Patent 11351921 was granted and assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America on June, 2022 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
An apparatus for enabling a user to access a roof of the vehicle and methods of using the same. The apparatus may be positioned within a slot located in a vehicle seat. A housing having an open end may define the slot. The apparatus may include a plate having a proximal end, a distal end, and a first stepping surface. The plate may be movable via a sliding mechanism between a stored position where the plate is positioned within the slot, and an extended position where the proximal end extends out of the vehicle and is horizontal to allow the user to step on the first stepping surface to access the roof. The plate may be rotated to be vertical such that the distal end faces up and defines a second stepping surface with increased elevation.