Patent ID: 7815413

Claim:
A method of stowing a wheelchair lift in a vehicle having a floor, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing a wheelchair lift having a power-actuating system, a platform assembly and a linking assembly connecting the power-actuating system to the platform assembly, wherein the platform assembly comprises first and second platform sections and the linking assembly has first and second vertical arms connected to the first and second platform sections, respectively, of the platform assembly; and b. moving the platform assembly from a floor level position to a stowed position while simultaneously moving at least one of the first and second vertical arms in a lateral direction with respect to the other of the first and second vertical arms and folding the first and second sections of the platform assembly together along a longitudinally-oriented fold perpendicular to an extended edge of the vehicle floor, wherein one of the vertical arms moves laterally with respect to the extended edge of the vehicle floor and toward the other vertical arm during the folding of the first and second sections along the longitudinally-oriented fold.