Movable or removable closures – With operator for movably mounted closure – Operating lever or link and closure swing about parallel axes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-27
2002-07-16
Cohen, Curtis (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
With operator for movably mounted closure
Operating lever or link and closure swing about parallel axes
C049S339000, C296S056000, C296S146130, C016SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06418667
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority of Korea patent Application No. 2000-48588, filed on Aug. 22, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tailgate folding device of an automotive vehicle, and more particularly to a tailgate folding device of an automotive vehicle adapted to make a lift-up tailgate foldable, thereby allowing the tailgate to be freely opened at a place having a low ceiling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, vehicles are equipped with doors for passengers and cargoes but a lift-up type tailgate is mounted to a vehicle of hatchback style as a rear door for mainly loading and unloading cargoes or merchandises.
In other words, as illustrated in
FIG. 1
, a tailgate
10
according to the prior art is vertically lifted to be opened via a hinge point (H) mounted at a site where a roof panel
12
joins. When the tailgate
10
is opened, a gas lifter
16
disposed between a quarter panel
14
and the tailgate
10
is elongated to securely prop the opened tailgate
10
.
However, there is a problem when the tailgate is opened and lifted up according to the prior art thus described in that, when the tailgate
10
is lifted up and opened at a place where a ceiling (C) is low, an external lower end of the tailgate
10
reaches the low ceiling (C), resulting in damages thereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is disclosed to solve the aforementioned problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a tailgate folding device of an automotive vehicle constructed to vertically fold a midsection of the tailgate and thereby to avoid an external lower end thereof from touching a ceiling when the tailgate is opened at a place where the ceiling is low, promoting an effective use of the tailgate even at a confined area.
In accordance with the object of the present invention, there is provided a tailgate folding device of automotive vehicle, the device comprising:
a tailgate vertically foldable and dividable via a hinge point into an upper portion and a lower portion thereof;
a manipulating unit mounted at a folded site of the tailgate to control folding of the tailgate; and
a locking unit for adequately converting a relative rotation of the divided tailgate from a restricted state to a released state according to operation of the manipulating unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2237046 (1941-04-01), Breitenwischer
patent: 2291412 (1942-07-01), Schonitzer
patent: 3716945 (1973-02-01), Cooper et al.
patent: 4688844 (1987-08-01), Hirose et al.
patent: 5784968 (1998-07-01), MacDonnell
patent: 5823606 (1998-10-01), Schenk
patent: 6007139 (1999-12-01), Shave
patent: 6068327 (2000-05-01), Junginger
patent: 6120081 (2000-09-01), Collins
patent: 6234563 (2001-05-01), Bascou
patent: 6270144 (2001-08-01), Schenk
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Cohen Curtis
Hyundai Motor Company
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