KR102686355B1 - Height-adjustable vehicle side step - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a height-adjustable vehicle side step. The side step of the present invention comprises: a step configured to assist a passenger in boarding; a plurality of screw cylinders including a screw structure that converts a rotational motion of a motor into an up-and-down motion of the step, wherein the plurality of screw cylinders are arranged symmetrically on opposite ends of the step so that the step is suspended; a body part including a servo motor and configured to be attached to a lower portion of the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the motor and the servo motor. When the door of the vehicle is opened, the servo motor is operated by the control unit so that the plurality of screw cylinders rotate at a predetermined angle with respect to a reference line that is parallel to the vehicle and perpendicular to the ground, thereby protruding the step outside the vehicle. According to the present invention, the height of the step can be adjusted up and down, so that it can be conveniently used according to the height of the passenger.

Description

HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE VEHICLE SIDE STEP}

The present invention relates to a height-adjustable vehicle side step.

A side step for a vehicle is a footrest that is mounted on the side of a high-bodied vehicle such as an SUV or RV to facilitate entry and exit. It is used to make it easier for children and the elderly to board a vehicle with a high body, and is also used to decorate the exterior of the vehicle with various designs. It is often a standard option on the latest SUVs and RVs.

Types of conventional vehicle side steps can be broadly divided into fixed types and electric types.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fixed side step 7 has a narrow footrest and protrudes outside the vehicle, so it not only looks unappealing but is also inconvenient to step on or off. Additionally, the height of the footrest is installed at an awkward level, making it impractical.

Fixed side steps have the advantage of being cheaper and require shorter installation time than electric side steps, but the prices of genuine products are not that cheap.

Accordingly, there is a demand for a side step that can be adjusted in height according to the height of the occupant and is configured so as not to protrude outside the vehicle body when the side step is not used, so that it has a good aesthetic appearance.

Public Patent Publication 10-2023-0094776 (2023.06.28) Public Patent Publication 10-2020-0074991 (2020.06.25)

The present invention provides a vehicle side step whose height can be adjusted according to the height of the occupant.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step according to an embodiment of the present invention,

A footrest configured to assist the occupant in boarding;

A plurality of screw cylinders including a screw structure that converts the rotational movement of the motor into the up and down movement of the footrest, wherein the plurality of screw cylinders are symmetrically disposed on both opposing ends of the footrest so that the footrest is suspended. configured, the plurality of screw cylinders;

A body portion including a servomotor and configured to be attached to the lower part of the vehicle; and

It includes a control unit that controls the motor and the servomotor,

When the door of the vehicle is opened, the control unit operates the servomotor to rotate the plurality of screw cylinders at a predetermined angle with respect to a reference line parallel to the vehicle and perpendicular to the ground so that the footrest protrudes out of the vehicle. It works.

Preferably,

When the door of the vehicle is closed, the servomotor rotates the screw cylinder in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the angle so that the footrest is introduced into the lower part of the vehicle.

Preferably,

a camera that acquires a full-body image of the occupant; and

a height calculation unit that calculates the height of the passenger from the full body image; and

It further includes a footrest height determination unit that determines the height of the footrest according to the height of the occupant calculated by the height calculation unit.

Preferably,

The footrest is characterized by having a plurality of grooves with a predetermined width engraved at regular intervals to prevent the occupant from slipping.

Preferably,

It further includes a distance sensor attached to the bottom surface of the footrest to measure the distance between the footrest and the ground or between the footrest and an object located below the footrest,

The control unit is characterized in that it generates a warning sound through a speaker of the vehicle when the footrest approaches the ground or the object within a critical range.

Preferably,

an LED installed on the upper surface of the footrest and configured to emit light when the footrest protrudes to the outside of the vehicle; and

It further includes a transparent protective cover covering the LED.

Preferably,

It further includes; an electric switch that rotates the motor in the screw cylinder to raise the footrest at a predetermined speed.

Preferably,

The size of the predetermined angle is characterized in that it is determined based on the height of the occupant.

Preferably,

The groove is filled with an anti-slip material, and the height of the filled material is higher than the upper surface of the footrest.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step according to the present invention can be conveniently used according to the height of the occupant as the height of the footrest can be adjusted up and down.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step according to the present invention is equipped with LEDs, so that you can safely ride in the vehicle without slipping even at night.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step according to the present invention has grooves formed on the upper part of the footrest, so that dirt from the bottom of the passenger's shoes can be removed.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step according to the present invention is equipped with a distance sensor on the lower surface of the side step, so that it can display a warning to the driver or passengers when an object is present under the side step.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step according to the present invention is recessed toward the bottom of the vehicle when not in use, preventing it from protruding outside the vehicle, thereby improving aesthetics and providing convenience to the driver.

However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional fixed side step.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a height-adjustable vehicle side step according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a side view of a height-adjustable vehicle side step according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a front view of a height-adjustable vehicle side step according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a height-adjustable vehicle side step according to an embodiment of the present invention, and it can be seen that it is located at a higher height than the footrest shown in Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing a prototype with the LED of a height-adjustable vehicle side step in a turned-on state according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating an example computing device that may implement devices and/or systems according to various embodiments of the present invention.

The advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. The present embodiments are merely provided to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to be understood by those skilled in the art in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Embodiments described herein will be explained with reference to cross-sectional views and/or plan views, which are ideal illustrations of the present invention. In the drawings, the thickness of the components is exaggerated for effective explanation of technical content. Accordingly, the configurations illustrated in the drawings have schematic properties, and the shapes of the configurations illustrated in the drawings are intended to illustrate specific forms of the configuration and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In various embodiments of the present specification, terms such as first, second, and third are used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one component from another. Embodiments described and illustrated herein also include complementary embodiments thereof.

The terminology used herein is for describing embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, singular forms also include plural forms, unless specifically stated otherwise in the context. As used in the specification, “comprises” and/or “comprising” means the presence of one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements in a mentioned element, step, operation and/or element. or does not rule out addition.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used with meanings that can be commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Additionally, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not interpreted ideally or excessively unless clearly specifically defined.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the concept of the present invention and embodiments thereof will be described in detail.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a height-adjustable vehicle side step according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body 110, a plurality of screw cylinders 120, a footrest 130, and a control unit (not shown).

The body portion 110 includes a servomotor that rotates the screw cylinder 120 and is configured to be attached to the lower part of the vehicle.

A coupling mechanism, fastener, or adhesive may be used to attach the body portion 110 to the lower part of the vehicle. Additionally, the body portion 110 may be fixed to the lower part of the vehicle by welding.

The plurality of screw cylinders 120 include a screw structure that converts the rotational movement of the motor into the vertical movement of the footrest 130. The plurality of screw cylinders 120 are symmetrically disposed on both longitudinally opposing ends of the footrest 130 so that the footrest 130 is suspended.

In the present invention, the longitudinal direction of the footrest 130 refers to a direction parallel to the direction from the front to the rear of the vehicle. In other words, it refers to the direction from the driver's seat to the back seat.

The footrest 130 is configured to assist the rider in boarding.

The control unit controls the motor and servo motor. An example of the control unit may include a programmable Arduino for controlling motors and servomotors. The control unit may be located within the body portion 110.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention operates a servomotor by a control unit when the door of the vehicle is opened to move a plurality of screw cylinders to a predetermined reference line parallel to the vehicle and perpendicular to the ground. By rotating at an angle, the footrest 130 operates to protrude to the outside of the vehicle.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention rotates the screw cylinder 120 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction when the footrest 130 is protruded when the vehicle door is closed. The footrest 130 operates to flow toward the bottom of the vehicle.

When driving or parking the vehicle, the footrest 130 is configured to prevent damage by being positioned as close to the bottom of the vehicle as possible without protruding outside the vehicle.

The footrest 130 of the height-adjustable vehicle side step 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of grooves 131 with a predetermined width are engraved at regular intervals to prevent the occupant from slipping. do.

As another embodiment, the footrest 130 may be configured so that the grooves 131 are filled with a material to prevent slipping.

The height of the filled material may be slightly higher than the height of the original footrest 130, so that it can be used to remove foreign substances on the bottom of the rider's shoes.

Figure 3 is a side view of a height-adjustable vehicle side step according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the footrest 130 is connected to the screw cylinder 120, and the footrest 130 protrudes to the left by the rotation of the screw cylinder 120.

Although not specifically shown in FIG. 3, it can be assumed that the footrest 130 of the vehicle is located in a direction opposite to the protruding direction.

As the rotation angle to the left of the screw cylinder 120 increases, that is, with respect to the reference line parallel to the vehicle, the degree of protrusion of the footrest 130 will increase.

The screw cylinders 120 shown in FIG. 3 are configured as a pair on one side, but this is only an example and is not limited to two.

In one embodiment, the number of screw cylinders 120 may be three or more depending on the size of the footrest 130.

In another embodiment, the length of the screw cylinder 120 may be configured differently depending on the proximity to the vehicle.

That is, the length of the screw cylinder 120 located on the left can be made longer than in FIG. 3, and the length of the screw cylinder 120 closer to the vehicle can be made shorter.

The screw cylinder 120 may be configured to have different lengths so that one side of the footrest 130 touches the ground. By arranging one side of the footrest 130 so that it touches the ground, if the rider is unable to lift his or her feet, the footrest 130 can assist the rider in boarding by simply pushing the foot up onto the footrest 130.

After the rider's feet are placed on the inclined footrest, the motor of each screw cylinder 120 operates at a different speed to make the footrest 130 flat again, and then lifts the footrest 130 toward the vehicle door. You can.

In a further embodiment, in addition to configuring the screw cylinder 120 itself to have different lengths, it is also possible to use a motor inside the screw cylinder 120 to cause the footrest 130 to directly contact the ground. When infants, children, or the elderly board a vehicle, convenience and safety can be promoted by having the footrest 130 in contact with the ground.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step 100 of the present invention may further include an electric switch that rotates the motor in the screw cylinder 120 to raise the footrest 130 at a predetermined speed.

Figure 4 is a front view of a height-adjustable vehicle side step according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step 100 of the present invention is attached to the bottom surface of the footrest 130 and measures the distance between the footrest 130 and the ground or between the footrest 130 and an object located below the footrest 130. A distance sensor 140 may be further included.

The control unit of the present invention can generate a warning sound through the vehicle's speaker when the footrest 130 approaches the ground or an object unintentionally placed under the vehicle within a critical range.

Damage to the side step can be prevented by the distance sensor 140 installed on the bottom of the footrest 130 of the side step, and it can also prevent accidents by generating a warning when there is an object placed under the vehicle when the vehicle is moving. It works.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a height-adjustable vehicle side step according to an embodiment of the present invention, and it can be seen that it is located at a higher height than the footrest 130 shown in Figure 2.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step 100 of the present invention includes a camera that acquires a full-body image of the occupant, a height calculator that calculates the occupant's height from the full-body image; And it may further include a footrest height determination unit that determines the height of the footrest 130 according to the height of the occupant calculated by the height calculation unit.

In one embodiment, the height-adjustable vehicle side step 100 of the present invention can be installed in the vehicle with a dedicated camera for acquiring full-body images of the occupants.

In another embodiment, a full-body image of the occupant may be captured when the occupant moves toward the vehicle door using a camera already installed in the vehicle.

In one embodiment, the height calculator may calculate the occupant's height by comparing a full-body image of the occupant to a reference image of a person with a known height.

The footrest height determination unit can pre-store a table that matches the optimal footrest height according to the passenger's height. In one embodiment, the footrest height may be manually set by the driver.

The size of the rotation angle of the screw cylinder 120, which determines the degree to which the footrest 130 protrudes out of the vehicle, may be determined based on the height of the occupant. That is, in general, the larger the passenger's height, the larger the size of the foot, so the rotation angle of the screw cylinder 120 will be larger.

The control unit may previously store a table that matches the shoe size and rotation angle of the screw cylinder 120 according to the passenger's height. As an example, when the height of the passenger is determined using the information stored in the stored table, the shoe size is determined according to the height, and the rotation angle of the screw cylinder is determined according to the determined shoe size.

According to the determined rotation angle, the control unit will control the servomotor to rotate the screw cylinder 120.

After the rotation of the screw cylinder 120 is completed, the motor inside the screw cylinder 120 can be rotated according to the height of the rider to adjust the footrest 130 up and down to match the height of the footrest 130 determined in the footrest height determination unit. .

Figure 6 is a diagram showing a prototype with the LED of a height-adjustable vehicle side step in a turned-on state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The height-adjustable vehicle side step 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on the upper surface of the footrest 130, includes an LED configured to emit light when the footrest 130 protrudes to the outside of the vehicle, and covers the LED. It may further include a transparent protective cover.

Equipped with LEDs, you can safely ride the vehicle without slipping even when riding at night. Additionally, aesthetic effects can be achieved by configuring LEDs of various colors.

In Figure 6, a separate prototype was produced rather than attached to a vehicle, and the prototype shows the LED on the side step being turned on while being supported by a support part.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example computing device 700 that may implement devices and/or systems according to various embodiments of the present invention.

An exemplary computing device 700 capable of implementing devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 7 .

The computing device 700 includes one or more processors 710, a bus 750, a communication interface 770, a memory 730 that loads a computer program 791 executed by the processor 710, and a computer. It may include a storage 790 that stores the program 791. However, only components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure are shown in FIG. 7 .

Accordingly, a person skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains can recognize that other general-purpose components may be included in addition to the components shown in FIG. 7 .

The processor 710 controls the overall operation of each component of the computing device 700. The processor 710 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Micro Processor Unit (MPU), Micro Controller Unit (MCU), Graphic Processing Unit (GPU), or any type of processor 710 well known in the art of the present disclosure. It can be configured to include. Additionally, the processor 710 may perform an operation on at least one application or program to execute a method according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Computing device 700 may include one or more processors 710. Computing device 700 may refer to artificial intelligence (AI).

The memory 730 stores various data, commands and/or information. Memory 730 may load one or more programs 791 from storage 790 to execute methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The memory 730 may be implemented as a volatile memory such as RAM, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Bus 750 provides communication functionality between components of computing device 700. The bus 750 may be implemented as various types of buses, such as an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus.

The communication interface 770 supports wired and wireless Internet communication of the computing device 700. Additionally, the communication interface 770 may support various communication methods other than Internet communication. To this end, the communication interface 770 may be configured to include a communication module well known in the technical field of the present disclosure.

According to some embodiments, communication interface 770 may be omitted.

The storage 790 can non-temporarily store one or more programs 791 and various data.

The storage 790 may be a non-volatile memory such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a removable disk, or a device well known in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It may be configured to include any known type of computer-readable recording medium.

The computer program 791, when loaded into the memory 730, may include one or more instructions that cause the processor 710 to perform methods/operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. That is, the processor 710 may perform methods/operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the one or more instructions.

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and can be used in the technical field to which the invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the patent claims. Of course, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or perspective of the present invention.

Claims (9)

A footrest configured to assist the occupant in boarding;
A plurality of screw cylinders including a screw structure that converts the rotational movement of the motor into the up and down movement of the footrest, wherein the plurality of screw cylinders are symmetrically disposed on both opposing ends of the footrest so that the footrest is suspended. configured, the plurality of screw cylinders;
A body portion including a servomotor and configured to be attached to the lower part of the vehicle; and
It includes a control unit that controls the motor and the servomotor,
When the door of the vehicle is opened, the control unit operates the servomotor to rotate the plurality of screw cylinders at a predetermined angle with respect to a reference line parallel to the vehicle and perpendicular to the ground so that the footrest protrudes out of the vehicle. It works,
When the door of the vehicle is closed, the servomotor rotates the screw cylinder in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the angle so that the footrest flows into the lower part of the vehicle,
a camera that acquires a full-body image of the occupant;
a height calculation unit that calculates the height of the passenger from the full body image; and
Further comprising a footrest height determination unit that determines the height of the footrest according to the height of the occupant calculated by the height calculation unit,
Height-adjustable vehicle side steps. delete delete In claim 1,
The footrest is a height-adjustable vehicle side step, characterized in that a plurality of grooves with a predetermined width are engraved at regular intervals to prevent the occupant from slipping. In claim 1,
It further includes a distance sensor attached to the bottom surface of the footrest to measure the distance between the footrest and the ground or between the footrest and an object located below the footrest,
The height-adjustable vehicle side step, wherein the control unit generates a warning sound through a speaker of the vehicle when the footrest approaches the ground or the object within a critical range. In claim 4,
an LED installed on the upper surface of the footrest and configured to emit light when the footrest protrudes to the outside of the vehicle; and
A vehicle side step with adjustable height, further comprising a transparent protective cover covering the LED. In claim 1,
An electric switch that rotates the motor in the screw cylinder to raise the footrest at a predetermined speed. A vehicle side step with an adjustable height, further comprising a. In claim 1,
Height-adjustable vehicle side step, characterized in that the size of the predetermined angle is determined based on the height of the occupant. In claim 4,
Height-adjustable vehicle side step, characterized in that the groove is filled with an anti-slip material, and the height of the filled material is higher than the upper surface of the step.

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