Patent ID: 8070173

Claim:
A step assembly for a motor vehicle, said step assembly comprising: a mounting bracket adapted to be fixedly secured to the motor vehicle; a step movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a drive shaft rotatable relative to said mounting bracket; a first arm having one end pivotal with respect to said mounting bracket and an opposing end pivotally coupled to said step; a second aim having one end fixedly secured to said drive shaft and an opposing end pivotally coupled to said step; a latch hub operably coupled to said drive shaft and pivotally movable between a locked position, to retain said step in said retracted position, and an unlocked position, to allow movement of said step to said extended position, wherein said latch hub is biased in a first direction toward said unlocked position; and a pawl rotatably coupled to said mounting bracket and selectively engageable with said latch hub, wherein said pawl directly engages said latch hub in said locked position, and wherein said pawl is disengaged with said latch hub in said unlocked position; wherein said step is actuated from said retracted position in response to manually urging said step to rotate said drive shaft in said first direction causing said latch hub to pivot in a second direction disengaging said latch hub from said pawl thereby allowing said latch hub to automatically pivot in said first direction causing said drive shaft to rotate in said second direction and moving said step to said extended position; and wherein said step is actuated from said extended position in response to manually urging said step to rotate said drive shaft in said first direction causing said latch hub to pivot in said second direction to said locked position to retain said step in said retracted position.