External Maintenance Step and Hand Hold
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorsPaul C. Griffiths, John Scott Harding
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A step assembly for a vehicle can include a housing and a support member hingedly coupled to the housing with a shaft. A first locking feature can be associated with the housing while a second locking feature can be associated with the support member. A spring can be operably associated with the support member and the housing such that the spring can bias the second locking feature toward the first locking feature. The support member is configured to rotate between a stowed position and a deployed position. Further, the support member is configured as a step support and a hand hold device.
Claims18
A step assembly for a vehicle, the step assembly comprising:
- a housing having a recessed portion;
- a support member hingedly coupled to the housing with a shaft;
- a first locking feature associated with the housing;
- a second locking feature associated with the support member;
- and
- a spring operably associated with the support member and the housing such that the spring biases the second locking feature toward the first locking feature.
An aircraft comprising:
- a first step assembly comprising:
- a housing having a recessed portion into an exterior surface of the aircraft;
- a support member hingedly coupled to the housing with a shaft;
- a first locking feature associated with the housing;
- a second locking feature associated with the support member;
- a biasing member operably associated with the support member and the housing such that the biasing member provides a force urging the second locking feature toward the first locking feature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.