Patent ID: 6213486
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
A self-concealing step assembly mountable to a recreational vehicle, the step assembly comprising:a mountable housing;a plurality of attachment arms that are pivotally connected to the mountable housing;an actuator attached to the mountable housing;a plurality of tread assemblies having an extended and retracted position, the plurality of tread assemblies nestable within the mountable housing in the retracted position and extendible outwardly therefrom, wherein one of the plurality of tread assemblies is directly coupled to the actuator for translationally extending and retracting the directly coupled tread assembly relative to the housing, and wherein the other of the plurality of tread assemblies are operatively associated with the actuator by way of the directly coupled tread assembly for rotationally extending and retracting the other of the plurality of tread assemblies in unison with a translational extending and retracting of the directly coupled tread assembly; andthe plurality of tread assemblies including a lowermost tread assembly having, a tread lower surface, the tread lower surface rotatable from the extended position to the retracted position, wherein retraction of the plurality of tread assemblies causes the tread lower surface of the lowermost tread assembly to rotate from the extended position to the retracted position to substantially conceal the other of the plurality of tread assemblies, the retracted position of the tread lower surface of the lowermost tread assembly being substantially transverse to the extended position of the tread lower surface of the lowermost tread assembly.