IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,944,231
Granted Patent B2
US 9,944,231 · App. 15/159,496 · Granted Apr 17, 2018

Retractable vehicle step

Inventors: Horst Leitner (Laguna Beach, CA); Anthony Smith (Huntington Beach, CA)
Assignee: Lund Motion Products, Inc.
B60R3/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,944,231
App. No.
15/159,496
Granted
Apr 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A retractable vehicle step is attachable to a vehicle or truck. The vehicle step facilitates access to a cargo hold, interior, or roof of the vehicle. Advantageously, the vehicle step may provide clearance space relative to a tailgate of the vehicle by displacing a stepping member of the vehicle step in a generally lateral direction. The vehicle step desirably has a covered and protected biasing mechanism for transitioning between retracted and extended positions of the stepping member. Advantageously, the vehicle step may be pulled out from under the vehicle by the foot of a user. Another advantage is that the vehicle step is readily attachable to the vehicle using already existing connection members, thereby generally eliminating or mitigating the need for customized retrofitting and avoiding undesirable installation cost and time. Finally, the vehicle step may be configured into at least two different arrangements for attachment to a vehicle utilizing the same components.

Claims (22)

1. A retractable vehicle step mountable onto a vehicle having a longitudinal axis, the retractable vehicle step comprising:

a first component connected to the frame of a vehicle;

a second component having a first set of apertures and a second set of apertures, the second component connected to a surface of the first component at either the first set of apertures or the second set of apertures; and

a stepping component connected to a bottom surface of the second component, the stepping component having a stepping surface configured to move between a deployed position and a retracted position and a longitudinal mid-point;

wherein when the first component is connected to the second component at the first set of apertures locates the stepping surface at a first position;

wherein when the first component is connected to the second component at the second set of apertures locates the stepping surface at a second position different from the first position; and

wherein the longitudinal mid-point of the stepping component is at a different longitudinal position from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle in the first position as compared to the longitudinal mid-point in the second position.

2. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the first set of apertures and the second set of apertures are on a same surface on the second component.

3. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the first set of apertures and the second set of apertures are on a different surface on the second component.

4. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the second component has a generally parallelogram shape.

5. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the second component has a generally rectangular shape.

6. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the first position and the second position are spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle from a front of the vehicle to a back of the vehicle.

7. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the second component is attached to the first component at the first set of apertures.

8. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the second component attaches to the first component on a bottom surface of the first component.

9. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the second component attaches to the first component on a side surface of the first component.

10. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the retractable vehicle step is self-energizing.

11. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , where the second component is configured to be moveably attached to the first component at the first set of apertures and the second set of apertures.

12. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the stepping component comprises a pair of arms.

13. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , wherein the retractable vehicle step comprises a biasing spring member.

14. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , the first component is attached at a bed of the vehicle.

15. The retractable vehicle step of claim 1 , further comprising a third component configured to mount to the frame of the vehicle at a location different than the first component.

16. A vehicle comprising the retractable vehicle step of claim 1 .

Assignments (14)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2026
From: A.R.E. ACCESSORIES, LLC; ADELL GROUP, LLC; ADVANTAGE TRUCK ACCESSORIES, INC.; BEDRUG, INC.; BELMOR, INC.; BUSHWACKER AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, LLC; BUSHWACKER, INC.; CORD GROUP LLC; EXTANG CORPORATION; HUSKY LINERS, INC.; LAURMARK ENTERPRISES, INC.; LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.; LUND, INC.; HOPE VALLEY INDUSTRIES, LLC; LUND INTERNATIONAL HOLDING COMPANY; MAXTON GROUP, INC.; N-FAB, INC.; OMIX-ADA, INC.; POWERFLOW, INC.; REALTRUCK GROUP, INC.; REALTRUCK, LLC; RETRAX HOLDINGS, LLC; ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION; RUGGED LINER, INC.; SUPERLIFT, LLC; TRUXEDO, INC.; ULTRA AXLE, LLC; UNDERCOVER, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 075566/0310 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2026
From: A.R.E. ACCESSORIES, LLC; ADELL GROUP, LLC; ADVANTAGE TRUCK ACCESSORIES, INC.; BEDRUG, INC.; BELMOR, INC.; BUSHWACKER AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, LLC; BUSHWACKER, INC.; CORD GROUP LLC; EXTANG CORPORATION; HUSKY LINERS, INC.; LAURMARK ENTERPRISES, INC.; LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.; LUND, INC.; HOPE VALLEY INDUSTRIES, LLC; LUND INTERNATIONAL HOLDING COMPANY; MAXTON GROUP, INC.; N-FAB, INC.; OMIX-ADA, INC.; POWERFLOW, INC.; REALTRUCK GROUP, INC.; REALTRUCK, LLC; RETRAX HOLDINGS, LLC; ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION; RUGGED LINER, INC.; SUPERLIFT, LLC; TRUXEDO, INC.; ULTRA AXLE, LLC; UNDERCOVER, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 075566/0472 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2021
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BEDRUG, INC.; TRUXEDO INC.; EXTANG CORPORATION; UNDERCOVER, INC.; RETRAX HOLDINGS, LLC; ADVANTAGE TRUCK ACCESSORIES INC.; LAURMARK ENTERPRISES, INC.; A.R.E. ACCESSORIES LLC; N-FAB, INC.; RUGGED LINER, INC.; HUSKY LINERS, INC.; OMIX-ADA, INC.; LUND, INC.; ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION; LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.; BUSHWACKER, INC.
Reel/Frame 055193/0892 →
RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 1, 2021
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AND COLLATERAL AGENT
To: LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 055189/0572 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS - FIRST LIEN Recorded Feb 1, 2021
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AND COLLATERAL AGENT
To: LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 055189/0549 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded Jan 29, 2021
From: LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055175/0901 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TL) Recorded Jan 29, 2021
From: LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055174/0699 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2020
From: LEITNER, HORST; SMITH, ANTHONY
To: 89908, INC. D/B/A AMP RESEARCH
Reel/Frame 052538/0749 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2020
From: 89908, INC.
To: LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 052538/0794 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT - FIRST LIEN Recorded Jul 9, 2019
From: LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 049698/0490 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (INDENTURE) Recorded Jul 9, 2019
From: LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049698/0448 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT - SECOND LIEN Recorded Jul 9, 2019
From: LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 049698/0394 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT R/F 045933/0149 Recorded May 13, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: LUND, INC.; ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION; LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.; BUSHWACKER, INC.
Reel/Frame 049163/0454 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2018
From: LUND INTERNATIONAL HOLDING COMPANY; LUND, INC.; BELMOR, INC.; LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.; BUSHWACKER, INC.; BUSHWACKER AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, LLC; ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 045933/0149 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14479147 · Sep 5, 2014
Continuation 13286133 · Oct 31, 2011
Related Publication 20170008459A1 · Jan 12, 2017