Patent ID: 6830423
Filing Date: 2004-12-14
Classification: A61G,B60P

Abstract:
A personal mobility vehicle (PMV) lift for loading and offloading a personal mobility vehicle (PMV) into and from a rear portion of a vehicle, the vehicle having an interior floor and a trailer hitch rigidly attached to the rear of the vehicle to which said PMV lift is rigidly engageable and from which said PMV lift receives substantially total support, said PMV lift comprising:an elongated laterally extending lifting boom and a drive mechanism connected adjacent a proximal end thereof, said drive mechanism including an elongated flexible lifting cable or belt extending downwardly from a distal end of said lifting boom, said drive mechanism operably connected to a proximal portion of said lifting cable or belt whereby a PMV attachable to a distal end of said lifting cable or belt and may be raised or lowered by operation of said drive mechanism; an elongated upright stanchion supportively connected at an upper end thereof to the proximal end of said lifting boom; an elongated lift support arm supportively connected at a distal end thereof to a lower end of said stanchion; a trailer hitch engaging member connectable at a first end thereof to the trailer hitch, a second end of said trailer hitch engaging member connected to a proximal end of said lift support arm whereby said PMV lift is substantially fully supported by the trailer hitch; a rotation stop mounted on said stanchion for limiting rotation of said lifting boom with respect to an upright axis of said stanchion between a first position within the rear of the vehicle whereby the PMV may be lowered or lifted with respect to the floor of the vehicle and a second position behind the vehicle whereby the PMV may be lowered to or lifted from the ground.