US 12,115,940 B2
Vehicle and vehicle step apparatus with multiple drive motors
Xinfa Du, Hangzhou (CN); Qi Zhang, Hangzhou (CN); and Yiming Wang, Hangzhou (CN)
Assigned to T-MAX (HANGZHOU) TECHNOLOGY, CO., LTD., Zhejiang (CN)
Filed by T-MAX (HANGZHOU) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., Hangzhou (CN)
Filed on Dec. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/555,325.
Application 17/555,325 is a continuation of application No. 15/931,474, filed on May 13, 2020, granted, now 11,208,043.
Application 15/931,474 is a continuation of application No. 16/826,094, filed on Mar. 20, 2020, granted, now 11,021,108, issued on Jun. 1, 2021.
Application 16/826,094 is a continuation of application No. 16/655,149, filed on Oct. 16, 2019, granted, now 10,618,472, issued on Apr. 14, 2020.
Application 16/655,149 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/200,940, filed on Jul. 1, 2016, granted, now 10,479,278, issued on Nov. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 201510468824.6 (CN), filed on Aug. 4, 2015; application No. 201510469324.4 (CN), filed on Aug. 4, 2015; application No. 201520576675.0 (CN), filed on Aug. 4, 2015; application No. 201520580148.7 (CN), filed on Aug. 4, 2015; application No. 201510731518.7 (CN), filed on Oct. 30, 2015; and application No. 201520860004.7 (CN), filed on Oct. 30, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0219612 A1, Jul. 14, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60R 3/02 (2006.01); B60R 3/00 (2006.01); F16H 1/16 (2006.01); F16H 1/46 (2006.01); F16H 37/04 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 3/02 (2013.01) [B60R 3/002 (2013.01); F16H 1/16 (2013.01); F16H 1/46 (2013.01); F16H 37/041 (2013.01); F16H 2702/02 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A motorized vehicle step apparatus, comprising:
a step operable to be moved between an extension position and a retraction position;
a first step bracket coupled to the step;
a second step bracket coupled to the step;
a first arm assembly coupled to the first step bracket and configured to cause the first step bracket to move between a first extended position and a first retracted position;
a first motor assembly comprising a first motor and coupled to the first arm assembly and operable to (i) drive the first arm assembly to move the first step bracket between the first extended position and the first retracted position and (ii) retain the first step bracket in the first retracted position by a reverse self-locking effect of the first motor assembly that prevents bi- directional rotation of the first motor;
a second arm assembly coupled to the second step bracket and configured to cause the second step bracket to move between a second extended position and a second retracted position;
a second motor assembly coupled to the second arm assembly and operable to (i) drive the second arm assembly to move the second step bracket between the second extended position and the second retracted position and (ii) retain the second step bracket in the second retracted position by a reverse self-locking effect of the second motor assembly that prevents bi-directional rotation of the second motor;
wherein the second extended position is aligned with the first extended position, and wherein the second retracted position is aligned with the first retracted position;
wherein the first arm assembly comprises (i) a first arm having a first end and a second end pivotally coupled with the first step bracket, and (ii) a second arm having a first end and a second end pivotally coupled with the first step bracket, wherein the first motor is coupled with one of the first arm or the second arm;
wherein the second arm assembly comprises (i) a third arm having a first end and a second end pivotally coupled with the second step bracket, and (ii) a fourth arm having a first end and a second end pivotally coupled with the second step bracket, wherein the second motor is coupled with one of the third arm or the fourth arm; and
a controller device in communication with the first motor assembly and the second motor assembly to execute a movement instruction to control movement of both of the first motor assembly and the second motor assembly to (i) drive the first arm assembly and the second arm assembly, respectively, according to a predetermined trajectory responsive to the movement instruction that moves the step between the retracted step position and the extended step position and to (ii) retain the first step bracket and the second step bracket in the first retracted position and the second retracted position, respectively, without vibration, sagging, or drooping of the first step bracket and the second step bracket due to the reverse self-locking effect of the first motor assembly and the second motor assembly, respectively, after over two hundred cycles of extension and retraction of the step by the motorized vehicle step apparatus,
wherein the first motor assembly further comprises a first worm shaft having threads and engaged to and driven by the first motor to rotate in a rotational direction, a first worm gear engaged to the threads of the first worm shaft to be driven by the first worm shaft, and a first gear drive assembly that includes a plurality of different gears engaged to one another and that is engaged between the first worm gear and the first arm assembly, wherein the first gear drive assembly is operable to, in response to rotation of the first worm gear, transmit power and rotation from the first worm gear to the first arm assembly to move the first step bracket, and wherein the first worm shaft and the first worm gear are structured to create the reverse self-locking effect that prevents the bi-directional rotation of the first motor in another rotational direction based at least on interaction of the first worm shaft and the first worm gear.