Patent ID: 11919481
Assignee: MAGNA EXTERIORS INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 10:
11. A foldable step assembly for a vehicle comprising:
a base connectable to a vehicle;
a linkage connected to the base, the linkage is further connected to a step that is moved by the linkage between a deployed position to a stowed position;
a motor having an output shaft positioned at a spatial distance from the base of the linkage;
a drive mechanism connected between the motor and the linkage for transferring force across the spatial distance from the output shaft to the linkage for articulating the linkage and the step between an extended position and retracted position,
a transmission connected to the base, the transmission includes a worm gear drivingly engaged to the linkage, wherein the drive mechanism includes a cable casing with a flex shaft core slidable in the cable casing, wherein the cable casing connects to both the output shaft of the motor and the worm gear and rotation of the flex shaft core rotates the worm gear, wherein the spatial distance is equal to the length of the cable casing;
a drive shaft of the linkage connected to a gear located within the transmission, wherein the gear is in mesh engagement with the worm gear and rotation of the worm gear rotates the gear and the drive shaft;
a first square end on a first end of the cable core and a second square end on a second end of the cable core;
a first female connector connected to the output shaft of the motor, wherein the first square end of the cable core is received by the first female connector; and
a second female connector connected to the worm gear of the transmission, wherein the second square end of the cable core is received by the second female connector.