Restraint spline for pivoting arm of vehicle lift

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12134549-B2
Application number	US-202318323525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2023
Priority date	May 27, 2022
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle engagement assembly includes a base frame, a lift arm pivotally coupled to the base frame, and a pivot restraint mechanism that can inhibit rotation of the lift arm relative to the base frame about a pivot axis while the pivot restraint mechanism is in a restrained configuration. The base frame includes a first pair of flanges and a web connecting the first pair of flanges. The pivot restraint mechanism includes an arm restraint body and a base frame restraint body. The arm restraint body is associated with the lift arm such that the arm restraint body pivots with the lift arm relative to the base frame. The base frame restraint body is associated with the base frame and includes a rotational stopping surface that engages with the web to thereby transfer a rotational load from the lift arm onto the web in the restrained configuration.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vehicle engagement assembly attached to a vehicle lift, wherein the vehicle lift is configured to actuate the vehicle engagement assembly between a lowered position and a raised position, the vehicle engagement assembly comprises:
(a) a base frame comprising a first pair of flanges and a web connecting the first pair of flanges, wherein at least one flange of the first pair of flanges defines a base pin hole,
(b) a lift arm comprising a second pair of flanges, wherein at least one flange of the second pair of flanges defines a lift arm pin hole, wherein the lift arm is pivotally attached to the base frame about a pivot axis via a pin extending through both the base pin hole and the lift arm pin hole, and
(c) a pivot restraint mechanism configured to transition between a restrained configuration and an unrestrained configuration, wherein the pivot restraint mechanism in the restrained configuration is configured to inhibit rotation of the lift arm about the pivot axis relative to the base frame, the pivot restraint mechanism comprising:
(i) an arm restraint body associated with the lift arm such that the arm restraint body is configured to pivot with the lift arm relative to the base frame about the pivot axis, wherein the arm restraint body is located at least partially between the first pair of flanges and the second pair of flanges, wherein the pin extends through the arm restraint body,
(ii) a base frame restraint body associated with the base frame, wherein the base frame restraint body comprises a first rotational stopping surface engaged with the web of the base frame, wherein, while the pivot restraint mechanism is in the restrained configuration, the base frame restraint body is configured to receive a rotational load from the arm restraint body and transfer the rotational load onto the web of the base frame via the first rotational stopping surface, and wherein the base frame restraint body is configured to move relative to the base frame in order to transition the pivot restraint mechanism between the restrained configuration and the unrestrained configuration.

2. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 1 , wherein the arm restraint body comprises a second rotational stopping surface engaged with an engagement surface of the lift arm, wherein engagement between the engagement surface of the lift arm and the second rotational stopping surface of the arm restraint body is configured to drive rotation of the arm restraint body with the lift arm relative to the base frame about the pivot axis.

3. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 2 , wherein the engagement surface of the lift arm extends between the second pair of flanges.

4. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 3 , wherein the second rotation stopping surface comprises a flat surface.

5. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pair of flanges are pivotally coupled to a second lift arm.

6. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a second pivot restraint mechanism configured to inhibit rotation of the second lift arm relative to the base frame, wherein the web is configured to receive a rotational load from imparted from the lift arm onto the second pivot restraint mechanism in order to inhibit rotation of the second lift arm relative to the base frame.

7. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 1 , wherein the arm restraint body comprises a first plurality of tapered splines.

8. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 7 , wherein the base frame restraint body comprises a second plurality of tapered splines configured to directly engage the first plurality of tapered splines in the restrained configuration.

9. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 8 , wherein the base frame defines a recessed interior dimensioned to house the first plurality of tapered splines.

10. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a translating pin configured to translate relative to the base frame in order to transition the pivot restraint mechanism between the restrained configuration and the unrestrained configuration.

11. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pivot restraint mechanism is biased toward the restrained configuration.

12. A vehicle engagement assembly attached to a vehicle lift, wherein the vehicle lift is configured to actuate the vehicle engagement assembly between a lowered position and a raised position, the vehicle engagement assembly comprises:
(a) a base frame comprising a first pair of flanges and a web connecting the first pair of flanges, wherein at least one flange of the first pair of flanges defines a base pin hole,
(b) a lift arm comprising a second pair of flanges, wherein at least one flange of the second pair of flanges defines a lift arm pin hole, wherein the lift arm is pivotally attached to the base frame about a pivot axis via a pin extending through both the base pin hole and the lift arm pin hole, and
(c) a pivot restraint mechanism configured to transition between a restrained configuration and an unrestrained configured, wherein the pivot restraint mechanism in the unrestrained configuration is configured to permit rotation of the lift arm about the pivot axis relative to the base frame, wherein the pivot restraint mechanism in the restrained configuration is configured to lock rotation of the lift arm about the pivot axis relative to the base frame, the pivot restraint mechanism comprising:
(i) an arm restraint body located at least partially between the first pair of flanges and the second pair of flanges, wherein the pin extends through the arm restraint body,
(ii) a base frame restraint body associated with the base frame, wherein the base frame restraint body comprises a first rotational stopping surface directly engaged with the web of the base frame such that, when the pivot restraint mechanism is in the restrained configuration, the base frame restraint body is configured to transfer a rotational load onto the web of the base frame via the first rotational stopping surface,
wherein the arm restraint body comprises a second rotational stopping surface engaged with an engagement surface of the lift arm, wherein engagement between the engagement surface of the lift arm and the second rotational stopping surface of the arm restraint body is configured to drive rotation of the arm restraint body with the lift arm relative to the base frame about the pivot axis,
wherein the engagement surface of the lift arm extends between the second pair of flanges.

13. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 12 , wherein the second pair of flanges are positioned between the first pair of flanges.

14. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 12 , wherein the arm restraint body is rotationally fixed relative to the lift arm.

15. The vehicle engagement assembly of claim 12 wherein the second rotation stopping surface comprises a flat surface.

16. A method of inhibiting rotation of a vehicle lift arm of a vehicle lift using a vehicle engagement assembly, the vehicle lift comprising a base frame and a pin, the base frame comprising a pair of flanges connected to each other via a web, the vehicle engagement assembly comprising a base frame restraint body and an arm restraint body, the method comprising:
(a) rotationally fixing the arm restraint body with the vehicle lift arm,
(b) rotationally fixing the base frame restraint body with a base frame via direct engagement between the base frame restraint body and the web of the base frame, and
(c) selectively coupling the arm restraint body with the base frame restraint body by act

Assignees

• Vehicle Service Group Llc

Inventors

• Taylor Steven
• Elliott Robert
• Averill Bryan

Classifications

• B66F7/28 Primary

  Constructional details, e.g. end stops, pivoting supporting members, sliding runners adjustable to load dimensions · CPC title