U.S. patent application number 15/157569 was filed with the patent office on 2017-11-23 for box step with release button that illuminates.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Ford Global Technologies, LLC. Invention is credited to Paul Kenneth Dellock, David Brian Glickman, Talat Karmo, Michael A. Musleh, Stuart C. Salter.
Application Number | 20170334358 15/157569 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59752288 |
Filed Date | 2017-11-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170334358 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dellock; Paul Kenneth ; et
al. |
November 23, 2017 |
BOX STEP WITH RELEASE BUTTON THAT ILLUMINATES
Abstract
A step assembly of a vehicle is provided herein. The step
assembly includes a box step having a release button that
luminesces in response to excitation light and continues to
luminesce for a period of time after the excitation light cease to
be provided. A drive mechanism is configured to move the step pad
from a stowed position to a deployed position when the release
button is pressed.
Inventors: |
Dellock; Paul Kenneth;
(Northville, MI) ; Salter; Stuart C.; (White Lake,
MI) ; Glickman; David Brian; (Southfield, MI)
; Karmo; Talat; (Waterford, MI) ; Musleh; Michael
A.; (Canton, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC |
Dearborn |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ford Global Technologies,
LLC
|
Family ID: |
59752288 |
Appl. No.: |
15/157569 |
Filed: |
May 18, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 3/02 20130101; B60Q
1/2661 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60R 3/02 20060101
B60R003/02; B60Q 1/26 20060101 B60Q001/26 |
Claims
1. A step assembly of a vehicle, comprising: a box step provided
separate from a running board and having a release button that
illuminates; and a drive mechanism having one or more arms coupled
to the box step and configured to unlatch and move the step pad
from a stowed position to a deployed position when the release
button is pressed, wherein movement between the stowed and deployed
positions occurs through linear motion.
2. The step assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a pickup
truck and the box step is disposed between a running board and a
truck bed of the vehicle.
3-4. (canceled)
5. The step assembly of claim 1, wherein the box step is returned
to the stowed position by applying a force against the box in a
direction toward the vehicle.
6. The step assembly of claim 1, wherein the release button is
centrally provided at an outer side of the box step that is distal
to the vehicle.
7. A step assembly of a vehicle, comprising: a box step provided
separate from a running board and having a release button that
luminesces in response to excitation light; and a drive mechanism
configured to move the step pad from a stowed position to a
deployed position when the release button is pressed, wherein
movement between the stowed and deployed positions occurs through
linear motion, and wherein the box step is returned to the stowed
position by applying a force against the box in a direction toward
the vehicle.
8. The step assembly of claim 7, wherein the box step is molded
from a polymer containing a mixture of long-persistence
phosphors.
9. (canceled)
10. The step assembly of claim 7, wherein the drive mechanism
comprises one or more arms coupled to the box step and configured
to move the box step between the stowed and deployed positions.
11. The step assembly of claim 10, wherein pressing the release
button causes the one or more arms to become unlatched and biases
the one or more arms to the deployed position.
12. (canceled)
13. The step assembly of claim 7, wherein the release button is
centrally provided at an outer side of the box step that is distal
to the vehicle.
14. A step assembly of a vehicle, comprising: a box step having a
release button that luminesces in response to excitation light; and
a drive mechanism having one or more arms coupled to the box step
and configured to move the step pad from a stowed position to a
deployed position when the release button is pressed, the one or
more arms configured to move laterally with respect to the vehicle,
wherein the box step is returned to the stowed position by applying
a force against the box in a direction toward the vehicle.
15. The step assembly of claim 14, wherein the box step is molded
from a polymer containing a mixture of long-persistence
phosphors.
16. The step assembly of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is a pickup
truck and the box step is disposed between a running board and a
truck bed of the vehicle.
17. The step assembly of claim 14, wherein the drive mechanism
comprises a pair of parallel arms.
18. The step assembly of claim 14, wherein pressing the release
button causes the pair of parallel arms to become unlatched and
biases the pair of parallel arms to the deployed position through
linear motion.
19. (canceled)
20. The step assembly of claim 14, wherein the release button is
centrally provided at an outer side of the box step that is distal
to the vehicle.
21. The step assembly of claim 7, further comprising a light source
disposed inside the box step and configured to supply excitation
light to the release button.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to step assemblies
of a vehicle, and more particularly, to step assemblies capable of
illuminating.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Vehicles having high clearance often feature step assemblies
to assist a user in reaching various areas. A step assembly is
provided herein for assisting a user in accessing a truck bed and
includes a box step that is capable of illuminating to provide
functional lighting as well as impart a stylistic element to the
vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention, a step
assembly of a vehicle is provided. The step assembly includes a box
step having a release button that illuminates and a drive mechanism
configured to move the step pad from a stowed position to a
deployed position when the release button is pressed.
[0004] According to another aspect of the present invention, a step
assembly of a vehicle is provided. The step assembly includes a box
step having a release button that luminesces in response to
excitation light and a drive mechanism configured to move the step
pad from a stowed position to a deployed position when the release
button is pressed.
[0005] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a
step assembly of a vehicle is provided. The step assembly includes
a box step having a release button that luminesces in response to
excitation light and continues to luminesce for a period of time
after the excitation light ceases to be provided. A drive mechanism
is configured to move the step pad from a stowed position to a
deployed position when the release button is pressed.
[0006] These and other aspects, objects, and features of the
present invention will be understood and appreciated by those
skilled in the art upon studying the following specification,
claims, and appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] In the drawings:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a vehicle equipped with
a step assembly having a box step positioned in a stowed
position;
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates the step assembly of FIG. 1, wherein the
box step is positioned in a deployed position; and
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates the step assembly of FIG. 1, wherein a
release button of the box step is in an illumination state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention
are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the
disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that
may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are
not necessarily to a detailed design and some schematics may be
exaggerated or minimized to show function overview. Therefore,
specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not
to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis
for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present
invention.
[0012] As used herein, the term "and/or," when used in a list of
two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be
employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed
items can be employed. For example, if a composition is described
as containing components A, B, and/or C, the composition can
contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C
in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in
combination.
[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a step assembly 10 is shown
provided on a vehicle 12 generally embodied as a pickup truck. The
step assembly 10 is mounted to the underside of the vehicle 12 and
includes a box step 14 that extends in a generally longitudinal
direction relative to the vehicle 12. The step assembly 10 also
includes a drive mechanism 16 (FIG. 2) having one or more arms 18,
20 that are coupled to the box step 14 and configured to move the
box step 14 between a stowed position (FIG. 1) and a deployed
position (FIG. 2). The arms 18, 20 are depicted in the present
embodiment as being substantially straight, thereby effectuating
linear movement of the box step 14. The arms 18, 20 may be
substantially unitary in construction or may be configured with
telescoping members. In alternative embodiments, the arms 18, 20
may be curved such that movement of the box step 14 occurs via a
swinging motion.
[0014] In the depicted embodiment, the step assembly 10 is
generally shown disposed between a retractable running board 22 and
a truck bed 24 of the vehicle 12. By virtue of its placement on the
vehicle 12, a user may more easily access areas of the truck bed 24
that are directly behind a cabin 26 of the vehicle 12 without
having to climb into the truck bed 24 from a ground level. This is
accomplished by deploying the box step 14 to the deployed position
and stepping on a step pad 28 of the box step 14 to gain additional
clearance into the truck bed 24. The step pad 28 is generally
planar and defines a top surface of the box step 14. The step pad
28 may include one or more longitudinal grooves 30 therein to
provide traction for a user standing thereon.
[0015] According to one embodiment, the box step 14 may be deployed
from the stowed position by pressing a release button 32 provided
centrally on an outer side 34 of the box step 14 that is distal to
the vehicle 12. Given its proximity to the ground level, a user may
use his or her foot to press the release button 32. In doing so,
the arms 18, 20 may become unlatched, thereby causing the box step
14 to move to the deployed position. To return the box step 14 to
the stowed position, the user may use his or her foot to push the
box step 14 toward the vehicle 12 until the arms 18, 20 become
latched to secure the box step 14 in the stowed position. For
example, the user may use his or her foot to push against points 36
or 38 on the outer side 34 of the box step 14 in order to return
the box step 14 to the stowed position. In such a configuration,
the arms 18, 20 may be biased to the deployed position when
unlatched to ensure that the box step 14 is sufficiently stable for
a user standing thereon. As such, a requisite amount of force may
be needed to return the step box 14 to the stowed position.
Accordingly, it should be apparent that the drive mechanism 16 may
be entirely mechanical in nature such that movement of the arms 18,
20 is restricted until the arms 18, 20 become unlatched by pressing
the release button 32. However, it is contemplated that the drive
mechanism 16 may be electromechanical in nature such that the
pressing of the release button 32 causes an actuator (e.g., a
motor) to move the arms accordingly. The actuator may also be
responsible for returning the box step 14 to the stowed position.
Thus, it is to be understood that the above-described means of
actuating the arms 18, 20 are exemplary in purpose and those
skilled in the art will recognize a multitude of ways in which to
deploy and return the box step 14 once the release button 32 is
pressed. In assembly, the box step 14 may be primarily constructed
from metal or a metal alloy (e.g., steel). The step pad 28 may be
constructed from a black ultraviolet (UV) stable plastic. The
release button 32 may be molded from a polymer such as an impact
modified UV stable polycarbonate.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 3, the release button 32 may be configured
to illuminate as represented by the dashed lines stemming therefrom
in order to assist a user in visibly locating the release button 32
in dark conditions while also imparting a stylistic element to the
vehicle 12. In the present embodiment, the release button 32 may be
made to illuminate by way of luminescence. For example, the release
button 32 may include one or more photoluminescent materials molded
therein or otherwise coupled thereto that luminesce in response to
an excitation light. The excitation light may be provided from an
external light source such as sunlight 40 and/or an internal light
source such as one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 42 disposed
inside the box step 14 and oriented to backlight visible areas of
the release button 32. However, the LED(s) 42 may be elsewhere
located, if desired. According to one embodiment, the release
button 32 is molded from a polymer containing a mixture of
long-persistence phosphors ranging from 0.1 to 25%, which are
exemplarily shown in FIG. 3 by reference numeral 44 but are
generally not visible to the eye. The polymer may be an impact
modified UV stable polycarbonate having sufficient optical clarity
such that excitation light is able to be transmitted to the
long-persistence phosphors 44.
[0017] As defined herein, long-persistence phosphors are generally
able to store excitation light and release light gradually, for a
period of several minutes or hours, once the excitation light
ceases to be provided. The decay time may be defined as the time
between the end of excitation and the moment when the light
intensity of the release button 32 drops below a minimum visibility
of 0.32 mcd/m.sup.2. A visibility of 0.32 mcd/m.sup.2 is roughly
100 times the sensitivity of the dark-adapted human eye, which
corresponds to a base level of illumination commonly used by
persons of ordinary skill in the art. Based on the availability of
excitation light, it may be possible for the release button 32 to
luminesce at or above an intensity of 0.32 mcd/m.sup.2 after being
exposed to the excitation light for a period of 30 minutes, after
which the long-persistent phosphors 44 will glow intensely for one
or more hours and continue to emit a perceptible glow for upwards
of 24 hours or more.
[0018] The long-persistence phosphors 44 may correspond to alkaline
earth aluminates and silicates, for example doped di-silicates, or
any other compound that is capable of emitting light for a period
of time once excitation light is no longer present. The
long-persistence phosphors 44 may be doped with one or more ions,
which may correspond to rare earth elements, for example,
Eu.sup.2+, Tb.sup.3+ and/or Dy.sup.3. According to one embodiment,
the long-persistence phosphors 44 may range from 10% to about 15%
and the release button 32 may also include variable amounts of
stabilizing and performance-enhancing additives based on the weight
of the formulation.
[0019] In operation, the long-persistence phosphors 44 may be
formulated to convert sunlight 40 (i.e., UV light) into visible
light found in a conventional RGB color scale, including white
light. Additionally or alternatively, the long-persistence
phosphors 44 may be formulated to convert various colored light
supplied by LED(s) 42 into visible light. Thus, it is to be
understood that any long-persistence phosphor known in the art may
be utilized without departing from the teachings provided herein.
Moreover, it is contemplated that other phosphors, which do not
necessarily exhibit long-persistence qualities, may also be
utilized without departing from the teachings provided herein.
[0020] Additional information regarding the production of
long-persistence photoluminescent structures is disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 8,163,201 to Agrawal et al., entitled "HIGH-INTENSITY,
PERSISTENT PHOTOLUMINESCENT FORMULATIONS AND OBJECTS, AND METHODS
FOR CREATING THE SAME," issued Apr. 24, 2012; U.S. Pat. No.
6,953,536 to Yen et al., entitled "LONG PERSISTENT PHOSPHORS AND
PERSISTENT ENERGY TRANSFER TECHNIQUE," issued Oct. 11, 2005; U.S.
Pat. No. 6,117,362 to Yen et al., entitled "LONG-PERSISTENCE BLUE
PHOSPHORS," issued Sep. 12, 2000; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,952,341 to
Kingsley et al., entitled "LOW RARE EARTH MINERAL PHOTOLUMINESCENT
COMPOSITIONS AND STRUCTURES FOR GENERATING LONG-PERSISTENCE
LUMINESCENCE," issued Feb. 10, 2015, all of which are incorporated
herein by reference in their entirety.
[0021] For the purposes of describing and defining the present
teachings, it is noted that the terms "substantially" and
"approximately" are utilized herein to represent the inherent
degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative
comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. The term
"substantially" and "approximately" are also utilized herein to
represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may
vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the
basic function of the subject matter at issue.
[0022] It is to be understood that variations and modifications can
be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the
concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be
understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the
following claims unless these claims by their language expressly
state otherwise.
* * * * *