Patent ID: 7396202

Claim:
A lift and carrier assembly for a personal-transportation vehicle, comprising: a deck frame for mounting on a surface, the deck frame comprising: a first and a second rail; a first cross member fixedly coupled to respective first ends of the first and second rails; a second cross member fixedly coupled to respective second ends of the first and second rails; a first sleeve fixedly coupled to the second cross member of the deck frame; and a second sleeve fixedly coupled to the first cross member of the deck frame; a trolley assembly mounted on the deck frame and comprising a bottom member, a block member mounted on the bottom member, a bracket member mounted on the bottom member, a drive nut trapped between the bracket member and the block member, a motor mounted on the bracket member for rotating the drive nut, and a drive screw selectively coupled to the first and second sleeves and threadably coupled to the drive nut so that: (i) rotation of the drive nut causes at least a portion of the trolley assembly to translate linearly and in a substantially horizontal direction in relation to the deck frame when the drive screw is held immobile and coupled to the first and second sleeves, and (ii) the drive screw can rotate in relation to the first and second sleeves and the drive nut when the drive screw is decoupled from the first and second sleeves thereby permitting the at least a portion of the trolley assembly to translate linearly and in the substantially horizontal direction in relation to the deck frame when the motor is deactivated; a platform for supporting the personal-transportation vehicle, the platform being coupled to the trolley assembly so that the platform translates linearly in relation to the deck frame in response to the linear translation of the at least a portion of the trolley assembly; and an arm assembly comprising a first and a second arm member each mechanically coupled to the platform and the trolley assembly, and an actuator pivotally coupled to the first and second arm members for moving the first and second arm members so that first and second arm members lift and lower the platform in relation to the deck frame.