Grab bar assembly for a vehicle
AssigneeKA Group AG
InventorsTimothy Clayton Smith, Jesse L. Henrikson, Reyna Lynn Wygant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grab bar assembly includes a support beam adapted to be mounted to a vehicle and defining a longitudinal axis, a grab bar having an inner beam disposed within the support beam and movable relative to the support beam in first and second directions along the longitudinal axis. The assembly further includes a locking plate attached to the inner beam and a locking mechanism coupled to the support beam and having a latch movable between a lock position engaging the locking plate to fix the grab bar in a location relative to the support beam and a release position disengaging the locking plate to permit adjustment of the grab bar and the inner beam along the longitudinal axis in one of the first and second directions.
Claims23
A grab bar assembly for a vehicle comprising:
- a support beam defining a longitudinal axis and a cavity extending along said longitudinal axis with said support beam adapted to be mounted to the vehicle;
- a grab bar having an inner beam disposed within said cavity of said support beam with said inner beam movable relative to said support beam in first and second directions along said longitudinal axis;
- a locking plate attached to said inner beam and movable with said inner beam during said movement of said inner beam;
- and
- a locking mechanism coupled to said support beam and having a latch movable between a lock position engaging said locking plate to fix said grab bar in a location relative to said support beam and a release position disengaging said locking plate to permit adjustment of said grab bar and said inner beam along said longitudinal axis in one of said first and second directions.
A system for attaching a grab bar to a vehicle, with said system comprising:
- a support beam defining a longitudinal axis and a cavity extending along said longitudinal axis with said support beam adapted to be mounted to the vehicle;
- an inner beam disposed within said cavity of said support beam with said inner beam movable relative to said support beam in first and second directions along said longitudinal axis;
- a locking plate attached to said inner beam and movable with said inner beam during said movement of said inner beam;
- and
- a locking mechanism coupled to said support beam and having a latch movable between a lock position engaging said locking plate to fix said grab bar in a location relative to said support beam and a release position disengaging said locking plate to permit adjustment of said grab bar and said inner beam along said longitudinal axis in one of said first and second directions.
A system for attaching a grab bar to a vehicle, with said system comprising:
- a support beam defining a longitudinal axis and a cavity extending along said longitudinal axis with said support beam adapted to be mounted to the vehicle;
- an inner beam disposed within said cavity of said support beam with said inner beam movable relative to said support beam in first and second directions along said longitudinal axis;
- and
- a bushing attached to one of said inner and support beams with said bushing having:
- a body seated against said one of said inner and support beams and in contact with the other one of said inner and support beams,
- a locking finger extending transverse to said body with said locking finger configured to engage said one of said inner and support beams to attach said bushing to said one of said inner and support beams, and
- at least one spring coupled to said body with said spring having a center portion and at least one leg extending from said center portion with said at least one leg in direct contact with said one of said inner and support beams to bias said center portion in direct contact with said other one of said inner and support beams to form a close sliding fit between said inner and support beams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.