Portable truck step
View Patent ↗A portable apparatus comprising a truck step for use in climbing into a cargo area of a pickup truck is described. The system provides a deployable step system that can be stowed securely out of the way in the cargo area of a pickup truck when not in use.
1. A portable step assembly for use on a pickup truck having a tailgate and a cargo area, the step assembly comprising:
a step portion configured to engage the tailgate, the step portion further comprising a tailgate engagement member step that engages the trailing edge of the tailgate, a rung member, and a plurality of side members connecting the rung member to the tailgate engagement member;
a mounting frame, the mounting frame comprising at least one vertical member, and at least one horizontal member, the mounting frame configured to provide a point of securement for the portable step assembly to an interior aspect of a side wall of the cargo area;
a support member, the support member pivotally attached at one end of the tailgate engagement member and configured to connect the step portion to the mounting frame by way of a guide member mounted on the mounting frame, wherein the guide member comprises a hollow tube, the interior of the tube forming a passage that slidably engages the support member;
wherein the step assembly is adapted to be moved between a stowed condition and a deployed condition, and wherein when the step assembly is in the deployed condition the step portion hangs downward towards the ground and is disposed to support substantially all the weight of a user as an aid for entry into, or egress from, the cargo area.
2. The step assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a stop mechanism that is operative to restrict the range of motion of the support member within the guide member, thus limiting the extent to which the step portion can extended downwards from the tailgate.
3. The step assembly of claim 2 , wherein the stop mechanism comprises a moveable flange.
4. The step assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support member further comprises a handle, the handle configured to support a portion of the weight of a user who uses the step to enter into or out of the cargo area.
5. The step assembly of claim 4 , wherein the handle is further configured to secure the step assembly in the stowed position within the interior of the cargo area when the step is not in use.
6. The step assembly of claim 4 , wherein the handle is pivotally attached to the mounting frame.
7. The step assembly of claim 4 , wherein the mounting frame and handle further comprise a complimentary detent mechanism operative to substantially maintain the handle in a desired position relative to the mounting frame when placed there by a user.