Automotive running board

{
  "publication_number": "US9409520B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Automotive running board",
  "abstract": "An automotive running board includes a base, a cover sheet, and a non-slip bar. The base is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle's lateral side and includes a top provided with at least one groove. The cover sheet is mounted on the top of the base and provided with a plurality of through-holes and a plurality of mounting holes. A plurality of support pillars is designed on a lower surface of the non-slip bar and correspondingly penetrates the through-holes of the cover sheet and resists the top of the base. A plurality of joint pillars is designed on the lower surface of the non-slip bar and correspondingly penetrates the mounting holes of the cover sheet, so that the non-slip bar securely joins the cover sheet. The running board featuring simple structure and reduced costs is easily assembled for better supportability and lowered yield loss rate.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An automotive running board comprising: a base adapted to be installed on a vehicle's lateral side and including a top; a cover sheet mounted on the top of the base and including a plurality of through-holes, with each of the plurality of through-holes extending from a top surface of the cover sheet to a bottom surface of the cover sheet, with the cover sheet further including a plurality of mounting holes therein; and a non-slip bar engaged on the top surface of the cover sheet and including a lower surface facing the top surface of the cover sheet, with a plurality of support pillars and a plurality of joint pillars provided on the lower surface of the non-slip bar, with the plurality of support pillars correspondingly penetrating the through-holes of the cover sheet and resisting the top of the base, with the plurality of joint pillars correspondingly penetrating the mounting holes of the cover sheet.",
    "2. The automotive running board according to claim 1, wherein the base is an aluminum extrusion frame, and the cover sheet is made of plastic and has an electroplated upper surface.",
    "3. The automotive running board according to claim 1, wherein at least one groove is formed in the top of the base and extends in a longitudinal direction of the base, with the plurality of joint pillars extending into the groove in the top of the base, with a snap-fit portion formed at a lower end of each of the plurality of joint pillars and coupled with the bottom surface of the cover sheet.",
    "4. The automotive running board according to claim 3, wherein the base is an aluminum extrusion frame, and the cover sheet is made of plastic and has an electroplated upper surface.",
    "5. The automotive running board according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of perforated sockets is formed in the cover sheet and spaced in the longitudinal direction, with a plurality of fasteners respectively extending through the perforated sockets and locking into the groove in the top of the base to fix the cover sheet on the base.",
    "6. The automotive running board according to claim 3, wherein the non-slip bar further includes an upper surface opposite to the lower surface of the non-slip bar, with a plurality of spaced concave portions designed in the upper surface of the non-slip bars.",
    "7. The automotive running board according to claim 3, wherein a leading edge extends downward from a front end of the cover sheet and covers a front end of the base, with the plurality of through-holes of the cover sheet spaced in the longitudinal direction and being adjacent to the leading edge."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a running board and, more particularly, to an auxiliary running board adapted to be installed on a vehicle's lateral side.\n\nIn general, a vehicle having a door opening high above the ground (e.g., sports utility vehicle, van, etc.) is laterally provided with running boards on which passengers tread to get on or off the vehicle. A conventional running board usually includes a base (running board body) and a cover sheet over the base, both of which are made of aluminum alloy. The cover sheet has an upper surface which is decorated with non-slip patterns for slip resistance and electroplated for aesthetic appearance.\n\nA conventional automotive running board, however, features many low-strength components which take more time for assembling. Moreover, an aluminum-alloy base is manufactured with a costly mold and has an extended length which causes the molded base to be shrunk or deformed easily. In addition, the yield loss rate of elongated aluminum-alloy cover sheets in an electroplating process is high.\n\nIt is an objective of the present invention to provide an automotive running board which effectuates good slip resistance and is easily assembled for better supportability and lower yield loss rate.\n\nTo achieve this and other objectives, an automotive running board of the present invention includes a base, at least one cover sheet, and at least one non-slip bar. The base is adapted to be installed on a vehicle's lateral side and includes a top. The cover sheet is mounted on the top of the base and includes a plurality of through-holes and a plurality of mounting holes therein.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60R 3/002",
    "F16B 5/126"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60R 3/00",
    "B60R 3/04",
    "F16B 5/12"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Hsiang-Ting Wang"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-03-12",
  "publication_date": "2016-08-09",
  "grant_date": "2016-08-09",
  "priority_date": "2015-03-12",
  "application_number": "US-201514645455-A",
  "family_id": "56556354",
  "cited_by_count": 20,
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  ]
}