A hitch step assembly comprises a first shot component injection molded from a first polymer compound with a high flexural modulus and a second shot component injection molded from a second polymer compound having a lower flexural modulus relative to the first shot compound. A post and a step body core are molded from the first polymer compound. A shell of the step body is molded from the second polymer compound and is overmolded onto the step body core. The shell forms a compression zone that attenuates rear impact forces the hitch step encounters, thus offering some protection against rear impacts. The hitch step assembly exhibits satisfactory resistance to deflection and torsional bending about a hitch receiver axis when a force is applied on the top surface of the hitch step near its lateral ends.
Two shot injection molded vehicle hitch step
2021-12-07
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B60R Fahrzeuge, Fahrzeugausstattung oder Fahrzeugteile, soweit nicht anderweitig vorgesehen , VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR / B29C Formen oder Verbinden von Kunststoffen , SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS / B29K Index-Schema für Formmassen oder Materialien für Verstärkungen, Füllstoffe oder vorgeformte Teile, z.B. Einlagen in Verbindung mit den Unterklassen B29B, B29C oder B29D , INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS / B29L INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES , Index-Schema für besondere Gegenstände in Verbindung mit Unterklasse B29C / B60D Fahrzeugverbindungen , VEHICLE CONNECTIONS |