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US 11,951,051 B2Granted
Lifting system and vehicle including a lifting system
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsWonhee M. Kim, Paul W. Alexander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lifting system includes a top plate, a bottom plate and N pairs of hinged plates. The N pairs of hinged plates are connected by 2N pairs of hinges to N sides of the top plate and the bottom plate, where N is an integer greater than 2. A bladder is arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate and between inner edges of the N pairs of hinged plates.
Claims14
A vehicle comprising:
- a lifting system comprising:
- a top plate;
- a bottom plate;
- N pairs of hinged plates, wherein the N pairs of hinged plates are connected by 2N pairs of hinges to N sides of the top plate and the bottom plate, where N is an integer greater than 2;
- a bladder arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate and between inner edges of the N pairs of hinged plates;
- and
- first and second track systems including:
- a first wheel;
- a second wheel;
- a horizontal member connecting the first wheel to the second wheel;
- a motor driving at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel;
- and
- an endless belt connected around the first wheel and the second wheel,
- wherein the first and second track systems extend the lifting system outwardly from a floor surface of the vehicle;
- and
- a ramp configured to hold the lifting system on the first and second track systems as the first and second track systems extend the lifting system from the vehicle.
13 more elements
A lifting system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a top plate;
- a bottom plate;
- N pairs of hinged plates, wherein the N pairs of hinged plates are connected by 2N pairs of hinges to N sides of the top plate and the bottom plate, where N is an integer greater than 2;
- a bladder arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate between inner edges of the N pairs of hinged plates;
- first and second track systems including:
- a first wheel,
- a second wheel,
- a horizontal member connecting the first wheel to the second wheel,
- a motor driving at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel, and
- an endless belt connected around the first wheel and the second wheel;
- and
- first and second carriers configured to support the lifting system as the first and second track systems extend the first and second carriers outwardly from a floor surface of the vehicle,
- wherein the lifting system is deployed by:
- extending the first and second carriers outwardly from the floor surface of the vehicle using the first and second track systems;
- filling the bladder to cause the bottom plate to lower and raise the top plate off the first and second carriers;
- and
- retracting the first and second carriers using the first and second track systems.
14 more elements
A lifting system for a vehicle comprising:
- a top plate having N sides, where N is an integer greater than 3;
- a bottom plate having N sides;
- N pairs of hinged plates, wherein the N pairs of hinged plates are connected by 2N pairs of hinges to the N sides of the top plate and the bottom plate, where N is an integer greater than 1;
- a bladder arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate between inner edges of the N pairs of hinged plates;
- first and second track systems configured to extend the lifting system outwardly from a floor surface of the vehicle, wherein each of the first and second track systems include:
- a first wheel;
- a second wheel;
- a horizontal member connecting the first wheel to the second wheel;
- a motor driving at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel;
- and
- an endless belt connected around the first wheel and the second wheel;
- and
- wherein the lifting system is deployed by:
- extending the lifting system outwardly from the floor surface of the vehicle to a predetermined distance using the first and second track systems;
- filling the bladder to cause the bottom plate of the lifting system to lower and raise the top plate off the first and second track systems;
- and
- retracting the first and second track systems.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.