WO2010070443A2

WO2010070443A2 - Vehicle lifting structure

Info

Publication number: WO2010070443A2
Application number: PCT/IB2009/007840
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dino Sodini
Original assignee: Dino Sodini
Priority date: 2008-12-19
Filing date: 2009-12-21
Publication date: 2010-06-24
Also published as: ITPI20080132A1; WO2010070443A3

Abstract

A lifting structure (20) for a vehicle, such as a car, comprises a support frame (10) that is adapted to contact a lower portion of the car, lifting means (50) associated with the support frame (10) and adapted to turn between an extended, or high, position (B) and a withdrawn position (A), in order to raise/lower completely the support (10) and the vehicle (100) with respect to the ground. The lifting structure (20) comprises moving wheels (31) mounted releasably to the support frame (10) and that are adapted to move it in a substantially horizontal plane. In particular, the lifting means (50) comprises reversible actuating means (51) for returning the lifting means in the withdrawn position (A) substantially in contact with the support frame (10) in order not to hamper a movement of the structure on the castor wheels (31) and achieving a configuration of minimum encumbrance in height. This way, the support (10) with the lifting means (50), in the withdrawn position (A), can be at first arranged under the vehicle without the wheels (31). Then, when the vehicle is raised to the raised position (B), the wheels (31) can be mounted on the support (10) such that the support (10) with the vehicle can be carried exclusively by the wheels (31) while the lifting means (50) can return to the withdrawn position (A).

Description

TITLE VEHICLE LIFTING STRUCTURE

DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention The present invention relates to a mechanical equipment for car workshops and it relates, in particular to a structure of a vehicle lift that is used, for example, for operations of repair or maintenance of cars, motorcycles or heavier vehicles . Description of the prior art

As well known, a workshop for cars or other vehicles uses car lifts that raise the vehicle from the ground in order to let an operator to provide the repair, to change mechanical parts as well as to carry out maintenance. From a structural viewpoint it can be said that a car lift provides one or more support surfaces, which are arranged to bear the car body under the car, and can move vertically through electric, electro-hydraulic or pneumatic mechanisms, which operate a frame consisting of stiff elements to raise the car to a predetermined height.

Various types of car lifts exist that can be classified normally responsive to the maximum load expressed in Kg or tons and by their structure. For example, they can be vehicle lifts having columns, such as in GB708680, scissor-like vehicle lifts, a single column vehicle lift such as in DE20214438, vehicle lifts that are arranged under the basement, such as in EP1034131, etc. With reference to the kind of installation, vehicle lifts exist with underground or built-in installation . In particular, the built-in installation on the basement is different from the installation under the basement, because the former does not require masonry work. However, it is pointed out that even a built-in car lift, which is not anchored to ground, normally cannot be easily moved and is normally kept in a fixed working position in the car shop.

The need is felt to provide a car lift that can be arranged on the ground and that can be moved, for example in function of layout needs within the car workshop or for particular reasons that can arise during the repair or maintenance of the vehicles. For example, it could be necessary to displace the vehicle, when it is being repaired and it has dismantled parts, in a different position in the shop.

In these and other cases, by using the known car lifts, a vehicle with dismantled parts should being firstly assembled again and then displaced in a desired position on another car lift. This causes an increase of working time necessary to carry out such operations that affects the costs total of repair and maintenance for the client .

Normally, moreover, car lifts require that the vehicle is firstly moved on the bridge which is in a lowered position before being raised.

Movable carriages also exist for carrying vehicles, on which the vehicle is arranged by driving on a slope and that however cannot be raised like car lifts. In EP1739049A2 an apparatus is described for lifting objects or people capable of moving between a raised position and a lowered position. In particular, this lift apparatus comprises a support frame and a base that is movable with respect to the support frame. Furthermore, a guide means is provided for the movable base and an actuating means that allow its motion between the lowered position and the raised position and vice-versa. The apparatus comprises, furthermore, wheels that are connected to the support frame and that can be shifted between a use position, where they contact the ground for moving the lift apparatus, and a rest position, where the support frame rests on the ground. This way, the support frame is capable of contacting the ground steadily before the operations of loading and unloading the car on the movable base. The connection of the wheels to the frame is effected by a rotatable connection that causes the wheels to shift from a the use configuration where they contact the ground to the rest position. In this last case, the wheels in a first exemplary embodiment protrude above the support base and so they create an obstacle for the user. In a further exemplary embodiment the wheels pass between the above described configurations by a lever system that is operated manually, which is adapted only for minimum loads and cannot bear a car. In this case, a pneumatic actuating system can be provided that is remarkably expensive and has difficult and complicated operation.

This solution, however, is not indicated for car lifts since it is necessary that the apparatus can move from a configuration with limited height capable of being located below a car and then raised for being displaced by the aid of wheels.

Summary of the invention

It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a lifting structure for vehicles that can be moved by a operator in order to be used when needed in a car workshop or in general where such lifting structures are used.

It is also a feature of the present invention to provide a lifting structure that is easy to use and not much cumbersome in order to optimize the working time and costs. It is, furthermore, a feature of the present invention to provide a lifting structure that fulfils current safety requirements in this field.

It is another feature of the present invention to provide a lifting structure that is structurally simple and cheap to make.

These and other objects are achieved by a lifting structure for a vehicle such as a car, motorcycle or heavy vehicle, comprising: — a support frame that is adapted to contact with a lower portion of said vehicle;

- a lifting means that is associated with said support frame and is movable between an extended position and a withdrawn position, in order to raise/lower completely said support frame;

- a moving means that has wheels and that is adapted to move said support frame in a substantially horizontal plane, said moving means mounted in a releasable way to said support frame, such that said support frame with said lifting means in said withdrawn position can be at first arranged under said vehicle without said wheels, and that said wheels can be mounted on said support frame when said vehicle is kept raised in a predetermined raised position by said lifting means, and then said support frame with said vehicle can be carried exclusively by said wheels when said lifting means return to said withdrawn position,

- wherein said lifting means comprises a reversible actuating means that is adapted to return said lifting means to said withdrawn position substantially in contact with said support frame in order not to hamper a movement of said structure and to achieve a configuration of minimum encumbrance in height . Advantageously, said support frame has a box-like shape that is adapted to receive said lifting means and said actuating means in said withdrawn position.

In particular, said actuating means comprises at least one double-acting cylinder operated by a working fluid.

Advantageously, said actuating means provides an adjustment means that is adapted to adjust the stroke of said double-acting cylinder and therefore the position in height of said support frame . In particular, said lifting means is of the scissor type and comprises two frame members that are hinged like a scissors in a pivot point, so that each frame member has a top end connected to the support frame and a lower end resting on the ground and said actuating means is arranged between said frame members. This way, when the lifting structure is equipped with the moving wheels, the scissor lifting means is completely withdrawn within the support frame box-like not cause obstacle during the operations of handling. Preferably, roller wheels are provided for moving said lifting structure in said withdrawn configuration, when said moving wheels have been removed.

In particular, each frame member has lower ends that are connected to each other to form a support edge whereas the other frame member has the other ends that are separated and provide a roller wheel .

In a preferred exemplary embodiment, two double-acting cylinders are provided that are pivotally connected to said frame members such that said cylinders when passing from a raised position B to a withdrawn position A remain concealed between said frame members achieving a configuration with a minimum height.

Advantageously, said moving means comprises support arms that extend cantilever-like laterally from said support frame, in particular each of said support arras provides mutual engagement means for connecting with said wheels.

In particular, said mutual engagement means comprises connection brackets integral to each of said wheels that is connected to said arm through releasable lock means, in particular a co-axial through hole on said arms and on said brackets is provided where a connection pin can be put. This way, is ensured a precise reference and a steady connection is provided that is easy to fix/release.

Advantageously, said support arms are pivotally connected to said support frame in order to be folded in a position of minimum encumbrance, in particular along a side surface of said support frame. Preferably, said support frame provides at least one support element mounted on each of said arms that touches said vehicle. This way, a correct arrangement of the vehicle on the lifting structure is ensured. For example, the support arms may have rectangular cross section, and each support element has above a resilient pad and below a "U" -shaped base that is saddles said rectangular cross section.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be made clearer with the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

— figure 1 shows a perspective view of a vehicle lifting structure, according to the invention, that has moving wheels and a scissor lift mechanism;

- figure 2 shows a perspective view of the lifting structure Fig. 1 in a withdrawn configuration of the scissor lift mechanism, which minimizes the encumbrance in height; - figure 2A shows the vehicle lifting structure, of Fig. 1, in a raised configuration without the moving wheels;

- figure 3 shows a perspective view of the lifting structure, according to the invention, which bears a car in a configuration without the moving wheels;

- figure 4 shows the lifting structure Fig. 3 that bears a car with the moving wheels;

- figure 5 shows the moving configuration of the lifting structure, according to the invention, which allows to displace the car by the moving wheels;

- figure 6 and the relative enlarged view of Fig. 7 show structural features of the lifting structure that depict the box-like shape of the support frame that is adapted to receive and contain the lifting means . Description of a preferred exemplary embodiment

Figure 1 shows a lifting structure 20, according to the invention, for a vehicle such as a car 100 (visible in Fig. 2) but also a motorcycle or a heavy vehicle (not shown) . In particular, lifting structure 20 comprises a support frame 10 that is adapted to contact a lower portion of car 100 and a scissor lift mechanism 50, associated with the support frame 10, capable of translating vertically support frame 10 between a withdrawn or lowered position A (Fig. 2) and an extended or high position B (Fig. 2A) , thus by raising/lowering completely support frame 10 and vehicle 100 with respect to the ground, as shown in the following Figs. 3 and 4. Lifting structure 20, according to the invention, comprises, furthermore, castor wheels 31 that are adapted to move support frame 10 in a substantially horizontal plane. This way, lifting structure 20 can have two different configurations, a fixed configuration, in a way similar to the car lifts of the prior art but in any case portable, and a mobile configuration, through which it is possible to displace in a horizontal plane lifting structure 20 and carry the load arranged on the support frame .

More precisely, as shown in Fig. 1, castor wheels 31 are mounted in releasable way to support frame 10 by means of support arms 30 that extend cantilever-like from the support frame 10. Each arm 30 is pivotally connected to support frame 10 in order to be folded in a position of minimum encumbrance parallel and adjacent to the longitudinal sides of support 10 (Fig.2) . This way, support arms 30 do not hamper an operator around the vehicle both in the lifting/lowering step, and in a raised position without the support on castor wheels 31 (Fig.2A) . In addition, each support arm 30 provides mutual engagement means with the castor wheels 31, as described with reference to Fig. 7.

In particular scissor lift mechanism 50 comprises reversible actuating means 51, such as double-acting cylinders 51 operated by a working fluid, that can return scissor lift mechanism 50 to withdrawn position A substantially in contact with the support frame 10, in order not to hamper a movement of the structure on castor wheels 31 (Fig.6) and to achieve a configuration of minimum encumbrance in height (Fig. 2 and 6) . In a preferred exemplary embodiment, support frame 10 has a box-like shape in order to contain completely inside scissor lift mechanism 50, as well as cylinders 51, when it is withdrawn in configuration A (Fig. 6) . This way, when lifting structure 20 is in the mobile configuration, i.e. equipped with the moving castor wheels 31, scissor lift mechanism 50, completely withdrawn within box-like support io, does not hamper the movement. Furthermore, in withdrawn position A, support frame 10 contains completely the scissor lift 50 and cylinders 51 in order to slide under a vehicle also in case of vehicles with very low bodies. In particular, double-acting pneumatic cylinders 51 can be operated by a pedal control device 60, of known type, on which an inlet 61 is present for air coming from a compressor (not shown) . Device 60 is connected to each cylinder 51 by pneumatic tubes 62. Through device 60 it is therefore possible to adjust the height of support frame 10 and therefore the position of vehicle 100 as desired by the operator for the maintenance/repair operations .

More in detail, as shown in Fig. 2A, scissor lift mechanism 50 comprises from two frame members 52a/52b hinged like a scissors in a pivot point 56, so that each frame member 52a/52b has a top end 53a/53b connected to support frame 10 and a lower end 54a/54b resting on the ground. In detail, the lower ends 54a of frame member 52a are connected to each other to form a support edge 54c whereas end 54b of frame member 52b are separated and each of them provides a small roller wheel 55. This way, the roller wheels 55 avoid a sliding contact with the ground and allow moving lifting structure 20 in the withdrawn or extended configuration when castor wheels 31 have been removed, in order to position correctly the frame simply raising support edge 54c.

In particular, double-acting cylinders 51 have an end 51a that is pivotally connected to support edge 54c and an end 51b that is pivotally connected to frame member 52b in a distant position with respect to the pivot point 56, which is set between end 53b and pivot point same 56. In detail, ends 51b of the cylinders are arranged within the inner edge of frame 52b. This way, cylinders 51, which are adapted to open/close frame members 52a/52b from the raised position B to withdrawn position A and vice-versa, can also remain concealed between within frames, allowing a configuration of minimum height . This allows to move the lifting structure below a vehicle even with very low under body with respect to the ground an then to allow its lifting.

Lifting structure 20, as above described, allows support frame 10 and scissor lift mechanism 50, in withdrawn position A, to be at first arranged under vehicle 100 without castor wheels 31. Then, as shown in Fig. 3, when vehicle 100 is lifted to raised position B, it allows that castor wheels 31 can be mounted to support frame 10 (Fig. 4) such that support frame 10 with vehicle 100 can be moved exclusively by castor wheels 31 when scissor lift mechanism 50 returns to withdrawn position A (Fig. 5) . In other words, the movable configuration of the structure 20 in which castor wheels 31 are mounted is easy and quick to obtain since the operations of assembling/disassembling the castor wheels consists simply in raising support frame 10 at an appropriate height from ground, to assemble castor wheels 31 at the respective support arms 30 and then to lower scissor lift mechanism 50 back to withdrawn position A. This way, support frame 10 rests on castor wheels 31, as shown in Fig. 5, and allows to move the load as desired according to the needs and without that protruding parts hamper or limit the movement .

As shown in Fig. 7, the mutual engagement means for connection of castor wheels 31 comprises connection brackets 33 integral to each castor wheels 31 that is connected by a pin 32 that is put in a co-axial hole that is made respectively on brackets 33 and on each support arm 30. In particular, brackets 33 are arranged to saddle from below arm 30 in such a way that a precise reference and a steady connection with easy fix/release steps is provided. In particular, each support arm 30 has rectangular cross section, and each support element 11 has above a block 15 of resilient material and below a U- shaped base that saddles the rectangular cross section.

Figure 7 shows, furthermore, support elements 11 mounted on each support arm 30 that must be in contact with the vehicle in order to obtain a steady and perfectly balanced positioning of vehicle 100. Lifting structure 20, according to the invention, has not barriers and/or devices that can hamper an operator during maintenance or repair on vehicle 100 both in withdrawn position A with or without the castor wheels, and in the raised position B, as well as in the movable configuration of the wheels (Fig.l) .

The foregoing description of a specific embodiment will so fully reveal the invention according to the conceptual point of view, so that others, by applying current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt for various applications such an embodiment without further research and without parting from the invention, and it is therefore to be understood that such adaptations and modifications will have to be considered as equivalent to the specific embodiment . The means and the materials to realise the different functions described herein could have a different nature without, for this reason, departing from the field of the invention. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Claims

1. A lifting structure for a vehicle such as a car, motorcycle or heavy vehicle, comprises:

— a support frame that is adapted to contact with a lower portion of said vehicle;

— a lifting means that is associated with said support frame and is movable between an extended position and a withdrawn position, in order to raise/lower completely said support frame; — a moving means that has wheels and that is adapted to move said support frame in a substantially horizontal plane, said moving means mounted in a releasable way to said support frame, such that said support frame with said lifting means in said withdrawn position can be at first arranged under said vehicle without said wheels, and such that said wheels can be mounted on said support frame when said vehicle is lifted to a predetermined raised position by said lifting means, and then said support frame with said vehicle can be carried exclusively by said wheels when said lifting means return to said withdrawn position,

— wherein said lifting means comprises reversible actuating means that is adapted to return said lifting means to said withdrawn position substantially in contact with said support frame in order not to hamper a movement of said structure and to achieve a configuration of minimum encumbrance in height .

2. A lifting structure, according to claim 1, wherein said support frame has a box-like shape that is adapted to receive said lifting means and said actuating means in said withdrawn position.

3. A lifting structure, according to claim 1, wherein said actuating means comprises at least one double-acting cylinder operated by a working fluid.

4. A lifting structure, according to claims 1, wherein said actuating means provides an adjustment means that is adapted to adjust the stroke of said double-acting cylinder and therefore the position in height of said support frame .

5. A lifting structure, according to claim 1, wherein said lifting means is of a scissor type and comprises two frame members that are hinged like a scissors in a pivot point, so that each frame member has a top end connected to the support frame and a lower end resting on the ground and said actuating means is arranged between said frame members.

6.A lifting structure, according to claim 1, wherein roller wheels are provided for carrying said lifting structure in said withdrawn configuration, when said moving means that has wheels have been removed.

7. A lifting structure, according to claims 5 and 6, wherein the lower ends of a frame member are connected to each other to form a support edge whereas the other frame member has the other ends that are separated and provide a roller wheel .

8. A lifting structure, according to claim 5, wherein two double-acting cylinders are provided pivotally connected to said frame members such that said cylinders when passing from the raised position B to the withdrawn position A remain concealed between said frame members achieving a configuration with a minimum height .

9.A lifting structure, according to claim 1, wherein said moving means comprises support arms that extend cantilever-like from said support frame, in particular each of said support arms provides mutual engagement means for connection with said wheels.

10. A lifting structure, according to claim 9, wherein said mutual engagement means comprises connection brackets integral to each of said wheels that can be mounted on said arm through releasable lock means, in particular a co-axial through hole on said arms and on said brackets is provided where a connection pin can be put .

11. A lifting structure, according to claim 9, wherein said support arms are pivotally connected to said support frame in order to be folded to a position of minimum encumbrance, in particular along a side surface of said support frame.

12. A lifting structure, according to claim 1, wherein said support frame provides at least one support element mounted on each of said support arms, said support element adapted to contact said vehicle.