Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – End gates
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-06
2001-03-06
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
End gates
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196609
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lowering mechanism for a tailgate of a vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a mechanism for moving a tailgate between a generally vertical closed position and a generally horizontal open position at a controlled rate.
Vehicles, such as pickup trucks, typically have a tailgate for selectively enclosing a truck box. Conventionally, the tailgate is pivotally mounted at a lower end to the sides defining the truck box. The tailgate is movable between a generally vertical position for enclosing the truck box and a generally horizontal position for defining a side opening to the truck box. Upon releasing a latch when the tailgate is in its generally vertical closed position, the user can move the tailgate to the generally horizontal open position. Heretofore, movement between the vertical and horizontal position has been manually controlled, whereby the user must secure the tailgate during a lowering operation. Otherwise, the relatively heavy weight of the tailgate would cause the tailgate to forcefully and rapidly move from the closed position to the open position. Because of the weight of the tailgate, such uncontrolled movement poses a risk of injury to the user as well as others who may be in the tailgate's lowering range.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a lowering, mechanism for a tailgate of a vehicle. The tailgate is hinged at its bottom edge to a side wall of a truck box for movement between a generally vertical raised position and a generally horizontal lowered position. The lowering mechanism includes a spring loaded apparatus to dampen movement of the tailgate to the generally horizontal open position, thereby protecting a user or others in relative proximity from possible injury resulting from the downward force of the tailgate. Also, the spring loaded apparatus reduces the force normally needed to move the tailgate to the generally vertical position, thereby helping the user close the tailgate. The tailgate lowering mechanism can be retrofit for virtually any vehicle tailgate.
According to the invention, the tailgate lowering mechanism generally comprises a spring housing, tube, a coil spring, and a flexible cable. The spring housing tube is preferably mounted under a lip of the track box to avoid congestion of the truck bed. The coil spring extends coaxially between a proximal and distal end of the tube. The flexible cable has a first end attached to the tailgate and a second end attached to an end of the coil spring adjacent the distal end of the tube. Movement of the tailgate from a generally vertical closed position to a generally horizontal open position is retarded by the spring, which is compressed by the weight of the tailgate, as transferred by the cable, as the tailgate is lowered. Also, movement of the tailgate to the generally vertical closed position from the generally horizontal open position is assisted by the coil spring, which urges the tailgate to the upright position, through the cable, as the spring, returns to its rest position.
In a variation of the invention, the tailgate lowering mechanism further comprises a pulley mounted under the truck box lip and near the proximal end of the tube. The cable is fed over the pulley to facilitate movement of the first end of the cable attached to the tailgate. Also, the tailgate lowering mechanism may include a spring compressing, plate coaxially movable inside of the tube. The plate is preferably a washer having, an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the tube. For this embodiment, the second end of the cable is threaded for fastening the second end of the cable to the plate by a nut, and disposing the plate between the end of the coil and the nut.
According, to another embodiment of the invention, the tailgate lowering mechanism generally includes a spring housing tube, a coil spring, and a flexible cable. The spring housing tube is mounted under a lip of the truck box. The coil spiing is disposed coaxially within the tube adjacent a distal end thereof. The flexible cable has a first end attached to the tailgate and a second end attached to an end of the coil spring, adjacent the proximal end of the tube. The cable extends coaxially through the tube and is attached to the proximal end of the coil spring. The movement of the tailgate from a generally vertical closed position to a generally horizontal open position is retarded by the spring, which is expanded by the weight of the tailgate, as transferred by the cable, as the tailgate is lowered. Further, movement of the tailgate to the generally vertical closed position from the generally horizontal open position is assisted by the expanded coil spring, which urges the tailgate to the upright position, through the cable, as the spring returns to its compressed rest position.
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Engle Patricia
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Pedder Dennis H.
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