Patent ID: 11951051
Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 13:
14. A lifting system for a vehicle comprising:
a top plate having N sides, where N is an integer greater than 3;
a bottom plate having N sides;
N pairs of hinged plates, wherein the N pairs of hinged plates are connected by 2N pairs of hinges to the N sides of the top plate and the bottom plate, where N is an integer greater than 1;
a bladder arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate between inner edges of the N pairs of hinged plates;
first and second track systems configured to extend the lifting system outwardly from a floor surface of the vehicle, wherein each of the first and second track systems include:
a first wheel;
a second wheel;
a horizontal member connecting the first wheel to the second wheel;
a motor driving at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel; and
an endless belt connected around the first wheel and the second wheel; and

wherein the lifting system is deployed by:
extending the lifting system outwardly from the floor surface of the vehicle to a predetermined distance using the first and second track systems;
filling the bladder to cause the bottom plate of the lifting system to lower and raise the top plate off the first and second track systems; and
retracting the first and second track systems.