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US 12,291,283 B2Granted
Tailgate deactivation system
AssigneeBanks Morrison Innovations LLC
InventorsJames E. Banks, Jr., Michael A. Morrison
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tailgate deactivation system. A switch includes two terminals configured to be electrically coupled to a tailgate power circuit that supplies power to at least a portion of a tailgate of a vehicle, and an actuator configured to electrically couple the two terminals in an on state to allow power to flow in the tailgate power circuit, and to electrically decouple the two terminals in an off state to inhibit power from flowing in the tailgate power circuit.
Claims18
A method, comprising:
- by a vehicle having a multi-functional tailgate with a primary gate panel having an inner gate panel, with the inner gate panel being rotatable about a first horizontal axis extending through the primary gate panel a certain distance above a second horizontal axis about which the primary gate panel is rotatable, with the primary gate panel being configured to pivot between an upward vertical position and a horizontal position relative to the vehicle and with the inner gate panel being configured to independently pivot relative to the primary gate panel, configuring, by a circuitry of the vehicle, the multi-functional tailgate in one of a set of multi-functional tailgate configurations, including:
- a first configuration with the primary gate panel in the horizontal position and enabled to be pivoted and the inner gate panel inhibited from being downwards pivoted by disabling power delivery associated with the inner gate panel;
- a second configuration with the primary gate panel in the horizontal position and enabled to be pivoted and the inner gate panel enabled to be downwards pivoted;
- a third configuration with the primary gate panel in the upward vertical position and enabled to be pivoted and the inner gate panel inhibited from being downwards pivoted by disabling power delivery associated with the inner gate panel;
- and
- a fourth configuration with the primary gate panel in the upward vertical position and enabled to be pivoted and the inner gate panel enabled to be downwards pivoted.
3 more elements
A vehicle, comprising:
- a multi-functional tailgate having a primary gate panel with an inner gate panel, with the inner gate panel being rotatable about a first horizontal axis extending through the primary gate panel a certain distance above a second horizontal axis about which the primary gate panel is rotatable, with the primary gate panel being configured to pivot between an upward vertical position and a horizontal position relative to the vehicle and with the inner gate panel being configured to independently pivot relative to the primary gate panel;
- and
- wherein the multi-functional tailgate is operable to be configured, by a circuitry of the vehicle, in one of a set of multi-functional tailgate configurations, including:
- a first configuration with the primary gate panel in the horizontal position and enabled to be pivoted and the inner gate panel inhibited from being downwards pivoted by disabling power delivery associated with the inner gate panel;
- a second configuration with the primary gate panel in the horizontal position and enabled to be pivoted and the inner gate panel enabled to be downwards pivoted;
- a third configuration with the primary gate panel in the upward vertical position and enabled to be pivoted and the inner gate panel inhibited from being downwards pivoted by disabling power delivery associated with the inner gate panel;
- and
- a fourth configuration with the primary gate panel in the upward vertical position and enabled to be pivoted and the inner gate panel enabled to be downwards pivoted.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.