Vehicle tailgate system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10471901-B2
Application number	US-201816192238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2018
Priority date	Feb 10, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle tailgate includes an internal panel, an upper panel, a lower panel, a pair of side panels, and a tie-down bracket. The internal panel extends from the upper panel to the lower panel and between the pair of side panels. The pair of side panels are rotatably secured to a cargo bed. The tie-down bracket is secured to an exterior of one of the side panels. The tie-down bracket defines a C-channel that extends along the exterior of one of the side panels from the upper panel toward the lower panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle tailgate comprising:
an internal panel extending from an upper panel to a lower panel and between a pair of side panels that are rotatably secured to a cargo bed proximate the lower panel;
a pair of tie-down brackets, each secured to an exterior of one of the side panels and defining a C-channel that extends along the exterior of one of the side panels from the upper panel toward the lower panel; and
an accessory bracket secured to a first of the tie-down brackets by a fastener that is threaded into a T-nut that engages the C-channel of the first of the tie-down brackets.

2. The tailgate of claim 1 , wherein open ends of each C-channel face away from the exterior of one of the side panels.

3. The tailgate of claim 1 , wherein the tie-down brackets each have a pair of arms that extend away from a center at a substantially perpendicular angle relative to each other.

4. The tailgate of claim 3 , wherein a first of the pair of arms of each tie-down bracket defines one of the C-channels and is secured to the exterior of one of the side panels.

5. The tailgate of claim 4 , wherein the first of the pair of arms of each tic-down bracket is secured to the exterior of one of the side panels via fasteners.

6. The tailgate of claim 4 , wherein a second of the pair of arms of each tie-down bracket is secured to an exterior of the internal panel.

7. The tailgate of claim 6 , wherein the second of the pair of arm of each tie-down bracket is secured to the exterior of the internal panel via fasteners.

8. The tailgate of claim 1 , wherein the accessory bracket includes at least one cylinder that extends upwards and is configured to holster a fishing rod.

9. A vehicle tailgate comprising:
an internal panel extending from an upper panel to a lower panel and between a pair of side panels that are rotatably secured to a cargo bed;
a tie-down bracket secured to an exterior of one of the side panels and defining a C-channel that extends along the exterior of one of the side panels from the upper panel toward the lower panel; and
an accessory bracket secured to the tie-down bracket by a fastener that is threaded into a T-nut that engages the C-channel of the tie-down bracket.

10. The tailgate of claim 9 , wherein an open end the C-channel faces away from the exterior of one of the side panels.

11. The tailgate of claim 9 , wherein the tie-down bracket has a pair of arms that extend away from a center at a substantially perpendicular angle relative to each other.

12. The tailgate of claim 11 , wherein a first of the pair of arms of the tie-down bracket defines the C-channel and is secured to the exterior of one of the side panels.

13. The tailgate of claim 12 , wherein the first of the pair of arms of the tie-down bracket is secured to the exterior of one of the side panels via fasteners.

14. The tailgate of claim 12 , wherein a second of the pair of arms of the tie-down brackets secured to an exterior of the internal panel.

15. The tailgate of claim 14 , wherein the second of the pair of arm of the tie-down bracket is secured to the exterior of the internal panel via fasteners.

16. The tailgate of claim 9 , wherein the accessory bracket includes at least one cylinder that extends upwards and is configured to holster a fishing rod.

17. A vehicle tailgate comprising:
a side panel rotatably secured to a cargo bed and extending between an upper panel and a lower panel;
a tie-down bracket secured to an exterior of the side panel and defining a C-channel that extends along the exterior from the upper panel toward the lower panel, the C-channel having, an open end that faces away from the exterior of the side panel; and
an accessory bracket secured to the tie-down bracket by a fastener that is threaded into a T-nut that engages the C-channel of the tie-down bracket.

18. The tailgate of claim 17 , wherein the tic-down bracket has a pair of arms that extend away from a center at a substantially perpendicular angle relative to each other.

19. The tailgate of claim 17 , Wherein the accessory bracket includes at least one cylinder that extends upwards and is configured to holster a fishing rod.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Stojkovic Dragan B
• Marchlewski Jack
• Hemphill Joshua Robert
• Gallagher Stephen William
• Hoffman Colleen Marie

Classifications

• B62D33/0273 Primary

  Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks (B62D33/037 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R9/06 Primary

  at vehicle front or rear {(rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041)} · CPC title

• B60P7/08

  Securing to the vehicle floor or sides ({B60P7/065}, B60P7/13, B60P7/135 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60R2011/0052

  using screws, bolts, rivets or the like · CPC title

• B60R9/10

  for cycles · CPC title