Tailgate assembly with cargo bed access opening and method of providing access to a cargo bed of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208157-B2
Application number	US-201916700365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2019
Priority date	Dec 2, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A tailgate assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a primary tailgate having a cargo bed access opening. The primary tailgate moveable between a closed position and a fully open position relative to a cargo bed of a vehicle. The tailgate assembly further including a secondary tailgate that can move between a blocking position where the secondary tailgate extends into the cargo bed access opening and an accessing position where the secondary tailgate is retracted away from the cargo bed access opening. The secondary tailgate in the accessing position at least partially retracted into a portion of the primary tailgate that is vertically beneath the cargo bed access opening when the primary tailgate is in the closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tailgate assembly, comprising:
a primary tailgate having a cargo bed access opening, the primary tailgate moveable between a closed position and a fully open position relative to a cargo bed of a vehicle; and
a secondary tailgate that can move between a blocking position where the secondary tailgate extends into the cargo bed access opening and an accessing position where the secondary tailgate is retracted away from the cargo bed access opening, the secondary tailgate at least partially retracted into a portion of the primary tailgate that is vertically beneath the cargo bed access opening when the primary tailgate is in the closed position
wherein the primary tailgate is configured to be pivotably coupled to a cargo bed of a vehicle such that the primary tailgate can pivot relative to the cargo bed back and forth between the closed position and the fully open position, the primary tailgate substantially vertical when in the closed position, the primary tailgate substantially horizontal when in the fully open position,
wherein the primary tailgate includes a driver side portion, a passenger side portion, and an intermediate portion disposed between the driver side portion and the passenger side portion,
wherein, when the primary tailgate is in the closed position, a vertical height of the intermediate portion is less than a vertical height of both the driver side portion and the passenger side portion, the secondary tailgate at least partially retracted into the intermediate portion of the primary tailgate when the secondary tailgate is in the accessing position.

2. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the secondary tailgate is slidably coupled to the primary tailgate, wherein the secondary tailgate is slidable, relative to the primary tailgate, back and forth between the blocking position and the accessing position.

3. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the primary tailgate is configured to be pivotably coupled to a cargo bed of a vehicle such that the primary tailgate can pivot relative to the cargo bed back and forth between the closed position and the fully open position, the primary tailgate substantially vertical when in the closed position, the primary tailgate substantially horizontal when in the fully open position,
wherein, when the primary tailgate is in the fully open position, a user can move into the cargo bed access opening to be horizontally closer to the cargo bed of the vehicle when the secondary tailgate is in the accessing position.

4. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the secondary tailgate is at least partially retracted into an interior of the primary tailgate when in the accessing position.

5. The tailgate assembly of claim 4 , further comprising an inner panel of the primary tailgate and an outer panel of the primary tailgate, wherein the interior of the primary tailgate is provided between the inner panel and the outer panel.

6. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a driver side latch and a passenger side latch, the driver side latch disposed between a portion of the primary tailgate and a driver side of the secondary tailgate, the passenger side latch disposed between another portion of the primary tailgate and a passenger side of the secondary tailgate, the driver side latch and the passenger side latch transitionable between respective unlatched and latched positions, the driver side latch and the passenger side latch configured to hold the primary tailgate in the blocking position when the driver side latch and the passenger side latch are in latched positions.

7. The tailgate assembly of claim 6 , wherein the driver side latch and the passenger side latch are each electronic latches.

8. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fixed rail member secured to the primary tailgate and at least one sliding rail member secured to the secondary tailgate, the at least one fixed rail member and the at least one sliding rail member slidably coupling together the primary tailgate and the secondary tailgate, the at least one fixed rail member and the at least one sliding rail member slidable relative to each other to permit sliding movement of the secondary tailgate between the retracted position and the blocking position.

9. The tailgate assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least one fixed rail member is bowed relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one fixed rail member such that, as the secondary tailgate slides from the retracted position to the blocking position, the secondary tailgate is moved outwardly toward an outer surface of the primary tailgate or inwardly toward an inner surface of the primary tailgate.

10. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the primary tailgate includes a driver side portion, a passenger side portion, and an intermediate portion disposed between the driver side portion and the passenger side portion,
wherein, when the primary tailgate is in the closed position, the cargo access opening is vertically above the intermediate portion and horizontally between the driver side portion and the passenger side portion.

11. A tailgate assembly, comprising:
a primary tailgate having a cargo bed access opening, the primary tailgate moveable between a closed position and a fully open position relative to a cargo bed of a vehicle; and
a secondary tailgate that can move between a blocking position where the secondary tailgate extends into the cargo bed access opening and an accessing position where the secondary tailgate is retracted away from the cargo bed access opening, the secondary tailgate at least partially retracted into a portion of the primary tailgate that is vertically beneath the cargo bed access opening when the primary tailgate is in the closed position,
wherein the secondary tailgate can further move to an extended position where the secondary tailgate is extended away, and spaced a distance from, the primary tailgate.

12. The tailgate assembly of claim 11 , wherein the primary tailgate is configured to be pivotably coupled to a cargo bed of a vehicle such that the primary tailgate can pivot relative to the cargo bed back and forth between the closed position and the fully open position, the primary tailgate substantially vertical when in the closed position, the primary tailgate substantially horizontal when in the fully open position,
wherein, when the primary tailgate is in the fully open position and the secondary tailgate is in the extended position, the secondary tailgate is substantially horizontal and is vertically beneath the primary tailgate such that the secondary tailgate provides a step.

13. The tailgate assembly of claim 12 , wherein, when the primary tailgate is in the closed position and the secondary tailgate is in the extended position, the secondary tailgate is substantially vertical and is horizontally aft the primary tailgate relative to an orientation of the vehicle.

14. The tailgate assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a bar linkage mechanism that couples the secondary tailgate to the primary tailgate, the secondary tailgate moveable back and forth between the extended position and the closed position via the bar linkage mechanism.

15. The tailgate assembly of claim 14 , further comprising at least one fixed rail member secured to the primary tailgate and at least one sliding rail member secured to the secondary tailgate, the at least one fixed rail member and the at least one sliding rail member slidably coupling together the primary tailgate and the secondary tailgate, the at least one fixed rail member and the at least one sliding rail

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Borkar Amol
• Nania Adrian

Classifications

• B62D33/0273 Primary

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

• B60R3/007

  Removable steps or ladders, e.g. foldable (as access means for vehicle tops B60R3/005) · CPC title

• B62D33/037 Primary

  Latching means therefor · CPC title

• B62D33/03

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

• B60R3/02

  Retractable steps {or ladders, e.g. movable under shock (B60R3/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title