Patent ID: 8079447

Claim:
A lift device for raising and lowering wheelchairs, comprising in combination: a. a base for resting upon the ground; b. a lift car that can be raised and lowered for supporting a user of a wheelchair; c. a lift mechanism coupled to the base and to the lift car, the lift mechanism selectively raising, or lowering, the lift car relative to the base; d. a collapsible curtain panel disposed below the lift car and having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the curtain panel being secured to the lift car for movement therewith, and the lower end of the curtain panel being secured to the base, the curtain panel restricting access to an area located below the lift car when the lift car is raised; e. a deformable elongated member having first and second opposing ends, the first end of the deformable elongated member being supported generally proximate to the base, and the second end of the deformable elongated member being generally supported proximate to the lift car for movement therewith wherein the deformable elongated member elongates as the lift car is raised relative to the base, the deformable elongated member extending lengthwise along a longitudinal axis generally proximate to the collapsible curtain panel, the deformable elongated member being adapted to be displaced laterally inward when a lateral force is applied to the collapsible curtain panel; and f. a sensor detecting inward lateral displacement of the deformable elongated member at a significant angle to the longitudinal axis of the deformable elongated member for generating a signal indicative thereof; g. the lift mechanism being responsive to the signal generated by the sensor for stopping further movement of the lift car when an inward lateral force is applied to the collapsible curtain panel.