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US 12,371,935 B1Granted
Tailgate assembly
AssigneeNissan North America, Inc.
InventorAdam Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tailgate assembly includes a tailgate frame and a sliding door. The tailgate frame has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a rearward facing tailgate panel that covers at least half of the tailgate frame. The second portion defines a door opening and a lower track. The sliding door is supported by the lower track such that the sliding door is movable between a closed orientation and an open orientation.
Claims14
A tailgate assembly, comprising:
- a tailgate frame having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a rearward facing tailgate panel covering at least half of the tailgate frame and the second portion defining a door opening and a lower track;
- and
- a sliding door supported by the lower track such that the sliding door is movable between a closed orientation and an open orientation, the sliding door being configured to overlie a portion of the rearward facing tailgate panel when the sliding door is in the closed orientation and when viewed in a direction facing the rearward facing tailgate panel,
- the tailgate panel of the first portion of the tailgate frame having an upper track, and
- the sliding door having an upper slider mechanism extending between the sliding door and the rearward facing tailgate panel, the upper slider mechanism being configured and dimensioned to slide along the upper track between the closed orientation and the open orientation, a first end of the upper slide mechanism being connected to the sliding door and a second end of the upper slide mechanism being connected to a roller vertically disposed in the upper track, the second end of the upper slider mechanism being disposed higher than the first end of the upper slider mechanism.
2 more elements
A tailgate assembly, comprising:
- a tailgate frame having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having frame elements defining a rectangular support structure, the second portion having a sill portion and an upwardly extending member, the sill portion and the upwardly extending member defining a door opening, at least the sill portion having a lower track;
- a rearward facing tailgate panel attached to the rectangular support structure of the first portion;
- and
- a sliding door supported by the lower track such that the sliding door is movable along the lower track between a closed orientation and an open orientation, the sliding door being configured to overlie a portion of the rearward facing tailgate panel when the sliding door is in the closed orientation and when viewed in a direction facing the rearward facing tailgate panel,
- the tailgate panel of the first portion of the tailgate frame having an upper track, and
- the sliding door having an upper slider mechanism extending between the sliding door and the rearward facing tailgate panel, the upper slider mechanism being configured and dimensioned to slide along the upper track between the closed orientation and the open orientation, a first end of the upper slide mechanism being connected to the sliding door and a second end of the upper slide mechanism being connected to a roller vertically disposed in the upper track, the second end of the upper slider mechanism being disposed higher than the first end of the upper slider mechanism.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.