portion of the housing.

10. The ramp structure of claim 7 wherein the ramp member is structured to contact the housing during movement of the ramp member from the retracted position to the extended position, to prevent further movement of the ramp member in the second direction.

11. The ramp structure of claim 10 wherein the ramp member has a first wall, a second wall extending from the first wall and a third wall extending from the first wall opposite the second wall, wherein the first, second, and third walls are structured to support a portion of a weight of the subject vehicle as transmitted through at least one subject vehicle wheel moving along the first wall, when the ramp structure is positioned on a ground surface.

12. The ramp structure of claim 11 wherein the ramp member first wall is structured to form an acute angle with the ground surface when the ramp member is mounted on the mobile platform and the mobile platform is positioned on the ground surface so as to be rollable along the ground surface.

13. A guided test platform comprising:
a mobile platform;
a ramp structure operably coupled to the mobile platform, the ramp structure including a ramp member structured to be movable from a retracted position to an extended position;
at least one airbag operably coupled to the ramp member and configured to be inflatable to move the ramp member from the retracted position to the extended position;
one or more sensors;
one or more processors communicably coupled to the one or more sensors; and
a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing an autonomous control module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
determine, using at least data from the one or more sensors, if either one of the guided test platform and a subject vehicle is on a collision course with the other one of the guided test platform and the subject vehicle;
if one of the guided test platform and the subject vehicle is determined to be on a collision course with the other one of the guided test platform and the subject vehicle, estimate an amount of time until contact between the subject vehicle and the guided test platform; and
cause the at least one airbag to inflate so as move the ramp member from the retracted position to the extended position at least a predetermined amount of time prior to expiration of an estimated amount of time until contact between the subject vehicle and the guided test platform.

14. The guided test platform of claim 13 further comprising an airbag inflator operably coupled to the airbag for inflating the airbag, the airbag inflator being configured to be operable to inflate the airbag responsive to a control signal generated by the one or more processors.

15. The guided test platform of claim 13 wherein the airbag inflator is configured to be operable to inflate the airbag responsive to a wireless control signal.

16. The guided test platform of claim 13 wherein the ramp structure is coupled to the mobile platform so as to be partially detachable from the mobile platform to be forced into contact with a ground surface responsive to contact of a subject vehicle wheel with the ramp structure.

Assignees

• Toyota Res Inst Inc

Inventors

• Amacker Matthew
• Taylor Joseph
• Klein Gregory J
• Yao Jonathan
• Custer Andrew

Classifications

• G01M17/0078 Primary

  Shock-testing of vehicles · CPC title

• B62D39/00

  Vehicle bodies not otherwise provided for {, e.g. safety vehicles (safety equipment B60R21/00)} · CPC title

• B60R21/36 Primary

  using airbags · CPC title

• B60R19/205

  inflatable in the direction of an obstacle upon impending impact, e.g. using air bags · CPC title