Patent ID: 8444201
Filing Date: 2013-05-21
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A tail gate step for mounting on a swing down tailgate of a pickup truck comprising: i) a generally planar base having a downwardly folded rear side portion adapted to attach to, seat on, and extend over a top edge portion of the swing down tailgate on the pickup truck; ii) spaced apart parallel slides each having a length which is aligned with a length of the truck, positioned within a track mounted on the base; iii) step carrying side fold down members each having a top end portion pivoted adjacent to an inner side portion of a rear end portion of a parallel slide; iv) a fold down, generally rectangular foot step member having opposite outer side portions of an inner end portion pivoted to bottom end portions of the fold down members; v) folding step stops each having a lower bottom end portion pivotably attached to an outer rear side edge portion of the step, and an upper top end portion pivotably attached to an inner side portion of the top end portion of the fold down members; and, vi) slide stops limiting forward and rearward movement of the slide within the track, so that the forward movement defines a storage position wherein the step is prevented from contacting the truck bed, and the rear position defines an operative position wherein the pivot on the rear end portion of the slide allows the step side fold down members to rotate into a downwardly extending position adjacent to the folded rear side portion of the base; so that after the truck tailgate is swung down to an open position, the foot step member can be slid back moving the spaced apart slides from a forward storage position within the tracks to an extreme rear operative position, and thereafter the foot step member, pivoted within a rear portion of the slides can be first swung up, then back, and finally down to an operative position, limited from swinging below a horizontal position by the folding step stops.