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:
Jan. 16, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 30, 1999
Edward Helmut Bernard, Ontario, CA;
Bernard Mould Ltd., Oldcastle, US;
Abstract
An improved vehicle running board construction and method of making same including a hollow metal support pipe with an elongated mid-section step portion adapted in vehicle-mounted orientation to extend generally parallel to and adjacent a sill of a vehicle door that provides access to a passenger or freight compartment of the vehicle. An elongate mounting opening is formed in an upwardly facing exterior surface area of the pipe mid-section. A support plate has a plurality of transverse trusses arranged in spaced apart relation in a longitudinally extending row and straddling the opening side edges and resting thereon for support. A plurality of spacer webs are individually interposed between and joined to longitudinally adjacent pairs of the trusses and support at each of their longitudinally opposite ends, a resilient spring finger catch oriented to underlie an associated one of the pipe opening side edges. Each finger catch has a free end resiliently engaging an interior surface of the pipe for holding the step plate against upward release from the pipe. A step plate is mounted on and covers the support plate as well as the mounting opening of the pipe. The step plate has a generally flat planar central step tread portion with an undersurface bearing upon the support plate trusses. The step plate also has downwardly extending side flanges respectively extending outwardly of and downwardly past the pipe opening side edges and terminating at free end edges that preferably resiliently engage the exterior surface of the pipe. A plurality of retaining barbs extend downwardly from the step plate undersurface into snap lock tang engagement with associated receiving slot anchor tabs provided in the trusses for holding the step plate on the support plate, and vice versa.