Vehicle loading and unloading apparatus and method

A personal vehicle loading and unloading apparatus, including

• a platform adapted to support a personal vehicle,
• said platform having a unit detachably mounted thereon, including
• (i) a support structure which telescopically receives a moveable ramp which is manually moveable between a retracted position where substantially the entire ramp is on the platform and an extended position where substantially the entire ramp extends from the platform,
• (ii) said support structure including an elongated mounting member and an attachment mechanism connected to the platform and having a pair of spaced apart vertical plates between which the mounting member is placed and connected to upon connecting the unit to the platform and said support structure and ramp each including an upper surface comprising an anti-friction material having a kinetic friction coefficient no greater than 0.5, and
• (iii) a winch mechanism attached to the support structure and mounted to pull the personal vehicle onto the platform, said winch mechanism being driven by an electric motor in a circuit including a switch attached to a connector which is connected during loading and disconnected when the unit is to be detached from the platform.

A method of loading a personal vehicle on a platform, including

• (a) detachably mounting to the platform a unit, including
• (i) a support structure having a height which does not exceed 6 inches when attached to the platform and which telescopically receives a moveable ramp which is manually moveable between a retracted position where substantially the entire ramp is on the platform and an extended position where substantially the entire ramp extends from the platform, said support structure and ramp each having a substantially U-shape,
• (ii) said support surface and ramp each including an upper surface comprising an anti-friction material having a kinetic friction coefficient no greater than 0.5,
• (iii) a winch mechanism attached to the support structure and mounted to pull the personal vehicle into the platform, said winch mechanism being driven by an electric motor in a circuit including a switch attached to a connector adapted to be connected and disconnected to an electrical power source, and
• (iv) an elongated mounting member extending outward from the connecting structure substantially at a right angle to the connecting structure for detachably mounting the support structure to the platform,
• (b) extending the ramp, positioning the personal vehicle next to the ramp, and connecting the winch mechanism to the personal vehicle,
• (c) connecting the connector to the electrical power source, and
• (d) closing the switch to energize the motor causing the winch mechanism to pull the personal vehicle up the ramp onto the support structure.

A unit adapted to be mounted to a platform and used to load and unload a personal vehicle on and off the platform, including

• a support structure adapted to support a personal vehicle thereon, said support structure comprising
• (i) a pair of substantially parallel runways with top surfaces made of an anti-friction material, said runways being formed of tubular members, each tubular member having a pair of opposed ends and each tubular member having a height which does not exceed 6 inches,
• (ii) a connecting structure which connects together one end of each tubular member so that the support structure has a substantially U-shape, and
• (iii) an elongated mounting member extending outward from the connecting structure substantially at a right angle to the connecting structure for detachably mounting the support structure to the platform;
• a moveable ramp comprising
• (i) a pair of substantially parallel, ramp members with top surfaces made of an anti-friction material, each ramp member being formed of tubular members having a pair of opposed ends,
• (ii) a cross member which connects together one end of each ramp member so that the moveable ramp has a substantially U-shape, said cross member being substantially U-shaped and oriented to avoid contact with a bottom surface of a personal vehicle during loading and unloading,
• said ramp being connected to the support structure so that each ramp member is telescopically received in one of the tubular members of the support structure so that the ramp is manually moveable between a retracted position and an extended position;
• and
• a winch mechanism attached to the support structure for pulling the personal watercraft onto the platform, when the unit is attached to the platform.