Automotive vehicle with folding tailgate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11643152-B2
Application number	US-202117557779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2021
Priority date	Jun 11, 2020
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

An illustrative folding tailgate for an automotive vehicle includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion that are rotatably connected to one another. A first latch may be attached to the first wall portion and configured to engage with a complementary latch part at a first portion of a vehicle to lock the tailgate in a closed position. A guide member may be attached to the first wall portion and configured to move along a rail disposed at a rear of the automotive vehicle, the guide member configured to move along the rail in a manner constrained by the rail. A rotatable connection mechanism may be attached to the second wall portion and configured to attach to a second portion of a vehicle. The tailgate may be configured to open and close via folding movement of the first and second wall portions relative to one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tailgate for an automotive vehicle, the tailgate comprising:
a wall portion;
a translating hinge attached to the wall portion, the translating hinge being adapted to (1) move along a guide, positioned along an edge of a bed of the automotive vehicle, in a manner that is constrained by the guide and (2) rotate the wall portion into a hinged open position relative to a bed of the automotive vehicle; and
a non-rotatable latch adapted to connect the wall portion to a side of the automotive vehicle and (1) release, under a first condition, the non-rotatable latch from the side to allow the tailgate to rotate to the hinged open position and (2) release, under a second condition, the non-rotatable latch and the translating hinge from the side to allow the wall portion to move along the guide.

2. The tailgate of claim 1 , further comprising a second wall portion rotatably connected to the wall portion, the wall portion and the second wall portion being adapted to fold together while the translating hinge moves along the guide toward a side of the automotive vehicle.

3. The tailgate of claim 2 , further comprising at least one hinge rotatably connecting the wall portion to the second wall portion, the at least one hinge adapted to fold the wall portion and the second wall portion together toward the side of the automotive vehicle.

4. The tailgate of claim 1 , wherein the guide is selected from one of a rail and a track adapted to constrain translation of the translating hinge thereto.

5. The tailgate of claim 1 , wherein the translating hinge comprises a stationary shaft having an axis, a rotatable shaft having the same axis, a swivel joint, and a slider.

6. The tailgate of claim 1 , further comprising:
the non-rotatable latch adapted to connect a corner of the wall portion to the side of the automotive vehicle; and
a handle adapted to (1) release, under the first condition, the non-rotatable latch from the side to allow the tailgate to rotate to the hinged open position and (2) release, under the second condition, the non-rotatable latch and the translating hinge from the side to allow the wall portion to move along the guide.

7. The tailgate of claim 1 , wherein the guide comprises a groove adapted to receive a portion of the translating hinge chosen from a slider and a roller.

8. A tailgate for an automotive vehicle, the tailgate comprising:
a first wall portion;
a second wall portion rotatably connected to the first wall portion, the first wall portion and the second wall portion being adapted to fold together toward a side of the automotive vehicle;
and a non-rotatable latch adapted to connect the first wall portion to a side of the automotive vehicle and (1) release, under a first condition, the non-rotatable latch from the side to allow the tailgate to rotate to the hinged open position and (2) release, under a second condition, the non-rotatable latch and a translating hinge from the side to allow the first wall portion to move along the guide.

9. The tailgate of claim 8 , further comprising a translating hinge attached to the first wall portion, the translating hinge being adapted to (1) move along a guide, positioned along an edge of a bed of the automotive vehicle, in a manner that is constrained by the guide and (2) rotate the first wall portion into a hinged open position relative to a bed of the automotive vehicle.

10. The tailgate of claim 9 , wherein the guide is selected from one of a rail and a track adapted to constrain translation of the translating hinge thereto.

11. The tailgate of claim 8 , further comprising a rotatable latch adapted connected to a corner of the second wall portion, the rotatable latch adapted to (1) release the second wall portion and allow the second wall portion to rotate, relative to the side of the automotive vehicle, while the first wall portion and the second wall portion fold together toward the side of the automotive vehicle, (2) release the second wall portion, from the side of the automotive vehicle, into a hinged open position, and (3) hold the second wall portion, relative to the side of the automotive vehicle, in a closed position.

12. The tailgate of claim 11 , wherein the rotatable latch comprises a roller housing and a roller.

13. The tailgate of claim 11 , further comprising:
a translating hinge attached to the first wall portion, the translating hinge being adapted to (1) move along a guide, positioned along an edge of a bed of the automotive vehicle, in a manner that is constrained by the guide and (2) rotate the first wall portion into a hinged open position relative to a bed of the automotive vehicle;
the non-rotatable latch adapted to connect a corner of the first wall portion to another side of the automotive vehicle; and
a handle adapted to (1) release, under a first condition, the non-rotatable latch and the rotatable latch to allow the tailgate to rotate to the hinged open position and (2) release, under a second condition, the non-rotatable latch and translating hinge to allow the first wall portion and the second wall portion to fold together toward the side of the automotive vehicle.

14. The tailgate of claim 8 , further comprising at least one hinge rotatably connecting the first wall portion to the second wall portion, the at least one hinge adapted to fold the first wall portion and the second wall portion together toward the side of the automotive vehicle.

15. A vehicle, comprising
a guide positioned along an edge of the bed; and
a tailgate, comprising:
a wall portion,
a translating hinge attached to the wall portion, the translating hinge being adapted to (1) move along the guide in a manner that is constrained by the guide and (2) rotate the wall portion into a hinged open position relative to a bed of the automotive vehicle; and
a non-rotatable latch adapted to connect the wall portion to a side of the automotive vehicle and (1) release, under a first condition, the non-rotatable latch from the side to allow the tailgate to rotate to the hinged open position and (2) release, under a second condition, the non-rotatable latch and the translating hinge from the side to allow the wall portion to move along the guide.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the tailgate further comprises a second wall portion rotatably connected to the wall portion, the wall portion and the second wall portion being adapted to fold together while the translating hinge moves along the guide toward a side of the automotive vehicle.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the tailgate further comprises at least one hinge rotatably connecting the wall portion to the second wall portion, the at least one hinge adapted to fold the wall portion and the second wall portion together toward the side of the automotive vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the guide is selected from one of a rail and a track adapted to constrain translation of the translating hinge thereto.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the translating hinge comprises a stationary shaft having an axis, a rotatable shaft having the same axis, a swivel joint, and a slider.

20. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the tailgate further comprises:
the non-rotatable latch adapted to connect a corner of the wall portion to the side of the automotive vehicle; and
a handle adapted to (1) release, under the first condition, the non-rotatable latch from the side to allow the tailgate to rotate to the hinged open position and (2) release, under the second condition, the non-rotatabl

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Parker Larry

Classifications

• B62D33/0273 Primary

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

• B60J5/12

  slidable; foldable · CPC title

• B62D33/03

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

• B62D33/027 Primary

  movable · CPC title

• B62D33/037

  Latching means therefor · CPC title