Torsion rod anchor for vehicle tailgate assembly
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJoshua Robert Hemphill, Joseph Prior, Raul Ezequiel Alvarez Ruiz, Michael Shawn Watterworth
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Abstract
A tailgate assembly includes a frame subassembly for a tailgate. The frame subassembly has a first brace placed adjacent to a second brace to provide a connection beam with a hollow structural section. The assembly further includes a torsion rod and a torsion rod anchor. The torsion rod is at least partially disposed within the hollow structural section. The torsion rod anchor has a rod-receiving opening that receives an end portion of the torsion rod to anchor the end portion of the torsion rod.
Claims19
A tailgate assembly, comprising:
- a frame subassembly for a tailgate, the frame subassembly having a first brace placed adjacent to a second brace to provide a connection beam with a hollow structural section;
- a torsion rod at least partially disposed within the hollow structural section;
- and
- a torsion rod anchor having a rod-receiving opening that receives an end portion of the torsion rod to anchor the end portion of the torsion rod.
A tailgate torsion rod anchoring method, comprising:
- positioning a torsion rod anchor within a hollow structural section provided by a connection beam of a tailgate;
- and
- receiving an end portion of a torsion rod within a rod-receiving opening of the torsion rod anchor to anchor the end portion of the torsion rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.