Retractable vehicle step with anti-strike/anti-pinch sensor system
First Claim
1. A retractable step assist for a vehicle, comprising:
- a step member having a step deck with an upper stepping surface, said step deck movable between a retracted position and a deployed position downward and outboard from said retracted position;
an extendable support assembly connectable with respect to an underside of the vehicle so as to extend said step deck downward and outward from the underside of the vehicle in the deployed position;
an electrically activated actuator mechanically connected to said extendible support assembly to automatically position said extendible support assembly and said step deck;
an optical fiber comprising an inner core and an outer cladding, said outer cladding at least partially surrounding said inner core, said optical fiber having transmission properties that vary when pressure is applied to said optical fiber, said optical fiber disposable on a lower body portion of said vehicle;
a light source having an optical output optically connected to said optical fiber so as to couple light output by said light source into said core of said optical fiber such that said light propagates through said optical fiber;
a light sensitive optical detector optically coupled to said core of said optical fiber to measure the intensity of said light from said light source propagating through said optical fiber, said intensity measured by said optical detector varying when pressure is applied to said optical fiber, said optical detector having an electrical output dependent on said measured intensity and indicative of said pressure applied; and
an electrically activated safety electrically connected to said electrical output of said optical detector, said electrically activated safety terminating retracting motion of said step member when said optical fiber senses pressure from an object pinched between said step deck and said lower body portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A retractable step assist for a vehicle comprises a step, an actuator, an optical fiber sensor, and a safety. The step is movable between a retracted position and a deployed position that is downward and outboard from the retracted position. The actuator is mechanically connected to the step to position the step. The optical fiber sensor has an output that varies when pressure is applied to the optical fiber sensor. The safety is triggered by this output from the optical fiber sensor. The safety is configured to terminate retraction of the step when the optical fiber sensor senses pressure from an object pinched by the step deck.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A retractable step assist for a vehicle, comprising:
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a step member having a step deck with an upper stepping surface, said step deck movable between a retracted position and a deployed position downward and outboard from said retracted position;
an extendable support assembly connectable with respect to an underside of the vehicle so as to extend said step deck downward and outward from the underside of the vehicle in the deployed position;
an electrically activated actuator mechanically connected to said extendible support assembly to automatically position said extendible support assembly and said step deck;
an optical fiber comprising an inner core and an outer cladding, said outer cladding at least partially surrounding said inner core, said optical fiber having transmission properties that vary when pressure is applied to said optical fiber, said optical fiber disposable on a lower body portion of said vehicle;
a light source having an optical output optically connected to said optical fiber so as to couple light output by said light source into said core of said optical fiber such that said light propagates through said optical fiber;
a light sensitive optical detector optically coupled to said core of said optical fiber to measure the intensity of said light from said light source propagating through said optical fiber, said intensity measured by said optical detector varying when pressure is applied to said optical fiber, said optical detector having an electrical output dependent on said measured intensity and indicative of said pressure applied; and
an electrically activated safety electrically connected to said electrical output of said optical detector, said electrically activated safety terminating retracting motion of said step member when said optical fiber senses pressure from an object pinched between said step deck and said lower body portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A retractable vehicle step assist, comprising:
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a first support arm;
a second support arm;
said first support arm and said second support arm connectable with respect to an underside of a vehicle so as to be pivotable about a first axis oriented generally parallel to the ground and a second axis oriented generally parallel to the ground, respectively;
a step member having an upper stepping surface, said first support arm and said second support arm connected to said step member so that said first support arm and said second support arm are pivotable with respect to said step member about a third axis and a fourth axis, respectively, said fourth axis located inboard from said third axis;
said first support arm and said second support arm allowing said step member to move between a retracted position and a deployed position downward and outboard from said retracted position, at least a portion of said upper stepping surface moves upward as said step member moves from said retracted position to said deployed. position;
a fiber optic sensor sensitive to pressure, said fiber optic sensor at least partly disposable in a location of said vehicle upward and inboard from said extended position such that an object pinched by said retracting step member is sensed by said fiber optic sensor, said fiber optic sensor comprising;
an optical fiber line comprising a core and a cladding, said optical fiber having a transmission loss increasing with pressure applied to said optical fiber;
a light source optically coupled to said optical fiber core to introduce light into said optical fiber, said light inserted in said core propagating along said optical fiber; and
a light sensitive optical detector optically coupled to said optical fiber core to sense said light propagating within said core of said optical fiber, said light sensitive optical detector having an electrical output port outputting a signal determined in part by said optical transmission loss of said optical fiber; and
a safety system comprising an electrical switch having an electrical input port connected to said electrical output port of said light sensitive optical detector of said fiber optic sensor, said safety system terminating retraction of said step member when an object is pinched by said retracting step member causing said object to apply pressure to said fiber optic line that introduces transmission loss sensed by said light sensitive optical detector and communicated electronically to said safety system. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A retractable step assist for a vehicle, comprising:
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a step member having a step deck with an upper stepping surface, said step deck movable between a retracted position and a deployed position downward and outboard from said retracted position;
an extendable support assembly connectable with respect to an underside of the vehicles so as to extend said step deck downward and outward from the underside of the vehicle in the deployed position;
an actuator mechanically connected to said extendible support assembly to position said extendible support assembly and said step deck;
an optical fiber comprising an inner core and an outer cladding at least partially surrounding said inner core, said optical fiber having optical properties that vary when pressure is applied to said optical fiber, said optical fiber disposable on a lower body portion of said vehicle;
a light source having an optical output optically connected to said optical fiber so as to couple an optical signal into said core of said optical fiber such that said optical signal propagates through said optical fiber;
a light sensitive optical detector optically coupled to said core of said optical fiber to sensing said optical signal propagating through said optical fiber, said optical signal measured by said optical detector varying when pressure is applied to said optical fiber, said optical detector having an output dependent on said optical signal measured and indicative of said pressure applied; and
a safety triggered by a signal from said optical detector, said safety configured to terminate retraction of said step member when said optical fiber senses pressure from an object pinched between said step deck and said lower body portion. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of reducing injury caused by retraction of retractable step in a retractable vehicle step assist, said method comprising:
disposing an fiber optic with respect to said retracting step to be at least partially compressed when an object is contacted by retraction of said retractable step in a vehicle step assist, said fiber optic having optical properties that are altered when said fiber optic is compressed;
propagating light through said optical fiber;
detecting said light propagated through said optical fiber;
determining whether said fiber optic is compressed based on said variation in said optical properties of said fiber optic; and
terminating retraction of said retractable step upon compression of said fiber optic. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
Specification