US3749440A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tailgate
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
•
Filing: 1971-11-26
•
Granted: 1973-07-31
•
Expires: 1991-11-26
Abstract
Abstract A station wagon type vehicle body includes a rear opening whose lower portion is selectively closed by a tailgate. A pair of support arms extend along the vertical edges of the opening when the tailgate is in closed position and have their upper ends pivoted to the vehicle body for swinging movement about a transverse vehicle body axis substantially midway between the upper edge of the opening and the upper edge of the closed tailgate. A first latch mechanism including a pair of first latch members normally extending from the tailgate into engagement with the support arms is actuatable to disengage these latch members with the support arms and allow swinging tailgate movement in a drop-gate mode to a first open position about pintle portions of a pair of second latch members associated with a second latch mechanism. The second latch members normally extend from the tailgate through the lower ends of the support arms into engagement with the vehicle body and move out of engagement with the vehicle body upon actuation of the second latch mechanism to allow upward swinging movement of the support arms and tailgate movement in a lift-gate mode to a generally vertical second open position. The support arms straddle the upper portion of the opening with the tailgate in the second open position and allow full access to the opening while concomitantly minimizing the distance the tailgate extends outwardly of the adjacent vehicle body confines. Linkages connecting an actuator handle to the latch mechanisms include lost motion connections such that the handle is moved in opposite directions to selectively actuate either latch mechanism.
Inventors
- 👤 M Lathers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 11:11
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60J; B60J5/00; B60J5/10; B60J5/101; B60J1/00; B60J1/18; B60J1/1838; B60J1/1846; B60J1/1861; B60J5/102; B60J5/104; E; E05; E05F; E05F11/00; E05F11/38; E05F11/48; E05F11/481; E05F11/483; E05Y; E05Y2900/00; E05Y2900/50; E05Y2900/516; E05Y2900/53; E05Y2900/544; E05Y2900/55
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
288 words
In a station wagon type vehicle body defining a generally rectangular rear opening to the vehicle body occupant compartment, the combination comprising, a generally rectangular tailgate having a smaller height than the opening and positionable in a closed position closing a lower portion of the opening, a pair of elongated support arms oriented in generally vertically extending positions along the vertical edges of the opening when the tailgate is in closed position, first means pivoting the upper ends of the support arms to the vehicle body at the opposite sides of the opening for swinging movement about a transverse vehicle body axis located substantially midway between the upper edge of the opening and the upper edge of the tailgate in closed position, second means pivoting the lower edge of the tailgate to the lower ends of the support arms for downward swinging movement in a drop-gate mode to a first open position, first latch means normally fixing the tailgate relative to the support arms to prevent tailgate movement in the drop-gate mode and selectively actuatable to allow such movement, and second latch means normally securing the lower ends of the support arms to the vehicle body to secure the support arms in the generally vertically extending positions when the tailgate is closed and when moving in the drop-gate mode, the second latch means being actuatable to allow upward swinging movement of the support arms about their upper ends and movement of the tailgate in a lift-gate mode to a generally vertically oriented second open position where the support arms straddle the upper portion of the opening to allow full access to the opening while concomitantly minimizing the distance the tailgate extends outwardly of the adjacent vehicle body confines.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
288 words
In a station wagon type vehicle body defining a generally rectangular rear opening to the vehicle body occupant compartment, the combination comprising, a generally rectangular tailgate having a smaller height than the opening and positionable in a closed position closing a lower portion of the opening, a pair of elongated support arms oriented in generally vertically extending positions along the vertical edges of the opening when the tailgate is in closed position, first means pivoting the upper ends of the support arms to the vehicle body at the opposite sides of the opening for swinging movement about a transverse vehicle body axis located substantially midway between the upper edge of the opening and the upper edge of the tailgate in closed position, second means pivoting the lower edge of the tailgate to the lower ends of the support arms for downward swinging movement in a drop-gate mode to a first open position, first latch means normally fixing the tailgate relative to the support arms to prevent tailgate movement in the drop-gate mode and selectively actuatable to allow such movement, and second latch means normally securing the lower ends of the support arms to the vehicle body to secure the support arms in the generally vertically extending positions when the tailgate is closed and when moving in the drop-gate mode, the second latch means being actuatable to allow upward swinging movement of the support arms about their upper ends and movement of the tailgate in a lift-gate mode to a generally vertically oriented second open position where the support arms straddle the upper portion of the opening to allow full access to the opening while concomitantly minimizing the distance the tailgate extends outwardly of the adjacent vehicle body confines.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
310 words
In a station wagon type vehicle body defining a generally rectangular rear opening to the vehicle body occupant compartment, the combination comprising, a generally rectangular tailgate having a smaller height than the opening and positionable in a closed position closing a lower portion of the opening, a pair of elongated support arms oriented in generally vertically extending positions along the vertical edges of the opening when the tailgate is in closed position, first means pivoting the upper ends of the support arms to the vehicle body at the opposite sides of the opening for swinging movement about a transverse vehicle body axis locateD substantially midway between the upper edge of the opening and the upper edge of the tailgate in closed position, second means pivoting the lower edge of the tailgate to the lower ends of the support arms for downward swinging movement in a drop-gate mode to a first open position, first latch means normally fixing the tailgate relative to the support arms to prevent tailgate movement in the drop-gate mode and selectively actuatable to allow such movement, and second latch means including latch members extending between the vehicle body and the lower ends of the support arms along the axis of the second pivoting means to secure the support arms in the generally vertically extending positions when the tailgate is in closed position and when moving in the drop-gate mode, the second latch means being actuatable to disengage the latch members from the vehicle body to allow upward swinging movement of the support arms about their upper ends and movement of the tailgate in a lift-gate mode to a generally vertically oriented second open position where the support arms straddle the upper portion of the opening to allow full access to the opening while concomitantly minimizing the distance the tailgate extends outwardly of the adjacent vehicle body confines.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
310 words
In a station wagon type vehicle body defining a generally rectangular rear opening to the vehicle body occupant compartment, the combination comprising, a generally rectangular tailgate having a smaller height than the opening and positionable in a closed position closing a lower portion of the opening, a pair of elongated support arms oriented in generally vertically extending positions along the vertical edges of the opening when the tailgate is in closed position, first means pivoting the upper ends of the support arms to the vehicle body at the opposite sides of the opening for swinging movement about a transverse vehicle body axis locateD substantially midway between the upper edge of the opening and the upper edge of the tailgate in closed position, second means pivoting the lower edge of the tailgate to the lower ends of the support arms for downward swinging movement in a drop-gate mode to a first open position, first latch means normally fixing the tailgate relative to the support arms to prevent tailgate movement in the drop-gate mode and selectively actuatable to allow such movement, and second latch means including latch members extending between the vehicle body and the lower ends of the support arms along the axis of the second pivoting means to secure the support arms in the generally vertically extending positions when the tailgate is in closed position and when moving in the drop-gate mode, the second latch means being actuatable to disengage the latch members from the vehicle body to allow upward swinging movement of the support arms about their upper ends and movement of the tailgate in a lift-gate mode to a generally vertically oriented second open position where the support arms straddle the upper portion of the opening to allow full access to the opening while concomitantly minimizing the distance the tailgate extends outwardly of the adjacent vehicle body confines.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The combination of claim 2 wherein the latch members of the second latch means and the second pivoting means are integral.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
382 words
In a station wagon type vehicle body defining a generally rectangular rear opening to the vehicle body occupant compartment, the combination comprising: a generally rectangular tailgate having a smaller height than the opening and positionable in a closed position closing a lower portion of the opening; a pair of elongated support arms oriented in generally vertically extending positions along the vertical edges of the opening when the tailgate is in closed position; first means pivoting the upper ends of the support arms to the vehicle body at the opposite sides of the opening for swinging movement about a transverse vehicle body axis located substantially midway between the upper edge of the opening and the upper edge of the tailgate in closed position; second means pivoting the lower edge of the tailgate to the lower ends of the support arms for downward swinging movement in a drop-gate mode to a first open position; first latch means including latch members extending between the tailgate and support arms to normally fix the tailgate relative to the support arms and prevent tailgate movement in the drop-gate mode, the first latch means being selectively actuatable to disengage the latch members from the support arms and allow tailgate movement in the drop-gate mode; second latch means including latch members extending between the support arms and the vehicle body along the axis of the second pivoting means to secure the support arms in the generally vertically extending positions when the tailgate is in closed position and when moving in the drop-gate mode, the second latch means being actuatable to disengage the latch members from the vehicle body and allow upward swinging movement of the support arms about their upper ends and movement of the tailgate in a lift-gate mode to a generally vertically oriented second open position where the support arms straddle the upper portion of the opening to allow full access to the opening while concomitantly minimizing the distance the tailgate extends outwardly of the adjacent vehicle body confines; and an actuator mechanism including lost motion means connecting the first and second latch means to an actuator handle such that the handle is selectively movable in opposite directions to actuate either the first or second latch means and allow either the drop-gate or lift-gate movement of the tailgate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
382 words
In a station wagon type vehicle body defining a generally rectangular rear opening to the vehicle body occupant compartment, the combination comprising: a generally rectangular tailgate having a smaller height than the opening and positionable in a closed position closing a lower portion of the opening; a pair of elongated support arms oriented in generally vertically extending positions along the vertical edges of the opening when the tailgate is in closed position; first means pivoting the upper ends of the support arms to the vehicle body at the opposite sides of the opening for swinging movement about a transverse vehicle body axis located substantially midway between the upper edge of the opening and the upper edge of the tailgate in closed position; second means pivoting the lower edge of the tailgate to the lower ends of the support arms for downward swinging movement in a drop-gate mode to a first open position; first latch means including latch members extending between the tailgate and support arms to normally fix the tailgate relative to the support arms and prevent tailgate movement in the drop-gate mode, the first latch means being selectively actuatable to disengage the latch members from the support arms and allow tailgate movement in the drop-gate mode; second latch means including latch members extending between the support arms and the vehicle body along the axis of the second pivoting means to secure the support arms in the generally vertically extending positions when the tailgate is in closed position and when moving in the drop-gate mode, the second latch means being actuatable to disengage the latch members from the vehicle body and allow upward swinging movement of the support arms about their upper ends and movement of the tailgate in a lift-gate mode to a generally vertically oriented second open position where the support arms straddle the upper portion of the opening to allow full access to the opening while concomitantly minimizing the distance the tailgate extends outwardly of the adjacent vehicle body confines; and an actuator mechanism including lost motion means connecting the first and second latch means to an actuator handle such that the handle is selectively movable in opposite directions to actuate either the first or second latch means and allow either the drop-gate or lift-gate movement of the tailgate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The combination of claim 4 wherein the upper ends of the support arms mount respective trim panels.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-30 | 1977-01-29 | 1977-07-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-30 | 1981-01-29 | 1981-07-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-30 | 1985-01-29 | 1985-07-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |