Patent ID: 7753171

Claim:
A vehicle having a compactable walkway up and along a side of the vehicle, comprising: a supporting surface extending from a lower portion of the vehicle to a higher portion of the vehicle and alongside thereto; a plurality of steps, each directly and pivotally coupled to the supporting surface, providing a graduated walkway up and along a side of the vehicle when in a deployed position and substantially parallel to the supporting surface when in a retracted position; wherein the plurality of steps further comprise rectangular plates horizontally spaced such that there is no vertical overlap between adjacent steps; wherein each plate is pivotally coupled to the supporting surface along a shorter side of the rectangle such that the longer side is a pivot arm; a support member coupled to a distal end of each of the plurality of steps, wherein the support member is configured to enforce a constant position of the plurality of steps between the deployed and retracted positions; a railing coupled to the support member and configured to provide a balancing support for a user climbing the plurality of steps when the plurality of steps are in the deployed position; a motivator coupled to one of the plurality of steps and configured to direct the plurality of steps from the retracted position to the deployed position; and a vertical support coupled to the vehicle and configured to brace the plurality of steps in the deployed position; wherein the vertical support further comprises a triangular member rotatably coupled to the vehicle at a first edge of the vertical support and configured to be rotated under one of the plurality of steps and interface with the one of the plurality of steps at a second edge of the vertical support.