Portable ramp

Claim 1

A portable lightweight folding ramp consisting essentially of in combination: (i) a plurality of ramp panels, each having a top surface, a bottom surface, lateral side edges, and longitudinal side edges; (ii) a plurality of support panels, each of which has longitudinal side edges and lateral side edges; (iii) first hinge means, foldably connecting together the lateral edges of adjoining ramp panels at adjoining lateral edges, the first hinge means being adapted and constructed such that: (a) when the ramp is in the open position, the ramp panels are coplanar; and (b) when the ramp is in the stored position, pairs of top surfaces and bottom surfaces are alternately folded against each other, so that the bottom surface of one panel is parallel to the top surface of the next adjacent panel; (iv) second hinge means adjacent the ramp panel longitudinal edges foldably connecting longitudinal side edges of at least two support panels to each ramp panel, the second hinge means being adapted and constructed such that: (a) when the ramp is in the open position, the support panels are co-planar and substantially normal to the ramp panels; and (b) when the ramp is in the stored position, the support panels are co-planar with the ramp panels, and (v) third hinge means foldably connecting pairs of lateral edges of the support panels adjacent the ramp panel lateral edges, the third hinge means being adapted and constructed so that when the support panels are folded to be co-planar with the ramp panels, the ramp can be folded into its stored position.