Abstract:
A vehicle step assembly uses hinged pedestals, attitude links and an energy storage device to position step stringers and an attached step beam in a generally horizontal and elevated deployed position, while permitting a space-saving tucked-in stowed position.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION(S)  
       [0001]     The present application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/681,358, filed Mar. 2, 2007, which is also a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/421,902, filed Jun. 2, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a step apparatus which may be deployed to allow ready access to a portion of a motor vehicle, such as a pickup box.  
         [0004]     2. Disclosure Information  
         [0005]     Vehicles such as pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles frequently utilize large tires and wheels and high ground clearance, so as to enable such vehicles to negotiate more rugged terrain and difficult road surfaces such as those piled with snow and loose soil. Although high ground clearance has the benefit of promoting vehicle mobility, a drawback is inherent with such construction, insofar as high ground clearance renders access to vehicle load carrying structures such as a pickup box, utility body, or roof rack, a difficult proposition. Various designers have attempted to provide foldaway steps which would allow vehicle operators to gain access to a pickup box or other vehicle body. Such foldaway steps have met with mixed success, and one reason for this shortfall is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,158, which discloses a step having a mechanism which actually lowers the height of the step when the step is moved from its stowed position to its deployed position. This lowering of height is undesirable because it partially defeats the purpose for the step by placing the user at less of an advantage than would be the case were the step to be moved upwardly as it is moved to its deployed position.  
         [0006]     It would be desirable, therefore, to have a step which not only tucks up out of the way when in a stowed position, but moves upwardly into the deployed position.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     According to a preferred embodiment, a vehicle step includes a base adapted for attachment to at least one structural member of a vehicle. A hinged pedestal has a first end pivotably mounted to the base and a free end, with the hinged pedestal being rotatable outwardly from a generally horizontal stowed position to a generally vertical deployed position. A step stringer is pivotably attached to the free end of the hinged pedestal and extends generally outwardly from the base. The step stringer has a stowed position and a deployed position. An attitude link has a first end pivotably mounted to the base and a second end pivotably mounted to the step stringer. The attitude link controls relative rotation of the step stringer such that a generally planar tread surface, incorporated in the step and attached to the step stringer, is maintained in a horizontal orientation when the hinged pedestal is in its generally vertical deployed position. The attitude control link also orients the tread surface at a downward angle and inwardly when the hinged pedestal is in its generally horizontal, or stowed, position.  
         [0008]     According to another aspect of the present invention, the hinged pedestal deployed with the present step also includes a stop abutment, formed at the first end of the hinged pedestal, for preventing rotation of the pedestal outwardly beyond its generally vertical position when the step is in its deployed position.  
         [0009]     According to an embodiment, the base of the present step includes spaced apart brackets adapted to depend from at least one structural member of the vehicle. The hinged pedestal and attitude link are mounted upon opposing interior surfaces of the brackets.  
         [0010]     According to another aspect of the invention, the present step may include a pair of hinged pedestals mounted to opposing interior surfaces of the spaced apart brackets, with a step stringer being attached to each of the hinged pedestals, and as explained above, with attitude links being associated with each of the step stringers and hinged pedestals.  
         [0011]     According to another aspect of the present invention, the present step includes a latch mechanism for selectively maintaining the step being in its stowed position. The latch preferably includes a foot-operated toggle latch in the form of a push button extending through a step beam attached to the step stringers.  
         [0012]     It is an advantage of the present step mechanism that the step is stowed in a tightly tucked position slightly upwardly raked, but with the deployed position of the step being at a higher or raised position with respect to the stowed position of the step.  
         [0013]     It is another advantage of a step according to the present invention that the step may be mounted on any of the sides of a pickup box such as the longitudinal sides or the comers or even at the rear of the pickup box or an SUV, so as to permit access not only to an interior box, but also to the roof of a vehicle.  
         [0014]     It is an advantage of the present step mechanism that the step system is resistant to dirt and debris yet deploys out smoothly for the user.  
         [0015]     Other advantages, as well as features and objects of the present invention, will become apparent to the reader of this specification. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a step system according to the present invention shown in the stowed position.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a side view, partially broken away, of the step shown in  FIG. 1 , also in the stowed position.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but shows the step of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in the deployed position.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a step according to the present invention shown in its deployed position.  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a latch mechanism according to an aspect of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a step system according to the present invention in the stowed position with an energy storage device wherein the step member is not shown.  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view along line B-B in  FIG. 6  of the step system according to the present invention in the stowed position having an energy storage device.  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view along line B-B in  FIG. 6  wherein the step system, having an energy storage device is in the deployed position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , step assembly  10  is mounted upon a base including left step bracket  14 , right step bracket  18 , and tie bar  22 , which extends between the left and right step brackets. As shown in  FIG. 4 , left step bracket  14  is attached to left standoff bracket  26 , which is in turn bolted to a frame rail  34  of a vehicle. Conversely, right step bracket  18  is mounted to right standoff bracket  30 , which is also bolted to frame rail  34 . Articulated support member  32 , also shown in  FIG. 4 , extends between structural member  36  and tie bracket  40 , which spans left standoff bracket  26  and right standoff bracket  30 . Member  32  is articulated to facilitate installation of the present step assembly upon a vehicle.  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows step assembly  10  in its stowed position, with step beam  38  in a tucked and upwardly angled position. Step beam  38  is attached to left step stringer  62  and right step stringer  66 . Stringer  66  is shown with particularity in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In  FIG. 2 , stringer  66  is in a generally horizontal stowed position in which stringer  66  abuts a lower portion of right step bracket  18  (not shown due to the cutaway of  FIG. 2 ).  
         [0026]     As seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , right step stringer  66  is pivotably attached to a free end,  46   b,  of hinged pedestal  46 . Pivot  58  maintains step stringer  66  in rotatable contact with right hinged pedestal  46 . Right attitude link  54 , which has a first end,  54   a,  mounted to right step bracket  18 , and a second end,  54   b,  pivotably mounted to right step stringer  66 , controls the relative rotation of step stringer  66  such that the generally planar tread surface,  38   a,  which is part of step beam  38 , is maintained in the illustrated horizontal orientation of  FIG. 3  when hinged pedestal  46  is in the generally vertical deployed position of  FIG. 3 . Conversely, when hinged pedestal  46  is in its generally horizontal stowed position of  FIG. 2 , right attitude link  54  maintains tread surface  38   a  angled downwardly and inwardly. This assures that step beam  38 , including tread surface  38   a,  is tucked up and out of the way when the present step system is in the stowed position.  
         [0027]     By comparing  FIGS. 2 and 3  one may readily ascertain a benefit provided by hinged pedestals  42  and  46 . Because these pedestals rotate forwardly and upwardly until the stop abutments, such as  46   c  shown operationally in  FIG. 3 , contact a base portion of the step, step stringers  62  and  66  are lifted upwardly and outwardly in a simultaneous fashion, which causes step beam  38 , including tread surface  38   a,  to be elevated when it is in its deployed position. This promotes better access to a vehicle with the present step, because it is simply more advantageous for a motorist to be elevated when attempting to reach across a pickup box or other utility body.  
         [0028]     The present step system is conveniently operated by a push button latch mechanism which selectively maintains step stringers  62  and  66 , hinged pedestals  42  and  46 , stringers  62  and  66 , and step beam  38  in their respective stowed positions. As shown in  FIG. 5 , push button  70  is hingedly attached to brackets  72 , which are mounted to the underside of step beam  38 . Connecting link  88  is pivotably attached to a toggle,  84 , which releasably detains latch  80 . Striker  76 , which is attached to left and right step brackets  14  and  18 , maintains all of the various linkages and components in the stowed position as long as latch  80  is in its latched/closed position shown in  FIG. 5 . Depressing push button  70  will cause connecting link  88  and toggle  84  to release latch  80 , thereby allowing the step system to be rotated outwardly to its deployed position.  
         [0029]     As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a vehicle step system is shown wherein the invention further implements an energy storage device  100  wherein the energy storage device  100  is a gas strut  102  as shown. The energy storage device  100  may be pivotally anchored to at least one of the two attitude links (in  FIGS. 6 and 7  referenced as attitude link  54 ) at a first end  104  of the energy storage device  100  and pivotally anchored to the step stringer  66  at the second end  106  of the energy storage device  100  so that upon depressing push button  70  (shown in  FIG. 5 ), the connecting link  88  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) and toggle  84  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) will release latch  80  from striker  76 , thereby allowing the energy storage device  100  deploy the step stringer  66  member outward and upward so that the step beam  38  is in the deployed position.  
         [0030]     The gas strut  102  shown in this embodiment further provides damping as the step beam  38  moves outward to the deployed position.  
         [0031]     While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, numerous variations and alternate embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only in terms of the appended claims.