Patent ID: 8540474

Claim:
A lift and transfer system comprising: an axle assembly to be mounted to a vehicle having a rear surface and a side surface oriented in a substantially perpendicular manner; a support member coupled to the axle assembly, the support member configured to rotate about a substantially vertical axis of the axle assembly between a first position substantially parallel to the side surface of the vehicle and a second position substantially parallel to the rear surface of the vehicle; an extension shaft assembly coupled to the support member, the extension shaft assembly comprising at least one extension shaft arrangement configured to extend and retract at least one respective extension shaft along the side surface of the vehicle when the support member is in the first position; and a docking assembly coupled to the extension shaft assembly, the docking assembly to secure a mobility device to the extension shaft assembly and thereby permit the mobility device to be lifted and transferred via the lift and transfer system between a loading/unloading position adjacent the side of the vehicle and a stowed position adjacent the rear surface of the vehicle, wherein the docking assembly comprises: a blade element coupled to the extension shaft assembly, the blade element configured to engage a shaped opening of a receiving slot of a receiving element mounted on the mobility device such that when the blade element is engaged with the shaped opening of the receiving slot the blade element is prevented from rotating within the receiving slot; and a latching mechanism configured to perform a latching action and a unlatching action, wherein the latching mechanism performs the latching action when the blade element engages with the shaped opening of the receiving slot such that when the blade element engages with the shaped opening of the receiving slot the blade element is prevented from disengaging from the receiving slot until the latching mechanism performs the unlatching action.