Patent ID: 6942233

Claim:
A retractable vehicle step assist, comprising: a first support arm; a second support arm; said first support arm and said second support arm connectable with respect to an underside of a vehicle so as to be pivotable about a first axis oriented generally parallel to the ground and a second axis oriented generally parallel to the ground,respectively; and a step member having an upper stepping surface, said first support arm and said second support arm connected to said step member so that said first support arm and said second support arm are pivotable with respect to said step member about a third axis and a fourth axis, respectively, said fourth axis located inboard from said third axis; said first support arm and said second support arm allowing said step member to move between a retracted position and a deployed position downward and outboard from said retracted position; wherein, as said step assist is viewed in a plane perpendicular to said first axis, said first axis and said third axis define a first line and said second axis and said fourth axis define a second line, said first line and said second line intersecting at an instantaneous center of rotation of said step member; wherein, when said step member is in said retracted position, said instantaneous center of rotation is located at or inboard of said upper stepping surface, and outboard of said first axis.