A convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of automotive pedal technology, and discloses a convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle. It includes an upper bracket fixedly connected to the vehicle body, a lower bracket hinged to one end of the upper bracket, and a pedal fixedly mounted on the free-rotating end of the lower bracket. Two locking mechanisms are provided between the upper and lower brackets. Each locking mechanism includes a connecting frame fixedly connected to the vehicle body, a locking tongue hinged to the connecting frame, a locking groove at one end of the locking tongue, and an elastic support body connected to the other end of the locking tongue. One end of the elastic support body is hinged to the connecting frame. A locking rod is provided on the lower bracket. When the pedal is hidden or unfolded, the locking rod disengages from one locking groove and enters the other. This utility model adopts a purely mechanical structure, achieving the effect of being hidden when not in use, ensuring the aesthetics of the vehicle, and unfolded when in use. The structure is simple and stable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive pedal technology, and in particular to a convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Off-road vehicles, due to their high ground clearance, while improving their off-road capability, also present inconvenience for passengers getting in and out of the vehicle and for front-end operations (such as cleaning the windshield and inspecting the engine compartment). To facilitate stepping, a common practice is to install fixed or external step devices in the front bumper area of ​​the vehicle.

[0003] In existing technologies, the front step mainly takes the following forms: Fixed external steps are typically bolted directly to the outside of the bumper or the front of the frame. They are simple in structure and low in cost, but they protrude significantly from the vehicle's outline, affecting not only the overall appearance and drag coefficient of the vehicle, but also significantly reducing the vehicle's approach angle and weakening its off-road capability.

[0004] Manually retractable steppers are sometimes designed to be flip-up or pull-out, allowing them to be unfolded when needed. However, existing manual mechanisms are often cumbersome to operate, and the locking mechanism is not reliable enough after unfolding. They are also prone to making noises or shaking on bumpy roads, affecting safety and user experience. In addition, when folded, some parts may still be exposed, failing to achieve complete concealment, which negatively impacts aesthetics and maneuverability.

[0005] Electric retractable steps, which have emerged in recent years and are integrated into the side panels or bumpers, can be automatically deployed and retracted via the push of a button, offering both aesthetic appeal and convenience. However, these systems are complex in structure, expensive, and dependent on the vehicle's electrical system. They may fail in harsh environments such as off-road conditions or low temperatures, reducing the system's reliability and emergency applicability.

[0006] Therefore, the existing front step devices still have significant shortcomings in terms of aesthetics, passability, ease of operation, structural reliability, and environmental adaptability. In particular, they are difficult to meet the requirements of off-road vehicles for high strength, lightweight, low dependence, and rapid emergency operation. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle. It adopts a purely mechanical structure, which can be hidden when not in use, ensuring the aesthetics of the vehicle, and can be unfolded when in use. The structure is simple and stable.

[0008] The above-mentioned technical objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: A convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle includes an upper bracket fixedly connected to the vehicle body. A lower bracket is hinged to one end of the upper bracket, and a pedal is fixedly mounted on the free end of the lower bracket. Two sets of locking mechanisms are provided between the upper bracket and the lower bracket. Each locking mechanism includes a connecting frame fixedly connected to the vehicle body, a locking tongue hinged to the connecting frame, a locking groove at one end of the locking tongue, and an elastic support body connected to the other end of the locking tongue. One end of the elastic support body is hinged to the connecting frame. A locking rod is provided on the lower bracket. When the pedal is hidden or unfolded, the locking rod disengages from one locking groove and enters the other locking groove.

[0009] As a further feature of this invention, the connecting end of the upper bracket is located inside the connecting end of the lower bracket, and a pin is fixedly provided between the connecting ends of the lower bracket, the pin being rotatably connected to the upper bracket.

[0010] As a further feature of this invention, the locking rod passes through the upper bracket, and the upper bracket is provided with a travel groove for the movement of the locking rod.

[0011] As a further feature of this invention, both ends of the pin and the locking rod are provided with flat washers, and both ends of the pin and the locking rod are provided with cotter pins on the outside of the flat washers.

[0012] As a further feature of this invention, the two sides of the locking groove are a long tongue and a short tongue, respectively, and the two sets of locking tongues are distributed in a mirror image. When the locking rod is located in the locking groove of one locking tongue, the long tongue of the other set of locking tongues abuts against the locking rod.

[0013] As a further feature of this utility model, the elastic support includes a support column, one end of which is hinged to the locking tongue, a connecting ring is slidably disposed coaxially on the support column, the connecting ring is hinged to the connecting frame, and an elastic element is disposed between the support column and the connecting ring.

[0014] As a further feature of this invention, the elastic element is a spring, one end of which is fixedly connected to the support column and the other end is fixedly connected to the connecting ring.

[0015] As a further feature of this invention, the foot pedal surface is provided with a rubber anti-slip pad.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: This utility model discloses a convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle. By completely embedding the step inside the vehicle body, it achieves a perfectly flush appearance with the bumper surface when hidden, maintaining the vehicle's clean and streamlined appearance while effectively avoiding any impact on the external passing angle. The mechanical locking structure ensures load-bearing strength and stability while enabling quick, single-person operation. A simple push or step action is all it takes to reliably switch states within seconds, combining lightweight design, low cost, and high reliability.

[0017] This step technology does not rely on external power and has fully manual emergency operation capabilities. It can be used normally even in extremely low temperatures or harsh outdoor environments, significantly improving the convenience and safety of high-chassis vehicles during maintenance, cleaning, and other operations. In addition, the design is easy to install without requiring major modifications to the original bumper, and can be widely adapted to various off-road vehicles, engineering vehicles, and modified models, demonstrating outstanding practicality and applicability. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure when the pedal is hidden in this embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the pedal when it is unfolded in this embodiment; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the locking mechanism structure in this embodiment; In the diagram, 1. Upper bracket, 2. Lower bracket, 3. Pedal, 4. Connecting bracket, 5. Locking tongue, 6. Locking groove, 7. Locking rod, 8. Pin, 9. Stroke groove, 10. Flat washer, 11. Cotter pin, 12. Long tongue, 13. Short tongue, 14. Support column, 15. Connecting ring, 16. Spring. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solution of this utility model will now be clearly and completely described with reference to specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0021] A convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle, reference Figures 1 to 3It includes an upper bracket 1, a lower bracket 2, a pedal 3, and two sets of locking mechanisms.

[0022] The upper bracket 1 is fixedly connected to the internal crossbeam of the front bumper of the vehicle body or a reserved mounting point. The lower bracket 2 is hinged to the upper bracket 1 via a pin 8, and the pedal 3 is fixedly mounted on the lower bracket 2. In this embodiment, the connecting end of the upper bracket 1 is located inside the connecting end of the lower bracket 2.

[0023] The two locking mechanisms have the same structure, both including a connecting frame 4 that is fixedly connected to the vehicle body to position and fix the entire locking mechanism. A locking tongue 5 is connected to the connecting frame 4. The middle part of the locking tongue 5 is hinged to the connecting frame 4. One end of the locking tongue 5 is provided with a locking groove 6, and the other end is connected to an elastic support body to provide elastic support for the locking tongue 5.

[0024] The lower bracket 2 is provided with a locking rod 7. Since the connecting end of the upper bracket 1 is located inside the connecting end of the lower bracket 2, the upper bracket 1 is provided with a travel groove 9 for the locking rod 7 to pass through and adapt to its movement. The locking rod 7 is set in the locking groove 6 of the locking tongue 5 to limit the locking rod 7, thereby limiting the lower bracket 2 and the pedal 3.

[0025] The locking tongue 5 is located on both sides of the locking groove 6, namely the long tongue 12 and the short tongue 13. The two sets of locking tongues 5 are distributed in a mirror image. When the locking rod 7 is located in the locking groove 6 of one locking tongue 5, the locking rod 7 disengages from the locking groove 6 of the other set of locking tongues 5 and abuts against its long tongue 12.

[0026] The elastic support includes a support column 14, one end of which is hinged to a locking tongue 5. A connecting ring 15 is slidably mounted coaxially on the support column 14 and is hinged to a connecting frame 4. An elastic element is provided between the support column 14 and the connecting ring 15. The elastic element is a spring 16, one end of which is fixedly connected to the support column 14 and the other end of which is fixedly connected to the connecting ring 15.

[0027] To adapt to harsh environments such as rain, snow, and mud, the foot pedal 3 is equipped with a rubber anti-slip pad.

[0028] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: In the concealed state, the entire lower bracket 2 and pedal 3 retract inward. At this time, the locking rod 7 is located in the locking groove 6 of one locking tongue 5. Through the action of the spring 16, the locking tongue 5 exerts an upward pressure on the locking rod 7. The long tongue 12 of the other locking tongue 5 abuts against the locking rod 7, also exerting an upward pressure on the locking rod 7, thereby ensuring the stability of the concealed lower bracket 2 and achieving reliable locking. At this time, the pedal 3 is located inside the vehicle body.

[0029] When unfolded, the user finds the edge of the pedal 3 under the bumper and pushes the pedal 3 outwards with a little force. The lower bracket 2 flips downwards. During this process, the locking rod 7 disengages from the locking groove 6 of one locking tongue 5 and enters the locking groove 6 of another locking tongue 5. At this time, the locking tongue 5 exerts downward pressure on the locking rod 7. The long tongue 12 of the other locking tongue 5 abuts against the locking rod 7, generating downward pressure, thereby ensuring the stability of the lower bracket 2 when unfolded. At this time, the pedal 3 is in a horizontal state, which is convenient for stepping.

[0030] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A convenient hidden step structure for an off-road vehicle front bumper, characterized in that, The system includes an upper bracket (1) fixedly connected to the vehicle body, a lower bracket (2) hinged to one end of the upper bracket (1), a pedal (3) fixedly installed at the free end of the lower bracket (2), two sets of locking mechanisms between the upper bracket (1) and the lower bracket (2), the locking mechanism including a connecting frame (4) fixedly connected to the vehicle body, a locking tongue (5) hinged on the connecting frame (4), a locking groove (6) provided at one end of the locking tongue (5), an elastic support body connected to the other end of the locking tongue (5), one end of the elastic support body hinged to the connecting frame (4), and a locking rod (7) provided on the lower bracket (2). When the pedal (3) is hidden or unfolded, the locking rod (7) disengages from one locking groove (6) and enters the other locking groove (6).

2. The convenient hidden step structure of the off-road vehicle front bumper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting end of the upper bracket (1) is located inside the connecting end of the lower bracket (2). A pin (8) is fixedly provided between the connecting ends of the lower bracket (2), and the pin (8) is rotatably connected to the upper bracket (1).

3. The convenient hidden step structure of the off-road vehicle front bumper according to claim 2, characterized in that, The locking rod (7) passes through the upper bracket (1), and the upper bracket (1) is provided with a travel groove (9) for the movement of the locking rod (7).

4. The convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both ends of the pin (8) and the locking rod (7) are provided with flat washers (10), and both ends of the pin (8) and the locking rod (7) are provided with cotter pins (11) on the outside of the flat washers (10).

5. The convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking tongue (5) is located on both sides of the locking groove (6) as a long tongue (12) and a short tongue (13), and the two sets of locking tongues (5) are distributed in a mirror image. When the locking rod (7) is located in the locking groove (6) of one locking tongue (5), the long tongue (12) of the other set of locking tongues (5) abuts against the locking rod (7).

6. The convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that, The elastic support includes a support column (14), one end of which is hinged to the locking tongue (5). A connecting ring (15) is slidably arranged on the support column (14) and is hinged to the connecting frame (4). An elastic element is provided between the support column (14) and the connecting ring (15).

7. A convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that, The elastic element is a spring (16), one end of which is fixedly connected to the support column (14), and the other end is fixedly connected to the connecting ring (15).

8. The convenient hidden step structure for the front bumper of an off-road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The foot pedal (3) is provided with a rubber anti-slip pad on its step surface.

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