LIFTING PLATFORM FOR LIFTING VEHICLES

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a lifting platform for lifting vehicles.

[0002] DE 36 05 650 C2 discloses a mobile hydraulic lifting platform for lifting vehicles at overhead height. This mobile lifting platform comprises a floor assembly which remains stationary when vehicles are being lifted. When not in use, this lifting platform can be moved into another use or storage position using a chassis. The floor assembly of the lifting platform comprises two floor assembly halves and a middle section, with the two floor assembly halves being firmly connected to one another via the middle section and arranged relative to one another. Each floor assembly half has a drive by means of which a parallelogram guide device of the floor assembly half can be moved up and down. This parallelogram guide device comprises a load arm and a guide arm, so that a support arranged at the free end area remains horizontally aligned when the parallelogram guide device is raised and lowered.The support provided on the parallelogram guide device accommodates two pivoting support arms mounted on the support. These support arms can be pivoted from a non-use position, in which the support arms are aligned opposite each other and positioned parallel to the parallelogram guide device, into a use position to lift a vehicle that has been driven between the floor pans and into a working area of ​​the lift. To drive the vehicle into an entry area of ​​the lift, the support arms are aligned parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the lift. The entry area has a constant width.

[0003] US Pat. No. 6,814,342 B1 discloses a two-post lifting platform in which a support can be moved up and down along each lifting column. The support supports two pivotally mounted support arms, each of which carries a guide rail. The two lifting columns are equally spaced from a common longitudinal center axis. Each of these lifting columns is rotated outward relative to the longitudinal center axis of the lifting platform, so that the two longitudinal axes of the two opposing supports are aligned in a V-shape. The two pivot axes of the support arms lie on a connecting line that lies along the longitudinal axis of the support.

[0004] Furthermore, US 4,825,977 B1 discloses a lifting platform consisting of two lifting columns. A support is provided on each lifting column and can be moved up and down. Two support arms are arranged on each support, each pivoting about a pivot axis. The lifting columns are aligned at the same distance from the longitudinal center axis of the lifting platform, with each lifting column being rotated 90° with the support, so that the supports are not arranged between the two lifting columns and pointing toward the longitudinal center axis, but are rotated 90°. When not in use, the two support arms are aligned parallel to each other and parallel to the longitudinal center axis. The entry width of such a lifting platform is constant in such a predetermined starting position.

[0005] An analogous arrangement of the lifting platform is further disclosed in WO 2007 / 128251 A1, which discloses the preamble of claim 1, and in DE 38 30 691 A1.

[0006] The invention is based on the object of proposing a lifting platform in which an entry area for a vehicle in a working space of the lifting platform is enlarged.

[0007] This object is achieved by a lifting platform according to claim 1.

[0008] This arrangement makes it possible for an entry area to have a greater distance between at least one pair of pivot axes aligned with the longitudinal center axis than the at least one second pair of further pivot axes arranged on the support. The pair of pivot axes can be offset outwards relative to another pair of pivot axes with respect to the longitudinal center axis. This makes it easier to drive a vehicle into a working area of ​​the lift that lies between the two supports. This arrangement also has the advantage that both very short and very long vehicles can be picked up safely. This arrangement of the pivot axes of the support arms on the support also results in an increased pivot range for the support arms, as they are at a greater distance from the longitudinal center axis.This allows the support arms, which are pivotable about the pivot axes arranged further apart from one another, to be pivoted more steeply into the work area. A steep angle in this context means that, starting from an initial position of the support arm in which it is aligned parallel to the longitudinal center axis, a pivot angle of greater than 60° can be achieved toward the longitudinal center axis.

[0009] The longitudinal axis of each lifting platform support extends between the two pivot axes that accommodate the support arms. This allows for a compact and structurally stable design.

[0010] Preferably, longer support arms are arranged on the pivot axes, which are arranged at a greater distance from the longitudinal center axis than the other pivot axes of the support. Thus, for example, a long and a short support arm can be provided on a support, which can optionally also be telescopic. This arrangement can accommodate very long vehicles, for example. At the same time, the offset arrangement of the pivot axes means that a lifting platform with long and short support arms can also accommodate a very short vehicle, since the longer support arm, due to its outward offset relative to the shorter support arm, can assume a different pivot angle position relative to the vehicle than the shorter support arm.

[0011] A first preferred embodiment of the lifting platform provides that a movable lifting platform for lifting vehicles has a stationary floor assembly comprising two floor assembly halves, which are preferably each fixed to one another via a connection point with a central part, wherein the central part is preferably releasably fastened to a side surface of a housing of the floor assembly half by means of a connection section to form the connection point. A lifting device, in particular a parallelogram guide device or scissor guide device, such as a half-scissor, full-scissor, or double-scissor, is provided on each floor assembly half. This lifting device has a load arm and a guide arm, which can be moved up and down, in particular by means of at least one drive arranged in at least one floor assembly half. The support is provided in the respective end region of the lifting device.On this lift, the entry area is located opposite the center section of the floor assembly. This means that the opposing pivot axes of the support arms, which are spaced closer together, are located closer to the center section.

[0012] An alternative design of the lifting platform provides for the lifting device to be a single-column lifting device, which has a base plate that can be attached to the floor or is mounted on a lowerable chassis and comprises a lifting column along which the support is arranged to move up and down. Such a widened entry area can also be provided in such a design of the lifting platform, which forms a lifting platform by two opposing single-column lifting devices or several pairs of opposing single-column lifting devices along a common longitudinal axis.

[0013] The invention, as well as further advantageous embodiments and developments thereof, are described and explained in more detail below with reference to the examples shown in the drawings. The features shown in the description and the drawings can be used individually or in any combination according to the invention. They show: Figure 1 a perspective view of a first embodiment of the lifting platform according to the invention, Figure 2 a schematic view from above of the lifting platform according to Figure 1 , Figure 3 a schematic view from above of the lifting platform according to Figure 2 with extended support arms positioned in a work area, Figure 4 a schematic view from above of the lifting platform according to Figure 2 with a short vehicle, Figure 5 a schematic view from above of the lifting platform according to Figure 2 with a long vehicle, Figure 6a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the lifting platform Figure 1 , Figure 7 a schematic view from above of the lifting platform according to Figure 6 , and Figure 8 a perspective view of the lifting platform according to Figure 6 with a raised vehicle.

[0014] The Figure 1shows a perspective view of a lifting platform 11 according to the invention. This lifting platform 11 comprises a floor assembly 12, which comprises two floor assembly halves 14 and a central part 15 arranged therebetween. The floor assembly halves 14 are preferably spaced and aligned parallel to one another by the central part 15. A U-shaped floor assembly 12 is formed by the floor assembly halves 14 and the central part 15. The open area represents an entry area 49 for a vehicle, to which a work space 54 adjoins. The vehicle drives into the work space 54 until it is positioned close to the central part 15. The entry direction is indicated by arrow 17 in the plan view of the lifting platform 11 in Figure 2 The retraction direction lies in the area of ​​a longitudinal center axis 18 of the lifting platform 11. The longitudinal center axis 18 extends parallel between the two floor assembly halves 14 and is arranged centrally thereto.

[0015] Each floor assembly half 14 comprises a housing 21, within which a schematically illustrated drive 22 is provided. Furthermore, each floor assembly half 14 accommodates a lifting device 24, which in this lifting platform is designed as a parallelogram guide device. Alternatively, the lifting device 24 can also be designed as a scissor guide device. The at least one drive 22 raises and lowers the parallelogram guide device 24. This parallelogram guide device 24 comprises a load arm 25 that is pivotable about a first pivot axis 26. Furthermore, the parallelogram guide device 24 comprises a guide arm 27 that is pivotable about a second pivot axis 28 that is spaced from the first pivot axis 26. Both pivot axes 26, 28 are mounted on the housing 21.

[0016] The parallelogram guide device 24 has a support 31 at an end region remote from the housing 21, which remains horizontally aligned by the parallelogram guide device 24 during the raising and lowering of the parallelogram guide device 24. In Figure 1 The parallelogram guide devices 24 are provided in a working position 32. Such a working position 32 may correspond to an overhead height. In a non-use position, the parallelogram guide devices 24 are aligned close to the ground or positioned resting on the ground.

[0017] Each support 31 accommodates two support arms 34. These support arms 34 are each pivotably mounted about a bearing axis 43, 44. The support arms 34 can be of equal length. Alternatively, the rear support arm 34 facing the entry area 49 can be longer than the front support arm 34 facing the central part 15, in particular the front support arm 34. The support arms 34 are preferably designed as telescopic support arms.

[0018] The lifting platform 11 is preferably designed as a movable lifting platform 11. Each floor assembly half 14 preferably has a roller 38 at an end remote from the central part 15, which roller is part of a chassis. Furthermore, a Figure 2The illustrated drawbar 39 can be attached to the center section 15 in a central area, so that after the center section 15 is raised by the drawbar 39, the lifting platform 11 rests on a wheel of the drawbar 39 and the two rollers 38. This makes the lifting platform 11 mobile and can be moved to the respective location of use. After the drawbar 39 is removed, this lifting platform 11 is stationary and rests on the ground.

[0019] Alternatively to the Figure 1 The lifting platform 11 shown can also be designed as a stationary lifting platform 11. In this case, the rollers 38 can be omitted. In a stationary lifting platform 11, this can also consist of the two aligned floor assembly halves 14. A central section 15 can be provided or omitted.

[0020] To control the lifting platform 11 from a non-use position to a working position 32, a controller 41 is provided, which is arranged, for example, on one of the two floor assembly halves 14. This controller 41 can output a control signal to the respective drive(s) 22. The drive 22 can be an electrically controllable hydraulic cylinder. Preferably, a drive 22 is provided in each housing 21 of the floor assembly half 14. The controller 41 comprises monitoring sensors for synchronizing the raising and lowering movement of the respective parallelogram guide device 24. Control lines can be routed from the controller 41, on the one hand, into the directly assigned floor assembly half 14. On the other hand, control lines can be routed within the middle section 15 to the opposite floor assembly half 14.

[0021] The carrier 31 has a longitudinal axis 42. This is evident from the top view in Figure 2Each support arm 34 is pivotally mounted on the support 31 about a pivot axis 43, 44. The pivot axes 43, 44 are spaced apart from one another. The supports 31, which are each arranged on the lifting device 24, are at the same height when viewed along the longitudinal center axis 16 and are spaced apart from one another at the same distance from the longitudinal center axis 16. The longitudinal axis 42 of the respective support 31 is aligned parallel to the longitudinal center axis 16. The pivot axes 43, 44 of the support 31 lie on a connecting line 45. This connecting line 45 is aligned at an angle α to the longitudinal axis 42. The connecting lines 45 are aligned in a V-shape to one another. These connecting lines 45 are aligned in the direction of the central part 15 and the longitudinal center axis 16.

[0022] An entry area 49 is provided opposite the central part 15. The entry area 49 is defined by an area between the pivot axes 43, 44 of the opposing supports 31. Two of the pivot axes 43 of the supports 31, aligned with the longitudinal center axis 16 and opposite each other, are spaced apart by a greater distance than the other two pivot axes 44 on the support 31. This creates an enlarged entry area 49.

[0023] Due to the pivot axes 43, 44 arranged offset from the longitudinal axis 42 of the support 31, an obliquely extending end face 48 can be formed on the support 31. This end face 48 preferably runs parallel to the connecting line 45. This allows an enlarged entry area 49 to be formed for the supports 31 aligned with the longitudinal center axis 16. This entry area 49 can be funnel-shaped when viewed from above onto the supports 31. The working area 54 of the lifting platform 11 is determined by the pivot range of the support arms 34 and, if these are telescopic, by the extended support arms 34.

[0024] The connecting line 45 of the respective support 31 opens in the direction of the entry area 49. The distance between the opposing pivot axes 43 on the respective support 31 is greater than the distance between the further opposing pivot axes 44 of the respective support 31. As a result, the pivot axes 43 aligned towards the entry area are offset further outwards with respect to the longitudinal center axis 16 of the lifting platform 11. As a result, the support arm 34, which is accommodated by the further outwards offset pivot axes 43, can be in a non-use position, as shown in Figure 2 is shown, be aligned parallel to the longitudinal central axis 16, so that these support arms 34 pointing towards the entry area 49 are further apart from one another than the support arms 34 pointing towards the central part 15, which are arranged on the respective further pivot axes 44 of the carrier 31.

[0025] The support arms 34 can have a predetermined length. Alternatively, one or both support arms 34 arranged on the carrier 31 can be designed to be telescopic.

[0026] In Figure 3 the lifting platform 11 is in accordance with Figure 2 with the support arms 34 extended and pivoted into the work space 54. Preferably, in this lifting platform 11, the one support arm 34 provided on the support 31, which is pivotable about the pivot axis 34, is arranged remote from the central part 15 on the support 31 or is longer than the other support arm 34, which is pivotably mounted on the support 31 by means of the pivot pin 44. This can apply both to a fixed selected length of the support arms 34 and to telescopic support arms 34.

[0027] In Figure 4 is a schematic view from above of the lifting platform 11 according to Figure 2with a short vehicle 51 positioned thereon in a working position 32 of the lifting platform 11. The vehicle 51 is moved into a working space 54 via the entry area 49 according to arrow 17. The support arms 34 are in a non-use position, as shown in Figure 2 Subsequently, the support arms 34 are pivoted into the working space 54, as shown in Figure 3 The support arms 34 are pivoted under the vehicle 51, so that support elements 55 on the support arms 34 engage the load application points of the vehicle 51, in particular in the vehicle sill area. From the top view in Figure 4It is obvious that the support arms 34, which are arranged on the pivot axes 43, which are at a greater distance from the longitudinal center axis 16, assume a larger pivot angle in the direction of the longitudinal center axis 16 than is provided for the other support arms 34, which are mounted on the pivot axes 44, which are at a smaller distance from the longitudinal center axis 16.

[0028] In Figure 5 is a top view of the lifting platform 11 according to Figure 2 which accommodates a long vehicle 51 in a working position 32 of the lifting platform 11. The support arms 34 are extended due to their telescopic nature, so that the support elements 55 of the respective support arms 34 can in turn engage the load application points of the vehicle 51, particularly in the sill area.

[0029] A comparison of the positions of the support arms 34 on the one carrier 31 in the short vehicle 51 according to Figure 3and the long vehicle 51 according to Figure 5 shows that the offset arrangement of the pivot axes 43, 44 on a support 31 maintains flexibility in accommodating long and short vehicles 51. The entry area 49, however, is larger in the area of ​​the opposing pivot axes 43 of the supports 31 than in the area of ​​the other pivot axes 44 on the supports 31.

[0030] In Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the lifting platform 11 to Figure 1shown. This lifting platform 11 comprises two lifting devices, each designed as a single-column lifting device 70. These single-column lifting platforms 70 are aligned with one another. These single-column lifting devices 70 are arranged at an equal distance from the longitudinal center axis 16. The single-column lifting device 70 has a base plate by which it is firmly fixed to the ground. Instead of the base plate, a movable chassis can also be provided, which can be lowered to the ground before or during the lifting of the vehicle 51. This single-column lifting device 70 comprises a lifting column 72, along which the carrier 31 can be moved up and down by a drive (not shown in detail), which is driven by a control system (not shown). A longitudinal axis 42 of the carrier 31 is aligned parallel to the longitudinal center axis 16.The structure of the support 31 as well as the arrangement of the pivot axes 43, 44 on the respective support 31 and their alignment to the longitudinal center axis 16 corresponds to the designs for the lifting platform 11 according to the . Figures 1 to 4 , so that it is fully referenced.

[0031] In Figure 7 is a schematic view from above of the alternative embodiment of the lifting platform 11 according to Figure 6 The support arms 34 are provided in a non-use position on the carrier 31, i.e., the support arms 34 are aligned parallel to the longitudinal center axis 16. The vehicle 51 can be positioned according to arrow 17 via the entry area 49 between the two single-column lifting devices 70. Subsequently, the support arms 34 are pivoted under the vehicle 51 to engage the load-bearing points of the vehicle 51. A subsequent lifting of the vehicle 51 transfers it to a working position 32, which in Figure 8 is shown.

Claims

1. Lifting platform having two lifting devices (24, 70) which are arranged at a distance from one another, are aligned with a common longitudinal central axis (16) of the lifting platform (11) and between which a working space (54) is provided for lifting and lowering vehicles (51), each lifting device (24, 70) having a carrier (31) which is movable up and down and each carrier (31) accommodates two support arms (34) which are each mounted on the carrier (31) so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (43, 44), so that these are aligable parallel to the longitudinal central axis (16) in an initial position and are pivotable into the working space (54) in a position of use, characterized in that each carrier (31) has a longitudinal axis (42), wherein the longitudinal axis (42) of the respective carrier (31) is aligned parallel to the longitudinal central axis (16) and a connecting straight line (45) extends between the two pivot axes (43, 44) of the carrier (31), which are arranged at a distance on the carrier (31), which are aligned at an acute angle α to the longitudinal axis (42) of the carrier (31) in such a way so that two pivot axes (43) arranged in mirror image to the longitudinal central axis (16) are at a greater distance from the longitudinal central axis (16) than the at least two further pivot axes (44) of the support (31), wherein the longitudinal axis (42) of the support (31) extends between the two pivot axes (43, 44) arranged offset to one another.

2. Lifting platform according to claim 1, characterized in that longer support arms (34) are arranged on the pivot axes (43) of the supports (31), which are arranged at a greater distance from the longitudinal central axis (16) of the lifting platform (11), than on the further pivot axes (44) of the supports (31).

3. Lifting platform according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when lifting vehicles (51), the lifting platform (11) has a stationary floor assembly (12) which comprises two floor assembly halves (14) which are preferably arranged fixedly relative to one another via a, in particular detachable, connection point (45, 46) with a central part (15) and each with a lifting device (24) arranged on the floor assembly half (14), which comprises a load arm (25) and a guide arm (27), which is transferable from a starting position arranged on the floor into a working position (32) by means of at least one drive (22) arranged in a floor assembly half (14) and in each case receives the carrier (31) in an end region of the lifting device (24).

4. Lifting platform according to claim 3, characterized in that the lifting device (24) is designed as a parallelogram guide device or as a scissor guide device.

5. Lifting platform according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the lifting device (70) is designed as a single-column lifting device, which has a base plate (71) that is fixable to the ground or a lowerable chassis and comprises a lifting column (72) arranged thereon, along which the carrier (31) is arranged so as to be movable up and down.