A vehicle running board for attachment to a vehicle, comprising a first running board component, a second running board component, a lamp assembly, and a coupling between the running board components. Also disclosed is a method and structure to operate running boards to emit light to indicate at least one of vehicular dome light activation, vehicular braking, vehicular reverse gear engagement, vehicular turn signaling, vehicular emergency signaling, remote keyless entry activation, and vehicular headlight activation. A support member receiver is disposed along the bottom side of the running board components and is optionally coupled with a support member, providing additional structural stability to the running board. Traction grooves are disposed on the top side of the running board components, and the vehicle running board may be formed by blow molding or rotational molding techniques to evenly distribute acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

Combined vehicle running board and splash guard

Vehicle running board

A mud flap is attachable to a selected group of through-holes of a vehicle running board. Plugs clamp to inclined surfaces of the through-holes, thereby firmly affixing a bracket portion of the integrally molded mud flap body to the running board. A flap portion of the mud flap body is connected to the bracket portion of the mud flap body only by a hinge portion. The hinge portion has a straight front surface, a straight rear surface and a thickness that is less than the overall thickness of the mud flap body. The flap portion has at least one wall portion that does not conform to any yz plane, stiffening the flap portion and inducing it to rotate around the hinge portion as a unit when a front-to-rear shear force impinges on the flap portion. A notch may be formed to interrupt an otherwise convexly curved rear flap portion surface so to receive a downwardly depending running board reinforcing member when the flap portion flexes out of its rest position.

Mud flap for attachment to a vehicle running board

A running board assembly (12) for a motor vehicle (1), the running board assembly comprising: a step (19) having an elongated shape with a support surface (7); at least two mounting brackets (8a, 8b) connected to the step for mounting the step to an undercarriage of the vehicle; a mechanical protective shielding (13) fixedly mounted to one (8a) of said mounting brackets, and having a three-dimensional shape for shielding at least a frontal portion of the step and an upper portion of the step and a frontal portion of the mounting bracket (8a) against mud and/or dirt and/or stones.

Combined vehicle running board and splash guard

Citations

Vehicle running board

Mud flap for attachment to a vehicle running board

Running board assembly with a protective shielding