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US 2016/0355137 A1Published application
Horizontal retractable vehicle step
AssigneeLund Motion Products, Inc.
InventorAnthony Nicholas Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A horizontally moving retractable vehicle step is attachable to a vehicle, such as a low to the ground vehicle like a van. The horizontal vehicle step can provide access to different portions of the vehicle. Further, the horizontal vehicle step can act as a safety mechanism to reduce potential harm to a user in accidentally stepping in gaps between the vehicle and a curb.
Claims22
A horizontally extending step comprising:
- an attachment frame configured to attach to a vehicle;
- and
- a stepping fixture comprising:
- a pair of arms rotatably attached to the frame and extending away from the frame;
- a support component rotatably connected to the pair of arms;
- and
- a stepping platform attached to the support component, said stepping platform defining a stepping surface;
- wherein the stepping fixture is configured to rotate between a stowed and deployed position;
- wherein the stepping platform remains generally parallel to a plane Ps defined by a plane passing along the stepping surface when the stepping platform is in the stowed position, both when in the stowed and in the deployed position;
- and
- wherein a distal tip of the stepping platform remains within 1 inch in the vertical direction between the stowed position, the deployed position, and an intermediate position located halfway between the stowed and deployed positions.
8 more elements
(canceled)
A horizontally extending step comprising:
- a pair of arms configured to be rotatably attached to a vehicle and extending away from the vehicle;
- and
- a stepping platform rotatably connected to the pair of arms;
- wherein the stepping platform fixture is configured to rotate between a stowed, an intermediate, and deployed position, the intermediate position being located halfway between the stowed and deployed positions;
- wherein the stepping platform has a generally fixed orientation between the stowed, intermediate, and deployed positions;
- wherein a distal tip of the stepping platform remains within 1 inch in the vertical direction between the stowed position, the deployed position, and the intermediate position.
3 more elements
A horizontally extending step comprising:
- a frame configured to attach to a vehicle;
- and
- a stepping fixture comprising:
- a distal and a proximal arm rotatably attached to the frame and extending away from the frame;
- a support component rotatably connected to the pair of arms;
- and
- a stepping platform attached to the support component, the stepping platform being closer to the distal arm than the proximal arm;
- wherein the stepping fixture is configured to rotate between a stowed, an intermediate, and deployed position, the intermediate position being located halfway between the stowed and deployed positions;
- wherein an angle between the stepping platform and the distal arm is at least 110° in the deployed position;
- and
- wherein a distal tip of the stepping platform remains within 1 inch in the vertical direction between the stowed position, the deployed position, and the intermediate position.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.