Hinge assembly for a power tailgate system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11535309-B2
Application number	US-202016883246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2020
Priority date	May 26, 2020
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A hinge assembly includes a tailgate bracket securable to a vehicular tailgate, a support bracket securable to a vehicular bed, a torque shaft, and a crank. The tailgate bracket includes a socket. The support bracket includes a support. The torque shaft is supported by the support for axial rotation. The torque shaft includes a tailgate-side head and a crank-side head. The tailgate-side head and the socket are configured to make a head-and-socket connection with one another. The crank-side head includes an external profile. The crank includes a shaft-side base and an actuator-side base, a load arm extending therebetween, and at least one of a dogleg along the shaft-side base, the load arm and the actuator-side base, and an embossed rib extending along the load arm. The shaft-side base includes an internal profile. The external profile and the internal profile are configured to make a shaft-and-hub connection with one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a bed;
a tailgate;
a tailgate bracket secured to the tailgate, the tailgate bracket including a socket projecting outside the tailgate;
a support bracket secured to the bed, the support bracket including a support extending through the bed;
a torque shaft extending through the bed together with the support, and supported thereby for axial rotation, the torque shaft including a tailgate-side head projecting outside the bed, and a crank-side head projecting inside the bed, the tailgate-side head and the socket configured to make a head-and-socket connection with one another, and the crank-side head including an external profile;
a crank housed in the bed, the crank including a shaft-side base and an actuator-side base, a load arm extending therebetween, and a dogleg along the shaft-side base, the load arm and the actuator-side base, the load arm following the dogleg to extend from the shaft-side base to the actuator-side base toward the tailgate, the shaft-side base including an internal profile, the external profile and the internal profile configured to make a shaft-and-hub connection with one another, and the actuator-side base including a ball stud projecting therefrom, with the dogleg increasing radial alignment between the internal profile and the ball stud; and
a tailgate actuator housed in the bed and operable to pivot the crank against the bed to pivotally move the tailgate, the tailgate actuator including a ball socket, the ball stud and the ball socket configured to make a ball-and-socket connection with one another.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the socket includes a structural surround made from a metallic material, and an interior socket body made from a high-strength polymeric material.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the socket is open-bottomed, and configured to receive and release the tailgate-side head through the bottom to make and unmake the head-and-socket connection.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the crank includes the an embossed rib extending along the load arm.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the external profile is an external lobed polygonal profile, and the internal profile is an internal lobed polygonal profile.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the external lobed polygonal profile is an external four-lobe polygonal profile, and the internal lobed polygonal profile is an internal four-lobe polygonal profile.

7. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the external lobed polygonal profile extends from the tailgate-side head through the crank-side head, and the support supports the torque shaft for axial rotation by the corners of the external lobed polygonal profile.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the crank-side head includes a retainer axially securing the crank thereon, the retainer formed into the crank-side head.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the tailgate actuator is operable extend and retract to pivot the crank against the bed to pivotally close the tailgate and pivotally open the tailgate, the tailgate actuator including an extensible housing, and biased against retraction from inside the housing, whereby as the tailgate actuator is operated to retract, and thereby pivotally open the tailgate, the bias against retraction checks the associated pivotal movement of the tailgate with gravity.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle does not include an item besides the tailgate actuator for checking the associated pivotal movement of the tailgate with gravity.

11. A hinge assembly, comprising:
a tailgate bracket securable to a vehicular tailgate, the tailgate bracket including a socket;
a support bracket securable to a vehicular bed, the support bracket including a support;
a torque shaft supportable by the support for axial rotation, the torque shaft including a tailgate-side head and a crank-side head, the tailgate-side head and the socket configured to make a head-and-socket connection with one another, and the crank-side head including an external profile; and
a crank, the crank including a shaft-side base and an actuator-side base, a load arm extending therebetween, and a dogleg along the shaft-side base, the load arm and the actuator-side base, the load arm following the dogleg to extend from the shaft-side base to the actuator-side base toward the tailgate, the shaft-side base including an internal profile, the external profile and the internal profile configured to make a shaft-and-hub connection with one another.

12. The hinge assembly of claim 11 , wherein the socket includes a structural surround made from a metallic material, and an interior socket body made from a high-strength polymeric material.

13. The hinge assembly of claim 11 , wherein the socket is open-bottomed, and configured to receive and release the tailgate-side head through the bottom to make and unmake the head-and-socket connection.

14. The hinge assembly of claim 11 , wherein the actuator-side base includes a ball stud projecting therefrom, with the dogleg increasing radial alignment between the internal profile and the ball stud.

15. The hinge assembly of claim 11 , wherein the crank includes an embossed rib extending along the load arm.

16. The hinge assembly of claim 11 , wherein the external profile is an external lobed polygonal profile, and the internal profile is an internal lobed polygonal profile.

17. The hinge assembly of claim 16 , wherein the external lobed polygonal profile is an external four-lobe polygonal profile, and the internal lobed polygonal profile is an internal four-lobe polygonal profile.

18. The hinge assembly of claim 16 , wherein the external lobed polygonal profile extends from the tailgate-side head through the crank-side head, and the torque shaft is supportable by the support for axial rotation by the corners of the external lobed polygonal profile.

19. A hinge assembly, comprising:
a tailgate bracket securable to a vehicular tailgate, the tailgate bracket including an open-bottomed socket;
a support bracket securable to a vehicular bed, the support bracket including a support;
a torque shaft supportable by the support for axial rotation, the torque shaft including a tailgate-side head and a crank-side head, the tailgate-side head and the socket configured to make a head-and-socket connection with one another, with the socket configured to receive and release the tailgate-side head through the bottom to make and unmake the head-and-socket connection, and the crank-side head including an external lobed polygonal profile; and
a crank, the crank including a shaft-side base and an actuator-side base, a load arm extending therebetween, and a dogleg along the shaft-side base, the load arm and the actuator-side base, the load arm following the dogleg to extend from the shaft-side base to the actuator-side base toward the tailgate, the shaft-side base including an internal lobed polygonal profile, the external lobed polygonal profile and the internal lobed polygonal profile configured to make a shaft-and-hub connection with one another, and the actuator-side base including a ball stud projecting therefrom.

20. The hinge assembly of claim 19 , wherein the external lobed polygonal profile is an external four-lobe polygonal profile, and the internal lobed polygonal profile is an internal four-lobe polygonal profile.

Assignees

• Aisin Technical Ct America Inc

Inventors

• Heins Ryan
• Ozog Nicholas
• Nishio Takashi
• Nagashima Yoji

Classifications

• B62D33/0273 Primary

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

• E05Y2201/604

  Transmission members · CPC title

• E05Y2900/544

  Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening downwards · CPC title

• E05Y2201/624

  Arms · CPC title

• E05F15/622

  using screw-and-nut mechanisms · CPC title