Common Motors has designed foldable mattress ramps that would make loading bikes, ATVs, or lawnmowers into the beds of pickup vehicles extra handy.
Ramps enable wheeled autos to be pushed or pushed right into a truck’s mattress, however there is a tradeoff between a high-angled ramp that may match within the mattress, however makes loading tougher, and a low-angled ramp which may be tough to retailer. GM defined that in a patent utility revealed by america Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) on Jan. 18 and initially filed on July 13, 2022.
Common Motors foldable mattress ramps patent picture
GM’s proposed answer is to make the ramps foldable. This enables for the ramp to be lengthy sufficient to create a shallow angle, so masses do not have to barter a steep incline to succeed in the mattress, whereas nonetheless permitting for in-bed storage of the ramp itself.
As described within the patent utility, every ramp consists of two sections hinged within the center, with structural helps so it could deal with ample weight. When absolutely deployed, they connect to the tailgate. Once they’re not wanted, the ramps fold in half, permitting them to be saved on the mattress partitions.
![General Motors foldable bed ramps patent image General Motors foldable bed ramps patent image](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/general-motors-foldable-bed-ramps-patent-image_100914056_l.jpg)
Common Motors foldable mattress ramps patent picture
GM is not the one truck maker engaged on elaborate mattress ramps. Ford patent filings from 2023 point out a ramp that may be a part of an extendable cargo mattress flooring. On this case, all the mattress flooring would be capable to slide backward previous the top of the tailgate, with the rearmost part pivoting downward to type a ramp.
The GM design is way less complicated, because it would not require any modifications to the mattress itself—so whereas no automaker patent is assured to succeed in manufacturing, it might have a greater likelihood than Ford’s advanced answer.