GB2535442A - Retractable tread two tread flip step - Google Patents

Abstract

A retractable, two tread flip-over step a unit for access to a vehicle comprises a first step or tread pivotally mounted k on a vehicle, with a second step or tread d attached to the first. Two pairs of pivoting links e, f are attached to each step, so that the first step may be folded under the second step for storage. The unit may then be pivoted upwards using a pair of links j into the step well b for storage. The unit may be deployed automatically when the door is opened.

Description

over type vehicle entrance step.

Many vehicle side entrances require an additional step or steps to step up to the vehicle step well or floor from the ground. One way to achieve an intermediate step between the ground and the vehicle step well or floor is by the use of a flip over step as shown in fig 1 which is a cross section of a vehicle side entrance step well. For high floored vehicles a single treaded flip over step is insufficient to achieve an acceptable riser height per tread and a two treaded stair is required as shown in Fig 1. A fixed two tread stair flip over step has a disadvantage, that when stowed it increases the depth the step unit will impinge into the vehicle which may cause an unacceptable obstruction inside the vehicle. The invention relates to a two step flip over stair unit but with a retractable lower tread that when the step unit is stowed in the vehicle, it impinges into the vehicle a similar distance to that of a single treaded flip over step unit. The retracting tread is automatically retracted and deployed by the action of the flipping over of the step unit and does not require any additional operations to stow or deploy it.

The invention consists of a conventional single tread vehicle flip over step unit (a) pivoting in the vehicle step well (b) at point (c) with a second tread (d) attached to the flip over unit by pairs of links or pivot frames (e) and (f) as shown in fig 2. The outer link or pivot frame (e) extends up from the pivot point (g) on the flip over unit to a pivot point (h) pivoting with a link or pair of links (j) that is attached to the vehicle at a pivot point (k). The position of the pivot point (k) in relation to the flip over step unit pivot point (c) is so that when the flip over step unit is deployed link (j) holds the links (e) and consequently the lower step in the correct deployed position in relation to the tread (I) of the flip over unit and when the flip over step unit is stowed, causes the attached lower tread (d) to sit substantially or directly on top of the upper tread (I) (now the lower tread) by the action of causing the links (e) and (f) to swing back towards the outside of the vehicle as in fig 3. The links (j) could alternatively be connected to the rear links (f) similarly extended instead of links (e).