Back to results
US 6,884,018 B1Granted
Combination sport vehicle lift and carrier for motor vehicle
OwnerAndrew L. Dugan, Paul Christiansen +1inventors
InventorsAndrew L. Dugan, Paul Christiansen, William S. Wenke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combination sport vehicle lift and carrier apparatus for a motor vehicle includes a mounting mechanism for releasably connecting to a conventional receiver hitch, a platform with a yoke mechanism for cradling a front wheel of a sport vehicle loaded on the platform and for supporting the sport vehicle, lifting mechanism for maintaining the platform in a horizontal orientation while selectively moving the platform to and from a loading configuration and a transporting configuration, and stabilizing mechanism for stabilizing the platform in the transporting configuration. The combination sport vehicle lift and carrier apparatus may also include an auxiliary conventional receiver hitch for towing purposes.
Claims12
An apparatus for transporting a sport vehicle on a motor vehicle, comprising:
- (a) a mounting mechanism having a tubular extension structured to releasably connect to a conventional receiver hitch attached to a motor vehicle;
- (b) a platform;
- and
- (c) lifting means including:
- (1) a pair of arms, wherein each arm has a proximal end pivotally connected to the mounting mechanism and a distal end pivotally connected to the platform, and wherein the pair of arms are mounted and structured to pivot in a common vertical plane as the platform is operatively displaced between a loading configuration and a transporting configuration while the platform is maintained in a horizontal orientation;
- and
- (2) power means including:
- (A) an electrically powered drive mechanism attached to the mounting mechanism;
- (B) connecting means connecting the drive mechanism to the platform such that the platform is selectively movable between the loading configuration and the transporting configuration;
- and
- (C) an electric power source for powering the drive mechanism.
8 more elements
An apparatus for transporting a sport vehicle on a motor vehicle, comprising:
- (a) a mounting mechanism having a tubular extension structured to releasably connect to a conventional receiver hitch of a motor vehicle and wherein the mounting mechanism is structured to have the appearance of a bumper;
- (b) a platform having:
- (1) a yoke mechanism structured to cradle a front wheel of a motorcycle loaded on the platform, and
- (2) an end structured as a ramp;
- (c) lifting means having:
- (1) a pair of arms, wherein each arm has a proximal end pivotally connected to the mounting mechanism and a distal end pivotally connected to the platform, and wherein the pair of arms is mounted in a parallelogram-type arrangement such that the platform is operatively maintained in a horizontal orientation as the platform is moved to and from a loading configuration and a transporting configuration,
- (2) power means including:
- (A) an electrically powered drive mechanism, including a linear actuator having two opposing ends wherein one end thereof is attached to the mounting mechanism;
- (B) connecting means, including a cable having two opposing ends wherein one end thereof is connected to the opposing end of the linear actuator and the opposing end thereof is connected to the platform such that the platform is selectively movable to and from the loading configuration and the transporting configuration, and
- (C) a power source for powering the drive mechanism;
- (d) stabilizing means including:
- (1) at least one releasable dead bolt mechanism structured to secure the platform in the transporting configuration,
- (2) two additional conventional receiver hitches attached to the frame of the motor vehicle and spaced transversely on opposing sides of the aforementioned conventional receiver hitch, and
- (3) the mounting mechanism having two additional tubular extensions attached to the mounting mechanism and structured to releasably connect to the two additional conventional receiver hitches, and
- (4) wherein the stabilizing means is structured to further stabilize the platform in the transporting configuration;
- and
- (e) an auxiliary conventional receiver hitch attached to a distal side of the platform and structured to be used for towing purposes.
14 more elements
An apparatus for transporting a sport vehicle on a motor vehicle, comprising:
- (a) a mounting mechanism having a tubular extension structured to releasably connect to a conventional receiver hitch attached to a motor vehicle;
- (b) a platform;
- (c) an auxiliary conventional receiver hitch connected to a distal side of the platform and structured to be used for towing purposes;
- and
- (c) lifting means structured to:
- (1) mount the platform on the mounting mechanism and,
- (2) pivot the platform between a loading configuration and a transporting configuration while maintaining the platform in a horizontal orientation.
4 more elements
An apparatus for transporting a sport vehicle on a motor vehicle, comprising:
- (a) a mounting mechanism having a tubular extension structured to releasably connect to a conventional receiver hitch of a motor vehicle and wherein the mounting mechanism is structured to have the appearance of a bumper;
- (b) a platform having:
- (1) a yoke mechanism structured to cradle a front wheel of a motorcycle loaded on the platform, and
- (2) an end structured as a ramp;
- (c) lifting means having:
- (1) a pair of arms, wherein each arm has a proximal end pivotally connected to the mounting mechanism and a distal end pivotally connected to the platform, and wherein the pair of arms is mounted in a parallelogram-type arrangement such that the platform is operatively maintained in a horizontal orientation as the platform is moved to and from a loading configuration and a transporting configuration,
- (2) power means including:
- (A) an electrically powered drive mechanism, including a winch having two opposing ends wherein one end thereof is attached to the mounting mechanism;
- (B) connecting means, including a cable having two opposing ends wherein one end thereof is connected to the opposing end of the winch and the opposing end thereof is connected to the platform such that the platform is selectively movable to and from the loading configuration and the transporting configuration, and
- (C) a power source for powering the drive mechanism;
- (d) stabilizing means including:
- (1) at least one releasable dead bolt mechanism structured to secure the platform in the transporting configuration,
- (2) two additional conventional receiver hitches attached to the frame of the motor vehicle and spaced transversely on opposing sides of the aforementioned conventional receiver hitch, and
- (3) the mounting mechanism having two additional tubular extensions attached to the mounting mechanism and structured to releasably connect to the two additional conventional receiver hitches, and
- (4) wherein the stabilizing means is structured to further stabilize the platform in the transporting configuration;
- and
- (e) an auxiliary conventional receiver hitch attached to a distal side of the platform and structured to be used for towing purposes.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.