JPH09301075A - Automobile side step - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a side step mounted under a side door of an automobile body, which conforms a stylish body having a smooth curved surface. SOLUTION: A hollow step body 11 formed at its upper face 12 with a substantially horizontal step face 13 is employed and amounted on an automobile body 8 through a stay 20 with its side face as a fitting face 16. Since the hollow body 11 having high rigidity is employed and can be mounted on the body by only fitting the stay 20 to the side face, the stay 20 or other parts to be fitted therewith do not lie in the upper face 12 and an outer face 17. Further since the hollow step body is employed, can provide a smooth, gas dynamics- formed side step.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a side step mounted below a side door of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Most of wagon type and RV (leisure vehicle) type vehicles have a high vehicle height, so that a side step can be attached to the lower outside of the side door so that the user can easily get on and off. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the conventional side step 1, a plurality of substantially L-shaped support members 2 are attached to the lower portion of the vehicle body, and the footboard 3 is attached on the support members 2.

[0003]

In recent years, many automobile styles have been studied by gas dynamics, and a body having a shape obtained by synthesizing a smooth curved surface has been adopted. The same applies to wagon-type and RV-type vehicles, and many vehicles with more stylish and individual designs have been developed, with the entire body being composed of smooth curved surfaces. Therefore,
The roof racks, lamps, wheels, etc. that are mounted on these vehicles have also been developed to have a gas-dynamic form with smooth curved surfaces on the exterior. It is also considered that the side step mounted below the side door is also configured with a smooth curved surface. The conventional side step 1 cannot be formed in terms of gas dynamics because the step plate 3 is mounted on the L-shaped support 2, and the cap 4 made of rubber or the like is provided in front of and behind the step plate 3 of the side step. It is provided to produce smoothness.

However, since most of the side steps 1 are composed of the treads 3, the side steps have a poor sense of mass, and it is difficult to design a side step that matches a stylish body in recent years. Furthermore, a connection screw 5 with the support 2 that supports the footboard 3 from below appears on the surface of the footboard 3, and it is difficult to remove the screw 5. Further, since the support 2 that supports the footboard 3 from below needs to be made of a strong and thick member, it is necessary to hide these in terms of design, and it is necessary to ensure the strength of the footboard 3. There is no choice but to adopt a design in which the upper and lower edges 6 and 7 of the footboard 3 are folded back. Therefore, it was not possible to provide a side step with a unique design.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a side step having a smooth curved surface that matches a body having a smooth curved surface. Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide a side step that can be mounted on the vehicle body without a thing such as a screw for fixing to the support that hinders the design of the side step from appearing on the surface. Another object of the present invention is to provide a side step that can realize a unique design, which is completely different from the conventional side step in which a tread is bent.

[0006]

For this reason, in the present invention, the side step is not constituted by the step plate but is constituted by the hollow member. That is, the automobile side step mounted under the automobile side door of the present invention has a hollow step body extending substantially horizontally along the vehicle body, and at least one of the upper surfaces of the step body is provided. A substantially horizontal tread surface is formed on the portion, and an attachment surface for attaching the step body to the vehicle body is formed on at least a part of the side surface of the step body facing the vehicle body.
By adopting a hollow step body, it is possible to realize a side step having a mass feeling and having a gas dynamic curved surface.

Further, by making the step body hollow, the rigidity of the step body can be increased. Therefore, unlike the conventional side step, it is not necessary to support the footboard with a support from below, and the side surface of the step body facing the vehicle body can be used to mount it on the vehicle body. Therefore, since the support (stay) cannot be seen from the outside of the step body, it is not necessary to consider the design for hiding the stay, and the degree of freedom in designing the step body is expanded. For example, it becomes possible to form a smooth curved surface such as a convex surface that connects the lower edge of the side surface facing the vehicle body with the mounting surface from the outer edge of the upper surface, and provides a side step that matches the body composed of curved surfaces. can do. Further, since the side surface of the step body can be attached to the vehicle body, a jig for attachment such as a screw does not appear on the upper surface having the tread surface or the outer surface of the step body. Therefore,
Also in this respect, the outer peripheral surface of the side step can be formed by a continuous and smooth surface.

The step body can be attached to the vehicle body by connecting a plurality of connecting jigs (supports, stays) to the side attachment surfaces, and the side surface of the step body has a vertical or some inclination with respect to a substantially horizontal upper surface. It becomes a face. Therefore, it is possible to prevent wobbling at the time of mounting by providing the connecting portions with the connecting jig at at least two positions above and below the mounting surface on the side surface, and it is possible to reliably mount the step body on the vehicle body. In addition, it is possible to form a plurality of horizontally extending rail-shaped grooves on the side mounting surface, and by inserting bolts into these rail-shaped grooves, the position of the mounting jig can be freely adjusted according to the mounting position of the vehicle body. Can be adjusted to Therefore, it is possible to provide a versatile side step for a plurality of vehicle types.

Further, the hollow step body can be formed of a hollow member (hollow extruded material) made of aluminum, and can be provided at a low weight and at a low cost. Also, the hollow step body has high rigidity and can be connected to the vehicle body on the side surface of the step body, so the connecting jig for mounting the step body on the vehicle body is not a conventional L-shaped strong support,
A lightweight connecting jig mainly composed of a plate may be used. Therefore,
In this respect as well, the side steps can be made lighter, which is inexpensive and can reduce the load on the vehicle body.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a side step 10, which is an example of the present invention, is attached to a lower portion 8 of a side door of a vehicle body. FIG. 2 shows how the side step 10 of this example is assembled and connected to the chassis (not shown) of the vehicle body lower portion 8. Side step 10 of this example
2 includes a hollow step body 11 extending substantially horizontally along the vehicle body as shown in FIG.
Rubber caps 19a and 19b are attached to the front and rear 11a and 11b, respectively. As shown in an enlarged scale in FIG. 3, the step body 11 is a hollow extruded material made of aluminum and has a substantially horizontal upper surface 12.
The outer surface 2/3 of 2 is formed as a tread surface 13 by forming a plurality of irregularities along the step body 11. The step body 11 has a side surface 14 on the side of the vehicle body 8 that is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface 12.
Two rails 15a and 15b extending along 1 are vertically formed as a mounting surface 16. Further, the side surface 14
The lower edge 14a to the outer edge 12a of the upper surface 12 are connected by a smooth outer surface 17 having a convex shape. As described above, the step body 11 of the present example is configured by the hollow member surrounded by the upper surface 12, the side surface 14, and the outer surface 17, and the partition 11c is provided in the hollow space for reinforcement. . Further, a part of the main body 11 is extended in a plate shape upward from the connecting portion 12b between the upper surface 12 and the side surface 14 so as to have a function as the shingling plate 18.

In the step body 11 of this embodiment, a plurality of connecting members (stays) 20 are connected to a side mounting surface 16 to form a vehicle body 8
Can be attached to. The stay 20 of the present example has a plate shape, and a portion of the step body 11 that is connected to the mounting surface 16 is bent 90 degrees to form a connecting portion 21. The connection portion 21 is provided with two connection holes 22a and 22b at the top and bottom. The upper portion of the stay 20 is a mounting portion for the chassis of the vehicle body 8, and for this purpose, two mounting holes 23a and 23b are provided. When attaching the stay 20 to the step body 11, the two rails 15a provided on the attachment surface 16 are used.
And 15b, the head portion 29a of the bolt 29 is inserted, and the bolt 2 is inserted into the connection holes 22a and 22b of the stay 20.
After passing through 9, the stay 20 can be fixed to the step body 11 by fixing with the nut 28. The rails 15a and 15b of the mounting surface 16 are long along the step body 11. Therefore, the stay 20 includes the step body 1
It can be fixed at any position of 1 and stay 2
It can be easily attached to vehicles with different 0 attachment positions. As described above, the side step 10 of this example has versatility capable of supporting a plurality of vehicle types.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the side step 10 of this example is mounted on the vehicle body 8, FIG. 4 (a) shows the side step 10 as seen from above, and FIG. 4 (b) shows a side view. FIG. 4C shows the side view of the step 10 as seen from the side of the vehicle body, and FIG. 4C shows the side step 10 as seen from the inside of the vehicle body. As can be seen from these figures, the side step 10 of this example is a side step in which a tread 13 that is useful for getting on and off the upper surface 12 is formed. When the side step 10 is viewed from the side of the vehicle body, an appropriate sense of mass can be obtained by the hollow step body 11. Furthermore, since the outer surface 17 of the step body 11 having a smooth convex surface appears on the side of the vehicle body, the entire side step 10 has a gas dynamic (aero) form. Therefore, the side step 10 of this example is a side step having a design that matches the body of recent RV type vehicle models that have many curved surfaces, and the exterior that allows you to feel a sense of unity with the body when attached to the body. Is. Furthermore, before and after the step body 11
Since the caps 19a and 19b formed of curved surfaces are attached to a and 11b, the entire side step 10 including the front and rear direction is formed of a smooth surface. Therefore,
A curved design that matches the car body appears not only from the side of the car body but also from the front and back, and it is possible to complement the car body composed of curved surfaces.

Further, since the step body 11 is hollow, the rigidity of the step body 11 is enhanced. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4C, the stay 20 can be connected only to the side surface 14 of the step body 11, and as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the stay 20 itself or The connecting portion with the stay 20 does not appear outside the vehicle body. Therefore, the step body 11 that appears outside
No trace showing connection with the stay 20 appears on the outer surface 17 and the upper surface 12, and it can be configured by a smooth curved surface or the like. Thus, the hollow step body 11
By adopting, the stay 20 can be completely hidden from the outside. Therefore, the step body 11 is not limited to a single curved surface such as the convex outer surface of this example, but is not limited to this, and the outer surface 17 and the upper surface 12 may be formed of a plurality of curved surfaces,
It is possible to configure freely with multiple planes,
Further, it is possible to attach any pattern. Therefore, it is possible to realize a side step having a unique design, rather than a uniform design as in the conventional side step.

Further, by adopting the hollow hollow step body 11, the side step 10 can be attached to the vehicle body only by connecting the stay 20 to the side attachment surface 16. For this reason, the stay 20 need only have a shape that is strong against pulling, so that the plate-shaped one as in this example can be used, and a conventional L-shaped wall-thick and high-strength connecting jig is not required. . Such a plate-shaped stay 20 is lightweight, can be easily formed by punching, and can be supplied at a low cost. further,
Since the step body 11 is also a hollow extruded material made of aluminum, it is lightweight, has high strength, and can be inexpensively supplied.
Therefore, the side step 10 of this example can be inexpensively mounted on the vehicle body, and the overall weight applied to the vehicle body can be reduced. The step body 11 is not limited to the aluminum of the present example, and can of course be made of a lightweight and highly rigid aluminum alloy or another metal.

In addition, the step body 11 of this embodiment is almost vertical or the upper surface 12 in consideration of the connection of the stay 20 and the like.
There is provided a mounting surface 16 having a certain inclination with respect to. Therefore, it is desirable to fix the stay 20 to the step body 11 at two upper and lower positions in order to prevent wobbling during mounting. For this reason, in this example, as shown in FIG. 4C, two rails 15a and 15b are provided at the top and bottom to prevent wobbling and ensure that the rails can be mounted on the vehicle body. Further, as described above, the side steps having versatility can be supplied by these rails 15a and 15b.

[0016]

As described above, unlike the side step in which the conventional flat tread is supported from below by the support material, the side step of the present invention uses a hollow step body. Therefore, since the connection with the vehicle body can be processed by the side surface of the step body on the vehicle body side, from the outside of the vehicle body, the member attaching the side step to the vehicle body and the parts related thereto can not be seen at all, and the side step is constituted by the smooth surface can do. Furthermore, by adopting a hollow step body, it becomes possible to adopt a smooth gas dynamic curved surface, and to provide a unique side step that matches the stylish body of recent RV type automobiles and the like. Will be possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a side step of the present invention and a state in which the side step is attached to a vehicle body.

FIG. 2 is a development view showing how the side step shown in FIG. 1 is attached to a vehicle body.

3 is an enlarged sectional view showing how the side step shown in FIG. 1 is attached.

4A and 4B are views showing a state in which the side step shown in FIG. 1 is attached to a vehicle body, FIG. 4A shows a state seen from above, and FIG. 4B shows a state seen from a side of the vehicle body. Indicates
Further, FIG. 4C shows a state as viewed from the inside of the vehicle body.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional side step.

FIG. 6 is a diagram partially showing a cross section of the configuration of the side step shown in FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 10 ・ ・ Side step 2 ・ ・ Support member 3 ・ ・ Tread plate 4 ・ ・ Cap 11 ・ ・ Step body 12 ・ ・ Top surface 13 ・ ・ Tread surface 14 ・ ・ Side surface 15a, 15b ・ ・ Mounting rail 16 ・ ・Mounting surface 17 ... Outer surface 19a, 19b ... Cap 20 ... Stay

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A side step for an automobile mounted below a side door of the automobile, comprising a hollow step body extending substantially horizontally along a vehicle body, and at least a part of an upper surface of the step body. An approximately horizontal tread surface is formed on the vehicle body, and an attachment surface for attaching the step body to the vehicle body is formed on at least a part of a side surface of the step body facing the vehicle body. Step. 2. The step body according to claim 1, wherein the step body is attached to the vehicle body by a plurality of connecting jigs, and the connecting portions of the connecting jigs are provided at least at two upper and lower portions of the attaching surface. A featured side step for automobiles. 3. The automobile side step according to claim 1, wherein a surface connecting an outer edge of the upper surface of the step body to a lower edge of a side surface facing the vehicle body is formed by a smooth curved surface. . 4. The side step for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the step body is formed of a hollow member made of aluminum.