Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-20
2004-02-03
Lerner, Avraham (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
active
06685204
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to step platforms for vehicles, and, more particularly, to an extensible step assembly that mounts to a standard receiver hitch so as to provide step-up access to a pickup truck bed or the like when the tailgate is lowered.
b. Related Art
Climbing into and out of pickup truck boxes is a longstanding problem. As is well known, pickup trucks and like similar vehicles represent a convenient and versatile means for transporting all manner of articles. However, from time to time it is necessary for a person to climb into the pickup truck box in order to access the articles or load/unload the box. For example, a person must often climb into the box to lift lumber, boxes and other such articles into and out of the truck. Similarly, it is necessary to enter the box in order to shovel dirt or other loose material from the forward areas of the bed.
In years past a degree of access was provided by “step side” pickup truck boxes, in which a small step was provided just forward of the rear fenders. However, the great majority of modern pickup trucks are provided with full-width “style side” boxes which lack any such steps, so that access must be gained at the rear of the box.
For this reason, many modern pickups are provided with step bumpers on which a person can stand at the back of the box. Due to vehicle height, however, the tops of such bumpers are normally far too high for convenient step-up, so that a person must haul himself up while holding onto the top of the tailgate, which makes it essentially impossible to step up onto the bumper while carrying a heavy or bulky article. Moreover, once on top of the bumper, the person must still climb over the tailgate, which is a tricky and inconvenient and again difficult or impossible when carrying an article in one's arms. However, when the tailgate is down it covers the top of the step bumper, and the tailgate itself is far too high to step onto. In rare instances a loading dock is available that allows a person to walk into and out of a pickup truck box with the tailgate down, but most of the time the height of the bed presents a very real obstacle.
Certain devices have been proposed in the prior art for providing an auxiliary step that is mountable to a vehicle. Some of these devices have also successfully employed receiver hitches as convenient and secure mounting points. However, the majority of such devices are not suitable for use with a conventional pickup truck, whether for reasons of configuration or complexity/cost. In other instances, a step has been provided that is mountable to or at the rear bumper of a pickup truck. Although some of these devices provide an acceptable step-up height (as compared with a step bumper), they are still covered and rendered useless when the tailgate is opened. The steps also form a projection that can trip or bang the shins of persons walking and moving about the rear of the vehicle, and that also tends to strike the ground when entering/leaving driveways and other inclined roadways.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a step assembly that is mountable at the rear of a pickup truck or similar vehicle so as to assist in entering the box thereof, in which the step is accessible when the tailgate of the vehicle is in the open, lowered position. Furthermore, there exists a need for such a step assembly that detachably mounts to a standard receiver hitch at the rear of a pickup truck or similar vehicle, so as to be conveniently and stably secured thereto. Still further, there exists a need for such a step assembly that has a compact configuration when not in use so as to avoid excessive protrusions or obstacles at the rear of the vehicle. Still further, there exists a need for such an assembly that is rugged and durable, yet structurally simple so as to avoid excessive manufacturing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has solved the problems cited above, and is a step assembly for a vehicle having a hitch receiver and a tailgate. Broadly, the hitch assembly comprises: a stationary upper support member that is insertable in the hitch receiver so as to support the assembly therefrom; (b) a frame member mounted to and extending downwardly from the upper support member; (c) at least one sliding lower support member mounted in the frame member generally below and parallel to the upper support member for movement from a forward, retracted position to a rearward, extended position; and (d) at least one step member mounted to a rearward end of the sliding lower support member so that when the lower support member is in the retracted position, the step member is positioned proximate the hitch receiver and when the lower support member is in the extended position the step member is positioned rearwardly of the hitch receiver by a distance sufficient that the step member may be stood upon when the tailgate of the vehicle is in an open, lowered position.
The step assembly may further comprise means for pivoting the step member from a generally horizontal orientation in which the step member may be stood upon when the lower support is in the extended position, to a generally vertical orientation in which the step member stows substantially flat with respect to a rear of the vehicle when the sliding lower support is in the retracted position. The means for pivoting the step member from the generally horizontal orientation to the generally vertical orientation may comprise a pivot shaft operatively interconnecting the step member and the rearward end of the lower support member.
The stationary upper support member may comprise a segment of substantially square-section stock dimensioned for insertion into a standard hitch receiver of predetermined size. The frame member may comprise a downwardly extending portion having at least one guide opening that receives the lower support member in sliding engagement therewith.
The assembly may further comprise means for selectively locking the lower support member in the retracted position so as to prevent the lower support member from sliding rearwardly while the vehicle is in operation. The means for locking the lower support member in the retracted position may comprise an opening formed in the lower support member proximate the rearward end thereof, and a locking pin mounted to the downwardly extending portion of the support member so as to retractably engage the opening when the lower support member is in the retracted position. The means for locking the lower support member in the retracted position may further comprise a handle mounted to an outer end of the locking pin for manually withdrawing the pin from engagement with the opening in the lower support, and a spring operatively connected to the locking pin so as to yieldingly bias the pin into engagement with the opening when the handle is released.
The assembly may further include a second opening formed in the lower support proximate a forward end thereof for being engaged by the locking pin so as to selectively lock the lower support in the extended position. A third opening may be formed in the lower support member intermediate the first and second openings for being engaged by the locking pin so as to selectively lock the lower support in an intermediate position in which the step member is positioned proximate a bumper of the vehicle, so that the step member may be stood upon to gain access to a rear compartment of the vehicle when the tailgate is in the closed, raised position.
The opening in the downwardly-extending portion of the frame member may be spaced below the upper support member by a distance sufficient that the lower support member when in the retracted position will clear a spare tire that extends below a rear of the vehicle by a predetermined distance.
The downwardly extending portion of the frame member may have forward and rearward axially aligned guide openings that maintain the lower support member in a substantially horizontal orientation as the lower support member is slid between said extend
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