Tailgate step stowage assistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10927581-B2
Application number	US-201816150545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2018
Priority date	Oct 3, 2018
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle tailgate with a power up-down system may employ a method of operating a vehicle tailgate that may include detecting a step is deployed from the tailgate, detecting the tailgate is less than fully open, and automatically actuating a power up-down system to drive the tailgate to fully open.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating a tailgate of a vehicle comprising:
(a) detecting a step is deployed from the tailgate;
(b) detecting the tailgate is less than fully open; and
(c) automatically actuating a power up-down system to drive the tailgate to fully open.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) is prevented unless the vehicle is in Park.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (b) is based on a threshold of approximately two degrees from fully open.

4. The method of claim 2 further including:
(d) preventing the power up-down system from moving the tailgate from an open position to a closed position when detecting that the step is not stowed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is based on a threshold of approximately two degrees from fully open.

6. The method of claim 1 further including:
(d) preventing the power up-down system from moving the tailgate from an open position to a closed position when detecting that the step is not stowed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes a step-deploy switch being mounted adjacent to a top surface of the tailgate and the step-deploy switch not being actuated when the step is deployed from the tailgate.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes a Hall effect sensor detecting a position of the tailgate relative to the vehicle.

9. A vehicle comprising:
a closure, pivotally mounted to the vehicle, including a step deployable from within the closure;
a power system, configured to open and close the closure, including a position sensor;
a deployment switch detecting when the step is stowed; and
a controller detecting that the step is deployed from the closure, detecting the closure is less than fully open, and automatically actuating the power system to drive the closure to fully open.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the closure is a tailgate.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the deployment switch is mounted adjacent to a surface of the closure from which the step is deployed, and the step engages the deployment switch when stowed.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the controller is configured to prevent the power system from moving the closure from an open position to a closed position when detecting that the step is not stowed.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the position sensor is a Hall effect sensor that detects a position of the closure relative to the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the controller is configured to prevent actuating the power system to drive the closure to fully open unless the vehicle is in Park.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the controller is configured to prevent the power system from moving the closure from an open position to a closed position when detecting that the step is not stowed.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Nania Adrian
• Moccio Craig A
• Sullivan Brian K
• Santana Manuel

Classifications

• B62D33/0273 Primary

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

• E05F15/614

  operated by meshing gear wheels, one of which being mounted at the wing pivot axis; operated by a motor acting directly on the wing pivot axis · CPC title

• B62D33/03

  by swinging down {(B62D33/0273 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E05Y2900/544

  Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening downwards · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title