1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a step assembly, and more particularly to a step assembly to help people getting on/off a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
A large vehicle normally has a step assembly provided to a side of the vehicle to help people getting on/off the vehicle. A conventional step assembly is affixed to the side of the vehicle body and is immovable relative to the vehicle body so that the vehicle body width is eventually wider than its original width. Also the distance from the vehicle body to the ground is reduced when the step assembly extends downward from the vehicle body. Therefore, the conventional step assembly has more disadvantages than advantages it brings to the vehicle.
In order to overcome the shortcomings, an improved step assembly is shown in
The server motor (611) has a driving shaft (612) extending through the first arm (62) and into the base (60). The second arm (63) is pivotally connected to a side face of the base (60). Therefore, when the server motor (611) is actuated, the server motor (611) is able to drive the first arm (62) to pivot toward/away from the server motor (611) such that the step (64) is then swung back and forth with the assistance of the second arm (63).
The structure of this assembly does solve the aforementioned shortcomings concerning a low and wide vehicle body, but engineering problems still bother the users in that a torque from the server motor (611) to the driving shaft (612) is far less than the torque from the driving shaft (612) to the step (64), which means the server motor (611) has to provide a much larger force than actually required so as to pivot the step (64). Furthermore, in regards to the structure, the step (64) is only held by the first arm (62) and the only function the second arm (63) provides to the step (64) is to balance it. Furthermore, it is found that the step (64) gradually loosens from the step due to vibration and rocking of the vehicle.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved step assembly to mitigate the aforementioned problems.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved step assembly having two arms respectively and pivotally connected to a step so that the step is horizontally held by both of the arms.
In one aspect of the present invention, the step assembly of the present invention is provided with a driving gear and two driven gears directly and indirectly mated with the driving gear so that the driving gear is able to drive the two driven gears to rotate. Each of the two driven gears has a gear shaft extending from a center of the corresponding driven gear to connect to corresponding proximal ends of the two arms such that the actuation of the driving gear is able to lift the step via the two arms.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
An arm assembly (30) is provided to each of the two pivot shafts (233) and includes a first arm (31) directly and firmly engaged with a corresponding one of the two pivot shafts (233) and a second arm (32) pivotally connected to a distal end of the first arm (31) via a pivot (33). Both first arms (31) and both second arms (32) are correlated to each other such that the first arms (31) are oblique to each other and the second arms (32) are also oblique to each other.
A step (40) is then firmly connected to free ends of both of the second arms (32) and provided with a pattern (41) formed thereon to provide a slip-proof function.
With reference to
In conclusion, it is found that the present invention has the following advantages:
1. Low motor load
The torque from the reduction device (22) to the pivot shaft (233) is much larger than the torque from the pivot shaft (233) to the step (40) such that work of the server motor (21) is little to lift the step (40).
2. Due to the dual arm connection to the step (40), the step is not easily rocked while the vehicle is moving.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.