(19)Fresh off Patent
(45) Week of Oct 5, 2026 No. 5 3,852 lapsed 197 picks
Manufacturing & industrial · lapsed Aug 28, 2026

Operable ramp with height‑adjustable housing

A floor‑integrated ramp panel that reciprocates between a stowed (near‑vertical/step) position and a deployed sloped ramp, driven by a mechanical drive assembly attached at one end. The drive sits in a housing whose top surface can be adjusted in height so the deployed ramp end meets varying step heights without cutting new pits into the floor; intended for building entrances, landings and interior steps to meet ADA access needs.

Sheet 1 of the patent drawingsSheet 2 of the patent drawingsSheet 3 of the patent drawings

(57) What the patent covered

The independent claim covered a ramp panel mounted to a drive assembly that reciprocates the panel between stowed and deployed positions, together with a housing whose upper surface is selectively adjustable in height and remains fixed while the ramp moves; the drive assembly defines both the minimum (stowed) and maximum (deployed) elevation of the ramp end, and the maximum elevation is adjustable relative to the housing top.

The distinctive part: The housing top is made adjustable so the ramp’s deployed high end can be set to different elevations without changing the reciprocating drive mechanism or recessing the unit more deeply into the structure.

Novelty 3/5. At filing time, retractable or folding ramps and pit‑recessed mechanical ramps were common; this patent’s contribution was a way to adjust the installed top elevation independently of the drive stroke rather than a fundamentally new ramp type.

Making it

Stamped or welded steel/aluminum housing and ramp panel, machined or stamped drive components, surface treatment (powder coat), assembly of drive into housing and attachment of tread; final installation with shimming or adjustable mounting to set housing top height.

Materials: sheet steel or aluminum frame, steel drive components (gears/links), non‑slip tread material (rubber or textured metal), fasteners/seals (stainless steel)

Manufacturability 4/5. Several stamped/machined metal parts and a drive mechanism require moderate tooling and subassembly but no electronics; installation needs some site‑level adjustment to set the housing top.

Is anyone buying?

Comparable products are on sale; this exact design wasn't found. Multiple retailers offer adjustable-height threshold ramps with independent leg adjustments or fixed-height options; many listings emphasize door thresholds and compliance-friendly ramping, but explicit motorized retractable deployable ramp panels are not commonly found as consumer-ready units.

This demand check was run with a web search in the week of Oct 5, 2026. Listings change often, so treat it as a starting point for your own research.

Who buys it: building owners, contractors and accessibility retrofit installers

Sourcing

Factories list related products that could likely be adapted, at about $59.80 per unit with minimum orders around 100 units. Only related threshold/threshold-ramp products are found (not an exact floor-integrated, height-adjustable housing ramp). OEM/ODM options exist for folding threshold ramps; no exact 'floor-integrated, height-adjustable housing' model confirmed in these listings.

Supplier prices come from public listings found with a web search and are usually quoted before customization, shipping and duties, so use them to judge whether a product is worth a quote request.

Before you make it

We didn't find any related continuation or divisional patents still in force, although that doesn't rule out design patents, trademarks or unrelated patents covering the same product.

Practical issues include structural framing/clearance at the installation site, watertightness and corrosion resistance for an in‑floor housing, and local ADA codes and inspection requirements; patent lapsed so no claim guidance is offered.

Owners occasionally revive lapsed patents (about 1.5% are), and this page is a research lead rather than legal advice, so get a freedom-to-operate opinion before you manufacture anything.

Claim 1, as granted

1. An operable ramp moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position, the deployed position providing a sloped transition surface between a lower surface of an architectural setting and an upper surface of the architectural setting, the operable ramp comprising: (a) a ramp panel; (b) a housing comprising an upper housing surface, wherein the housing is selectively adjustable to adjust a height of the upper housing surface, the upper housing surface maintaining a fixed position as the operable ramp reciprocates between the stowed position and the deployed position; and (c) a drive assembly coupled to a first end of the ramp panel to reciprocate the operable ramp between the stowed position and the deployed position, the drive assembly being configured to define (i) a maximum elevation of the first end of the ramp panel when the operable ramp is in the deployed position, and (ii) a minimum elevation of the first end of the ramp panel when the operable ramp is in the stowed position, wherein the maximum elevation is selectively adjustable relative to the upper housing surface.