Patent ID: 9352786
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: B62D

Claim Text:
1. A vehicle mud flap retraction assembly comprising: a housing having a height extending between a housing bottom and top and a width extending between housing sides, a pair of elongate side rails at the housing sides oriented generally parallel to each other and extending generally along the housing height; a beam support having an elongate body having a height extending between a beam support bottom and a beam support top and a width extending between beam support sides, a rail guide at each beam support side, each rail guide having a guide slot engaging a side rail, the beam support body having a pair of elongate guide apertures, the guide apertures extending along the body width generally co-linear with each other; an actuator assembly having a pair of elongate drive arms crossing each other in an X-shape, one end of each drive arm joined to the housing at a pivoting connector on one housing side and extending to a bearing connector at the other drive arm end, the bearing connector engaging a beam elongate guide aperture at the other housing side, a sub-arm attached to each drive arm at a pivoting connector located between the drive arm ends, the sub-arm extending to an actuator pivoting connector, an actuator joined to and extending between the sub-arm actuator pivoting connectors; wherein the actuator exerts a linear force generally co-linear with the housing width on the sub-arms and drive arms to actuate the beam support between a lower position proximate the housing bottom wherein the actuator is in a first, non-extended state and an upper position proximate the housing top wherein the actuator is in a second extended state.