Rear entry latch assembly
AssigneeBraun GmbH
InventorMichael T. Zindler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor vehicle having a body, for transporting a wheelchair-confined passenger, and a rear liftgate, for providing ingress and egress for the passenger. The motor vehicle includes a tailgate frame operatively connected to the body and disposed adjacently to the rear liftgate. The tailgate frame defines an opening. A tailgate is movably coupled to the tailgate frame at the opening, wherein the tailgate includes a closed position and an open position. A latch is operatively connected to the tailgate. The latch includes a latched condition configured to latch the tailgate in the closed position, a lock condition configured to lock the tailgate in the closed position, and an unlatched condition configured to unlatch the tailgate for movement from the closed position to the open position.
Claims19
A motor vehicle for transporting a wheelchair-confined passenger, the motor vehicle comprising:
- a body;
- a tailgate frame operatively connected to the body, the tailgate frame including a tailgate support assembly, the tailgate frame defining an opening;
- a ramp assembly coupled to and forming at least a part of the tailgate support assembly, the ramp assembly including an inclined support, wherein the inclined support enables a wheelchaired individual to move from the interior of the vehicle;
- a tailgate rotatably coupled to the tailgate frame with hinges located at a bottom portion of the tailgate, wherein the tailgate includes a closed position adapted to prevent ingress and egress of the wheelchair-confined passenger through the opening and an open position adapted to enable ingress and egress of the wheelchair-confined passenger through the opening;
- a handle located at the tailgate, the handle being accessible to release the tailgate from the closed position for movement to the open position by rotation about the hinges;
- and
- a latch operatively connected to the handle, wherein the latch includes a latched position configured to latch the tailgate in the closed position and an unlatched position configured to unlatch the tailgate for movement from the closed position to the open position.
A motor vehicle having a body for transporting a wheelchair-confined passenger, the motor vehicle comprising:
- a rear liftgate;
- a tailgate frame operatively connected to the body and disposed adjacently to the rear liftgate, the tailgate frame including a tailgate support assembly, the tailgate frame defining an opening;
- a ramp assembly coupled to and forming at least a part of the tailgate support assembly, the ramp assembly including an inclined support, wherein the inclined support enables a wheelchaired individual to move from the interior of the vehicle;
- a tailgate rotatably coupled to the tailgate frame at the opening with hinges located at a bottom portion of the tailgate, wherein the tailgate includes a closed position and an open position;
- a handle located at the tailgate, the handle being accessible to release the tailgate from the closed position for movement to the open position by rotation about the hinges;
- and
- a latch operatively connected to the handle, wherein the latch includes a latched position configured to latch the tailgate in the closed position and an unlatched position configured to unlatch the tailgate for movement from the closed position to the open position.
A motor vehicle having a body for transporting a wheelchair-confined passenger, the motor vehicle including a rear liftgate including a liftgate latch handle, the motor vehicle comprising:
- a tailgate frame operatively connected to the body and disposed adjacently to the rear liftgate, the tailgate frame including a tailgate support assembly, the tailgate frame including an opening;
- a ramp assembly coupled to and forming at least a part of the tailgate support assembly, the ramp assembly including an inclined support, wherein the inclined support enables a wheelchaired individual to move from the interior of the vehicle;
- a tailgate rotatably coupled to the tailgate frame at the opening with hinges located at a bottom portion of the tailgate, wherein the tailgate includes a closed position and an open position;
- a handle located at the tailgate, the handle being accessible to release the tailgate from the closed position for movement to the open position by rotation about the hinges;
- and
- a tailgate striker operatively connected to the tailgate, wherein the tailgate striker is configured to engage the liftgate latch handle, wherein the tailgate striker in an unlatched condition enables movement of the tailgate from the closed position to the open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.