Step device for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021070224-A1
Application number	US-202017012354-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 4, 2020
Priority date	Sep 9, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A step device for a vehicle includes: a movable step supported under a door opening; a coupling member that, in a state of being supported by a sliding door, engages with the movable step to move the movable step in a vehicle width direction in conjunction with opening and closing of the sliding door; a support arm that has a first pivot-joint point relative to a vehicle body and a second pivot-joint point relative to the movable step, and supports the movable step toward an upper side; and a cover member that is fixed to a lower surface of the vehicle body so as to define a housing space opening toward an outer side in the vehicle width direction and to cover the lower side of the support arm when the movable step is in a retracted position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A step device for a vehicle, the step device comprising:
a movable step supported under a door opening; a coupling member that, in a state of being supported by a sliding door that moves in a vehicle front-rear direction with a shifting zone in a vehicle width direction, engages with the movable step to move the movable step in the vehicle width direction in conjunction with opening and closing of the sliding door; a support arm that has a first pivot-joint point relative to a vehicle body and a second pivot-joint point relative to the movable step, and supports the movable step toward an upper side; and a cover member that is fixed to a lower surface of the vehicle body so as to define a housing space opening toward an outer side in the vehicle width direction and to cover a lower side of the support arm when the movable step is in a retracted position.

2 . The step device according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member includes a bottom wall that is disposed under the support arm and a peripheral wall that is erected at an edge of the bottom wall so as to extend upward toward the lower surface of the vehicle body.

3 . The step device according to claim 2 , wherein the peripheral wall is provided with a seal member that is interposed between the peripheral wall and the lower surface of the vehicle body.

4 . The step device according to claim 2 , wherein a sloping surface that slopes downward while extending from a vehicle front side toward a vehicle rear side is provided at a vehicle front-side part of the peripheral wall provided at a front end portion of the cover member.

5 . The step device according to claim 3 , wherein a sloping surface that slopes downward while extending from a vehicle front side toward a vehicle rear side is provided at a vehicle front-side part of the peripheral wall provided at a front end portion of the cover member.

6 . The step device according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member is disposed at a higher level than a lower end of a rocker flange that is provided on the lower surface of the vehicle body.

7 . The step device according to claim 2 , wherein the cover member is disposed at a higher level than a lower end of a rocker flange that is provided on the lower surface of the vehicle body.

8 . The step device according to claim 3 , wherein the cover member is disposed at a higher level than a lower end of a rocker flange that is provided on the lower surface of the vehicle body.

9 . The step device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sub-step that is disposed under the door opening in a state of being fixed to the vehicle body, wherein the cover member has the housing space together with the lower surface of the vehicle body and a lower surface of the sub-step.

10 . The step device according to claim 2 , further comprising a sub-step that is disposed under the door opening in a state of being fixed to the vehicle body, wherein the cover member has the housing space together with the lower surface of the vehicle body and a lower surface of the sub-step.

11 . The step device according to claim 3 , further comprising a sub-step that is disposed under the door opening in a state of being fixed to the vehicle body, wherein the cover member has the housing space together with the lower surface of the vehicle body and a lower surface of the sub-step.

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki
• Toyota Auto Body Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oji Yoshihiro
• Nomura Keisuke
• Kazama Shinji
• Hibi Kazuhiro
• Ikeda Kazuhiro

Classifications

• B60R3/02 Primary

  Retractable steps {or ladders, e.g. movable under shock (B60R3/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R3/007 Primary

  Removable steps or ladders, e.g. foldable (as access means for vehicle tops B60R3/005) · CPC title