Rock rail assembly
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsStuart C. Salter, David Brian Glickman, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Dennis Yee, Aaron Peter Klop, Satvinder Singh Matharu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rock rail assembly for a vehicle includes a mounting assembly coupled to the vehicle and comprising a shock absorption pad, and a rail assembly pivotably coupled to the mounting assembly and having a rail. The shock absorption pad is the vehicle-laterally-outboardmost portion of the mounting assembly. The rail assembly is operable to pivot relative to the mounting assembly to move the rail between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the stowed position of the rail, a portion of the rail abuts the shock absorption pad.
Claims20
A rock rail assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a mounting assembly coupled to the vehicle and comprising a shock absorption pad, wherein the shock absorption pad is the vehicle-laterally-outboardmost portion of the mounting assembly;
- and
- a rail assembly pivotably coupled to the mounting assembly and having a rail, the rail assembly being operable to pivot relative to the mounting assembly to move the rail between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein, in the stowed position of the rail, a portion of the rail abuts the shock absorption pad.
A rock rail assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a first mounting assembly coupled to the vehicle and having a first shock absorption pad;
- a second mounting assembly coupled to the vehicle in a spaced relationship with the first mounting assembly and having a second shock absorption pad;
- a third mounting assembly coupled to the vehicle in a spaced relationship with and positioned between the first and second mounting assemblies, wherein the third mounting assembly includes a third shock absorption pad;
- a first linkage operably coupled to the first mounting assembly;
- a second linkage operably coupled to the second mounting assembly;
- and
- a rail coupled to and extending between the first and second linkages, wherein the first and second linkages are operable to move relative to the first and second mounting assemblies, respectively, such that the rail is operable between a stowed position, wherein the rail abuts the first, second, and third shock absorption pads, and a deployed position, wherein the rail is in a spaced relationship with each of the first, second, and third shock absorption pads.
A rock rail assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a rail coupled to the vehicle and operable to move relative to the vehicle between a stowed position and a deployed position;
- and
- a first shock absorption pad having a contact surface that abuts the rail in the stowed position, wherein a vehicle-lateral direction is substantially normal to the contact surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.