Inclined scissor lift for vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle parking lift includes a platform on which a vehicle can be parked, the platform being elevated by a pair of scissor lifts. The pair of scissor lifts are configured to raise and lower the platform so that a second vehicle can be parked beneath it. The platform's deck has a gentle slope along its entire length, allowing low-ground-clearance vehicles to drive onto the platform without their undersides contacting the deck. Each scissor lift includes a short leg and a longer leg that is longer than the short leg. When actuated between a lowered position and an elevated position, each leg raises the entry end of the platform a greater vertical distance than the opposite, rearward-most end. This tilts the platform upward, placing its deck in a substantially horizontal orientation or in an orientation that slopes downward from the entry end to the rearward-most end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications) This application is a continuation - in - part of U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 794,810, filed on Oct. 26, 2017, which claims priority based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 413,779, filed on Oct. 27, 2016, and the priority of this application is claimed. The entire disclosure content of these applications is incorporated herein by reference.

Background Art

[0002] Various vehicle lifts designed to raise a vehicle from the ground surface are available. These lifts are often used to enable access to the underside of a vehicle for maintenance work. Certain types of lifts known as parking lifts are configured to provide additional parking space by raising a vehicle to a sufficient height to allow a second vehicle to park beneath it. In contrast to maintenance lifts, which generally include one or more lift arms rather than a platform so as not to impede access to the underside of the vehicle, parking lifts generally include a platform on which the vehicle to be raised is placed.

[0003] Parking lifts can take various forms, including post lifts that include one, two, four or more vertical posts that support one or more platforms on which one or more vehicles can be placed. Parking lifts also include scissor lifts that use a pantograph or a plurality of pivotally connected legs arranged in a crossed X - pattern that pivot to extend or contract the overall length of the assembly (and thus the platform disposed thereon).

[0004] These known lifts have various drawbacks. Many forms of lifts require fixing the lift structure to the foundation surface to prevent the structure from tipping over when a load is applied, and also require the foundation surface to be designed to meet high standards to support the weight of the lift and the vehicle. Many known lifts are designed to reduce the space requirements for their installation and use, but the available space for placing the vehicle to be lifted and the vehicle placed under the lifted vehicle is too restricted. For example, the posts or scissor lifts that support the platform can prevent the opening of the doors of the vehicle parked under the platform. This makes it difficult to access the vehicle and increases the risk of damaging the vehicle's doors by contact with the lift. Also, known lifts provide a somewhat steep entrance ramp, and it is difficult for low-riding vehicles such as sports cars to cross this ramp without damaging the vehicle in some cases where the underside of the vehicle touches the ramp.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The illustrative embodiments are not the gist and are defined by the following claims. To introduce some of the concepts further described in the following detailed description, a high-level overview of various aspects is provided here. This summary is not intended to identify the important or essential features of the subject matter recited in the claims, nor is it intended to be used alone to determine the scope of the subject matter recited in the claims. Briefly, the present disclosure describes a vehicle parking lift that can be used to sufficiently raise a first vehicle to enable a second vehicle to be parked thereunder. The parking lift includes a platform on which the first vehicle can be parked. The platform includes a deck that slopes gradually downward from one end toward the entrance end to reduce the ground height required for the first vehicle to drive onto the platform.

[0006] The platform is raised by a plurality of pairs of pivotal or scissor legs disposed along opposite side portions of the platform. Each leg of a pair has a recess recessed from the centerline of the parking lift, and may include a pad disposed on the leg within the recess. The recess provides additional clearance for opening the door of a second vehicle parked below the platform and between each pair of legs. The pad provides additional protection against damage to the door by contacting each leg.

[0007] In another embodiment, the scissor legs are configured to tilt the platform at least partially rearward as the platform is raised. The first leg of each pair of scissor legs has a first length and a connection point located centrally along the first length. Each second leg of a pair has a second length that is longer than the first length and a connection point that is not centrally located along the second length. When joined and pivotally relative at each connection point, the first end of the first leg moves a shorter vertical distance than the first end of the second leg. Thereby, the entrance end of the platform supported on the scissor legs is tilted at least partially upward. Thus, the entrance end of the platform rises more than the opposite end, providing additional clearance for a vehicle disposed below the platform.

[0008] Exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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[0017] The subject matter of some exemplary embodiments will be described in detail to meet legal requirements. However, this description itself is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be implemented in other ways, including in combination with other existing or future technologies, to include other components, steps, or combinations thereof similar to those described herein. Unless the order of each step is specified, each term does not imply a particular order between each step disclosed herein. As used herein, the terms "about" or "approximately" indicate a deviation of + / - 10% from the exact value, preferably + / - 5%, and / or a deviation as a change that does not affect the function.

[0018] Exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, reference numerals are used to identify individual components or features. Similar members in different embodiments are assigned reference numerals that have the same second and third digits but different first digits. For example, member 10 is similar to members 110, 210, etc. This is to avoid redundancy in the description of the similar functions of each member and does not necessarily indicate that each feature or member is identical.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1-6, the parking lift 10 will be described according to an exemplary embodiment. The lift 10 includes a platform 12 supported by a pair of scissor lifts 14 mounted on a base 16. The platform 12 is configured to receive and support a vehicle on its upper surface, and the scissor lift 14 raises the platform by a sufficient distance so that a second vehicle can be parked under the platform 12. The lift 10 will be described as being used for vehicles such as passenger cars, small pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans among automobiles, and for applications related to parking such vehicles. The lift 10 is illustrated and described as being configured to raise one vehicle. However, in some embodiments, the lift 10 may be configured for larger vehicles and / or multiple vehicles, and it goes without saying that it may also be used for non-parking applications such as vehicle maintenance work or anti-theft.

[0020] The platform 12 includes a frame 18 that supports a deck 20. The frame 18 includes side members 22 extending along both side edges of the deck 20, and a rear end member 24 extending between the rearmost ends of the side members 22. Each of the side members 22 includes a wedge-shaped deck support member 25 disposed along its inner surface. The deck support member 25 extends a sufficient distance from the side member 22 toward the center line of the platform 12 to support the side edge of the deck 20. The wedge shape of the deck support member 25 provides an inclined upper surface on which the deck 20 is disposed. The deck support member 25 may be reinforced internally or externally to provide sufficient strength to support the deck 20 over the entire length of the member 25 (e.g., the portion having a reduced dimension). The frame 18 may also include other braces, ribs, gussets, or other support members extending longitudinally, transversely, or otherwise under the deck 20 as needed to reinforce the deck 20 and / or the frame 18.

[0021] The deck 20 includes a generally flat panel that extends between the side members 22 and is configured to support vehicles thereon. The deck 20 may be a single-piece structure or may be formed from a plurality of elongated segments 26 that are arranged parallel to each other and extend between the side members 22 of the frame 18. The segments 26 may include flanges, grooves, tabs, slots, ribs, channels, or similar features that interconnect to join the segments 26 to each other. The segments 26 may be fastened to each other via one or more fasteners, welding, or the like. Alternatively, the segments 26 may be spaced apart, but the spacing should not be so great as to prevent vehicle wheels from moving across the deck 20 substantially perpendicular to the length of the segments 26.

[0022] The deck 20 is disposed on the frame 18 such that its lateral edges overlap the deck support members 25 and may be coupled to the deck support members 25 via one or more fasteners, welding, or the like. Due to the wedge shape of the deck support members 25, the deck 20 is disposed at a slight angle such that the height of the deck 20 increases from the entrance end 27 towards the rear end member 24. The angle of the deck 20 relative to the horizontal plane of the side members 22 is preferably between about 0° and about 10°, or between about 0° and about 5°, or about 1°.

[0023] An entrance panel 28 is provided along the entrance end 27 of the deck 20 and extends between the side members 22. As shown in FIG. 3, when the lift 10 is in the lowered position, the entrance panel 28 extends substantially between the ground surface and the entrance end 27 of the deck 20. The vertical distance between the ground surface on which the entrance panel 28 moves and the entrance end 27 of the deck 20 is preferably less than about 4 inches, or less than about 3 inches, or more preferably less than about 1 inch. Thereby, the lift 10 can accommodate vehicles with a low ground clearance. The downward slope of the deck 20 helps to minimize the vertical distance that the entrance panel must move.

[0024] The entrance panel 28 may be disposed at an angle steeper than the deck 20, such as about 5° to about 15° or about 10° with respect to the horizontal plane of the side member 22, and the entrance panel may be disposed at the same angle or a slightly larger angle with respect to the deck 20, for example, 0° to about 5°.

[0025] Between the deck 20 and the rear end member 24 of the frame 18, along the opposite end of the deck 20, a wheel groove 30 extending between the side members 22 is provided. The wheel groove 30 is sized to partially receive the wheels of the vehicle, thereby assisting the user to correctly position on the platform 12 of the vehicle and also resisting the vehicle from rolling over the rear end member 24 of the frame 18 and falling from the lift 10. The wheel groove 30 also functions as a wheel stopper to resist the forward or backward movement of the vehicle during parking. The wheel groove 30 includes a slope wall 32, a base wall 34, and a stop wall 36. The slope wall 32 slopes gradually downward from the edge of the deck 20 toward the base wall 34 on which the wheels of the vehicle can rest when parked on the lift 10. The stop wall 36 extends vertically upward from the base wall 34 at a steep angle (e.g., approximately 90°) for a distance sufficient to at least partially resist the vehicle wheels from climbing over the stop wall 36. The stop wall 36 may provide a physical or "sensory" indicator felt by the vehicle driver when boarding the lift 10, communicating to the driver to stop.

[0026] The scissor lifts 14 are generally mirror images of each other and include a lower pivot leg 38 and an upper pivot leg 40 pivotally coupled near their midpoints at a pivot point 39. The lower pivot leg 38 includes a pivot joint 41 with the base 16 at one end (its lower end when the deck 20 is raised), and at the opposite end, includes rollers 42 that contact and roll along one lower surface of each of the side members 22 of the frame 18. The side members 22 may form channels or tracks for receiving the rollers 42.

[0027] The upper pivot leg 40 includes a pivot joint 43 with the frame 18 at one end (its upper end when the deck 20 is raised), and includes a roller 44 at its distal end that contacts and rolls along the elongate member 46 of the base 18. Thus, the lower pivot leg 38 and the upper pivot leg 40 are configured in an intersecting or X-shaped arrangement such that their respective rollers 42, 44 are generally vertically aligned, similar to the pivot joints 41, 43 with the base 16 and the frame 18 respectively.

[0028] In the embodiment shown herein, both the lower pivot leg 38 and the upper pivot leg 40 are each composed of a pair of spaced-apart generally flat elongate members (the lower pivot leg 38 including the elongate member 48 and the upper pivot leg 40 including the inner elongate member 50 and the outer elongate member 52), between which one or more gussets 53 extend. The spacing between the elongate members 48 of the lower pivot leg 38 is slightly greater than the spacing between the inner and outer elongate members 50, 52 of the upper pivot leg 40 such that the upper pivot leg 40 fits between the elongate members 48 of the lower pivot leg 38. The gussets 53 of each of the legs 38 and 40 are arranged so as not to prevent relative pivoting of the legs 38 and 40 within the desired range of movement.

[0029] An actuator 54, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic linear actuator, is coupled between the legs 38 and 40. As shown in FIG. 3, the actuator 54 is coupled to the lower pivot leg 38 in the vicinity of the leg pivot joint 41 with the base 16. The actuator 54 is further coupled to the upper pivot leg 40 at a point spaced from the pivot point 39 and the pivot joint 43 between the upper pivot leg 40 and the frame 18. Thus, when the actuator 54 is extended, the legs 38, 40 pivot relative to each other in a first direction, and when the actuator 54 is contracted, the legs 38, 40 pivot relative to each other in the opposite direction.

[0030] The inner elongate member 50 of the upper pivot leg 40 is disposed closer to the centerline of the platform 12 or the lift 10 than the outer elongate member 52 and includes a recess 56 that extends over at least a portion of the distance between the roller 44 and the pivot connection of the lower pivot leg 38. The recess 56 preferably is recessed from about 0.5 inch to about 1.5 inches, or at least about 0.66 inch, from the plane of the outer surface of the non-recessed portion of the inner elongate member 50, although it may be recessed more or less without departing from the scope described herein.

[0031] Preferably, a bumper or pad 58 is disposed on the inner surface of the inner elongate member 50 within the recess 56. The pad 58 preferably is formed of a material that is more elastic or softer than the metal forming the automobile door and can be used to cushion or buffer the impact of the scissor lift 14 against an object such as a vehicle door and / or to reduce the likelihood that such impact will cause the object to dent, scratch, or otherwise be damaged. The pad 58 may be present only along the surface of the recess 56 or may at least partially enclose its edge. The thickness of the pad 58 preferably is less than the depth of the recess. For example, the thickness of the pad 58 may be about 0.25 inch. By providing the pad 58 within the recess 56, the pad 58 is prevented from interfering with the movement of the legs 38, 40 and from being sheared by such movement. The elongate member 52 on the opposite or outer side of the upper pivot leg 40 may include a similar recess and pad.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the base 16 includes a pair of elongate members 46 and a cross member 60 extending between its first ends, thereby having a generally U-shaped configuration. Each of the elongate members 46 comprises a generally flat plate having a raised rib 62 extending along its length. The rib 62 may provide a track along which the roller 44 of the upper pivot leg 40 can move and reinforce the elongate member 46 against bending. Within the track formed by the rib 62, a plurality of safety stops 64 are spaced apart over a portion of the length of the elongate member 46. As will be described in more detail below, the safety stop 64 can be engaged by a safety lock 66 disposed on the upper pivot leg 40. The base 16 may have one or more holes to allow the fastener 68 to be installed to fix the lift 10 to the base surface.

[0033] The safety lock 66 includes an arm 72 pivotally coupled to the distal end of the upper pivot leg 40 adjacent to the roller 44 between the inner and outer elongate members 50, 52. The arm 72 may surround or be coupled to an axis or pin (not shown) extending between the wheels of the roller 44 and may include a hole for receiving the axis or pin. The arm 72 extends rearwardly from the distal end of the upper pivot leg 40 towards the cross member 60 of the base 16 and includes a locking lug or tab 74 on its bottom surface.

[0034] The lock tab 74 cooperates with the safety stop 64 on the elongate member 46 of the base 16 to prevent the distal end of the upper pivoting leg 40 from moving in the forward direction (shown by arrow 76 in FIG. 5a), and to permit movement in the opposite rearward direction. Thus, the lock tab 74 includes a locking surface 78 at its forward end and a pivoting surface 80 at its opposite rearward end. Similarly, the safety stop 64 includes a stop surface 82 at its rearward end and a sliding surface 84 at its forward end. The locking surface 78 and the stop surface 82 are provided at substantially the same angle, which may be slightly inclined rearwardly such that, as shown in FIG. 5e, contact between the locking surface 78 and the stop surface 82 prevents forward movement of the distal end of the upper pivoting leg 40 and resists upward pivoting of the arm 72 away from the base 16. Conversely, the pivoting surface 80 and the sliding surface 84 are provided at a greater rearward inclination angle and are configured such that when the distal end of the upper pivoting leg 40 moves rearwardly and the pivoting and sliding surfaces 80, 84 contact each other, the arm 72 pivots upwardly away from the base 16.

[0035] The arm 72 also includes a trigger plate 86 pivotally coupled to the arm 72 between the upper pivoting leg 40 and the lock tab 74. The trigger plate 86 is coupled to the arm 72 via a pivot pin 87 that can be coupled to the arm 72 along its upper surface, extends through a slot 85 in the arm 72 and contacts the elongate member 46 of the base 16. The trigger plate 86 has a generally flat rectangular shape but includes an inclined front edge 88 (e.g., the upper front corner of the rectangular shape is removed to provide the inclined front edge 88 and the point 89 of its lower front corner).

[0036] The length between the engagement with the pivot pin 87 and the point 89 of the trigger plate 86 is sufficient to provide an over-center state when pivoted between the forward-tilted flexion orientation (FIG. 5a) and the rearward-tilted deployment orientation (FIG. 5c). The slot 85 in which the trigger plate 86 is disposed and / or the position of the trigger plate 86 relative to the lock tab 74 may limit or define the range of movement of the trigger plate 86 and, thus, the orientation of the trigger plate 86 in the flexion and deployment orientations.

[0037] In the flexion orientation shown in FIG. 5a, the point 89 slides in contact with the elongate member 46 of the base, and the inclined front edge 88 of the trigger plate 86 is disposed to contact one stop surface 82 of the safety stop 64 as the distal end of the upper pivot leg 40 moves forward. As shown in FIG. 5b, when contacting the stop surface 82, the trigger plate 86 is pivoted rearward (clockwise as shown in FIGS. 5a-5e), whereby the arm 72 is lifted or pivoted upward (clockwise). The trigger plate 86 continues to rotate generally vertically or toward the deployment orientation beyond over-center and is maintained in the deployment orientation by the over-center state. Thereafter, as the distal end of the upper pivot leg 40 moves forward, the trigger plate 86 slides along the elongate member 46 beyond the safety stop 64 and prevents the lock tab 74 from engaging the safety stop 64.

[0038] In the rearward direction, the point 89 of the trigger plate 86 slides along the elongate member 46 until it contacts one of the forward ends of the sliding surface 84 or the safety stop 64, as shown in FIG. 5d. When contacting the safety stop 64, the trigger plate 86 pivots forward (counterclockwise), allowing the arm 72 to pivot downward (counterclockwise) beyond the center of the over-center arrangement. The rearward movement continues at least until the lock tab 74 is able to move downward and contact the elongate member 46. Thereafter, the distal end of the upper pivot leg 40 moves forward again, and as shown in FIG. 5e, the locking surface 78 of the lock tab 74 contacts or engages the stop surface 82 of the safety stop 64. This restricts the distal end of the upper pivot leg 40 from moving further forward and prevents the platform 12 from moving or dropping downward.

[0039] To again enable the distal end of the upper pivot leg 40 to move forward (e.g., lower the platform 12), the distal end of the upper pivot leg 40 is first moved rearward. The trigger plate 86 pivots forward to allow passage of the safety stop 64. After the trigger plate 86 has passed the safety stop 64, the distal end of the upper pivot leg 40 moves forward again, and as already described, the trigger plate 86 contacts the stop surface 82 of the safety stop 64 and can pivot the trigger plate 86 to the deployed orientation. Although a particular configuration of the safety lock 66 has been described, it goes without saying that other safety lock configurations may be employed without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0040] Continuing to refer to FIGS. 1-6, the operation of the parking lift 10 according to the exemplary embodiment will be described. The lift 10 is preferably dimensioned to fit within a standard parking space (e.g., an area approximately 7-10 feet wide and about 10-20 feet long, or preferably an area about 8.5 feet wide and about 13.5 feet long). Thus, the lift 10 can be easily placed in the available space within a parking lot or in most garages.

[0041] Lift 10 is disposed in the lowered position as shown in FIG. 3, actuator 54 is substantially contracted, and rollers 42, 44 are moved to the foremost positions along side members 22 of each frame 18 or elongate members 46 of base 16. In the lowered position, ears 70 extending downwardly from each of side members 22 of frame 18 contact base 16 or the foundation surface to tilt platform 12 forward (e.g., rear end member 24 of frame 18 is maintained at a greater vertical height than inlet panel 28 which is moved to contact or substantially contact the foundation surface). In another embodiment, ears 70 support platform 12 in a forwardly tilted orientation and when scissor lift 14 is actuated, platform 12 tilts forward.

[0042] In the forwardly tilted orientation, deck 20 of platform 12 is disposed at an angle of about 0° to about 15° or about 3° to about 8°, or preferably about 5°, and inlet panel 28 is disposed at an angle of about 10° to about 20°, or about 15°. Thereby, a vehicle traveling on platform 12 encounters a very gentle incline over the entire length of platform 12 and passes thereover. Thereby, ultra-low ground clearance vehicles such as sports cars and other vehicles with a very low ground clearance can travel on platform 12 without the underside of the vehicle contacting platform 12. In contrast, lifts available in the art have a steep inlet panel with a much greater vertical rise to a substantially horizontal platform, which cannot be cleared by many vehicles with a low ground clearance (e.g., vehicles with a ground clearance of only about 3 inches).

[0043] To load a vehicle onto platform 12, place the vehicle on deck 20 and advance it until the wheels in its direction of travel reach wheel grooves 30. The wheels of the vehicle can move the slope walls 32 of the wheel grooves 30 to base 34 and contact stop wall 36. Stop wall 36 is configured to stop the vehicle when traveling at a very low speed or at idling speed and / or to provide a bump to inform the driver to stop the vehicle. The vehicle is stopped, parked, and the engine is turned off in the normal way. Then the driver gets out of the vehicle.

[0044] Access the control panel 90 to activate a control system configured to operate the hydraulic or pneumatic pump 92 and the actuator 54. By operating the actuator 54, pivot the lower pivot leg 38 about each connection with the base 16, thereby moving the roller 42 longitudinally upward and along each side member 22. By pivoting the lower pivot leg 38 upward, the upper pivot leg 40 is operated to move through its connection with the lower pivot leg 38. As the upper pivot leg 40 moves, the upper pivot leg 40 pivots about each connection with the frame 18 of the platform 12, and each roller 44 moves along the longitudinal member 46 of the base 16. Thus, the legs 38, 40 pivot in a scissor-like or intersecting manner from a generally horizontal position to a more vertical orientation. As the legs 38, 40 pivot, the platform 12 rises vertically upward and the platform 12 tilts at least partially so that the inlet end 27 moves upward relative to the opposite end of the platform 12, thereby moving the deck 20 to a more horizontal or upwardly tilted orientation.

[0045] The platform 12 can be moved upward by a desired amount. A plurality of stops or positions may be provided between the lowered position and the fully raised position. Each stop position can be defined by the position of the safety stop 64 on the base 16. When the desired vertical height is reached, the safety lock 66 on the scissor lift 14 engages each safety stop 64 as previously described.

[0046] Preferably, the platform 12 is raised to a height sufficient to place the second vehicle 94 under the platform 12, but this is not necessary if it is not desired to place the second vehicle thereunder. As shown in FIG. 6, the second vehicle 94 can be parked under the platform 12 in either a forward position (94a) or a rearward position (94b). In either position, the vehicle 94 is operated between the scissor lifts 14, and the cross member 60 of the base 16 may be used as a bumper stop, thereby indicating when to stop the vehicle.

[0047] When parked under the platform 12, the door 96 of the vehicle 94 is generally proximate to the adjacent scissor lift 14, and more specifically, to the inner elongate member 50 of the upper pivot leg 40. The recess 56 in the elongate member 50 provides additional space for opening the door 96, allowing the door 96 of the vehicle 94 to open wider without contacting the leg 40 as compared to the case where the inner elongate member 50 is completely flat. FIG. 6 is an exemplary view showing the vehicle 94 parked under the platform 12 in the forward position (96h) and the rearward position (94t). The vehicle doors 96h, 96t are shown in an open state by an amount made possible by the presence of the recess 56 in the elongate member 50. Also shown are the vehicle doors 96h', 96t' in an open state (dashed lines) by an amount possible in the absence of the recess 56, which is significantly less than the amount made possible by the presence of the recess 56.

[0048] The pad 58 disposed within the recess 56 also helps to resist damage to the vehicle door 96 in the event of contact between the door 96 and the leg 40. By performing the reverse of the above process, the removal of the vehicle from the lift 10 is completed.

[0049] To improve the safety and usability of the lift 10, various functional enhancements may be provided on the lift 10. For example, a key switch that may be employed to completely disable the operation of the lift 10 may be provided on the control panel 90. Among various applications, sensors such as ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, proximity sensors, and cameras may be provided to sense the presence of the second vehicle 94 and to assist in positioning the vehicle above and below the platform 20. In some embodiments, the lift 10 may be provided as one of a plurality of lifts 10 that may be joined to a single controller or control system and / or power source. For example, a plurality of lifts 10 may be coupled to a single power unit that provides hydraulic pressure to each of the lifts 10 that are further controlled via an independent operation control co-located with the individual lift 10.

[0050] In another embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the scissor lift 14 may be configured as an inclined scissor lift 114 for the parking lift 100. The parking lift 100 and the inclined scissor lift 114 may have the same configuration and operation as the parking lift 10 and the scissor lift 14, but the lower pivot leg 138 or the upper pivot leg 140 is longer than the other legs 138, 140, thereby imparting an upward and / or downward inclination to the platform 112. As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lower pivot leg 138 is longer than the upper pivot leg 140, but the reverse configuration may also be employed without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0051] The lower pivot leg 138 and the upper pivot leg 140 each include a rear portion 138R, 140R and a front portion 138F, 140F. The rear portion 138R of the lower pivot leg 138 is disposed between the pivot point 139 and the pivot joint 141 with the base 116, and the rear portion 140R of the upper pivot leg 140 is disposed between the pivot point 139 and the pivot joint 143 with the frame 118. The front portion 138F of the lower pivot leg 138 is disposed between the pivot point 139 and the roller 142, and the front portion 140F of the upper pivot leg 140 is disposed between the pivot point 139 and the roller 144.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 7, the rear portions 138R, 140R are preferably of substantially the same length. The front portion 140F of the upper pivot leg 140 may be of substantially the same length as the rear portions 138R, 140R or may be slightly longer. Thereby, the pivot point 139 of the upper pivot leg 140 may be generally centered along its length or may be slightly offset toward the rear portion 140R side. The front portion 138F of the lower pivot leg 138 is longer than each of the rear portions 138R, 140R and the front portion 140F. Thus, the pivot point 139 of the lower pivot leg 138 is not centered along its length and is closer to the pivot joint 141 than the roller 142. Thereby, in the lowered position, the roller 142 of the lower pivot leg 138 is closer to the inlet end 127 of the platform 112 than the roller 144 of the upper pivot leg 140.

[0053] When rising from the lowered position to the raised position, the roller 142 of the lower pivot leg 138 moves a greater vertical distance than the pivot joint 143 of the upper pivot leg 140 and the frame 118. When the inclined scissor lift 114 raises the platform 112, its inlet end 127 thereby moves further vertically upward than the distal or rear end 147, thereby tilting the platform 112 at least partially rearward (e.g., pivoting the platform 112 upward or rearward about the pivot joint 143). The lower and upper pivot legs 138, 140 may be configured to pivot the platform 112 by any desired amount, but preferably pivot the platform 112 between about 0° and about 25°, or between about 2° and about 15°, or between about 2° and about 10°, or about 5°, or about 2.5°. In certain embodiments, the platform 112 is tilted upward by an amount sufficient to position the deck 120 in a substantially horizontal orientation or a slightly rearwardly inclined orientation. Such tilting provides additional vertical clearance between the inlet end 127 of the platform 112 and the base surface (i.e., the ground), thereby allowing vehicles with a higher vehicle height to be positioned under the platform 112.

[0054] The various components shown, and components not shown, can have numerous configurations other than those described above without departing from the scope of the following claims. The embodiments of the present technology are described with the intention of being illustrative rather than restrictive. After reading this disclosure, alternative embodiments will be apparent to those who have read this disclosure. It is possible to complete alternative means for implementing the above without departing from the scope of the following claims. In this disclosure and the following claims, each structure is described as being configured to perform a specific function, but this is intended to include other structures and configurations or their designs that can be easily identified by those skilled in the art within the scope of this disclosure and that can perform the specific function as described above. Certain features and combinations of some of them are useful and can be adopted without reference to other features and combinations of some of them, and they are assumed to be within the scope of the claims.

Claims

Claim 1 A platform having a frame supporting a deck that supports a first vehicle, the deck being configured to support the first vehicle in a lowered position and a raised position; A pair of scissor lift leg assemblies, each assembly including a first leg having a first length and a second leg having a second length shorter than the first length, the first and second legs being pivotally coupled to each other at a pivot point offset from a midpoint of the first leg, a length of a first front portion of the first leg being longer than a length of a second front portion of the second leg, a first proximal end of the first leg being pivotally coupled to a base, a distal end of the first leg opposite the first proximal end being configured to move along the platform, the second leg being pivotally coupled to a rearmost end of the platform at a second proximal end, a distal end of the second leg opposite the second proximal end being configured to move along the base, the first leg being pivotable relative to the second leg, the pivot causing the distal end of the first leg to move a greater vertical distance than the second proximal end of the second leg and causing an entrance end of the deck to tilt relative to the second proximal end of the second leg, the distal end of the first leg in the lowered position moved by the pivot being closer to the entrance end of the deck than the distal end of the second leg and the deck being tilted forward; and a pair of scissor lift leg assemblies. The base is in contact with a foundation surface; The platform is movable between the lowered position and the raised position, in the lowered position, the entrance end of the deck is either in contact with or very close to the foundation surface, and in the raised position, the platform is disposed above the base by a sufficient vertical distance such that a second vehicle can be disposed under the platform; In the lowered position, the deck is tilted upward from the entrance end toward the rearmost end relative to the foundation surface, and in the raised position, the deck is substantially horizontal relative to the foundation surface or tilted downward from the entrance end toward the rearmost end; A vehicle parking lift. Claim 2 The vehicle parking lift according to claim 1, wherein the pivot point is disposed at a position separated from the first proximal end by a distance substantially equal to half of the second length.

3. The vehicle parking lift according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the pair of scissors lift leg assemblies include a locking assembly.

4. The base includes a pair of longitudinally extending base plates and a cross member extending between the base plates, the locking assembly includes an arm extending from a distal end opposite the second leg, the arm includes a trigger plate pivotally coupled to the arm and a lock tab extending from the arm toward each base plate, each base plate includes a plurality of safety stops, and the safety stops prevent the distal end of the second leg from moving in one direction along each base plate by engaging the lock tab. The vehicle parking lift according to claim 3.

5. The vehicle parking lift according to claim 4, wherein the arm defines a slot extending in the thickness direction thereof, the trigger plate is disposed to extend through the slot, and the slot defines a pivoting range of the trigger plate.

6. When the trigger plate pivots in a direction approaching the lock tab, the trigger plate prevents the lock tab from engaging the safety stop, and when the trigger plate pivots in a direction away from the lock tab, the trigger plate enables the lock tab to engage the safety stop. The vehicle parking lift according to claim 4.

7. A platform having a frame supporting a deck having an entrance end and a rear end, an entrance panel extending across the entrance end of the deck, the deck being configured to support a first vehicle on the deck in a lowered position and a raised position. A pair of scissor lift leg assemblies for moving the platform between the lowered position and the raised position, each scissor lift leg assembly having a first leg having a first length and a second leg having a second length shorter than the first length, the first and second legs being pivotally coupled to each other at a pivot point offset from the midpoint of the first leg, the length of the first front portion of the first leg being longer than the length of the second front portion of the second leg, the first proximal end of the first leg being pivotally coupled to the base, the distal end on the opposite side of the first leg being configured to move along the platform, the second leg being pivotally coupled to the rearmost end of the platform at the second proximal end and having a distal end on the opposite side configured to move along the base, the first leg being pivotable relative to the second leg, when the pair of scissor lift leg assemblies move the platform to the raised position, the pivot causing the distal end of the first leg to move a greater vertical distance than the second proximal end of the second leg and the entrance end of the deck to tilt relative to the second proximal end of the second leg, and at the lowered position moved by the pivot, the distal end of the first leg being closer to the entrance end of the deck than the distal end of the second leg and the deck tilting forward, a pair of scissor lift leg assemblies, The base is in contact with the foundation surface, The platform is movable by the pair of scissor lift leg assemblies, and at the lowered position, the entrance end of the entrance panel is in contact with or very close to the foundation surface, When the deck is in the lowered position, the entrance end of the entrance panel is in contact with or very close to the foundation surface, the entrance panel being inclined upward at a first angle with respect to the foundation surface from the entrance end of the entrance panel toward the entrance end of the deck, the deck being inclined upward at a second angle with respect to the foundation surface from the entrance end of the deck toward the rearmost end of the deck, the first angle being greater than the second angle, When the deck is in the raised position, the deck is substantially horizontal or inclined downward with respect to the base surface from the inlet end of the deck toward the trailing end of the deck. Vehicle parking lift. Claim 8 The vehicle parking lift according to claim 7, comprising a wheel groove disposed at the trailing end of the platform and receiving a wheel of a vehicle supported on the deck so as to resist forward and backward movement of the vehicle on the deck. Claim 9 The vehicle parking lift according to claim 1, comprising a wheel groove disposed at the trailing end of the platform and receiving a wheel of a vehicle supported on the deck so as to resist forward and backward movement of the vehicle on the deck.

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