Patent ID: 7740261

Claim:
A retractable vehicle step, comprising: a first mount having a front end and a back end; a second mount; a first arm coupled to said first mount by a first pivotal connection and a second arm coupled to said first mount by a second pivotal connection, said first arm coupled to said second mount by a third pivotal connection defining a first axis and said second arm coupled to said second mount by a fourth pivotal connection defining a second axis; a stepping member coupled to said second mount being moveable between a retracted position and a longitudinally extended position, said stepping member defining a back outer edge; a biasing mechanism being operably coupled to said stepping member and configured to urge said stepping member toward said retracted position and at least partially resist movement of the stepping member from said extended position toward said retracted position; wherein said step is securable to a vehicle defining a longitudinal axis extending from front to rear of the vehicle, said back outer edge of said stepping member forms an angle with respect to said first axis and said second axis such that said stepping member is laterally displaced by a predetermined distance equal to at least 2 inches and longitudinally displaced by a predetermined distance when transitioning between said retracted position and said extended position.