Battery operated vehicle lifts with wireless charging

• US 9,884,751 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2015
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gray Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gray Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Jaipaul, Larry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US14/857,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20170081158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 187203, 187209, 187210, 187211, 187218, 187219, 187289, 187290, 187391, 187393, 320103, 320104, 320108, 320109, 320113, 320115, 307 66, 307 69, 307 101
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/14 to load-engaging elements or motors associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 3/46 Combinations of several jacks with means for interrelating lifting or lowering movements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

A portable vehicle lift with a wireless charging system. The vehicle lift comprises a base, a carriage configured for receiving a wheel of a vehicle, a lift actuator configured to vertically raise and lower the carriage relative to the base, and a battery configured to provide electrical power to the vehicle lift. The vehicle lift additionally includes a receiver electrically coupled with the battery, and a transmitter for transmitting electrical energy to the receiver.

Claims

1. A vehicle lift with a wireless charging system, the vehicle lift comprising:

a base;

a carriage configured for receiving a wheel of a vehicle;

a lift actuator configured to vertically raise and lower said carriage relative to said base;

a battery configured to provide electrical power to said vehicle lift;

a receiver electrically coupled with said battery; and

a transmitter for transmitting electrical power to said receiver.

2. The lift of claim 1, wherein said receiver and said transmitter each comprises an antenna configured to operate in an electromagnetic far-field.

3. The lift of claim 1, wherein said receiver and said transmitter each comprises an antenna configured to operate in an electromagnetic far-field and an antenna configured to operate in an electromagnetic near-field.

4. The lift of claim 2, wherein said receiver and said transmitter comprise directional antennas.

5. The lift of claim 1, further comprising a power control system for conditioning the electrical power received by said receiver for storage in said battery.

6. The lift of claim 5, wherein said power control system includes a resonance control circuit for adjusting a resonance of said receiver to match a resonance of said transmitter.

7. The lift of claim 5, wherein said power control system includes a voltage multiplier for scaling the voltage of the electrical power received by said transmitter for storage in said battery.

8. The lift of claim 1, wherein said receiver and said power control system are housed within a housing attached to said vehicle lift.

9. A wireless charging system for vehicle lifts, the system comprising:

at least one vehicle lift including—

a base,

a carriage configured for receiving a wheel of a vehicle,

a lift actuator configured to vertically raise and lower said carriage relative to said base,

a battery configured to provide electrical power to said vehicle lift;

a plurality of transmitters for transmitting electrical power, wherein said transmitters are generally arranged in a circular pattern;

a receiver for receiving at least a portion of the electrical power transmitted by said transmitters, wherein said receiver is associated with said vehicle lift and electrically coupled with said battery; and

a power control system for conditioning the electrical power received by said receiver.

10. The charging system of claim 9, wherein said receiver and said transmitter each comprises an antenna configured to operate in an electromagnetic far-field.

11. The charging system of claim 9, wherein said receiver and said transmitter each comprises an antenna configured to operate in an electromagnetic far-field and an antenna configured to operate in an electromagnetic near-field.

12. The charging system of claim 10, wherein said receiver and said transmitter comprise directional antennas.

13. The charging system of claim 9, wherein said power control system includes a resonance control circuit for adjusting a resonance of said receiver to match a resonance of said transmitters.

14. The charging system of claim 9, wherein said power control system includes a voltage multiplier for scaling the voltage of the electrical power received by said receivers for storage in said battery.

15. The charging system of claim 9, wherein said wireless charging system comprises a least four vehicle lifts.

16. A method for wirelessly providing power to a portable vehicle lift, wherein said method includes the following steps:

(a) arranging two or more transmitters for wirelessly emitting electrical energy through a charging space;

(b) positioning the vehicle lift within the charging space;

(c) wirelessly providing electrical energy from the transmitter to a receiver associated with the vehicle lift and directing the energy to a battery associated with the vehicle lift;

(c) providing instructions to an electronic control system of the vehicle lift to raise a carriage associated with the vehicle lift, wherein the carriage is raised in response to the instructions provided in step (c); and

(d) providing instructions to the electronic control system of the vehicle lift to lower the carriage associated with the vehicle lift,

wherein the carriage is lowered in response to the instructions provided in step (d),

wherein the electronic control system is powered by the battery associated with the vehicle lift.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmitters are arranged on a ceiling of a service facility.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiver is secured to an upper portion of the vehicle lift.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmitters comprise directional antennas.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the charge space comprises a generally three-dimensional cylindrical space within the service facility.