Apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles

• US 6,874,801 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: N-Fab Inc. (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomas Fichter
• Inventors: Fichter, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): FISCHMANN, BRYAN R
• Application Number:
  US10/603,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20040004339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 280/163, 280/164.1, 280/164.2, 280/166, 280/169, 293/106, 293/117, D12/190, D12/203, 182/88, 182/90, 182/127, 296/62
• US Class Current: 280/163
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 3/00 Arrangements of steps or ladders facilitating access to or on the vehicle, e.g. running-boards construction of steps for railway vehicles B61D23/00 ; ladders E06C

Abstract

An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles having a generally cylindrical side bar adapted for attachment to a vehicle chassis, one or more U-shaped cylindrical bars attached to and suspended from said bar comprised of two end portions and a center bar, a generally flat surface on the top of each of said center bar of said U-shaped bars. The U-shaped bars maybe of tubular construction and have a flat surface and are preferably angled from the side bar at an angle of approximately 45 degrees and each U-shaped bar has end portions that meet the center bar at an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees. The side bar may be attached to any of a variety of chassis designs and may have a plurality of steps at the doors and at or near the back of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles comprising:

a generally cylindrical side bar adapted for horizontal attachment to a vehicle wherein said bar is fixedly attached to a side of the vehicle along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

one or more smaller U-shaped cylindrical bars comprised of two end portions and a center portion, wherein said end portions are fixedly attached to said side bar; and

a generally flat surface on the top of each of said center portion of said U-shaped bars.

2. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped bars are welded to said side bar.

3. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a non-slip or non-skid material placed on the flat area on the top of the U-shaped bar.

4. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped bars are attached at an angle approximately 45 degrees from the horizontal plane of said side bar.

5. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein said side bar has a bent end portion.

6. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped bars have end portions that connect to said side bar at an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees.

7. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein said end portions of said U-shaped bar meet said center portion at an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees.

8. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles comprising:

a generally cylindrical side bar adapted for horizontal attachment to a vehicle wherein said side bar is fixedly attached to a side of the vehicle along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

one or more U-shaped cylindrical bars comprised of two end portions and a center portion, wherein said end portions are attached to and suspended from said side bar; and

a non-skid surface on the top of each of said center portions of said U-shaped bars.

9. An apparatus to enable access into a vehicle comprising:

a generally cylindrical side bar adapted for horizontal attachment to a vehicle wherein said bar is fixedly attached to a side of the vehicle along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

a generally U-shaped bar comprised of two end portions and a center portion said end portions fixedly attached to said side bar, wherein said U-shaped bar is attached at an angle approximately 45 degrees from the horizontal plane ; and

a generally flat surface on the top of said center portion of said U-shaped bar.