US 11,964,629 B2
Retractable vehicle step
Horst Leitner, Laguna Beach, CA (US); and Anthony Nicholas Smith, Costa Mesa, CA (US)
Assigned to Lund Motion Products, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed by Lund Motion Products, Inc., Buford, GA (US)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/454,385.
Application 17/454,385 is a continuation of application No. 16/685,162, filed on Nov. 15, 2019, granted, now 11,173,845.
Application 16/685,162 is a continuation of application No. 15/639,950, filed on Jun. 30, 2017, granted, now 10,493,920.
Application 15/639,950 is a continuation of application No. 14/812,857, filed on Jul. 29, 2015, granted, now 9,701,249, issued on Jul. 11, 2017.
Application 14/812,857 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/598,489, filed on Jan. 16, 2015, abandoned.
Application 14/598,489 is a continuation of application No. 13/750,755, filed on Jan. 25, 2013, granted, now 8,936,266, issued on Jan. 20, 2015.
Application 13/750,755 is a continuation of application No. 12/819,078, filed on Jun. 18, 2010, granted, now 8,360,455, issued on Jan. 29, 2013.
Application 12/819,078 is a continuation of application No. 11/924,549, filed on Oct. 25, 2007, granted, now 7,740,261, issued on Jun. 22, 2010.
Application 14/812,857 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/606,929, filed on Jan. 27, 2015, abandoned.
Application 14/606,929 is a continuation of application No. 13/857,956, filed on Apr. 5, 2013, granted, now 8,944,451, issued on Feb. 3, 2015.
Application 13/857,956 is a continuation of application No. 12/638,890, filed on Dec. 15, 2009, granted, now 8,419,034, issued on Apr. 16, 2013.
Application 12/638,890 is a continuation of application No. 11/924,956, filed on Oct. 26, 2007, granted, now 7,637,519, issued on Dec. 29, 2009.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/855,438, filed on Oct. 31, 2006.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/863,340, filed on Oct. 27, 2006.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/863,555, filed on Oct. 30, 2006.
Prior Publication US 2022/0063502 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B60R 3/02 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 3/02 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A retractable vehicle step, comprising:
a single upper mount configured to be attached to a frame of a vehicle;
a first arm having a first end pivotally coupled to the single upper mount at a first pivot axis;
a second arm having a first end pivotally coupled to the single upper mount at a second pivot axis;
a single lower mount having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being pivotally coupled to a second end of the first arm at a third pivot axis and to a second end of the second arm at a fourth pivot axis; and
a stepping member coupled to the distal end of the single lower mount such that pivoting of the first arm and the second arm with respect to the single upper mount and the single lower mount can move the stepping member between a retracted position and an extended position,
wherein the stepping member comprises a stepping surface that extends along a lateral direction from a first end of the stepping member to a second end of the stepping member, and
wherein the distal end of the single lower mount is offset with respect to the stepping member along the lateral direction toward one of the first or second ends of the stepping member.