System and method to detect and avoid spilled cargo

A system to detect and avoid spilled cargo in an automobile vehicle, comprising:

• an automobile vehicle rear cargo area including a floor to at least temporarily receive a storage item in the cargo area;
• a lift gate moved between a closed and latched position and a fully open position inclusive to allow loading and removal of the storage item;
• a vision system to identify the storage item when initially loaded in the cargo area and to identify if the storage item is initially positioned in a cargo spill position or subsequently moves to the cargo spill position, wherein the cargo spill position defines a position of the storage item wherein the storage item may contact the lift gate or may be angled to tip toward the lift gate allowing the storage item to spill out of the cargo area when the lift gate is subsequently moved away from the closed and latched position;
• a cargo spill warning alerting an operator of the automobile vehicle when the vision system identifies the storage item is in the cargo spill position;
• a cargo stop device releasably connected to the lift gate, wherein the cargo stop device defines a cargo panel deployed at the cargo spill position to mitigate against the storage item spilling in a rearward direction out of the cargo area, wherein the cargo panel is releasably engaged to a front facing surface of the lift gate using an operating system having multiple rods including at least a first rod and a second rod, and further including a first pin actuator positioned within a floor housing member and coupled to a floor structure of the floor, the first pin actuator rotating a first hook-shaped pin to releasably engage the first rod which retains the cargo panel, thereby allowing the cargo panel to be temporarily held by the first hook-shaped pin at the cargo spill position;
• and
• an operating system to releasably store the cargo stop device when the storage item is not in the cargo spill position and to deploy the cargo stop device when the storage item is in the cargo spill position and further including a stop position of the lift gate defining an unlatched and not fully open position of the lift gate, wherein an opening operation of the lift gate is stopped at the stop position further mitigating against spilling the storage item out of the automobile vehicle when the storage item is detected in the cargo spill position.

A method for detecting and avoiding spilled cargo in an automobile vehicle, comprising:

• providing a lift gate at a cargo area of an automobile vehicle moved between a closed and latched position and a fully open position inclusive;
• positioning a storage item in the cargo area;
• positioning a cargo stop device at the lift gate with the cargo stop device initially releasably connected to the lift gate, wherein the cargo stop device defines a cargo panel deployed at a cargo spill position to mitigate against the storage item spilling in a rearward direction out of the cargo area, wherein the cargo panel is releasably engaged to a front facing surface of the lift gate using an operating system having multiple rods including at least a first rod and a second rod, and further including a first pin actuator positioned within a floor housing member and coupled to a floor structure of a vehicle floor, the first pin actuator rotating a first hook-shaped pin to releasably engage the first rod which retains the cargo panel, thereby allowing the cargo panel to be temporarily held by the first hook-shaped pin at the cargo spill position;
• using a vision system to identify the storage item at an initial position when initially loaded in the cargo area and to detect if the storage item subsequently moves to second position defining the cargo spill position;
• and
• employing an operating system to release the cargo stop device from the lift gate and to deploy the cargo stop device to the cargo spill position when the storage item is detected in the cargo spill position to mitigate against release of the storage item as the lift gate moves toward the fully open position.