The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 21, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 20, 1999
David Mark Pascoe, Newmarket, Ontario, CA;
Brad E Watson, Sharin, Ontario, CA;
Other;
Abstract
A power-retractable step assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a substantially sealed housing assembly, a pivoting structure including a step structure, a gear assembly, and a motor assembly. The step structure presents an upper load carrying surface, and the pivoting structure is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis. The gear assembly is disposed in the sealed housing assembly and coupled to the pivoting structure. The motor assembly is drivingly coupled with the gear assembly and is constructed and arranged to pivot the pivoting structure about the axis and thereby drive the pivoting structure between deployed and stored positions. The step structure is moved in an outboard vehicle direction when the pivoting structure is moved from the stored position to the deployed position, and is also moved in a fore-aft vehicle direction when the pivoting structure is moved between the stored and deployed positions. The axis is disposed at an angle such that, as the axis extends upwardly, i) the axis extends in the outboard vehicle direction and ii) the axis extends in a same fore-aft vehicle direction as the fore-aft direction that the step structure moves when the pivoting structure is moved from the stored position to the deployed position.