Patent ID: 8181300

Claim:
A ramp assembly, comprising: (a) a ramp portion coupled for rotational movement between a stowed position and a deployed position; (b) a first panel, a curbside end of the first panel being rotatably coupled to a first end of the ramp portion about a first axis; (c) a second panel movable between a lowered position and a raised position, wherein the second panel reciprocates between (i) the lowered position when the ramp portion is in the stowed position, and (ii) the raised position when the ramp portion is in the deployed position, a roadside end of the first panel being rotatably associated with a curbside end of the second panel; and (d) an actuator operably coupled to the ramp portion to move the ramp portion through a deployment motion, the deployment motion comprising: (i) a first phase, wherein the actuator rotates the ramp portion about the first axis; and (ii) a second phase, wherein the actuator moves the first axis from a raised position to a lowered position.