Abstract:
A manually retractable side step assembly for a vehicle includes a rotatable step having a latch mechanism and a spring system that work in concert to rotate the step from a stowed position to a deployed position. In a stowed position, the step is in line with the running board of the vehicle. However, depressing a release button automatically rotates the step 180°, thus exposing an enlarged step area for providing ease of access to a roof rack on a minivan, SUV, or sport wagon, or if used with a pick-up truck, ease of access to a toolbox that is located in the rear of the truck.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/236,475 filed on Sep. 27, 2005. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The subject of the present invention relates to a sidestep assembly for a vehicle for enabling a user to easily access a toolbox in the bed of a pick-up truck. The invention also relates to a sidestep for accessing a roof rack on a SUV, minivan, or sport wagon, or even bikes, etc., that are mounted on the top of the vehicle. 
   BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is common to provide running boards on pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles, and other types of vehicles where it is desirable to provide the user with ease of entry into the cabin of the vehicle. It is also advantageous to provide a sidestep near the rear of the running board that assists in easy access to a toolbox that may be located in the bed of the pick-up truck. Traditionally, running boards are located inward towards the side of the vehicle. The problem though is that they do not provide a solid surface for the user to stand on while accessing the toolbox. 
   It is also common to provide roof racks on minivans, SUVs and sport wagons and to secure bicycles, skis, kayaks, canoes, boats, or even sport boxes to the roof of these vehicles. A recurring problem though is accessing these items once they are secured to the vehicle. Traditional running boards however, don&#39;t provide easy access to the roof or anything secured thereto. 
   It is known to provide steps to provide access to a tailgate area of a pick-up truck. However, currently there are no retractable step products that are simple in design yet provide ease of access to the toolbox that is located in the bed of a truck. Rear access via the tailgate is often awkward and more time consuming if quick and simple access is required to the side of a box for replacement of tools. Further, toolboxes are generally located in the front area of the truck bed and, because typical running boards do not extend rearward enough, they do not provide ease of access to the forward part of a truck bed. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a sidestep located near the front end of the truck bed, or where the toolbox is located. It would also be desirable to provide an after market sidestep that can be connected to an existing running board. It would also be desirable to provide a sidestep as an OEM product for use in connection with an existing running board. It would also be desirable to provide an extended tube style board with a rotatable wider rear section that when rotated out, provides a wider step surface that is positioned further outward than the typical tube style running board. It is also desirable to provide a sidestep that provides ample foot contact area as well as step height so as to meet typical OEM requirements for ergonomics. 
   It is also desirable to provide a sidestep that provides easy access to a toolbox that is simple in design, easy to operate, and has minimal working components, and is economic and ergonomic. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved retractable sidestep which overcomes the above referenced disadvantages. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved sidestep that can rotate out from a stowed position to a deployed position thus allowing the user to have an improved standing surface when accessing the top of the roof or a toolbox that is located in the bed of a truck. 
   According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sidestep assembly comprised of a step positioned adjacent to the running board. A latch mechanism is provided that is located within the step and said mechanism is operable to lock the step in a stowed position or to be released to allow the step to be repositioned to a deployed position. The latch mechanism includes a release button, a push rod, a latch plate, a latch spring and a set of guide pins. The sidestep assembly further includes a spring deployment mechanism having an elongated tube with a spring positioned therein. The spring acts to rotate the step once the latch mechanism has been released, thus allowing the step to rotate out into a useable position for the user to stand on and to access a toolbox. A support tube assembly is part of the running board of the vehicle and includes a mounting bracket that secures the elongated tube in place relative to the running board. This allows the step mechanism to pivot relative to the elongated tube, between a stowed position and a deployed position. 
   The step assembly can be easily deployed by depressing the release button, thus allowing the step to rotate outward automatically to a deployed position where a mechanism stop locks it in place. After the user is done using the step, the step can be rotated via hand or foot means to rotate the step to the stowed position, where it automatically locks in place. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from a detailed description hereafter. It will be understood that the detailed description and specific examples come out while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since the various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle illustrating the sidestep assembly; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the sidestep assembly shown in a stowed position, with the step shown in phantom; 
       FIG. 3  is a plan view of the  FIG. 2  sidestep assembly, illustrating the sidestep assembly relative to the running board of a vehicle; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the sidestep assembly shown in the deployed position, with the sidestep extrusion shown in phantom; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view section of  5 - 5  taken from  FIG. 1  showing the sidestep assembly in the stowed position, further illustrating the support tube relative to the extruded step; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the sidestep assembly shown in the deployed position, relative to the running board of the vehicle; 
       FIG. 7  is a section cut taken from the direction of arrow  7 - 7  from  FIG. 6 , showing the step assembly in its deployed position relative to the running board; and 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the step assembly shown in the stowed position, illustrating the spring located within the support tube, which is located within the extruded step. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the figures, where like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the various figures, a side step assembly  10  is shown adjacent to a running board  12  that is in turn affixed to a vehicle  14 . A toolbox  16  is shown located in the forward edge of a truck bed. The purpose of the present invention is to provide ease of access by a user to the toolbox  16  via the use of a novel sidestep assembly  10 . Alternatively, the step assembly  10  can provide ease of access to a roof rack where sporting equipment can be secured. The vehicle  14  can be a truck, minivan, SUV, sport wagon or any vehicle where it is desirable to access something elevated on the vehicle  14 . For illustrative purposes only, the following description will relate to accessing a toolbox in a pick-up truck. 
   The sidestep assembly  10  is stream lined with the running board  12  to provide an aesthetically pleasing design. With reference to  FIG. 2 , the sidestep assembly  10  is shown in the stowed position and is comprised of a sidestep extrusion  18 , a latch system  20 , a spring deploy system  22 , and a support tube assembly  24 . These components work in unison to provide a rotatable step  19  that can rotate between a stowed position  26  or a deployed position  28  ( FIG. 4 ). Once in the deployed position  28 , the user has an extended surface that protrudes away from the side panel of the truck bed, thus providing an improved solid surface to stand on when accessing the toolbox  16 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 3 , the latch system  20  is comprised of a latch release button  30 , a seal spring  32 , a button seal  34 , a latch push rod  36 , a latch plate  38 , a set of latch guide pins  40 , a latch spring  42 , and a spring retainer  44 . The purpose of the latch system  20  is to maintain the sidestep  19  in the closed position during transport, but to be disengaged when the operator needs to access a toolbox. 
   The latch release button  30  extends through a hole  46  that is located in the end cap  102  of the sidestep extrusion  18 . The seal spring  32  biases the button seal  34  closed to keep debris out of the interior of the extrusion. One end  48  of the push rod  36  engages a “U” shaped slot  50  located in the latch plate  38 . They are affixed via conventional means. The latch plate  38  further includes a pair of diagonally spaced slots  52  that are operable to receive latch guide pins  40  in spaced apart locations. The latch spring  42  engages the other end of the latch plate  38  causing the latch plate to be biased inward towards a slot running the axial length of the support tube. One end of the latch spring  42  is cradled within the spring retainer  44  so as to maintain position of the spring. The retainer  44  is secured to the end cap. 
   With continued reference to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  8 , the spring deployment system  22  is comprised of a deploy spring  54  that is positioned within the support tube. The deploy spring has an end  56  that engages a notch  58  that is located within a cylindrically shaped profile  86  of the extrusion  18 . The opposite end  59  of the deploy spring  54  is secured to a spring anchor pin  60  thus allowing the torsion spring  54  to impart rotation to the step  19  once the latch system  20  is released via latch release button  30 . 
   With reference to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  7 , the support tube assembly  24  is comprised of a mounting bracket  62 , which is secured via weld nuts  64  to a conventional running board  12 , which in turn is affixed to the vehicle  14  via conventional methods. The support tube assembly  24  further includes a support tube  66  that is an integral part of the mounting bracket  62 . The mounting bracket  62  further having an inner extruded wall  68  that is operable to engage the outer extruded wall  70  of the running board  12 . Thus, the mounting bracket  62  fits within the running board  12  and forms an integral part located within the running board  12  that is not viewable to the user. It will be appreciated that the mounting bracket  62  could be connected to a minivan, SUV, or sport wagon by various means so as to provide a side step assembly that offers access to the top of each type of vehicle. 
   The support tube  66  extends the entire length of the mounting bracket  62 , and through a substantial portion of the sidestep extrusion  18 . The portion  72  of this support tube that extends within the step extrusion  18 , acts as a pivot point for the step  19  to rotate there about, between the stowed position (shown in  FIG. 2 ) and the deployed position (shown in  FIG. 4 ). This allows the step assembly  10  to rotate approximately 180 degrees whereby the step is ergonomically aligned with the running board  12  when in the stowed position, yet can be rotated outwardly away from the body of the vehicle, to the deployed position. The support tube is preferably made of steel as are the components of the mounting bracket  62 , each of which having sufficient strength to support a user. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 5 ,  7 , and  8 , the support tube  66  has an axially extending slot  74  extending the majority of the tube  66  for receiving an edge  108  of the latch plate  38 . This construction creates a mechanical stop for the sidestep  19  to be maintained in the stowed position while the vehicle is traveling down the road. 
   With reference now to  FIGS. 5 ,  7 , and  8 , the components of the sidestep extrusion  18  will now be discussed. The sidestep extrusion  18  is comprised of a curved outer wall  76  that acts as the top surface when the step in the stowed position. A lower wall  78  has a textured grip surface  80  for user to stand on once in the deployed position. The interior of the step extrusion  18  has an interior cavity  82  with support channels  84  extending throughout. The support channels  84  provide rigidity to the structure, which is preferably an extruded aluminum design. It will be appreciated that the step extrusion  18  can be made of other methods and other materials. 
   The interior cavity  82  of the step extrusion  18  further includes a cylindrically shaped profile  86  that runs the entire length of the step, that is operable to receive the support tube  66 . There is sufficient clearance between the support tube  66  and the extruded portion  86 , so as to allow for a rotatable fit there between. The cavity  82  further includes a circular profile  88  adjacent to and connected with the cylindrically shaped profile  86 . The circular profile  88  extends essentially the entire length of the sidestep, and has a horizontally slotted portion or groove  90  that is operable to receive the latch plate  38 . There is sufficient clearance  92  within the groove  90  to allow the latch plate to traverse therein relative to the support tube  66 . This allows the latch plate  38  to engage (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) the support tube  66 , or to disengage and pull away from the support tube  66  (as shown in  FIG. 7 ). The circular profile  88  further includes a vertically spaced opening  94  that is operable to receive and secure in place the latch guide pins  40 . The latch guide pins  40  extend through the latch plate  30  and allow the plate to traverse outward and away from the support tube  66 , when the latch release button  30  is pressed. 
   With reference to  FIG. 7 , a deploy stop key  96  is positioned within a groove  98  of the support tube  66 . The key  96  engages a deploy stop  100  integral with the cylindrical portion  86  when the sidestep rotates to a deployed position as shown in  FIG. 7 . This mechanical arrangement provides a stop for the step to be firmly located in place. It will be appreciated, that others stop designs can be provided, and are contemplated to be well within the scope of the present invention. 
   In addition to the step extrusion  18 , the step  19  further includes an outer end cap  102  and an inner end cap  104 . The caps serve to close off the interior space of the cavity  82 , keeping the interior components thereof free of material. The end caps are preferably made of the same material as the step  18 . The caps are secured to the step extrusion  18  by conventional means. 
   It will further be appreciated that the latch system  20  be comprised of sufficiently rigid materials to provide structural integrity for this particular application. Likewise, the spring deployment system  22  is comprised of a sufficiently strong torsional spring  54  as to allow proper rotational movement of the step  19 . 
   A discussion of the operation of the step assembly  10  will now be presented. With reference to  FIGS. 2 ,  5 , and  7 , the assembly  10  is shown in the stowed position ( FIG. 2 ) which is its normal operating condition when the vehicle is traveling down the road. Once the vehicle stops, the operator can deploy the sidestep by depressing the latch release button  30 . Pressing the latch release button  30  inward causes the push rod  36  to move inward thus causing the latch plate  38  to traverse outward in the direction of arrow  106 . This action induces edge  108  of the latch plate to disengage from the slot  74  located in the outer perimeter of the support tube  66 . Once the latch plate  38  fully disengages the slot  74 , the spring deployment system  22  then imparts rotation in a counter clockwise direction thus allowing the step  19  to advance towards a deployed position as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 7 . The step  19  continues to rotate in a counter clockwise manner until the deploy stop key  96  engages deploy stop  100 . This provides a firm mechanical stop and a rigid connection between the running board  12  and the sidestep  19  so as to provide a firm stepping area. 
   When it is desirable to then return the step  19  to a stowed position, the operator merely rotates the step in a clockwise direction thus loading the spring and further allowing the edge  108  of the latch plate  38  to reengage the slot  74  located in the support tube  66 . The step is now in a secure stowed position which can be re-deployed later. 
   It will be appreciated that other variations of the sidestep assembly  10  can be utilized. For example, the step assembly  10  could be secured to a structure other than a running board, while providing easy access to the roof of a vehicle. The same rotatable feature would be employed, thus providing stowed and deployed positions. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.