Folding foot step with anti-skid surface

A folding step assembly having a folding step member pivotally connected to a bracket member for movement relative thereto between an extended position and a folded position, wherein the step member, when in the extended position, defines an upwardly-facing recess bordered by a relatively thin upstanding rim, and a body of anti-skid material is nested in the recess for cooperating with the upstanding rim to define a stand-on surface;

• wherein the stand-on surface is of clover-leaflet-shaped configuration, and the thin upstanding rim includes a rim portion that extends in an uninterrupted manner along a majority of the length of the perimeter of the clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface;
• wherein the step member has a rear region that is pivotally connected to the bracket member, and the stand-on surface is located forwardly with respect to the rear region, with the clover-leaflet-shaped configuration of the stand-on surface being defined by a pair of opposed sides that diverge as they extend forwardly from the rear region, and by a C-shaped front that connects smoothly with the opposed sides;
• wherein the stand-on surface is interrupted by at least one elongate opening that provides a passage for shoe- and boot-carried debris to discharge as shoes and boots are moved onto and pressed into engagement with the stand-on surface;
• and, wherein the the stand-on surface also is interrupted by a pair of additional elongate openings, each of which is spaced from and substantially parallels a separate one of the opposed sides.

A folding step assembly having a folding step member pivotally connected to a bracket member for movement relative thereto between an extended position and a folded position, wherein the step member, when in the extended position, defines an upwardly-facing recess bordered by a relatively thin upstanding rim, and a body of anti-skid material is nested in the recess for cooperating with the upstanding rim to define a stand-on surface;

• wherein the stand-on surface is of clover-leaflet-shaped configuration, and the thin upstanding rim includes a rim portion that extends in an uninterrupted manner along a majority of the length of the perimeter of the clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface;
• wherein the step member has a rear region that is pivotally connected to the bracket member, and the stand-on surface is located forwardly with respect to the rear region, with the clover-leaflet-shaped configuration of the stand-on surface being defined by a pair of opposed sides that diverge as they extend forwardly from the rear region, and by a C-shaped front that connects smoothly with the opposed sides;
• wherein the stand-on surface is interrupted by first, second and third openings that provide passages for shoe- and boot-carried debris to discharge as shoes and boots are moved onto and pressed into engagement with the stand-on surface;
• wherein the first opening is of kidney shape and is spaced from and substantially parallels the C-shaped front, and wherein each of the second and third openings is spaced from and substantially parallels a separate one of the opposed sides.

In a folding step assembly comprising a bracket member, a step member that defines a clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface, a pivotal interconnection between the bracket and the step members, a spring connected between the bracket and step members urging the bracket and step members together under force at the pivotal interconnection, and a cam surface carried by the step member, continuously acting against the bracket member under the force of the spring, and shaped to increase the spring force during pivoting of the step member relative to the bracket member from both a folded and extended position, the improvement comprising a recess of substantially uniform depth defined at least in part by a substantially flat floor that parallels and closely underlies the stand-on surface, and by a narrow upstanding rim portion that extends upwardly from the flat floor and borders a majority of the perimeter of the clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface, with a body of anti-skid material being nested in the recess and cooperating with the rim portion to define a majority of the stand-on surface;

• wherein the step member has a rear region that is pivotally connected to the bracket member, and the stand-on surface is located forwardly with respect to the rear region, with the clover-leaflet-shaped configuration of the stand-on surface being defined by a pair of opposed sides that diverge as they extend forwardly from the rear region, and by a C-shaped front that connects smoothly with the opposed sides, and wherein the narrow upstanding rim portion extends along the opposed sides and along the C-shaped front;
• and wherein the stand-on surface is interrupted by first and second elongate openings that provide passages for shoe- and boot-carried debris to discharge as shoes and boots are moved onto and pressed into engagement with the stand-on surface;
• wherein each of the first and second elongate openings is spaced from and substantially parallels a separate one of the opposed sides.

In a folding step assembly comprising a bracket member, a step member that defines a clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface, a pivotal interconnection between the bracket and the step members, a spring connected between the bracket and step members urging the bracket and step members together under force at the pivotal interconnection, and a cam surface carried by the step member, continuously acting against the bracket member under the force of the spring, and shaped to increase the spring force during pivoting of the step member relative to the bracket member from both a folded and extended position, the improvement comprising a recess of substantially uniform depth defined at least in part by a substantially flat floor that parallels and closely underlies the stand-on surface, and by a narrow upstanding rim portion that extends upwardly from the flat floor and borders a majority of the perimeter of the clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface, with a body of anti-skid material being nested in the recess and cooperating with the rim portion to define a majority of the stand-on surface;

• wherein the step member has a rear region that is pivotally connected to the bracket member, and the stand-on surface is located forwardly with respect to the rear region, with the clover-leaflet-shaped configuration of the stand-on surface being defined by a pair of opposed sides that diverge as they extend forwardly from the rear region, and by a C-shaped front that connects smoothly with the opposed sides, and wherein the narrow upstanding rim portion extends along the opposed sides and along the C-shaped front;
• wherein the stand-on surface is interrupted by first, second and third elongate openings that provide passages for shoe- and boot-carried debris to discharge as shoes and boots are moved onto and pressed into engagement with the stand-on surface;
• wherein the first elongate opening is of kidney shape and is spaced from and substantially parallels the C-shaped front, and wherein each of the second and third elongate openings is spaced from and substantially parallels a separate one of the opposed sides.

In a folding step assembly for use on a support, wherein the step apparatus includes a bracket member adapted to be fixed to the support, a step member that defines a clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface located forwardly with respect to a rear region of the step member, means for connecting the rear region of the step member to the bracket member for pivotal movement between extended and folded positions relative to the bracket member, and biasing means for acting between the step member and the bracket member for biasing the step member toward the extended and folded positions as the step member approaches these positions during pivoting of the step member relative to the bracket member, the improvement comprising a recess of substantially uniform depth defined at least in part by a substantially flat floor of the step member that parallels and closely underlies the stand-on surface, and by a narrow upstanding rim portion that extends upwardly from the flat floor and borders a majority of the perimeter of the clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface, with a body of anti-skid material being nested in the recess and cooperating with the rim portion to define a majority of the stand-on surface;

• wherein the clover-leaflet-shaped configuration of the stand-on surface is defined by a pair of opposed sides that diverge as they extend forwardly from the rear region, and by a C-shaped front that connects smoothly with the opposed sides, and wherein the narrow upstanding rim portion extends along the opposed sides and along the C-shaped front;
• wherein the stand-on surface is interrupted by three elongate openings that provides passages for shoe- and boot-carried debris to discharge as shoes and boots are moved onto and pressed into engagement with the stand-on surface;
• and, wherein the three elongate openings includes first and second elongate openings, each of which is spaced from and substantially parallels a separate one of the opposed sides.

In a folding step assembly for use on a support, wherein the step apparatus includes a bracket member adapted to be fixed to the support, a step member that defines a clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface located forwardly with respect to a rear region of the step member, means for connecting the rear region of the step member to the bracket member for pivotal movement between extended and folded positions relative to the bracket member, and biasing means for acting between the step member and the bracket member for biasing the step member toward the extended and folded positions as the step member approaches these positions during pivoting of the step member relative to the bracket member, the improvement comprising a recess of substantially uniform depth defined at least in part by a substantially flat floor of the step member that parallels and closely underlies the stand-on surface, and by a narrow upstanding rim portion that extends upwardly from the flat floor and borders a majority of the perimeter of the clover-leaflet-shaped stand-on surface, with a body of anti-skid material being nested in the recess and cooperating with the rim portion to define a majority of the stand-on surface;

• wherein the clover-leaflet-shaped configuration of the stand-on surface is defined by a pair of opposed sides that diverge as they extend forwardly from the rear region, and by a C-shaped front that connects smoothly with the opposed sides, and wherein the narrow upstanding rim portion extends along the opposed sides and along the C-shaped front;
• wherein the stand-on surface is interrupted by three elongate openings that provide passages for shoe- and boot-carried debris to discharge as shoes and boots are moved onto and pressed into engagement with the stand-on surface;
• and, wherein the three elongate openings include a first elongate opening of kidney shape that is spaced from and substantially parallels the C-shaped front, and second and third openings each of which is spaced from and substantially parallels a separate one of the opposed sides.