US 12,257,194 B1
Passenger assist entry-exit assembly and vehicle with same
Reginaldo Alves de Almeida, Sabara (BR); Fabricio Cesar Oda, Dublin, CA (US); and Anthony Earl, Witney (GB)
Assigned to Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed by Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/490,962.
Int. Cl. A61G 3/06 (2006.01)
CPC A61G 3/061 (2013.01) [A61G 3/067 (2016.11)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle comprising:
a body comprising a floor area having a floor, and
a passenger assist entry-exit assembly coupled to the body, the passenger assist entry-exit assembly comprising:
a first panel,
a second panel rotatably attached to the first panel,
a third panel rotatably attached to the second panel and comprising a step member,
a deployment actuator mechanism coupled to the first panel, the second panel and the third panel to move the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel from a retracted position in which the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel are at least substantially linearly aligned and located under the floor to:
(i) a step forming deployed position in which (a) at least the second panel and the third panel are located outside from under the floor, (b) the third panel is angled relative to the second panel, (c) the second panel is angled relative to the first panel, and (d) the step member is rotated to form a step substantially parallel to a ground, and
(ii) a ramp forming deployed position in which (a) the step member is rotated to no longer be substantially parallel to the ground, (b) the third panel, the second panel and the first panel are located outside from under the floor, and (c) the first panel, the second panel and the third panel, including the step member, are substantially linearly aligned to form a ramp.