US-12617343-B2 - Retractable stairs for a recreational vehicle

Abstract

Retractable stairs for mounting in an exterior doorway of a recreational vehicle are provided with a spaced apart stringers and a tread extending between the stringers. Spaced apart straps are connected to upper ends of the stringers and are pivotally mounted to a floor in an interior space of the recreational vehicle to allow movement of the stringers and the tread through the exterior doorway between a retracted position stowed within the recreational vehicle and a deployed position outside of the recreational vehicle. A threshold plate is positioned between the straps and is fixed against movement during the pivoting movement of the straps. Locking latches extend outwardly from the stringers and are positionable for engaging a jamb of the exterior doorway for releasably securing the stringers and the tread in the retracted position. Extensible support legs are mounted on the stringers and extendable downwardly below the stringers to engage a ground surface for supporting the retractable stairs. The extensible support legs are operable to extend downwardly in ratcheting increments of 0.5 inches or less by movement of a ratcheting latch.

Inventors

• Michael John Longest
• William Edward Mooneyham
• Robert Neil Lankford
• Michael James Shaver
• Stacey L. Smith
• Norman Troy McGuffey
• Steven Andrew Reffner
• John Alan Eaton, JR.

Assignees

• AIRXCEL, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240409

Claims (20)

1. 1 . Retractable stairs for mounting in an exterior doorway of a recreational vehicle, said retractable stairs comprising: first and second stringers positioned in spaced apart and parallel relationship and each having an upper end and a lower end; at least one tread extending between the first and second stringers; first and second straps positioned in spaced apart relationship and coupled with the upper ends of the first and second stringers and constructed for pivotally mounting to a floor in an interior space of the recreational vehicle to allow movement of the first and second stringers and the tread through the exterior doorway between a retracted position stowed within the recreational vehicle and a deployed position outside of the recreational vehicle; and a threshold plate positioned between the first and second straps and fixed against movement during pivoting movement of the first and second straps, the threshold plate coplanar with the first and second straps in the deployed position.
2. 2 . The retractable stairs of claim 1 , including a riser extending between the first and second stringers and extending upwardly from a back of the tread.
3. 3 . The retractable stairs of claim 1 , including a first locking latch carried by the first stringer and operable for releasably securing the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position.
4. 4 . The retractable stairs of claim 3 , including a second locking latch carried by the second stringer and operable for releasably securing the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position.
5. 5 . The retractable stairs of claim 4 , wherein the first locking latch extends outwardly from the first stringer and the second locking latch extends outwardly from the second stringer and are positionable for engaging a jamb of the exterior doorway for the releasably securing of the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position.
6. 6 . The retractable stairs of claim 5 , wherein the first locking latch and the second locking latch are outwardly adjustable for engaging jambs of exterior doorways of different sizes.
7. 7 . The retractable stairs of claim 1 , including an extensible support leg mounted on the first stringer and extendable downwardly below the lower end of the first stringer to engage a ground surface for supporting the retractable stairs.
8. 8 . The retractable stairs of claim 7 , including another extensible support leg mounted on the second stringer and extendable downwardly below the lower end of the second stringer to engage a ground surface for supporting the retractable stairs.
9. 9 . The retractable stairs of claim 8 , wherein the extensible support legs are operable to extend downwardly in ratcheting increments of 0.5 inches or less by movement of a ratcheting latch.
10. 10 . The retractable stairs of claim 9 , wherein the extensible support legs are operable to retract by the movement of the ratcheting latch.
11. 11 . The retractable stairs of claim 1 , comprising two, three or four of the treads.
12. 12 . Retractable stairs for mounting in an exterior doorway of a recreational vehicle, said retractable stairs comprising: first and second stringers positioned in spaced apart and parallel relationship and each having an upper end and a lower end; at least one tread extending between the first and second stringers; first and second straps positioned in spaced apart relationship and coupled with the upper ends of the first and second stringers and constructed for pivotally mounting to a floor in an interior space of the recreational vehicle to allow movement of the first and second stringers and the tread through the exterior doorway between a retracted position stowed within the recreational vehicle and a deployed position outside of the recreational vehicle; a threshold plate positioned between the first and second straps and fixed against movement during pivoting movement of the first and second straps, the threshold plate coplanar with the first and second straps in the deployed position; a first locking latch carried by the first stringer and operable for releasably securing the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position; a first extensible support leg mounted on the first stringer and extendable downwardly below the lower end of the first stringer to engage a ground surface for supporting the retractable stairs; and a second extensible support leg mounted on the second stringer and extendable downwardly below the lower end of the second stringer to engage a ground surface for supporting the retractable stairs.
13. 13 . The retractable stairs of claim 12 , wherein the extensible support legs are operable to extend downwardly in ratcheting increments of 0.5 inches or less by movement of a ratcheting latch.
14. 14 . The retractable stairs of claim 12 , including a second locking latch carried by the second stringer and operable for releasably securing the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position.
15. 15 . The retractable stairs of claim 14 , wherein the first locking latch extends outwardly from the first stringer and the second locking latch extends outwardly from the second stringer and are positionable for engaging a jamb of the exterior doorway for the releasably securing of the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position.
16. 16 . The retractable stairs of claim 15 , wherein the first locking latch and the second locking latch are outwardly adjustable for engaging jambs of exterior doorways of different sizes.
17. 17 . The retractable stairs of claim 12 , wherein the extensible support legs are operable to retract by the movement of the ratcheting latch.
18. 18 . The retractable stairs of claim 17 , including a riser extending between the first and second stringers and extending upwardly from a back of the tread.
19. 19 . Retractable stairs for mounting in an exterior doorway of a recreational vehicle, said retractable stairs comprising: first and second stringers positioned in spaced apart and parallel relationship and each having an upper end and a lower end; at least one tread extending between the first and second stringers; first and second straps positioned in spaced apart relationship and coupled with the upper ends of the first and second stringers and constructed for pivotally mounting to a floor in an interior space of the recreational vehicle to allow movement of the first and second stringers and the tread through the exterior doorway between a retracted position stowed within the recreational vehicle and a deployed position outside of the recreational vehicle; a threshold plate positioned between the first and second straps and fixed against movement during pivoting movement of the first and second straps; a riser extending between the first and second stringers and extending upwardly from a back of the tread; a first locking latch carried by the first stringer and operable for releasably securing the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position; a second locking latch carried by the second stringer and operable for releasably securing the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position, wherein the first locking latch extends outwardly from the first stringer and the second locking latch extends outwardly from the second stringer and are positionable for engaging a jamb of the exterior doorway for the releasably securing of the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position, wherein the first locking latch and the second locking latch are outwardly adjustable for engaging jambs of exterior doorways of different sizes; a first extensible support leg mounted on the first stringer and extendable downwardly below the lower end of the first stringer to engage a ground surface for supporting the retractable stairs; and a second extensible support leg mounted on the second stringer and extendable downwardly below the lower end of the second stringer to engage a ground surface for supporting the retractable stairs, wherein the extensible support legs are operable to extend downwardly in ratcheting increments of 0.5 inches or less by movement of a ratcheting latch.
20. 20 . The retractable stairs of claim 19 , wherein the at least one tread includes elongated drainage slots and raised traction ribs.

Description

BACKGROUND The present disclosure relates generally to retractable stairs and, more particularly, to retractable stairs for mounting in an exterior doorway of a recreational vehicle. Retractable stairs are frequently installed in the exterior doorways of motor homes, travel trailers, caravans, folding camping trailers, truck campers, and other types of recreational vehicles to allow entry to and exiting from the recreational vehicle. The stairs may be moved through the exterior doorway to a stowed position within the recreational vehicle by lifting and pivoting the stairs about a pivot axis. The stairs may then be lowered through the exterior doorway to a deployed position by pivoting in an opposite direction about the pivot axis to place the stairs outside the recreational vehicle where they extend from the exterior doorway toward the ground surface. One example of this type of retractable stairs is shown in German published patent application 24 44 552. The stairs disclosed in that application are connected by a flat bar to a hinge that is mounted on the floor of the recreational vehicle behind the exterior doorway. The stairs can be folded about the hinge into the recreational vehicle during travel and then unfolded about the hinge for positioning outside of the recreational vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION This brief description is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the detailed description below. This brief description is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying figures. In one aspect, the disclosure is directed to retractable stairs for mounting in an exterior doorway of a recreational vehicle, said retractable stairs comprising: first and second stringers positioned in spaced apart and parallel relationship and each having an upper end and a lower end; at least one tread extending between the first and second stringers; first and second straps positioned in spaced apart relationship and coupled with the upper ends of the first and second stringers and constructed for pivotally mounting to a floor in an interior space of the recreational vehicle to allow movement of the first and second stringers and the tread through the exterior doorway between a retracted position stowed within the recreational vehicle and a deployed position outside of the recreational vehicle; and a threshold plate positioned between the first and second straps and fixed against movement during pivoting movement of the first and second straps. In another aspect, the disclosure is directed to retractable stairs for mounting in an exterior doorway of a recreational vehicle, said retractable stairs comprising: first and second stringers positioned in spaced apart and parallel relationship and each having an upper end and a lower end; at least one tread extending between the first and second stringers; first and second straps positioned in spaced apart relationship and coupled with the upper ends of the first and second stringers and constructed for pivotally mounting to a floor in an interior space of the recreational vehicle to allow movement of the first and second stringers and the tread through the exterior doorway between a retracted position stowed within the recreational vehicle and a deployed position outside of the recreational vehicle; a threshold plate positioned between the first and second straps and fixed against movement during pivoting movement of the first and second straps; a first locking latch carried by the first stringer and operable for releasably securing the first and second stringers and the tread in the retracted position; a first extensible support leg mounted on the first stringer and extendable downwardly below the lower end of the first stringer to engage a ground surface for supporting the retractable stairs; and a second extensible support leg mounted on the second stringer and extendable downwardly below the lower end of the second stringer to engage a ground surface for supporting the retractable stairs. In a further aspect, the disclosure is directed to retractable stairs for mounting in an exterior doorway of a recreational vehicle, said retractable stairs comprising: first and second stringers positioned in spaced apart and parallel relationship and each having an upper end and a lower end; at least one tread extending between the first and second stringers; first and second straps positioned in spaced apart relationship and coupled with the upper ends of the first and second stringers and constructed for pivotally mounting to a floor in an interior space of the recreational vehicle to allow movement of the first and second stringers and the tread through the exte