Multi-position tailgate for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11220301-B2
Application number	US-201916682211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Nov 13, 2018
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A tailgate assembly of a vehicle includes a tailgate configured to provide a boundary of a cargo area, and a hinge assembly coupled to the tailgate and coupled to the vehicle. The hinge assembly is configured to control a trajectory of the tailgate. The tailgate is configured to achieve a vertical closed position, a horizontal open position, and a vertical open position rotated about 180° from the first position. The hinge assembly includes a hinge arm coupled to the vehicle at a first hinge and coupled to the tailgate at a second hinge. In some embodiments, a cable assembly is used to control the position of the tailgate. In the vertical closed position, the cable end is not engaged. In the horizontal open position, the cable end is engaged. In the vertical open position rotated about 180° from the closed position, the cable end is not engaged or under tension.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tailgate assembly of a vehicle, the tailgate assembly comprising:
a tailgate configured to provide a boundary of a cargo area; and
a hinge assembly comprising a hinge arm, wherein the hinge arm is coupled to the vehicle at a first hinge and to the tailgate at a second hinge, and wherein the hinge assembly is configured to control a trajectory of the tailgate relative to the vehicle, wherein the tailgate is configured to:
achieve a first position, wherein the first position is a vertical closed position;
achieve a second position, wherein the second position is a horizontal open position; and
achieve a third position, wherein the third position is a vertical open position rotated more than 145° from the first position.

2. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the hinge arm is arranged at a first angle when the tailgate achieves the first position;
the hinge arm is arranged at a second angle when the tailgate achieves the second position; and
the hinge arm is arranged at the second angle when the tailgate achieves the third position.

3. The tailgate assembly of claim 2 , wherein when the hinge arm is arranged at the second angle and the tailgate is arranged in the third position, the hinge arm extends from the vehicle by a distance less than a height of the tailgate.

4. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a latching mechanism configured to constrain at least one motion of the tailgate assembly.

5. The tailgate assembly of claim 4 , wherein the latching mechanism is configured to, when latched, constrain the hinge arm to remain at the first angle.

6. The tailgate assembly of claim 4 , wherein the latching mechanism is configured to, when latched, constrain the hinge arm to remain at the second angle.

7. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a winch assembly comprising:
a winch mechanism; and
a cable coupled to the winch mechanism and coupled to the tailgate, wherein the winch mechanism is configured to wind and unwind the cable when the tailgate changes position.

8. The tailgate assembly of claim 7 , wherein the winch mechanism includes an angle detent configured to define one or more positions of the tailgate.

9. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
when in the second position, the tailgate is substantially horizontally oriented at about 90° to vertical; and
when in the third position, the tailgate is substantially vertically oriented and relatively upside down as compared to the first position.

10. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a latching mechanism configured to constrain at least one motion of the tailgate assembly.

11. The tailgate assembly of claim 10 , wherein the latching mechanism is configured to, when latched, constrain the tailgate to remain in the first position.

12. The tailgate assembly of claim 10 , wherein the latching mechanism is configured to, when latched, constrain the tailgate to remain in the second position.

13. The tailgate assembly of claim 10 , wherein the latching mechanism is configured to, when latched, constrain the tailgate to remain in the third position.

14. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a cover plate coupled to the vehicle by a cover plate hinge, wherein:
when the tailgate achieves the first position, the cover plate is oriented nearly vertical against the tailgate; and
when the tailgate achieves the second position, the cover plate is oriented nearly horizontal arranged above the hinge assembly; and
when the tailgate achieves the third position, the cover plate is oriented nearly horizontal arranged above the hinge assembly.

15. A tailgate assembly of a vehicle, the tailgate assembly comprising:
a tailgate configured to provide a boundary of a cargo area;
a step coupled to the tailgate by a step hinge; and
a hinge assembly comprising a hinge arm, wherein the hinge arm is coupled to the vehicle at a first hinge and to the tailgate at a second hinge, and wherein the hinge assembly is configured to control a trajectory of the tailgate relative to the vehicle, wherein the tailgate is configured to:
achieve a first position, wherein the first position is a closed position,
achieve a second position rotated about 90° from the first position, and
achieve a third position rotated about 180° from the first position, wherein the step is configured to rotate relative to the tailgate about the step hinge to provide a horizontal stepping surface when the tailgate is in the third position.

16. The tailgate assembly of claim 15 , wherein when the tailgate achieves the first position, the step is arranged parallel to the tailgate.

17. The tailgate assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a step latch configured to constrain the step against the tailgate.

18. The tailgate assembly of claim 17 , wherein the step latch, when released, allows the step to rotate 90° relative to the tailgate to provide a substantially perpendicular surface relative to the tailgate.

19. The tailgate assembly of claim 15 , wherein the step is configured to move based on a gravitational force, and wherein the step is constrained to rotate about the step hinge based on the gravitational force.

20. A tailgate assembly of a vehicle, the tailgate assembly comprising:
a tailgate configured to provide a boundary of a cargo area;
a hinge assembly coupled to the tailgate and coupled to the vehicle, and configured to control a trajectory of the tailgate relative to the vehicle; and
a cable assembly that couples the tailgate to the vehicle, wherein the tailgate is configured to:
achieve a first position, wherein the first position is a vertical closed position,
achieve a second position, wherein the second position is a horizontal open position, and wherein the tailgate causes the cable assembly to be in tension, and
achieve a third position, wherein the third position is a vertical open position rotated about 180° from the first position, and wherein the tailgate does not impart a tension on the cable assembly.

21. The tailgate assembly of claim 20 , wherein the cable assembly comprises:
a locking mechanism;
a cable;
a first cable end coupled to the tailgate; and
a second cable end configured to be coupled to the locking mechanism.

22. The tailgate assembly of claim 21 , wherein:
when the tailgate achieves the first position, the cable is not tensioned;
when the tailgate achieves the second position, the cable is coupled to the locking mechanism in tension to hold the tailgate against gravity; and
when the tailgate achieves the third position, the cable is released from the locking mechanism and is not in tension.

23. The tailgate assembly of claim 22 , further comprising a cable stop affixed to the cable, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to engage with the cable stop when the tailgate achieves the second position.

24. The tailgate assembly of claim 20 , wherein the cable assembly comprises:
a locking mechanism arranged as part of the tailgate;
a cable;
a first cable end coupled to the vehicle; and
a second cable end configured to be coupled to the locking mechanism.

25. A tailgate assembly of a vehicle, the tailgate assembly comprising:
a tailgate configured to provide a boundary of a cargo area, wherein the tailgate comprises a cable mechanism;
a hinge assembly coupled to the tailgate and coupled to the vehicle, and configured to control a

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Robinson William Kirk
• Tyagi Sheetanshu
• Vinnels Mark

Classifications

• B62D33/0273 Primary

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

• B62D33/03

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

• B62D33/037 Primary

  Latching means therefor · CPC title