Patent
Auxiliary step for vehicles
| العنوان: | Auxiliary step for vehicles |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 10246,019 |
| تاريخ النشر: | April 02, 2019 |
| Appl. No: | 15/789239 |
| Application Filed: | October 20, 2017 |
| مستخلص: | An auxiliary pullout step for a vehicle having a yieldingly resilient mechanism for urging the step into the extended step position thereof and resisting movement of the step into a retracted position thereof and an indexing mechanism for selectively restraining the step in the retracted position thereof and selectively releasing the step from the restrained position thereof to allow the yieldingly resilient mechanism to move the step into the extended step position. |
| Inventors: | Carr, Jeffrey (Murrieta, CA, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle, comprising, in combination: a frame member having: a base plate in a first plane; said base plate having an inner wall upstanding from the base plate at an inner edge thereof, and a pair of spaced apart side walls upstanding from said base plate, and an outer edge; a pair of flange members, one of said pair of flange members connected to each of said side walls and extending outwardly therefrom, said flange members being disposed in a second plane spaced from said first plane of said base plate; a pair of guides mounted on said base plate in spaced apart relationship, and said guides extending from regions adjacent said inner wall of said base plate to regions adjacent said outer edge of said base plate; at least one of said pair of guides having first walls defining a guide aperture slot therethrough; a tread having a tread surface and an outer wall depending from said tread surface, said tread mounted for reciprocating motion on said frame between a retracted locked position wherein said tread overlies said base plate of said frame and a step position extending outwardly from said base plate of said frame; a pair of rails, mounted on said tread for movement therewith and one of said pair of rails being disposed in each of said guides for sliding reciprocating movement therein for the movement of said tread between said step position and said locked position; a resilient mechanism connected between said inner wall of said frame and said outer wall of said tread for yieldingly urging said tread into said step position thereof and yieldingly resisting movement of said tread from said step position to said retracted position, the resilient mechanism comprising one of a gas spring cylinder, a coil spring, and a leaf spring; and an indexing mechanism comprising a plurality of telescoping tubes having an outer tube, an intermediate tube slidingly mounted in said outer tube, an inner tube mounted in said intermediate tube, said inner tube having a shoulder at an outer end thereof, and further comprising a ring gear slidably mounted on said inner tube, the indexing mechanism being operatively connected to said frame and said tread for locking said tread in said retracted position thereof and guiding said tread between said retracted position and said step position, said indexing mechanism being movable from a locked condition thereof for limited movement toward said inner wall of said frame to release said tread from said locked position and allow said yieldingly resilient mechanism to move said tread to said step position. |
| Claim: | 2. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 1 wherein said outer tube has a flange end coupled to said tread and an inner end, and said outer tube having a plurality of axially extending tracks on an inferior surface thereof, and said tracks having flange teeth in regions adjacent said flange end and stop tabs in regions adjacent said inner end; said intermediate tube has an outer end and an inner end, and said outer end having a plurality of intermediate tube teeth thereon and said intermediate tube having an outer surface and having a plurality of slots on said outer surface and said slots extending from said inner end to a stop end in regions spaced from said outer end, and stop end of said tracks operatively and selectively engaging said stops on said tracks of said outer tube. |
| Claim: | 3. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 2 wherein said ring gear has a first set of ring gear outer teeth on an outer peripheral surface thereof and a second set of ring gear inner teeth on an inner torroidal surface thereon and said ring gear having an outer peripheral surface for engaging said shoulder on said inner tube. |
| Claim: | 4. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 3 wherein said inner tube has a base plate covering said inner end thereof and has a bolt accepting aperture therethrough, said intermediate tube having a base plate covering said inner end thereof and having an aperture therethrough aligned with said aperture in said base plate of said inner tube. |
| Claim: | 5. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 4 and further comprising a bolt having a bolt head in said inner tube and a shank extending through said aperture in said base plate of said inner tube, through said base plate of said aperture in said base plate of said intermediate tube and through an aperture in said inner wall of said frame to have an outer portion extending away from said inner wall of said frame, and a nut on said outer portion of said shank against said inner wall of said frame, whereby said inner tube and said intermediate tube are retained against said inner wall of said frame. |
| Claim: | 6. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 5 wherein said flange end teeth of said outer tube have two portions and are adapted to selectively and operatively engage said ring gear outer teeth. |
| Claim: | 7. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 6 wherein said intermediate tube teeth are adapted to selectively and operatively engage said intermediate tube teeth. |
| Claim: | 8. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 7 wherein said engagement of said ring gear outer teeth with said flange end teeth of said outer tube is for the condition of said tread in said retracted position to lock said tread in said retracted position. |
| Claim: | 9. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 8 wherein the number of said plurality of slots on said outer surface of said intermediate tube is the same number as the number of tracks on said inner surface of said outer tube, and said plurality of slots on said outer surface of said intermediate tube are spaced in the same spacing as said tracks on said inner surface of said outer tube. |
| Claim: | 10. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 5 and further comprising a spring around said shank of said bolt in said inner tube and bearing against said bolt head and an inner surface of said plate at said inner end of said inner tube. |
| Claim: | 11. The retractable, pull-out step for a vehicle recited in claim 1 wherein each one of said pair of flange members extends along an entire length of the side wall to the said one of said pair of flange members is connected. |
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| Primary Examiner: | Dolak, James M |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Stout, Uxa & Buyan, LLP Stout, Donald E. |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.10246019 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |