Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. An arrangement (10000) for mounting and elevating a foot step (101) of a vehicle, comprising:
• a foot step mounting assembly (10) comprising the foot step (101) and at least one foot step suspension link (102) which is configured to hingeably support the foot step (101) from the body (30) of the vehicle;
• a plurality of links (20), connecting said foot step mounting assembly (10) to the wing (401) of the door (40) corresponding to the foot step (101), configured to orient the foot step (101) from an elevated inoperative configuration when the wing (401) of the door (40) is closed with respect to the frame (402) of the door (40) to a descended operative configuration when the wing (401) of the door (40) is opened with respect to the frame (402) of the door (40).
2. The arrangement (10000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of links (20) comprises:
• a first link (201), at one end thereof, coupled to the wing (401) of the door (40);
• a second link (203), at one end thereof, coupled to said foot step mounting assembly (10); and
• an intermediate lever (205) coupled at one end to said first link (201) and at the other end to said second link (203) and pivotably supported on the body (30) of the vehicle;
wherein, said first link (201), through said intermediate lever (205), is configured to pull upwards said second link (203) and thereby elevate the foot step (101) when the wing (401) of the door (40) is closed, and push downwards said second link (203) and thereby descend the foot step (101) when the wing 401 of the door (40) is opened with respect to the frame 402 of the door (40).
3. The arrangement (10000) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plurality of links (20) comprises a spring (208) configured to bias said intermediate lever (205) towards engagement with said first link (201).
4. The arrangement (10000) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second link (203) is coupled to said foot step suspension link (102).
5. The arrangement (10000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said foot step (101) is the first foot step when counted from the ground level.
, Description:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to foot steps of vehicles.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
The first foot step fitted under the side doors of the cabin of an off-road vehicle such as a tipper, a tram, a car or a truck is mandated by regulatory standards to be at a predetermined height from the ground. At the same time, a clearance is also sought to be provided between the first foot step and the ground so as to prevent frequent collision with rocks or boulders.
A hinged first foot step is, therefore, typically provided. During the normal state, the first foot step is available at the standard prescribed height from the ground. In an event of a front-side impact, the first foot step tilts rearwards about the hinge due to the impact, thereby reducing the impact and temporarily providing the desired extra clearance.
Nevertheless, the suspended first foot step undergoes oscillations continuously while the vehicle is running. As a result, significant friction and noise is generated at the hinge. The friction leads to wearing of the pin of the hinge. The oscillation is further amplified during braking and acceleration, which causes a heavy load to be exerted on the hinge stopper. This causes premature failure of the hinge.
There is therefore a felt need for an arrangement for mounting and elevating a first foot step of an off-road vehicle that alleviates the aforementioned drawbacks.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment satisfies, are as follows:
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an arrangement for mounting and elevating a foot step of a vehicle.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an arrangement for mounting and elevating a foot step of a vehicle which lowers the foot step to a required height from the ground during its operative state.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an arrangement for mounting and elevating a foot step of a vehicle which provides sufficient ground clearance for the foot step during its inoperative state.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide an arrangement for mounting and elevating a foot step of a vehicle which ensures that the foot step mounting assembly remains steady in both the operative and the inoperative states.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages an arrangement for mounting and elevating a foot step of a vehicle. The arrangement comprises a foot step mounting assembly and a plurality of links. The foot step mounting assembly comprises the foot step and at least one foot step suspension link which is configured to hingeably support the foot step from the body of the vehicle. The plurality of links connects the foot step mounting assembly to the wing of the door corresponding to the foot step. The plurality of links is configured to orient the foot step from an elevated inoperative configuration when the wing of the door is closed with respect to the frame of the door to a descended operative configuration when the wing of the door is opened with respect to the frame of the door.
In an embodiment, the plurality of links comprises a first link, a second link and an intermediate lever. The first link, at one end thereof, is coupled to the wing of the door. The second link, at one end thereof, is coupled to the foot step mounting assembly. The intermediate lever is coupled at one end to the first link and at the other end to the second link and is pivotably supported on the body of the vehicle. The first link, through the intermediate lever, is configured to pull upwards the second link and thereby elevate the foot step when the wing of the door is closed, and push downwards the second link and thereby lower the foot step when the wing of the door is opened with respect to the frame of the door.
In an embodiment, the plurality of links comprises a spring configured to bias the intermediate lever towards engagement with the first link.
In an embodiment, the second link is coupled to the foot step suspension link.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
The arrangement of the present disclosure for mounting and elevating a foot step will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a vehicle cabin with a foot step mounting assembly of a prior art; and
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of the foot step mounting assembly of Figure 1;
Figure 3a and Figure 3b illustrate a side view of an inoperative and an operative state respectively of a foot step according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4a and Figure 4b illustrate isometric close-up views of the states illustrated in Figure 3;
Figure 5a illustrates an isometric view of a plurality of links of the present disclosure;
Figure 5b illustrates a close-up view of the links of Figure 5a; and
Figure 5c illustrates a rear view of the links of Figure 5b.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
10000 arrangement of the present disclosure
10 foot step mounting assembly
101 first foot step
102a first foot step suspension link
102b second foot step suspension link
103 hinge of suspension link
104 second foot step
20 plurality of links
201 first link
2011 slot in first link
202 mounting plate of first link
203 second link
204 mounting plate of second link
205 intermediate lever
2051 first arm of intermediate lever
2052 second arm of intermediate lever
2053 mounting hole of intermediate lever
206 mounting plate of intermediate lever
207 pivot of intermediate lever
208 spring of intermediate lever
30 body
40 door
401 wing of the door
402 frame of the door
50 bumper
60 wheel
70 obstacle
10000’ arrangement of prior art
10’ foot step mounting assembly of prior art
101’ first foot step of prior art
102a’ first foot step suspension link of prior art
102b’ second foot step suspension link of prior art
103’ hinge of suspension link of prior art
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms “a”, “an”, and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “including” and “having” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
When an element is referred to as being “mounted on”, “engaged to”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
Terms such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper”, and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
The first foot step of an off-road vehicle such as a tipper, a tram, a car or a truck, is required to be at a stipulated height from ground level in its operative state, i.e., when the occupant is stepping on the foot step for climbing up or down the cabin of the tipper. At the same time, for off-road conditions, sufficient ground clearance is desired for the first foot step in order to avoid frequent collisions with rocks and such other obstacles 70. In the prior art illustrated in Figures 1-2, the first foot step 101’ is suspended from the cabin body 30 behind a bumper 50 and in front of a wheel 60 by means of hinged links 102a’-102b’, which are configured to swing about an axis in the transverse direction of the tipper. Due to acceleration and deceleration, the first foot step mounting assembly 10’ oscillates heavily, leading to frictional wear at the pin of the hinge 103’. Therefore, the hinge mechanism fails frequently. At the same time, undesirable noise is generated due to the oscillations. Therefore, a mechanism is sought, which allows maintaining sufficient ground clearance of the first foot step during the inoperative state as well as making it available at the stipulated low height from ground level during the operative state of the first foot step.
The present disclosure envisages an arrangement 10000 for mounting and elevating a foot step of a vehicle. The arrangement 10000 of the present disclosure is now described with reference to Figures 3-5. The vehicle can be a tipper, a tram, a car or a truck, or a similar off-road vehicle. The foot step 101 is the first foot step of the vehicle when counted from the ground level. The arrangement 10000 comprises a foot step mounting assembly 10, a plurality of links 20 connecting the foot step mounting assembly 10 to the wing 401 of the door 40 corresponding to the foot step 101. The door 40 comprises a wing 401 and a frame 402 wherein the wing 401 is configured to swivel between open and closed states with respect to the frame 402. In an embodiment, the frame 402 is formed integral with the body 30 of the vehicle. The foot step mounting assembly 10 comprises the foot step 101 and at least one foot step suspension link 102. The foot step suspension link 102 is configured to hingeably support the foot step 101 from the body 30 of the vehicle. The links 20 are configured to orient the foot step 101 from an elevated inoperative configuration when the wing 401 of the door 40 is closed with respect to the frame 401 of the door 40, as illustrated in Figure 3a and Figure 4a, to a descended operative configuration when the wing 401 of the door 40 is opened with respect to the frame 402 of the door 40, as illustrated in Figure 3b and Figure 4b.
In an embodiment, the arrangement 10000 of the present disclosure comprises two foot step suspension links 102a-102b, wherein each of the operative lateral ends of the foot step 101 are hingeably from the vehicle body 30 supported by one of the foot step suspension links 101.
The plurality of links 20 of the present disclosure comprises a first link 201, an intermediate lever 205 and a second link 203. The first link 201, at one end thereof, is coupled to the wing 401 of the door 40 corresponding to the foot step 101 to be displaced. The second link 203, at one end thereof, is coupled to the foot step mounting assembly 10. The intermediate lever 205 is coupled, at one end thereof, to the first link 201, and at the other end thereof, to the second link 203. The intermediate lever 205 is pivotably supported on the body 30 of the vehicle. The second link 203 is preferably coupled to the foot step suspension link 102.
In an embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 5, the first link 201 is an elongate plate provided with a slot 2011. The first link 201 is mounted on a mounting plate 202 which is fixed onto the inner side of the wing 401 of the door 40. The first link 201 is preferably mounted on the mounting plate 202 using a rivet. The intermediate lever 205 is a plate with a hole 2053 configured for insertion of a pivot pin 207 therethrough. The intermediate lever 205 is pivoted on the pivot pin 207 inserted in a mounting plate 206 which is fixed on the body 30 of the vehicle. One end of the intermediate lever 205 is configured to engage with the slot 2011 of the first link 201. In an embodiment, the intermediate lever 205 is spring-loaded, wherein the spring 208 biases the intermediate lever 205 towards engagement with the slot 2011 of the first link 201, so as to prevent disengagement of the intermediate lever 205 from the first link 201. The second link 203 is a rod. The second link 203 is coupled to the foot step mounting assembly 10, preferably to the foot step suspension link 102, through another mounting plate 204 which is fixed onto a surface of the foot step suspension link 102.
In an operative configuration, while opening the door 40, as the door 40 revolves around its hinges, the first link 201 moves along an arcuate path. The first arm 2051 of the intermediate lever 205 that engages with the first link 201 gets pulled downwards, which causes the intermediate lever 205 to rotate about its pivot pin 207. Due to lever action, the second arm 2052 of the intermediate lever 205 is lifted upwards. Therefore, the second link 203, which is a rod coupled to the second arm 2052 of the intermediate lever 205, gets lifted upwards and pulls the foot step suspension link 102 upwards. Hence, the foot step 101 is also lifted upwards. Thus, sufficient clearance is provided against collision with obstacles such as rocks which might come in the way of the vehicle. The height upto which the foot step 101 can be lifted is determined by various geometrical parameters of the arrangement 10000, including the length of the first arm 2051 and the second arm 2052 of the intermediate lever 205, length of the foot step suspension link 102, distance of the point of coupling of the second link 203 to the foot step suspension link 102 from the hinge 103 of the foot step suspension link 102 and so on. Also, in the closed state of the door 40, the plurality of links 20 is configured to lower the second arm 2052 of the intermediate lever 205 and thereby push the second link 20 downwards. As a result, the foot step suspension link 102 is lowered and hence, the foot step 101 descends to a lower height. The length of the foot step suspension link 102 is configured to maintain the foot step 101 at the stipulated height from the ground level.
All the components of the arrangement for the plurality of links 20 of the present disclosure are rigid. Moreover, in both the states, i.e., when the door 40 is opened and when the door 40 is closed, the coupling between the components prevents any movement of the plurality of links 20. Therefore, it is ensured that the foot step mounting assembly 10 is remains steady in both the states, i.e., the foot step suspension links 102a-102b do not oscillate. Thus, noise as well as wear of the moving components of the foot step mounting assembly 10 is prevented. Hence, life of the foot step mounting assembly 10 is enhanced.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described hereinabove has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of an arrangement for mounting and elevating a foot step of a vehicle, which:
• lowers the foot step to a required height from the ground during its operative state;
• provides sufficient ground clearance for the foot step during its inoperative state;
• ensures that the foot step mounting assembly remains rigid in both the operative and the inoperative states; and
• prevents noise and wear of moving components of the foot step mounting assembly.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.