Patent ID: 6309170
Filing Date: 2001-10-30
Classification: A61G,Y10S

Abstract:
A wheelchair lift for a doorway of a vehicle, comprising:a platform for supporting a wheelchair;at least two spaced fixed posts rigidly attachable to the vehicle at the doorway, defining at least a portion of a fixed structural frame;at least two spaced movable vertical standards, attached to each of said fixed posts by at least two pivot arms coupled to spaced pivot points, such that each of said vertical standards and said one of the fixed posts form a parallelogram linkage with the pivot arms, the vertical standard being movable outwardly from a retracted position adjacent to said fixed post and downwardly while remaining vertical and parallel to the fixed posts;wherein the platform is hinged on a horizontal axis relative to the two spaced movable vertical standards such that the platform can fold upward on the horizontal axis into a plane common with the vertical standards and adjacent to the fixed posts for compact stowing, and downward on the horizontal axis into a horizontal orientation for deployment for supporting the wheelchair;wherein the horizontal axis of the platform is defined along a hinging base member that is furthermore attached to hinge on a vertical axis aligned along one of the movable vertical standards at a hinged end of the hinging base member, and the hinging base member is removably clamped to an other of the movable vertical standards at an opposite clamped end of the hinging base member; and,a powered actuator operable to extend and contract the parallelogram linkage and to raise and lower the platform relative to the doorway.