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US 12,722,569 B2Granted
Combined vehicle climbing ladder and recovery board
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsStuart C. Salter, Jeffrey Robert Seaman, David Brian Glickman, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Annette Lynn Huebner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle assembly, includes, among other things, an accessory usable as a climbing ladder to access an area of a vehicle. The accessory is also configured to be used as a recovery board. A method of using a vehicle accessory includes, among other things, accessing a vertically upper area of a vehicle using an accessory as a climbing ladder, the accessory also usable as a recovery board.
Claims20
A vehicle assembly, comprising:
- an accessory usable as a climbing ladder to access an area of a vehicle, the accessory is also configured to be used as a recovery board, wherein the accessory is configured to receive an upturned flange extending from a rail of the vehicle when the accessory is used as a climbing ladder, wherein at least a portion of the accessory is sandwiched vertically between the upturned flange and a lock tab that is secured to the rail of the vehicle when the accessory is used as a climbing ladder.
A vehicle assembly, comprising:
- an accessory usable as a climbing ladder to access an area of a vehicle, the accessory is also configured to be used as a recovery board,
- wherein the accessory includes a first section and a second section, the first section coupled to the second section when the accessory is used as a climbing ladder,
- wherein the first section is configured to span from a first side wall within a cargo area of the vehicle to an opposite, second side wall of the cargo area to provide a cargo divider, the first section received within a first groove of the first side wall and further received within a second groove of the second side wall when the first section spans from the first side wall to the second side wall to provide the cargo divider.
A method of using a vehicle accessory, comprising:
- accessing a vertically upper area of a vehicle using an accessory as a climbing ladder, the accessory also usable as a recovery board;
- hooking the accessory over a flange extending from the vehicle when using the accessory as a climbing ladder;
- and
- locking the accessory over the flange using a lock tab movable to a position that sandwiches a portion of the accessory between the lock tab and the flange.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.