Power operated tailgate

Details Power operated tailgate Power operated tailgate

1999-07-21

2001-04-17

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

End gates

C296S106000, C296S146400, C049S342000, C049S343000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06217097

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to vehicles that have a tailgate hinged at the bottom to the aft end of a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sport utility vehicles have tailgates hinged at the bottom to the aft end of a vehicle. These tailgates are lowered manually to provide access to the cargo area. After the cargo is loaded, the tailgate is raised manually. The tailgate is latched in the raised position by fork-bolt type latches on each side of the tail gate that engage cooperative striker pins fastened to the vehicle pillars on either side of the tailgate opening. The tailgate, which is relatively heavy, must be unlatched and lowered manually which is a two-hand operation for most people. Cargo, such as groceries, small packages, plants, suit cases and garment bags, is often hand carried to the cargo area of the vehicle for loading making it at least inconvenient and sometimes very difficult to lower the tailgate manually. Once the cargo is loaded, the tailgate must be raised and slammed shut in order for the fork bolts to latch onto the striker pins securely. This manual closing operation is also inconvenient and sometimes difficult even when two hands are free.
Tailgate latches nearly always include a lock mechanism that must be unlocked before the tailgate can be unlatched and lowered. The lock mechanism increases the inconvenience and difficulty in operating the tailgate manually, particularly in the manual opening operation.
Pick-up trucks customarily have a cargo box that is equipped with a tailgate that is hinged at the aft end of the cargo box to provide access to the cargo box. These tailgates are also raised and lowered manually. However, tail gates for pick-up trucks may have clasps at each upper comer of the tailgate that are manually engaged to hold the tailgate in the raised position instead of fork bolt latches and striker pins. Either way, truck tailgates have more or less the same operational inconvenience and difficulty as tailgates on sport utility vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a power operated tailgate for a vehicle that includes a compact, rugged and simple mechanism for raising the lowering the tailgate that is preferably driven by a reversible electric motor. The mechanism preferably includes an over center stop to secure the tailgate in the raised position without need for latches or locks.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2059737 (1936-11-01), Mather
patent: 2119911 (1938-06-01), Fox-Williams
patent: 3004757 (1961-10-01), Lohr
patent: 3145988 (1964-08-01), Colauth et al.
patent: 3715931 (1973-02-01), Littmann
patent: 4076310 (1978-02-01), Schwalm
patent: 4702511 (1987-10-01), Olins
patent: 5234249 (1993-08-01), Dorrell
patent: 5449212 (1995-09-01), Seifert
patent: 5518287 (1996-05-01), Totani
patent: 5765308 (1998-06-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 5802913 (1998-09-01), Winner
patent: 6068321 (2000-05-01), Ooms

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