Abstract:
Rocker guards with automatic step are disclosed that provide robust protection from damage due to rock obstacles to rocker panels and also provide an automatic step to facilitate easy entry and exit from a lifted vehicle. Some embodiments of a rocker guard with automatic step for a vehicle (rocker) can include a body formed to protect rocker panels of a vehicle without damaging the rocker or a step located within the body when the step is in a retracted position, mounts attached to the body for attaching to a vehicle, and an actuator coupled to the step and the body, the actuator being configured to automatically lower the step out of the body to an extended position and retract the step to the retracted position.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    This application relates generally to vehicle accessories, and particularly to accessories for sport utility vehicles and other off-road vehicles. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Off-road driving is growing in popularity. Places with off-road trails such as Moab, Utah have become very popular vacation destinations for people with off-road vehicles such as Jeeps®, SUVs, rock crawlers, trucks, and other off-road vehicles. Many thousands of off-roading destination miles invite those who want to get away from civilization. For example, tens of thousands of vehicles are driven on Moab&#39;s many off-road trails each year. Off-road destinations like Moab offer a variety of trails with varying difficulties. Some trails cannot be navigated without vehicle modifications to allow for greater grip, clearance, power, braking power, etc. 
         [0003]    As such, many vehicles used off-road are modified to achieve greater off-road performance and to allow the vehicle to conquer and attempt difficult obstacles and trails. Some trails include rock obstacles that may come into contact with various parts of the underside of a vehicle. Running boards and rocker guards are often added to off-road vehicles to limit damage to rocker panels and other body panels by the rock obstacles. Another common modification is lifting the vehicle and adding larger wheels and tires to increase grip and clearance. Lifting the vehicle makes entering and exiting more difficult, requiring passengers to climb up into the vehicle with significant effort. 
         [0004]    One solution to facilitating easy entry and exit from a lifted vehicle is an automatic step, such as the Powerstep offered by AMP research. However, such products are significantly more vulnerable to damage from contact with rock obstacles than fixed running boards and rocker guards, making it impractical to use vehicles equipped with automatic steps on more difficult off-road trails and obstacles, limiting the utility of the lifted vehicle. Such automatic steps also make it difficult or impossible to protect rocker panels with fixed running boards and rocker guards, lessening the off-road utility of vehicles equipped with automatic steps. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Rocker guards with automatic step are disclosed that provide robust protection from damage due to rock obstacles to rocker panels and also provide an automatic step to facilitate easy entry and exit from a lifted vehicle. Some embodiments of a rocker guard with automatic step for a vehicle (rocker) can include a body formed to protect rocker panels of a vehicle, a step located within the body when the step is in a retracted position, mounts attached to the body for attaching to a vehicle, and an actuator coupled to the step and the body, the actuator being configured to automatically lower the step out of the body to an extended position and retract the step to the retracted position. 
         [0006]    The guard can also include a dampener operably coupled to the body and the step. The dampener may be configured to hold at least a portion of the step in the retracted position. The guard can be a linear actuator such as a hydraulic actuator, pneumatic actuator, or any other suitable actuator. Guard  100  may also include door sensor  12 ,  14  configured to signal the step to automatically extend to the extended position with door sensor  12 ,  14  indicates an open door and automatically retract the step to the retracted position when the door sensor indicates a closed door. 
         [0007]    The guard can also include at least two support legs coupling the step to the body. A tie rod operably connecting the at least two support legs to each other may be provided such that force applied to one support leg results in movement of each other support leg. Each of the at least two support legs may have a fixed length and be each rotationally coupled to the step and to the body. The at least two support legs can extend the step to the extended position by rotating about axis perpendicular to the length of the step. 
         [0008]    A bottom surface of the step may be formed to provide a continuous surface appearance with the body when the step is in the retracted position. Each of the support legs may include a structural reinforcement to resist bending of the support legs when a load is placed on the step. The body and step may form the general shape of a rocker guard when the step is in the retracted position. 
         [0009]    The guard may also include at least one attachment flange extending from the body along the entire length of the body and structural supports affixed to an inside surface of the body. The guard may be configured such that the rocker guard with automatic step can support the weight of a vehicle over a rock obstacle without damaging the functionality of the step. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The following description can be better understood in light of Figures, in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a drawing of an exemplary rocker guard with automatic step in a retracted position; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a drawing of an exemplary rocker guard with automatic step in an extended position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the rocker guard with automatic step of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a back view with partial cut-away of the rocker guard with automatic step of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is close-up view with partial cut-away of a portion of the rocker guard with automatic step of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a close up view with partial cut-away of a portion of the rocker guard with automatic step of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view with partial cut-away of the rocker guard with automatic step of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a rear view with partial cut-away of the rocker guard with automatic step of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
       [0019]    Together with the following description, the Figures demonstrate and explain the principles of rocker guards with automatic step and methods for using and employing them. In the Figures, the size, number and configuration of components may be exaggerated for clarity. In some Figures, components have been omitted to allow for illustration of internal components. The same reference numerals in different Figures represent the same component. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The following description supplies specific details in order to provide a thorough understanding. Nevertheless, the skilled artisan would understand that embodiments of rocker guards with automatic step and associated methods of using them can be implemented and used without employing these specific details. Indeed, exemplary embodiments and associated methods can be placed into practice by modifying the illustrated units and associated methods and can be used in conjunction with any other devices and techniques conventionally used in the industry. For example, while the description below generally focuses on an embodiment with two support legs, more than two legs may be used for longer vehicles such as pickup trucks and large SUVs. 
         [0021]    One exemplary embodiment of a rocker guard with automatic step (guard)  100  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-8 . Guard  100  may include body  110 , step  150 , and support legs  160 ,  170 . Guard  100  can be attached to vehicle  10  with mounts  112  and  114 . Each of mounts  112 ,  114  may be formed as part of body  110 , or may be attached to body  110  by welding or other fastening methods. Mounts  112  and  114  may extend along generally the entire length of body  110  to provide multiple attachment points to attach guard  100  to vehicle  10 . 
         [0022]    Additionally, mounts  112 ,  114  may extend from body  110  to provide additional structural support to resist bending. Mounts  112 ,  114  along with body  110  may also provide additional structural support to a frame of vehicle  10  with multiple attachment points, or continuous attachment when welded to the frame, by effectively increasing the maximum dimensions for loading of the frame or body where guard is attached. Vehicle  10  can thereby gain frame stiffness, improving off-road capability and potentially reducing the advent of stress and fatigue failure in various parts of vehicle  10 . 
         [0023]    Step  150  may include bottom plate  152  and step member  154 . Step  150  may be pivotably attached to support legs  160 ,  170  by pins  156 ,  158  respectively, allowing step  150  to remain parallel with body  110  as support legs  160 ,  170  extend between a retracted position, such as is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  7 , and  8 , and an extended position as shown in  FIGS. 2-6 . Step  150  may extend downwardly and laterally from body  110  and vehicle  10  to provide a step extended laterally from vehicle  10  to facilitate entry and exit of passengers. In some embodiments, step  150  can extend directly down. Similarly, step  150  may extend to any desired point by adjusting the length and angle of the various components, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill. 
         [0024]    Step member  154  may include a textured surface to provide slip resistant properties for people entering and exiting vehicle  10 . The textured surface may be machined or otherwise formed into the step surface of step member  154 , or may be in the form of grip tape, textured paint or adhesive, or any other slip resistant applied materials. 
         [0025]    Bottom plate  152  may be formed such that a continuous surface is displayed with body  110  and step  150  when step  150  is fully retraced in the retracted position, such as shown in  FIG. 1 . As also shown in  FIG. 1 , in the fully retracted position, step  150  may be positioned entirely within body  110 , with bottom plate showing to the exterior of body  110 . In some embodiments, Bottom plate  152  may be the entire visible portion, or some portion of body  110  such that it appears that all or a significant portion of guard  100  lowers to be step  150  when extended. For example, step  150  may include the bottom exterior half of guard  100  as seen from outside of vehicle  10 . 
         [0026]    Step  150  can be extended and retracted by actuator  120 . Actuator  120  may be a linear actuator such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder and rod  122 . In some embodiments, an electric motor, solenoid, or other type of actuator may be used as desired. Of course, any of several actuator types may be used to extend and retract step  150 . In the illustrated embodiments, actuator  120  is pivotably mounted to body  110 , with rod  122  attached to structural reinforcement  172 . 
         [0027]    Support leg  170 , and similarly support leg  160 , may be formed with a fixed length and from a single piece of material. Support leg may be formed from steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, or any other suitable material. Support leg  170  Support leg  170  can be attached rotatably attached to block  193 . Support leg  170  may rotate about pin  176 , which holds leg  170  to block  194 . Block  194  may be attached to body  110 . Pin  176  may be oriented perpendicular to the length of body  110  to allow step  150  to rotate away from body  110 . 
         [0028]    Structural reinforcement  172  may provide additional support to resist bending and deflection of support leg  170 . Support reinforcement  172  may be attached to support leg  170  and block  193 . Support reinforcement may be welded or otherwise affixed to support leg  170  and pivotably attached to block  193  through pin  184 . Pin  184  and pin  176  may share a common axis to allow support leg  170  and support reinforcement  172  to rotate as a single unit about a single axis. Block  193  may be attached to body  110 . 
         [0029]    Rod  122  may be attached to carrier  124  by pin  126 . Carrier  124  may be pivotably attached to support leg  170  by pin  128 . The axis of pin  128  can be offset from the axis of pin  176  such that when rod  122  is travels in and out of actuator  120 , support leg  170  rotates about pins  176  and  184 . 
         [0030]    Tie rod  180  may connect leg  170  to leg  160  through support reinforcement  162 , which is connected to support leg  160  similar to the connection of support reinforcement  172  and support leg  170  as described above. Support leg  160  may be pivotably attached to block  191  by pin  164 , and support reinforcement  162  may be pivotably attached to block  192  by pin  188 , similar to the connection arrangement of blocks  193  and  194 , pins  176 ,  184 , support leg  170 , and support reinforcement  172  described above. Tie rod  180  may transfer force from actuator  120  to support leg  160  such that support leg  160  and support leg  170  rotate in unison when actuator  120  is activated. 
         [0031]    Dampener  130  may be attached between body  110  and support leg  160  to smooth operation of the retraction and extension of step  150 . Dampener  130  may be pivotably attached to support leg  160  through connector end  132  and pin  134 . As best shown in  FIG. 6 , stop  166  may follow along an exterior contour of connector  132  such that when step  150  is fully extended to the extended position, stop  166  cannot travel further, providing a fixed travel limit for leg  160  and, thereby, to step  150 . Dampener  130  may provide additional force to hold leg  160  in a fully retracted position to maintain step  150  in the retracted position. 
         [0032]    Additional reinforcement members such as reinforcements  117 ,  118  can be provided with guard  100  to provide sufficient structural support to allow guard sufficient strength to protect vehicle  10  from rock obstacles. Guard  100  may be sufficiently strong to support the weight of vehicle  10  on a rock obstacle without damaging vehicle  10  or disrupting the functionality of step  150 . For example, on a difficult trail or obstacle, it may be necessary to for guard to slide along a rock or rock obstacle, supporting the weight of the vehicle on that side while the wheels on the opposite side move the vehicle along and past the obstacle. 
         [0033]    The various components of guard  100  may be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials to achieve the structural and functional objectives as described above, such as steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, etc. 
         [0034]    Of course, vehicle  10  may have a guard  100  on both the driver&#39;s and passenger&#39;s sides, with the components arranged to provide similar functioning on each side. Actuator  120  may be activated with at least one sensor for detecting when a door above guard  100  is opened or closed. For example, a vehicle with a front and rear door over guard  100  can have sensors in both doors that activate actuator to extend step  150  when either door is open and retract step  150  when both doors are closed. Similarly, the sensor may be located only in the front door. The sensors can be a switch, optical sensor, or any other switch or sensor suitable to determine whether or not a door is opened or closed. Similarly, the actuator may utilize sensors already installed in the doors of vehicle  10 , such as are commonly provided in factory-built vehicles. 
         [0035]    In addition to any previously indicated modification, numerous other variations and alternative arrangements can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this description, and appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the information has been described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred aspects, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, form, function, mariner of operation and use can be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein. Also, as used herein, examples are meant to be illustrative only and should not be construed to be limiting in any manner.