U.S. patent application number 13/799918 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-08 for intelligent side step apparatus for vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hyundai Motor Company. The applicant listed for this patent is HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY. Invention is credited to Dong Eun Cha, Phil Jung Jeong, Hyung Gyung Kim, Bock Cheol Lee, Seung Mok Lee, Young Sub Oh.
Application Number | 20140125031 13/799918 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50489895 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140125031 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Oh; Young Sub ; et
al. |
May 8, 2014 |
INTELLIGENT SIDE STEP APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE
Abstract
An intelligent side step apparatus for a vehicle may include a
linear motor having a stator fixed to a vehicle body, with both
ends thereof being positioned in a traverse direction of the
vehicle, and a mover engaged to the stator and slidable along the
stator when a current may be supplied to the stator, a side step
that may be rotatably combined with the mover, and a step actuator
that may be connected to the mover and engaged to an end of the
side step to selectively rotate the side step.
Inventors: |
Oh; Young Sub; (Suwon-si,
KR) ; Kim; Hyung Gyung; (Suwon-si, KR) ; Cha;
Dong Eun; (Suwon-si, KR) ; Lee; Bock Cheol;
(Suwon-si, KR) ; Lee; Seung Mok; (Osan-si, KR)
; Jeong; Phil Jung; (Yongin-si, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
Hyundai Motor Company
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
50489895 |
Appl. No.: |
13/799918 |
Filed: |
March 13, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/166 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 3/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/166 |
International
Class: |
B60R 3/02 20060101
B60R003/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 5, 2012 |
KR |
10-2012-0124049 |
Claims
1. An intelligent side step apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a
linear motor having: a stator fixed to a vehicle body, with both
ends thereof being positioned in a traverse direction of the
vehicle; and a mover engaged to the stator and slidable along the
stator when a current is supplied to the stator; a side step that
is rotatably combined with the mover; and a step actuator that is
connected to the mover and engaged to an end of the side step to
selectively rotate the side step.
2. The intelligent side step apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
mover includes: a slider slidably engaged to the stator; and a
movable bar having an end to which the slider is fixed and the
other end to which the side step is rotatably coupled.
3. The intelligent side step apparatus of claim 2, wherein the step
actuator includes: a step motor mounted onto the other end of the
movable bar; a step gear that is formed at the end of the side
step; a motor gear fixed to a motor shaft of the step motor,
wherein the motor gear is engaged with the step gear.
4. The intelligent side step apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
stator is fixed to a side sill outer panel where a vehicle door is
positioned.
5. The intelligent side step apparatus of claim 1, wherein the step
actuator includes: a step motor mounted onto an end of the mover; a
step gear that is formed at the end of the side step; a motor gear
fixed to a motor shaft of the step motor, wherein the motor gear is
engaged with the step gear.
Description
ROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2012-0124049 filed on Nov. 5, 2012, the entire
contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an intelligent side step
apparatus for a vehicle, and more particularly, an intelligent side
step apparatus for a vehicle which operates in a rotary type and
extends in the left-right direction (width direction) of a
vehicle.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Some of recreation vehicles higher than sedans are equipped
with a sidestep 1 for convenient of a passenger, as shown in FIG.
1.
[0006] However, a common sidestep 1 is simply fixed to a vehicle
body 2 (side sill outer panel) and cannot expand in the left-right
direction (width direction), so that a passenger is inconvenienced
in using the sidestep 1 when getting in/out of a vehicle.
[0007] That is, a passenger can step on the sidestep 1 well in
getting out of a vehicle and accordingly it is possible to prevent
the passenger from getting hurt from a fall only when the sidestep
1 is conspicuous to the passenger, and the passenger can easily
step and get in the vehicle only when the sidestep 1 protrudes much
from the vehicle body 2.
[0008] However, since the sidestep 1 of the related art has a
structure fixed to the vehicle body 2 not to expand in the
left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle body, a
passenger is inconvenienced in using the sidestep 1 for getting
in/out of a vehicle.
[0009] The information disclosed in this Background of the
Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the
general background of the invention and should not be taken as an
acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information
forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the
art.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0010] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to
contributing to improving convenience of a passenger getting in/out
of a vehicle and improving the commercial value of the vehicle, by
providing a side step apparatus for a vehicle which can operate in
a rotary type and expand in the left-right direction (width
direction) of the vehicle body.
[0011] In an aspect of the present invention, an intelligent side
step apparatus for a vehicle, may include a linear motor having a
stator fixed to a vehicle body, with both ends thereof being
positioned in a traverse direction of the vehicle, and a mover
engaged to the stator and slidable along the stator when a current
is supplied to the stator, a side step that is rotatably combined
with the mover, and a step actuator that is connected to the mover
and engaged to an end of the side step to selectively rotate the
side step.
[0012] The mover may include a slider slidably engaged to the
stator, and a movable bar having an end to which the slider is
fixed and the other end to which the side step is rotatably
coupled.
[0013] The step actuator may include a step motor mounted onto the
other end of the movable bar, a step gear that is formed at the end
of the side step, a motor gear fixed to a motor shaft of the step
motor, wherein the motor gear is engaged with the step gear.
[0014] The stator is fixed to a side sill outer panel where a
vehicle door is positioned.
[0015] The step actuator may include a step motor mounted onto an
end of the mover, a step gear that is formed at the end of the side
step, a motor gear fixed to a motor shaft of the step motor,
wherein the motor gear is engaged with the step gear.
[0016] It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or
other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in
general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility
vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles,
watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and
the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in
hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other
alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other
than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a
vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both
gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.
[0017] The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have
other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are
set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are
incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which
together serve to explain certain principles of the present
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a side step of the related
art.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a side step apparatus for a
vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a step actuator of the present
invention.
[0021] FIGS. 4 and 5 are views illustrating the operational status
of a side step apparatus for a vehicle according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] It should be understood that the appended drawings are not
necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified
representation of various preferred features illustrative of the
basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of
the present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example,
specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be
determined in part by the particular intended application and use
environment.
[0023] In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or
equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several
figures of the drawing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments
of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings and described below. While the
invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary
embodiments, it will be understood that the present description is
not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary
embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to
cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various
alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments,
which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention
as defined by the appended claims.
[0025] A side step apparatus for a vehicle according to embodiments
of the present invention is described hereafter in detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0026] A side step apparatus for a vehicle according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2
and 3, includes: a stator 11 of a linear motor 10 which is fixed to
a vehicle body 2, with both ends positioned in the left-right
direction of a vehicle, a mover 12 of the linear motor which is
slidable along the stator 11, when a current is supplied to a coil
of the stator 11, a side step 20 that is combined with the mover 12
to be rotatable with respect to the mover 12, and a step actuator
30 that is connected with the side step 20 for rotation of the side
step 20.
[0027] It is preferable that the stator 11 of the linear motor 10
is fixed to a side sill outer pane where a vehicle door is
positioned.
[0028] That is, the side step 20 is installed to provide
convenience of a passenger getting in/out of a vehicle and it is
preferable that the side step 20 is disposed at a door of the
vehicle for a passenger to conveniently use the side step 20, and
for this purpose, it is preferable that the vehicle body 2 where
the stator 11 of the linear motor 10 is a side sill outer panel
where the vehicle door is positioned.
[0029] Further, the mover 12 of the linear motor 10 is fitted on
the stator 11 and includes a slider 12a that slides along the
stator 11, when a current is supplied to the coil of the stator 11,
and a movable bar 12b that is integrally combined at one end with
the slider 12a and disposed in parallel with the stator 11.
[0030] The side step 20 is rotatably coupled to the end of the
movable bar 12b by means of a rotary shaft 40.
[0031] Further, the step actuator 30 includes a step gear 31 that
is disposed at one end of the side step 20, a motor gear 32 that is
engaged with the step gear 31, and a step motor 33 that is combined
with the motor gear 32 by a motor shaft 33a and provides torque to
the motor gear 32.
[0032] The step gear 31, as shown in FIG. 3, may be integrally
formed at the end of the side step 20, or may be independently
formed from the side step 20 and combined with the side step 20 by
a specific fastening member.
[0033] The step motor 33 is preferably fixed to the mover 12 of the
linear motor 10, that is, the movable bar 12b, but is not limited
thereto.
[0034] Further, it is preferable that the linear motor 10 and the
step motor 33 are operated by a passenger operating a switch.
[0035] The operation of an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention is provided hereinafter.
[0036] FIG. 2 shows that the side step 20 has rotated upward in
close contact with the vehicle body 2 (side sill outer panel), in
which the side step 20 is retracted and a passenger cannot use
it.
[0037] As a passenger operates the switch to use the side step 20,
the step motor 33 operates, the motor gear 32 rotates, and the step
gear 31 engaged with the motor gear 32 rotates so that the side
step 20 is rotated about the rotary shaft 40 (in the direction of
an arrow R1) and deployed.
[0038] Further, when a current is supplied to the coil of the
stator 11 of the linear motor 10, as the passenger operates the
switch, the mover 21 of the linear motor 10 slides along the stator
11, resulting in moving and expanding the side step 20 combined
with the mover 12 (in the direction of an arrow M1) to the side of
the vehicle body 2, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0039] Accordingly, a passenger to get in/out of a vehicle can get
in/out of the vehicle, seeing the side step 20 expanding to the
side of the vehicle body 2, with a foot correctly on it so that it
is possible to prevent the passenger from undesirably getting hurt
from a fall and considerably improve safety and convenience of the
passenger.
[0040] Meanwhile, although it was described that the side step 20
rotates first and then slides to expand in deploying, it may slide
to expand first and then rotate, if necessary, or it may
simultaneously rotate and slide to expand.
[0041] According to the side step apparatus for a vehicle of the
present invention, as a passenger can get in/out of a vehicle,
seeing the side step expanding to the side of a vehicle body, with
a foot correctly on it, it is possible to considerably improve
convenience of the passenger getting in/out of a vehicle and to
prevent the passenger from getting hurt from a fall, so that it is
possible to more safely protect the passenger.
[0042] For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in
the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner" and
"outer" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments
with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in
the figures.
[0043] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments
of the present invention have been presented for purposes of
illustration and description. They are not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms
disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are
possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments
were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of
the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable
others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, as well as various
alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the
scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and
their equivalents.
* * * * *