VEHICLE LIFT AND PROCESS FOR LIFTING VEHICLES

Abstract

A vehicle lift comprising a column, a carriage slidably movable along the column, a movement system associated with the at least one column and configured to displace the carriage along the column. The movement system comprises an electric motor configured to drive in rotation a rotary member having a plurality of blades configured to generate an airflow during the rotation of the rotary member.

Claims

1. A vehicle lift comprising: a column, a carriage engaged to the column and slidably movable along said column, said carriage comprising a lifting arm configured to contact and lift a vehicle, and a movement system associated with the column and configured to move the carriage along said column, the movement system comprising: a rotary member, an electric motor configured to rotate the rotary member, wherein the rotary member has a plurality of blades configured to generate an airflow during rotation of the rotary member.

2. The vehicle lift of claim 1, wherein the movement system comprises: a screw extending along an extension section of the column and rotatably movable around an axis, and a nut screw movable along the screw following rotation of the same screw, said nut screw being engaged to the carriage and movable together with said carriage along the screw, wherein the electric motor is kinematically connected to the screw to drive in rotation said screw, and wherein the rotary member is configured to rotate together with at least one of the electric motor and the screw.

3. The vehicle lift of claim 2, wherein the rotary member kinematically connects the electric motor to the screw to transfer a rotary motion from the electric motor to said screw.

4. The vehicle lift of claim 3, wherein the rotary member is directly fixed to the screw.

5. The vehicle lift of claim 1, wherein the column extends between a base portion and a top portion, wherein the movement system is arranged at the top portion of the column, wherein the screw extends between a first and a second end, wherein the first end of the screw is arranged at the base portion of the column whereas the second end of the screw is arranged at the top portion of the column, and wherein the rotary member is fixed at the second end of the screw.

6. The vehicle lift of claim 1, wherein the movement system comprises: a drive member fixed to a drive shaft of the electric motor, and a drag element connecting movement of the drive member with rotation of the rotary member, wherein the rotary member is driven in rotation by the drive member.

7. The vehicle lift of claim 6, wherein the rotary member comprises a pulley, wherein the drive member comprises a pulley, and wherein the drag element comprises a belt.

8. The vehicle lift of claim 1 comprising a casing engaged to the column, wherein the rotary member is at least partly housed inside the casing, and wherein said casing defines, in cooperation with the column, a channel having an inlet configured to receive the airflow generated by the rotary member, and an outlet configured to eject the airflow from the channel.

9. The vehicle lift of claim 8, wherein the electric motor is at least partly arranged inside the channel which is configured to direct said airflow moving from the inlet to the outlet to impact said electric motor.

10. The vehicle lift according of claim 8, wherein the electric motor is entirely housed in the casing between the inlet and the outlet of the channel, and wherein the rotary member is entirely housed in the casing.

11. The vehicle lift according of claim 8, wherein the casing is arranged outside a top portion of the column.

12. The vehicle lift claim 1, wherein the rotary member comprises a number of blades comprised between 3 and 10.

13. The vehicle lift according of the claim 1, wherein said blades of the rotary member have cross-section with a wing profile.

14. The vehicle lift of claim 1, wherein the column comprises a first column and a second column spaced apart and parallel with respect to each other, wherein the first column carries a first carriage which is slidably movable along said first column, and wherein said second column carries a second carriage which is slidably movable along said second column, wherein the movement system comprises: a first screw associated with the first column, said first screw extending along at least one extension section of the first column and being rotatably movable around an axis, a first nut screw engaged, on one side, to the first screw and, on the other side, to the first carriage, said first nut screw following rotation of the first screw, being movable together with the first carriage along the first screw, a second screw associated with the second column, said second screw extending along at least one extension section of the second column and being movable to rotate around a respective axis, a second nut screw engaged, on one side, to the second screw and, on the other side, to the second carriage, said second nut screw, following rotation of the second screw, being movable together with the second carriage along the second screw, and wherein the rotary member is connected to and rotates together with the electric motor, the first screw and the second screw, the electric motor being connected to at least one of the first and the second screw to rotate said first and second screws around respective axes.

15. A vehicle lift comprising: a column, a carriage engaged to the column and slidably movable along said column, said carriage comprising at least one lifting arm configured to contact a vehicle, a movement system associated with the column and including at least one electric motor configured to move the carriage along said column, and a casing engaged to the column, wherein the electric motor is at least partly housed inside the casing, and wherein said casing cooperates with the column defining a channel, said channel comprising: an inlet configured to receive an airflow into the channel, and an outlet configured to eject the airflow from the channel.

16. The vehicle lift of claim 15, wherein the movement system includes a rotary member having a plurality of blades configured to generate said airflow during the rotation of the rotary member, wherein the electric motor is configured drive in rotation said the rotary member, wherein the electric motor and the rotary member are entirely housed inside the casing, the electric motor being arranged inside the channel which is configured to direct said airflow moving from the inlet to the outlet to impact said electric motor.

17. The vehicle lift of claim 16, wherein the movement system comprises: a screw extending along an extension section of the column and rotatably movable around an axis, and a nut screw movable along the screw following rotation of the same screw, said nut screw being engaged to the carriage and movable together with said carriage along the screw, and wherein the rotary member is directly fixed to the screw.

18. The vehicle lift of claim 16, wherein the movement system comprises: a drive member fixed to a drive shaft of the electric motor, and a drag element which connects the movement of the drive member with the rotation of the rotary member, wherein the rotary member defines a driven member rotated by the drive member.

19. A vehicle lift comprising: a column, a carriage slidably movable along said column, said carriage carrying at least one lifting arm configured to contact a vehicle, an electric motor configured to drive motion of the carriage along said column, and a rotary member having a plurality of blades configured, during rotation of the rotary member, to generate an airflow directed to the electric motor.

20. The vehicle lift of claim 19, comprising a casing defining a channel, wherein the electric motor is configured drive the rotary member in rotation, and wherein the electric motor is housed inside the channel which is configured to direct said airflow moving from a channel inlet to a channel outlet to impact said electric motor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0121] Some embodiments and some aspects of the invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the attached exemplifying and therefore not-limiting drawings, wherein:

[0122] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lift according to the present invention;

[0123] FIG. 2 is a detailed lateral view of a lift according to the present invention;

[0124] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, according to line III-III, of the lift of FIG. 2;

[0125] FIGS. 4 and 5 are further detailed perspective views of a lift according to the present invention;

[0126] FIG. 6 is a detailed top view of a lift according to the present invention;

[0127] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a rotary member of the lift;

[0128] FIG. 8 is a top view of a rotary member of FIG. 7;

[0129] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view, according to line IX-IX, of the rotary member of FIG. 8; and

[0130] FIG. 10 is a further schematic view of the lift according to the present invention.

DEFINITIONS AND CONVENTIONS

[0131] In the present detailed description, corresponding parts illustrated in the various figures are indicated with same reference numbers. The figures could representation that are not in scale; parts and components illustrated in the figures might be schematic representations.

[0132] The term “vertical” used relating to components of the lift, refers to a use condition during which the lift may be used for lifting/lowering a vehicle.

[0133] The lift described and claimed hereinafter may comprise/use at least one control unit 50 designed to control the operating conditions provided by the lift and/or to control the method steps for lifting a vehicle. The control unit 50 may be single unit or it may consist of a plurality of distinct control units depending on the design choices and operative needs. The expression control unit is used to indicate an electronic component which may comprise at least one of: a digital processor (CPU), an analog circuit, or a combination of one or more digital processors with one or more analogue circuits. The control unit may be “configured” or “programmed” to perform some steps: this may basically be obtained using any means which allows to configure or program the control unit. For example, should the control unit comprise one or more CPUs and one or more memories, one or more programs may be stored in appropriate memory banks connected to the CPU or to the CPUs; the program or programs contain instructions which, when run by the CPU or by the CPUs, program or configure the control unit to perform the operations herein described and relating to the control unit. Alternatively, if the control unit is or comprises an analogue circuit, then the circuit of the control unit may be designed to include a circuit configured, in use, to process electrical signals so as to perform the steps herein described and relating to the control unit.

[0134] Parts of the method described herein may be obtained by means of a data processing unit, or control unit, which may be technically replaced with one or more computers designed to run a portion of a software or firmware program loaded on a storage medium. Such software program may be written in any programming language of the known type. Two or more computers may be connected to each other through a data connection such that the computing capacity thereof is shared in any manner; therefore, the computers may even be installed in geographically different positions, creating a distributed computing environment through the aforementioned data connection.

[0135] The data processing unit, or control unit, may be a general-purpose processor configured to run one or more parts of the process identified in the present disclosure through the software or firmware program, or it may be an ASIC or dedicated process or an FPGA, specifically programmed to at least partly carry out operations of the method described herein.

[0136] The storage medium may be non-transitory, and it may be inside or outside the processor, or control unit, or data processing unit, and it may - specifically - be a memory geographically arranged remotely with respect to the computer. Furthermore, the storage medium may be physically split into several portions, or in form of cloud, and the software or firmware program may physically provide for portions stored on storage portions geographically split from each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Lift

[0137] Reference number 1 indicates a vehicle lift. For example, the lift may be used in the automotive industry for servicing various types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, and agricultural vehicles.

[0138] As shown in the accompanying figures, the lift 1 comprises a column 2 extending, in use, along a vertical direction between a base portion 2a and a top portion 2b (see for example FIG. 1). The column 2 defines the vertical element for supporting the lift, configured to support the vehicle suspended with respect to the ground; the column 2 may be fixed to the ground, for example using screw/bolt systems. The column 2 may comprise a base plate 20, optionally made of metal material, configured to be fixed to the ground and from which a support frame 21 emerges, also optionally made of metal material. As shown in FIG. 3, the base plate 20 comprises a plurality of holes 20a configured to receive a fastening screw, allowing to fix the column to the ground. The support frame 21 is in a single piece to the base plate 20 and it defines - therein - a seat 22 (FIG. 3) configured to receive - engaged thereto - one or more components of the lift 1.

[0139] The support frame 21 has a cross-section with constant profile, optionally having a C-shaped or substantially V-shaped profile (see for example the top view of FIG. 3). In detail, the support frame 21 is obtained by one or more sheet layers made of metal material.

[0140] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the column 2 may further comprise, optionally at the top portion 2b, a support plate 30: the support plate 30 is opposed to the base plate 20 with respect to the frame 21 and it essentially defines an end element of the column 2.

[0141] The lift 1 may comprise only one column 2, or it may comprise a plurality of columns 2 distinct and spaced from each other. FIG. 1 shows, in a non-limiting way, a lift 1 comprising two columns 2 (a first and a second column): the columns are arranged spaced from each other, and they extend along a vertical direction, parallel to each other. The columns are spaced apart to allow to position, interposed with respect to each other, a vehicle.

[0142] The lift 1 comprises a carriage 3 (FIG. 1) slidably engaged to the column 2. In detail, the lift 1 comprises a carriage 3 for each column 2; the carriage 3 defines the movable element of the lift 1, lifting and lowering the vehicle with respect to the ground, e.g., allowing an operator to work under the vehicle. The carriage 3 is movable along the column 2 approaching and moving away with respect to the base portion 2a (optionally with respect to the plate 20). The carriage 3 comprises at least one lifting arm configured to contact a vehicle, optionally the bodywork of the vehicle, to allow the lifting thereof; the arm of the carriage lies substantially along a plane orthogonal to an extension direction of the column 2. The arm may be of the orientable type that is rotatably movable around an axis Y parallel to the extension direction of the column 2: such axis Y may be arranged outside the support frame 21 (FIG. 3). Additionally or alternatively, the arm may be of the extensible type that is configured to vary the length thereof.

[0143] In a non-limiting way, the carriage 3 may comprise two lifting arms 31, 32 (FIG. 1) both configured to contact a vehicle, optionally the body of the vehicle, to allow the lifting thereof. The lifting arms 31, 32 lie substantially on a single plane orthogonal to the extension direction of the column. At least one of said lifting arms 31, 32 may be of the orientable type that is rotatably movable around a respective axis Y parallel to an extension direction of the column. By way of non-limiting example, the lift 1 shown in the attached figures has a first and second arm 31, 32 both of the orientable type; additionally or alternatively, at least one of said lifting arms 31, 32 may be of the extensible type; by way of non-limiting example, the attached figures show a first non-extensible orientable arm 31 and a second arm 32 which is both orientable and of the extensible type.

[0144] As shown in the accompanying figures, each arm carries - at the end - a support pad configured to directly contact the bodywork of the vehicle; in particular, the first and second arm carry - at the end -respective feet 31a, 32a which may be adjusted height-wise.

[0145] As specified above, the lift 1 may comprise a first and a second column. Should the lift 1 comprise only one column, it has only one carriage 3 as described above. In a non-limiting way, FIG. 1 shows a lift 1 having a first and a second column each of which comprises a carriage 3 as described above.

[0146] The lift 1 further comprises a movement system 4 (FIGS. 4 and 5) configured to move the carriage 3 along said column. In detail, the movement system 4 is configured to displace each carriage 3 along the respective column. Detailed hereinafter is a non-limiting embodiment of the movement system 4 associated with only one column 2.

[0147] The movement system 4 comprises a screw 5, of the worm screw type, extending along an extension section of the column 2 and rotatably movable around an axis X, parallel to the extension direction of the column 2; in detail, the axis X passes through the center of the screw: basically, the screw 5 is configured to rotate on itself around an axis passing through the center of the screw.

[0148] As shown in FIG. 3, the screw 5 is housed in the seat 22 of the support frame 21 and it extends along the entire frame, starting from the base portion 2a, up to the top portion 2b. In detail, the screw 5 extends between a first and a second end: the first end of the screw 5 is arranged at the base portion 2a of the column 2 while the second end of the screw 5 is arranged at the top portion of the column 2. In even greater detail, the screw 5 is hinged - at the first end - to the base plate 20 while - at the second end - it is hinged to the support plate 30 (FIGS. 4 and 5). In this manner, the screw 5 is engaged to the column 2 and movable with respect to said column around the axis X.

[0149] The movement system 4 further comprises a nut screw 6 concentrically engaged to the screw 5 and movable, following the rotation of the screw 5, along said screw: the nut screw 6 is engaged - on one side - to the screw 5 and - on the other side - it is integrally joined with carriage 3 so that the nut screw 6 and carriage 3 are movable integrally joined along the screw 5 and - as a result - along the column 2.

[0150] For example, as shown in FIGS. 4-6 and 10, the movement system 4 further comprises an electric motor 7 kinematically connected to screw 5. Basically, the electric motor 7 is used to control the rotation of the screw 5 so that the nut screw and carriage 3 may slide along the column 2. The electric motor 7 may have a power rating comprised between 0.5 kW and 10 kW. The electric motor 7 is carried by the column 2 and it may be arranged, at the base portion 2a or the top portion 2b. In the attached figures, the electric motor 7 is arranged, by way of non-limiting example, at the top portion 2b. The electric motor 7 may be directly constrained to the support plate 30, beside the screw 5. However, the possibility of arranging an electric motor 7 at an intermediate section of the column 2 cannot be ruled out. The electric motor 7 is arranged outside the frame 21 of the column 2, below the support plate 30, that is so that said electric motor 7 is interposed between the support plate 30 and the base plate 20.

[0151] As shown in FIGS. 4-6 and 10, the movement system 4 may further comprise a rotary member 8 connected to and rotating with at least one of the electric motor 7 and the screw 5. Basically, the rotary member 8 may be directly carried by a drive shaft of the electric motor 7 or directly carried by the screw 5; the attached figures show, in a non-limiting way, a rotary member 8 directly fixed at an end portion of the screw 5 (optionally at the second end of the screw) and configured to rotate together with said screw.

[0152] The rotary member 8 connects the electric motor 7 to the screw 5: the rotary member 8 is configured to transfer a rotary motion from the electric motor 7 to the screw 5 to allow the rotation of said screw for moving the carriage 3 along the column 2. The rotary member 8 may be made of plastic and/or metal material. For example, the rotary member 8 may be at least partly, optionally entirely, made of at least one of the following materials: steel, aluminum, plastic, composite material or a combination of the preceding materials.

[0153] As shown in the accompanying figures, the rotary member 8 has a plurality of blades 9 configured to generate, during the rotation of the rotary member 8, an airflow suitable to impact one or more components of the lift, for example further components of the movement system 4. For example, thanks to the plurality of blades 9, the rotary member 8 may be configured to generate, during the rotation of the rotary member 8, a (cooling) airflow, impacting at least one of the electric motor 7 and one or more further components of the movement system 4; for example, the movement system 4 may comprise one or more bearings suitable to support the electric motor 7, the screw 5, the nut screw 6 the rotation of the rotary member 8 allows to generate a cooling airflow suitable to impact one or more of said components so as to allow the cooling thereof.

[0154] Basically, besides acting as a member for transmitting motion between the electric motor 7 and screw 5, the rotary member 8 acts as a cooling device, for example for the electric motor 7, optionally (more generally) for one or more further components of the movement system 4. Basically, when the electric motor 7 is activated, the rotary member 8 rotates - as a result (given that the rotary member is configured to rotate together with at least one of the electric motor 7 and the screw 5) - and, thanks to the plurality of blades 9 - generates an airflow which allows to dissipate the heat, e.g., heat generated by the electric motor 7, during vehicle lifting operation.

[0155] The rotary member 8 comprises a number of blades 9 equal to or greater than 3, optionally comprised between 3 and 10, even more optionally comprised between 3 and 7. At least one blade 9, optionally each blade 9, has a cross-section with a wing profile, for example a concave-convex or flat-convex or laminar concave-convex profile. Thanks to the wing profile, the blade/blades is/are capable of generating an airflow, impacting the electric motor 7 to cool it.

[0156] In a non-limiting way, the attached figures show a movement system 4 comprising a rotary member 8 fixed on the screw 5: a drive member 10 connected to the rotary member 8 by means of a drag element 11 is fixed on the drive shaft 7a of the electric motor 7. In such embodiment, the rotary member 8 essentially defines a driven member, driven in rotation by the drive member 10 (element directly driven in rotation by the electric motor 7).

[0157] The rotary member 8 may comprise a pulley, optionally with dual-seat (see the two seats 9 of the pulley shown in FIGS. 7 and 9); the pulley has a central hub 91 configured to allow to key the pulley to the screw 5: the central hub 91 and the (dual) seat 92 of the pulley are joined together as a single piece by means of a plurality of blades 9. In such embodiment, the drive member 10 comprises a pulley, optionally with dual seat, which is suitable to cooperate with a drag element 11 comprising a belt (FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0158] The rotary member 8, the driven member 10 and the drag element 11 define an indirect belt drive system. Obviously, using an indirect chain drive system wherein the members 8 and 10 respectively comprise a crown gear and a pinion or a gear transmission cannot be ruled out. In any case, the rotary member 8 is configured to define an impeller fan also capable of acting as a member for transmitting motion.

[0159] The rotary member 8 and the drive member 10 are stably constrained to the support plate 30, for example, on the side opposite to the electric motor 7 (FIGS. 4 and 5); the drag element 11 is also arranged juxtaposed to the electric motor 7 with respect to the support plate 30. The possibility of providing an electric motor 7 on the same side as the support plate 30 on which also the rotary member 8 and, optionally, the drive member 10 are arranged, cannot be ruled out.

[0160] As shown in FIG. 10, the lift 1 may comprise a casing 15 engaged to the column 2; the electric motor (optionally one or more components of the movement system 4, e.g., one of more bearings for supporting the rotary member 8) is at least partly housed in the casing 15. The casing 15 may be arranged at the top portion of the column 2; the casing 15 may define, in cooperation with said column 2, a channel configured to allow the through-flow of an airflow. In detail, the channel may comprise: [0161] an inlet 15a configured to allow the inflow of an airflow into the channel, and [0162] an outlet 15b configured to allow the ejection of an airflow from the channel.

[0163] The airflow flowing through from the channel, from the inlet 15a to the outlet 15b, may be generated by the rotation of the rotary member 8 during the operation of the electric motor 7. The operation of the electric motor 7 drives in rotation the rotary member 8 which, thanks to the blades 9, generates an airflow in the channel: any component arranged in the channel is impacted (therefore cooled) by the airflow generated by the rotary member 8. For example, the electric motor 7 (optionally the bearing for supporting the rotary member 8) is arranged in the channel: in this manner, the electric motor 7, during the operation thereof, is impacted by an airflow which allows to dissipate the heat which may be generated by the electric motor and therefore cool said electric motor to avoid unwanted overheating.

[0164] In detail, the casing 15 may comprise a top panel 18 arranged at the top portion 2b of the column 2 from which a side wall 19 emerges; the side wall emerges from the top panel towards the base portion 2a of the same column 2. The top panel 18 and side wall 19 delimit a compartment 16 configured to house the electric motor 7. Basically, the electric motor 7 is entirely housed in the compartment 16 of the casing, together with the rotary member 8 (optionally also the support plate 30, the drive member 10 and the drag element 11 are entirely arranged in the compartment 16): as observable in FIG. 10, the support plate 30 is entirely housed in the compartment 16 of the casing 15, spaced from and facing the top panel 18.

[0165] As shown in FIG. 10, the top portion 2b of the column, together with the casing 15, define the channel: the side wall 19 of the casing 15 delimits a single passage opening traversed by the column portion 2 and by the screw 5 of the movement system 4 (the top portion of the column is arranged in the compartment 16). The passage opening is faced toward the base portion 2a: said passage opening, cooperating with the frame 21 of the column 2, defines at least one of the inlet 15a and the outlet 15b of the channel. Furthermore, the casing 15 has at least one through access configured to define at least one of the inlet 15a and the outlet 15b of the channel; the at least one through access is defined on at least one of the top panel 18 and the side wall 19 of the casing. In the attached figures, the through access has been shown, by way of non-limiting example, only on the side wall 19 (the top panel 18 has been schematized, by way of non-limiting example, as without through accesses); obviously, the possibility of providing a through access on at least one of the side wall 19 and the top panel 18 cannot be ruled out. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the casing 15 may comprise a plurality of through accesses.

[0166] The accompanying figures show, in a non-limiting way, the inlet 15a of the channel defined on the casing (optionally defined by the through accesses of the casing 15) and an outlet defined by the cooperation between the casing 15 and the frame 21 of the column 2. The arrangement of the inlet and outlet depends on the rotation direction of the rotary member 8; for example: [0167] the inlet 15a of the channel may be defined by the through accesses of the casing 15 while the outlet 15b would be defined by the cooperation between the casing 15 and frame 21 of the column 2, or [0168] the inlet 15a of the channel may be defined by the cooperation between the casing 15 and frame 21 of the column 2 while the outlet 15b would be defined by the through accesses of the casing 15.

[0169] As specified above, the airflow allows to cool the electric motor 7, arranged in the channel. Obviously, the possibility of generating an airflow configured to cool - besides the electric motor 7 - any other component arranged in the channel, such as for example a bearing for supporting the rotary member 8, cannot be ruled out. Obviously, the possibility of arranging an electric motor outside the casing 15 cannot be ruled out; in such embodiment, the airflow which may be generated by the rotary member 8 (arranged inside the casing 15) would impact only the components arranged in the channel, e.g., a bearing for supporting the rotary member 8.

[0170] The lift 1 may comprise a sensor 40 (FIGS. 4-6 and 10), for example an inductive sensor, carried by the support plate 30. The sensor 40 is configured to emit a representative signal relating to the rotary member 8, for example at least one of: a rotation speed of the rotary member 8, an angular position of the rotary member 8 with respect to an initial reference position, a number of rotations carried out by the rotary member 8 with respect to an initial reference position, a rotation speed of the screw 5, angular position of the screw 5 with respect to an initial reference position, a number of rotations carried out by the screw 5 with respect to an initial reference position. Obviously, the possibility of using a different sensor associated with the column 2 and emitting a representative signal directly relating to the carriage 3, for example at least one of: a position of the carriage 3 along the column 2, a height of the carriage 3 with respect to the plane, in use, for resting the column 2, a sliding speed of the carriage 3 along the column 2, cannot be ruled out.

[0171] The lift 1 may comprise a control unit 50 connected to the sensor 40 and configured to receive and process the representative signal emitted by said sensor; the control unit, as a function of said signal, determines a position and/or a sliding speed of the carriage 3 along the column 2. Furthermore, the control unit 50 is active to control the electric motor 7 and, as a function of the representative signal emitted by the sensor 40, it may control the electric motor 7 to manage the position and sliding speed of the carriage along the column 2.

[0172] As described above, the lift 1 may comprise a first and a second column, each according to the column 2 described above that is comprising a base plate 20, a support frame 21, optionally a support plate 30. Should the lift 1 have a first and second column, it may comprise two electric motors 7, that is a first and second electric motor, each of which is carried by a respective column 2 and configured to displace a respective carriage 3. In this case, the movement system 4 may comprise a first screw (according to the screw 5 described above) engaged to a first nut screw (according to the nut screw 6 described above): the first nut screw is engaged - on one side - to the first screw and - on the other side - to a first carriage carried by the first column. Fixed on the first screw is a first rotary member (according to the rotary member 8 described above): the first rotary member is driven in rotation by a first drag element (according to the drag element 11 described above) connected to a first drive member (according to the drive member 10 described above) fixed on the first electric motor (according to the electric motor 7 described above). Basically, the first carriage 3 is displaced by the first electric motor.

[0173] Likewise, the movement system 4 may comprise a second screw (according to the screw 5 described above) engaged to a second nut screw (according to the nut screw 6 described above): the second nut screw is engaged - on one side - to the second screw and - on the other side - to a second carriage carried by the second column. Fixed on the second screw is a second rotary member (according to the rotary member 8 described above): the second rotary member is driven in rotation by a second drag element (according to the drag element 11 described above) connected to a second drive member (according to the drive member 10 described above) fixed on second electric motor (according to the electric motor 7 described above). Basically, the second carriage 3 is displaced by the first electric motor.

[0174] In the embodiment described above, each carriage is independently moved by a respective electric motor. In such embodiment, the lift 1 may comprise a casing 15 for each electric motor. As described above, the casing 15, cooperating with the respective column 2, is configured to define the channel suitable to allow the through-flow of air between the inlet 15a and the outlet 15b, useful for cooling one or more components of the movement system 4, for example of the respective electric motor 7.

[0175] In such embodiment, the control unit 50 may be connected to both electric motors for synchronizing, in a per se known manner, the displacement of the carriages along the first and second column.

[0176] Alternatively, the lift 1 may comprise only one electric motor 7 sole associated with one of the first and the second column. The column 2 carrying the electric motor is of the type described above while the first electric motor may solely comprise: the column, carrying a carriage 3, a screw 5 housed in the column 2, a nut screw 6 slidably engaged to the carriage 3 and to the screw 5. The screws 5 of the two columns are connected to each other, in a per se known manner, by means of a drive system, for example a chain drive system: in such embodiment, the activation of the single electric motor 7 may allow the displacement of the screws of the first and second column. The lift 1 may comprise a casing 15 for each electric motor 7, that is a single casing 15 for the single electric motor.

Method of Lifting Vehicles

[0177] Furthermore, forming an object of the present invention is a method of lifting vehicles using a lift according to the description reported above and/or according to the attached claims.

[0178] The method envisages the following steps: [0179] providing a carriage 3 in proximity of the ground, [0180] arranging a vehicle above the at least one lifting arm, [0181] actuating an electric motor 7 of the lift 1 to displace said carriage 3 along the column to carry the at least one lifting arm in contact with the vehicle and lift it with respect to the ground.

[0182] During the actuation of the electric motor 7, the rotary member 8 rotates and generates an airflow, impacting one or more components of the movement system 4, for example at least one of the electric motor 7 and a bearing supporting said rotary member 8. Should the lift 1 have the casing 15, during the actuation of the electric motor 7, the rotary member 8 rotates to generate - inside the channel - an airflow flowing in from the inlet 15a and flowing out from the outlet 15b, impacting one or more components of the movement system, for example at least one of the electric motor 7 and a bearing supporting the rotary member 8.

Advantages

[0183] The present invention offers significant advantages with respect to the state-of-the-art solutions. The rotary member 8 may be used for displacing the screw 5 and the corresponding carriage 3 and, at the same time, for generating a cooling airflow (for example for the electric motor 7); the rotary member 8 capable of generating a cooling airflow (for example impacting the electric motor 7) avoids overheating, therefore providing an extremely safe and reliable lift.