Tailgate assembly

Claim 2

In a vehicle having oppositely disposed load carrying compartment side walls terminating at a rear loading opening, an adjustable tailgate assembly for varying the effective width of the rear loading opening, said assembly comprising a pair of relatively rigid vertical support frames each having front and rear end portions and each being pivotally connected to one of the side walls at its front end portion such that its rear end portion is immediately adjacent to the rear loading opening when the support frame is positioned in close overlapping relation to the side wall, and a pair of doors each pivotally connected at one transverse end to the rear end portion of one of said support frames, the opposite transverse end of each door defining a closure edge, said doors being selectively positionable between a position fully closing said loading opening and a position fully opening said loading opening by a pivotal movement of said support frames and a generally transverse movement of said doors to provide an adjustable access opening defined by said closure edges.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 1 including latch means engageable with the closure edges of said pair of doors for selectively maintaining said doors in the fully closed position, and additional latch means at the front end portions of said support frames for engagement with the closure edges of said doors upon a pivotal outward swinging of said doors into overlying relation with their associated support frames.

Claim 4

In a vehicle having oppositely disposed load carrying compartment side walls terminating at a rear loading opening, a tailgate assembly cOmprising a pair of relatively rigid support frames each having front and rear end portions and each being pivotally connected to one of the side walls at its front end portion such that its rear end portion is immediately adjacent to the rear loading opening when the support frame is positioned in close overlapping relation to the side wall, and a pair of doors each pivotally connected at one transverse end to the rear end portion of one of said support frames, the opposite transverse end of each door defining a closure edge, said doors being selectively positionable between fully closed and fully open positions at the loading opening by pivotal movement of said support frames to provide an adjustable access opening defined by said closure edges, said pair of doors being provided with first and second latch members respectively mounted at their closure edges to selectively maintain the doors in the fully closed position, said pair of support frames being provided with third and fourth latch members respectively mounted at their front end portions and adapted to coact with said first and second latch members to maintain said doors in a folded position with each closure edge overlapping the front edge portion of the associated support frame.

Claim 5

In a vehicle having oppositely disposed load carrying compartment side walls terminating at a rear loading opening, a tailgate assembly cOmprising a pair of relatively rigid support frames each having front and rear end portions and each being pivotally connected to one of the side walls at its front end portion such that its rear end portion is immediately adjacent to the rear loading opening when the support frame is positioned in close overlapping relation to the side wall, and a pair of doors each pivotally connected at one transverse end to the rear end portion of one of said support frames, the opposite transverse end of each door defining a closure edge, said doors being selectively positionable between fully closed and fully open positions at the loading opening by pivotal movement of said support frames to provide an adjustable access opening defined by said closure edges, said pair of doors being provided with first and second latch members respectively mounted at their closure edges to selectively maintain the doors in the fully closed position, said pair of support frames being provided with third and fourth latch members respectively mounted at their front end portions and adapted to coact with said first and second latch members to maintain said doors in a folded position with each closure edge overlapping the front edge portion of the associated support frame.

Claim 6

The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said support frames includes means for selectively latching it to the associated side wall to prevent rotation therebetween.

Claim 7

The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein the width of each of said doors is approximately equal to the width of the associated support frame and the composite width of both of said doors is at least as great as the width of said loading opening.

Claim 8

A tailgate assembly for use with vehicles having oppositely disposed load carrying compartment side walls terminating at a rear loading opening, said assembly comprising a pair of support frames each having front and rear ends and adapted to be pivotally mounted at the front end to one of the carrying compartment side walls for pivotal movement of the pair of support frames about substantially vertical axes such that the rear ends extend slightly beyond the rear loading opening when the support frames are parallel with the associated side walls, a pair of doors adapted to form a closure at the loading opening, each of said doors including a mounting edge portion pivotally fastened to the rear end of one of said support frames and an opposite closure edge portion, and means on the closure edge portions for fastening said doors in a closed position, each of said doors being substantially perpendicular to the associated support frame when the doors are in the closed position, each of said support frames including means for selectively latching it to the associated side wall to prevent rotation therebetween while allowing rotation between each door and its associated support frame, each of said support frames including means for selectively fastening the associated door in overlapping parallel position, whereby the rear loading opening is unobstructed by said doors.

Claim 9

A tailgate assembly for use with vehicles having oppositely disposed load carrying compartment side walls terminating at a rear loading opening, said assembly comprising a pair of support frames each having front and rear ends and adapted to be pivotally mounted at the front end to one of the carrying compartment side walls for pivotal movement of the pair of support frames about substantially vertical axes such that the rear ends extend slightly beyond the rear loading opening when the support frames are parallel with the associated side walls, a pair of doors adapted to form a closure at the loading opening, each of said doors including a mounting edge portion pivotally fastened to the rear end of one of said support frames and an opposite closure edge portion, and means on the closure edge portions for fastening said doors in a closed position, each of said doors being substantially perpendicular to the associated support frame when the doors are in the closed position, each of said support frames including means for selectively latching it to the associated side wall to prevent rotation therebetween while allowing rotation between each door and its associated support frame, each of said support frames including means for selectively fastening the associated door in overlapping parallel position, whereby the rear loading opening is unobstructed by said doors.

Claim 10

The structure set forth in claim 6 wherein the means for selectively fastening the associated door in overlapping parallel position to its support frame is mounted at the front end of the frame, each door being of approximately equal width with its associated support frame.