Vehicle Step Cover Member Protects Support Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing step devices for vehicles often have support arms that are prone to being covered in dust or mud water, leading to hindered movement and potential collisions with foreign objects, which compromises their reliability.
Innovation Solution
A step device design featuring support arms with a first and second pivot-joint point, supported by a cover member fixed to the vehicle body, which covers the lower side of the support arms when the movable step is retracted, preventing dust, mud, and foreign object collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If support arms are disposed at a lower level than the lower surface of the vehicle body to support the movable step, then the movable step can be supported effectively, but the support arms are exposed to dust and mud water during vehicle operation, causing hindered movement and potential collisions with foreign objects
Solution Approach 1:
A cover member is introduced as an intermediary protective element between the support arm and the external environment. The cover member includes a cover body that covers the lower side of the support arm, preventing direct contact with dust, mud water, and foreign objects while allowing the support arm to maintain its functional exposure for supporting the movable step.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover member functions as a protective shell that envelops the support arm. This shell structure allows the support arm to operate reliably by filtering out harmful environmental factors while maintaining the mechanical functionality of the support system.
2Ease of operation
If support arms are exposed to the external environment during vehicle operation, then they can perform their supporting function, but they are prone to collision with foreign objects such as small stones kicked up by tires
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member serves as a protective intermediary that shields the support arm from foreign objects like small stones while permitting the support arm to maintain its movement capability for deploying and retracting the movable step.
3Reliability
If support arms are covered to protect from debris, then reliability improves, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is designed as a relatively simple shell structure that provides comprehensive protection for the support arm. By using a cover body with appropriate openings for functionality, the design achieves protection without excessive structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A step device for a vehicle includes: a movable step supported under a door opening; a coupling member that, in a state of being supported by a sliding door, engages with the movable step to move the movable step in a vehicle width direction in conjunction with opening and closing of the sliding door; a support arm that has a first pivot-joint point relative to a vehicle body and a second pivot-joint point relative to the movable step, and supports the movable step toward an upper side; and a cover member that is fixed to a lower surface of the vehicle body so as to define a housing space opening toward an outer side in the vehicle width direction and to cover the lower side of the support arm when the movable step is in a retracted position.