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US 12,377,918 B1Granted
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.
Claims13
An apparatus, comprising:
- a tailgate assembly coupled to a rear portion of a vehicle, the tailgate assembly including a first gate panel and a second gate panel;
- a tailgate power circuit coupled to the tailgate assembly and configured to supply power to at least a portion of the tailgate assembly to cause the second gate panel to pivot with respect to the first gate panel;
- and
- a switch configured to override operation of the tailgate power circuit to disable the second gate panel from pivoting with respect to the first gate panel, the switch comprising:
- a proximity switch;
- and
- an actuator having an actuator surface facing outwardly from the rear portion of the vehicle, wherein the actuator is configured to cause the switch to transition between a first state, in which the switch is configured to allow power to flow in the tailgate power circuit, and a second state, in which the switch is configured to inhibit power from flowing in the tailgate power circuit.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a tailgate assembly coupled to a rear portion of a vehicle, the tailgate assembly including a first gate panel and a second gate panel;
- a tailgate power circuit coupled to the tailgate assembly and configured to supply power to at least a portion of the tailgate assembly to cause the second gate panel to pivot with respect to the first gate panel;
- and
- a tailgate deactivation system configured to override operation of the tailgate power circuit to disable the second gate panel from pivoting with respect to the first gate panel, the tailgate deactivation system including a switch and an actuator, wherein the switch and actuator are configured to cause the tailgate deactivation system to transition between a first state, in which the tailgate deactivation system is configured to allow power to flow in the tailgate power circuit, and a second state, in which the tailgate deactivation system is configured to inhibit power from flowing in the tailgate power circuit;
- wherein the actuator is disposed at the rear portion of the vehicle.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.