Apple may have canned its plans for an Apple Car, but the company is still filing for vehicle-related patents. The latest is number US 20240116337 A1 for “Body and Closures.”
About the patent filing
The patent filing — which seems designed to benefit folks with mobility issues — involves a vehicle that includes a vehicle body, an opening that is defined by the vehicle body, a door, and an access structure. The door is connected to the vehicle body for movement between a closed position and an open position by pivoting outward and downward relative to the vehicle body.
The access structure is connected to the door and is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position when the door is in the open position, wherein the access structure defines a walking surface in the deployed position.
The access structure could include a movable ramp. The movable ramp may be located inside the door in the stowed position and may extend outward from the door in the deployed position.
What’s more, the access structure could includes a stairway assembly that includes movable stair treads that are connected to the door and move with respect to the door during movement of the access structure between the stowed position and the deployed position, wherein each of the movable stair treads defines a walking surface portion of the walking surface when the access structure is in the deployed position.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “A closure includes a door configured for movement with respect to an opening between a closed position and an open position, and a movable roof panel that configured for connection to the body for movement with respect to the opening between a closed position and an open position by pivoting relative to the body. The closure also includes an access structure that is configured to be movable from a stowed position to a deployed position when the door is in the open position, wherein the access structure defines a walking surface in the deployed position.”
