Patent ID: 8056913

Claim:
A step assembly for a motor vehicle, said step assembly comprising: a mounting bracket fixedly secured to a portion of the motor vehicle; a step operatively coupled to said mounting bracket and freely movable between a retracted position partially abutting the motor vehicle and a deployed position extending away from the motor vehicle; a pivot arm pivotally interconnected between said mounting bracket and said step, said pivot arm including an anchor pin extending out therefrom; a spring having an inner end abutting said mounting bracket and an outer end abutting said anchor pin of said pivot arm for biasing said pivot arm, said spring creating a tensile force for biasing said step into said retracted and deployed positions, wherein said step is freely movable from said retracted position to said deployed position in response to a downward force applied directly to an upper side of said step, and wherein said step is freely movable from said deployed position to said retracted position in response to an upward force applied directly to an underside of said step; and a lock arm pivotally interconnected between said mounting bracket and said step, said lock arm engageable with said pivot arm while said tensile force of said spring retains said step in one of said retracted and deployed positions.