ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16 -- United States Patent no. 12,496,954, issued on Dec. 16, was assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA K.K. (Toyota, Japan).
"Vehicle with telescopic boarding ramp" was invented by Hirofumi Cho (Toyota, Japan).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A vehicle includes: a floor where an occupant is located during a ride in the vehicle; a high voltage unit located below the floor; a ramp configured to move between an in-use position and a storage position; and an actuator that moves the ramp between the in-use position and the storage position. The ramp includes a distal end that contacts the ground when the ramp is in the in-use position, and a base end located on the opposite side of the ra...