Patent ID: 7395900

Claim:
A wheelchair lift comprising: a base; a pair of guide rails extending upwardly from the base, the guide rails being adjustable between vertical and inclined positions; a movable platform suspended between the guide rails; a bearing system housed within each guide rail for linearly translating the platform; a transmission system for moving the bearing systems; a platform angular adjustment system that rotatably attaches the platform with the bearing system to maintain the platform in a horizontal position parallel with the base notwithstanding the vertical or inclined position of the guide rails, wherein the bearing system raises or lowers the platform by operation of the power transmission system; the base comprises a pair of bi-furcated legs, each bi-furcated leg having a first section pivotably connected to a second section of a respective one of the bi-furcated legs, the bi-furcated legs being generally parallel to one another; the base comprises a cross-member extending perpendicularly between and attached to the bi-furcated legs: wherein each guide rail is further comprised of a generally closed tubular member except for a longitudinal channel extending along one side of each respective guide rail, the longitudinal channel of each respective guide rail facing the platform; a telescoping brace connecting a respective one of the guide rails to a corresponding one of the first sections of the base, the telescoping brace being retracted when the guide rails are in the vertical position and being extended as the guide rails are inclined; wherein each bearing system further comprises a bearing block that slides inside a respective one of the guide rails, each bearing block having a bearing link extending from a respective one of the bearing blocks such that each bearing link projects beyond the longitudinal channel of a respective one of the guide rails; wherein each bearing block further comprises rollers in opposing relation to each other for sliding the bearing block within a respective one of the guide rails; wherein the guide rails each further comprise an inverted V-channel extending longitudinally along an interior of the guide rails, and the rollers of the bearing blocks further comprise V-grooved wheels that slide along the inverted V-channels of the guide rails; and wherein each platform angular adjustment system further comprises a platform side arm extending upward from opposed sides of the platform, a receiving plate spaced apart from the platform side arm, and a drilled plate that is fitted in the space between the platform side arm and the receiving plate, the platform side arm, the receiving plate and the drilled plate having holes that, when aligned, receive a pin to rigidly attach the platform to the platform angular adjustment system, each drilled plate having a cuff that receives the bearing link to rotatably attach the platform to the bearing systems.