Common Motors has designed foldable mattress ramps that might make loading bikes, ATVs, or lawnmowers into the beds of pickup vehicles extra handy.

Ramps permit wheeled autos to be pushed or pushed right into a truck’s mattress, however there’s 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 software revealed by the US Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) on Jan. 18 and initially filed on July 13, 2022.

GM’s proposed resolution is to make the ramps foldable. This enables for the ramp to be lengthy sufficient to create a shallow angle, so masses don’t have to barter a steep incline to achieve the mattress, whereas nonetheless permitting for in-bed storage of the ramp itself.

As described within the patent software, every ramp consists of two sections hinged within the center, with structural helps so it might probably deal with adequate 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.

GM isn’t the one truck maker engaged on elaborate mattress ramps. Ford patent filings from 2023 point out a ramp that will be a part of an extendable cargo mattress flooring. On this case, all the mattress flooring would be capable of 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 doesn’t require any adjustments to the mattress itself—so whereas no automaker patent is assured to achieve manufacturing, it might have a greater probability than Ford’s advanced resolution.

HIGH-RES GALLERY: Common Motors foldable mattress ramps patent picture