Patent ID: 6634688
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: B60R,B66F

Abstract:
A method for mounting a vehicle jack in a stored position on a motor vehicle without the use of an intervening bracket;said jack comprising a plurality of assembled structures including (a) a load rest for engagement with an underside of the vehicle, (b) a base having a ground engaging surface for engagement with a ground surface below the vehicle, and (c) a raising and lowering mechanism having a drive element constructed and arranged to have an input force applied thereto, said raising and lowering mechanism being constructed and arranged to translate the input force applied to said drive element into upward and downward movement of said load rest relative to said base for affecting respective raising and lowering movements of the vehicle relative to the ground surface, at least one of said assembled structures having a recess formed on an edge portion thereof; said motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body including (a) a structural member to which said vehicle jack is to be mounted, (b) a mounting element having a post member extending directly from said structural member and a jack engaging surface extending from said post member and facing generally towards said structural member, said jack engaging surface and said post member at least in part defining a jack retaining space, and (c) a releasable jack retainer constructed and arranged to cooperate with said mounting element to retain said jack on said structural member; said method comprising: positioning said jack in said stored position directly adjacent said structural member of said vehicle; positioning said edge portion in said jack retaining space such that said post member is received in said recess; and moving said jack retainer to a jack retaining position wherein said jack retainer engages another portion of said jack spaced from said edge portion to substantially prevent said jack from moving away from said mounting element to thereby maintain said edge portion in said jack receiving space so that (a) said jack engaging surface and said jack retainer cooperate to substantially prevent said jack from moving away from said structural member of said vehicle and (b) said jack retainer and said post member in cooperation with said recess substantially prevent said jack from moving generally parallel to said structural member.