Claims
- 1. A vehicle jack for elevating a vehicle above a support surface, comprising:
a base member adapted to be secured to said vehicle; a guide member having first and second opposing faces and defining a passageway extending between the first and second opposing faces; at least one flexible rod having first and second ends, the first end being fixedly attached to the base member and the second end being disposed in the passageway and being capable of slideable movement within the passageway; a support member attached to the flexible rod and adapted to contact said support surface; and an actuator adapted to induce deformation of the rod by causing the second end of the rod to move with respect to the passageway.
- 2. A vehicle jack in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a flexible panel disposed around the rod and between the base and guide members.
- 3. A vehicle jack in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a controller operably connected to the actuator, wherein the controller is adapted to selectively induce the actuator to induce deformation of the rod.
- 4. A vehicle jack in accordance with claim 3, wherein the controller is positioned within a passenger compartment of said vehicle.
- 5. A vehicle jack in accordance with claim 3, wherein the controller comprises a remote control unit.
- 6. A vehicle jack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support member is pivotally attached to the flexible rod.
- 7. A vehicle jack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support member includes a base surface having a width that is larger than the width of the flexible rod.
- 8. A vehicle jack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flexible rod comprises a plurality of flexible rods twisted together.
- 9. A vehicle jack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flexible rod is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of a carbon-fiber composite material, aluminum, steel, and alloyed iron.
- 10. A vehicle jack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rod has a cross-sectional shape of a member selected from the group consisting of a square, a rectangle, and a triangle
- 11. A vehicle chassis, comprising:
a support frame defining one or more recesses for receiving a wheel; and a vehicle jack mounted to the support frame, the jack adapted to elevate the chassis above a support surface and comprising a base member, a guide member having first and second opposing faces and defining a passageway extending between the first and second opposing faces, at least one flexible rod having first and second ends, the first end being fixedly attached to the base member and the second end being disposed in the passageway and being capable of slideable movement within the passageway, and an actuator adapted to induce deformation of the rod by causing the second end of the rod to move with respect to the passageway.
- 12. A vehicle chassis in accordance with claim 11, wherein the vehicle jack is mounted to the support frame at a point near one of the recesses.
- 13. A vehicle chassis in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a second vehicle jack mounted to the support frame.
- 14. A vehicle chassis in accordance with claim 11, wherein the base and guide members are both fixedly secured to the support frame.
- 15. A vehicle chassis in accordance with claim 11, wherein the vehicle jack further comprises a support member attached to the flexible rod.
- 16. A vehicle chassis in accordance with claim 15, wherein the support member is pivotally attached to the flexible rod.
- 17. A vehicle chassis in accordance with claim 15, wherein the support member includes a base surface having a width that is larger than the width of the flexible rod.
- 18. A vehicle jacking system for elevating a vehicle above a support surface, comprising:
a vehicle chassis; a vehicle jack mounted to the chassis comprising a base member, a guide member having first and second opposing faces and defining a passageway extending between the first and second opposing faces, at least one flexible rod having first and second ends, the first end being fixedly attached to the base member and the second end being disposed in the passageway and being capable of slideable movement within the passageway, and an actuator adapted to induce deformation of the rod by causing the second end of the rod to move with respect to the passageway; and a controller operably connected to the actuator of the vehicle jack, the controller being adapted to selectively induce the actuator to induce deformation of the rod.
- 19. A vehicle jacking system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the controller is positioned within a passenger compartment of said vehicle.
- 20. A vehicle jacking system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the controller comprises a remote control unit.
REFERENCE TO PREVIOUS APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/218,493 filed on Jul. 14, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60218493 |
Jul 2000 |
US |