Handheld control unit for automotive lift

• US 9,908,764 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vehicle Service Group LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vehicle Service Group LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Elliott, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/202,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20140264203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 187203, 187206, 187207, 187209, 187210, 187223, 187277, 187391, 187211, 187219, 187220
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 13/00 Common constructional features or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 3/46 Combinations of several jacks with means for interrelating lifting or lowering movements
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/28 Constructional details, e.g. end stops, pivoting supporting members, sliding runners adjustable to load dimensions

Abstract

An apparatus for operating a vehicle lift comprises at least one lifting assembly, a control unit, and a control pendant. The control pendant is configured to remotely control the motion of the vehicle lift through the control unit. The control pendant is configured to permit the lifting of a vehicle by the push of a single button on the control pendant. To permit lifting of a vehicle with a single button, the control pendant comprises a menu screen and a plurality of menu buttons. The menu screen and the plurality of menu buttons may be used together by a user to select one vehicle profile of a plurality of vehicle profiles. The selected vehicle profile may correspond to the vehicle being lifted. The selected vehicle profile provides specific data with respect to how the at least one lifting assembly should be moved for the particular vehicle being lifted.

Claims

1. A method for operating a vehicle lift, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a vehicle profile from a list of a plurality of vehicle profiles from a control system, wherein the control system is in communication with a plurality of lift assemblies, wherein at least one of the lift assemblies has at least two dimensions of movement; and

(b) engaging a movement initiation switch, wherein the control system automatically controls the starting, stopping, and direction of movement of each of the lift assemblies in the plurality of lift assemblies to achieve a one-touch movement of the assemblies according to the parameters of the selected vehicle profile, including movement of the at least one of the lift assemblies in both of its two dimensions of movement, in response to the act of engaging the movement initiation switch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lift assemblies comprise a two-post in-ground lift.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lift assemblies comprise an above-ground lift.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lift assemblies comprises an in-ground scissor lift.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the vehicle profile comprises scrolling through the list of the plurality of vehicle profiles and then selecting the vehicle profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises a pendant control.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the pendant control comprises a plurality of switches and a menu screen, and the movement initiation switch is one of the plurality of switches.

8. A method for operating a vehicle lift, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a vehicle profile from a plurality of vehicle profiles from a control system, wherein the control system is in communication with a plurality of lift assemblies, and at least one of the lift assemblies has at least two dimensions of movement;

(b) triggering movement initiation through the control system; and

(c) in response to the step of triggering movement initiation, the control system automatically controls the starting, stopping, and direction of movement of each of the lift assemblies in the plurality of lift assemblies to achieve a one-touch movement of the assemblies according to information in the selected vehicle profile, including movement of the at least one of the lift assemblies in both of its two dimensions of movement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of lift assemblies comprise a two-post in-ground lift.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of lift assemblies comprise an above-ground lift.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of lift assemblies comprises an in-ground scissor lift.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting the vehicle profile comprises scrolling through the list of the plurality of vehicle profiles and then selecting the vehicle profile.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the control system comprises a pendant control.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pendant control comprises a plurality of switches and a menu screen, and the triggering movement initiation step is performed using at least one of the plurality of switches.