US 12,122,650 B2
Lift carrier
Toshiki Kitajima, Mishima (JP); Norinao Watanabe, Susono (JP); Yutaka Nakamura, Susono (JP); Naoya Kajita, Toyota (JP); Kenji Nakano, Toyota (JP); Takafumi Sannomiya, Okazaki (JP); Yasutada Shimizu, Okazaki (JP); and Kohei Yasuda, Susono (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Oct. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/497,166.
Application 18/497,166 is a continuation of application No. 17/828,586, filed on May 31, 2022, granted, now 11,834,313.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-111593 (JP), filed on Jul. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0059534 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. E04H 6/36 (2006.01); B60S 13/02 (2006.01); B66F 7/16 (2006.01); B66F 7/28 (2006.01)
CPC B66F 7/16 (2013.01) [B60S 13/02 (2013.01); B66F 7/28 (2013.01); E04H 6/36 (2013.01); B66F 2700/12 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lift carrier that lifts, from a surface, a vehicle to be transported, the lift carrier comprising:
a pair of wheel support mechanisms that supports a pair of wheels of the vehicle;
a frame structure connected to the pair of wheel support mechanisms; and
a lifting unit that lifts or lowers the pair of wheel support mechanisms via the frame structure, wherein:
the frame structure includes:
a frame portion; and
an upper plate;
the lift unit includes
a wheel support including:
a bottom wall;
a side wall;
a wheel axle of a carrier wheel;
a wheel axle support member that supports the wheel axle, the wheel axle support member has a U-shape including an upper wall, a side wall, and a bottom wall, as viewed in a sectional view perpendicular to the wheel axle, the upper wall being in contact with an upper surface of a wheel fastening wall, the side wall being in contact with an outer side surface of the wheel fastening wall, and the bottom wall being in contact with a bottom surface of the wheel fastening wall; and
a wheel unit fastened to the wheel fastening wall by a fastener, the fastener includes a first fastener that fastens at least one of the upper wall and the bottom wall of the wheel axle support member to the wheel fastening wall, and a second fastener that fastens the side wall of the wheel axle support member to the wheel fastening wall, the wheel fastening wall being a part of the side wall of the wheel support, the wheel fastening wall is in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped extending in a direction of the wheel axle, the wheel unit including the carrier wheel, the carrier wheel being connected to the side wall of the wheel support, the carrier wheel being one or more wheels of a carrier body, and
a spring configured to expand and contract, one end of the spring is fixed to the bottom wall of the wheel support, the spring is surrounded by the side wall of the wheel support.