Systems and methods to adjust height of vehicle tailgates
AssigneesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsJuan A. Velasco, Andrew M. Olive, Jason Cremer, Takehito Yoda, Taesoo Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The height of a vehicle tailgate may be adjusted. A vehicle is provided including a bed for transporting cargo. A tailgate member provides access to the truck bed. An actuation mechanism couples the tailgate member to the bed and is operable to pivot the tailgate member between a vertical, closed position and a horizontal, open position. The actuation mechanism is also operable to adjust the height of the tailgate member relative to the truck bed.
Claims20
A vehicle, comprising:
- a bed for transporting cargo;
- a tailgate member;
- and
- an actuation mechanism coupling the tailgate member to the bed, the actuation mechanism being operable to:
- pivot the tailgate member between a vertical, closed position and a horizontal, open position;
- and
- adjust a height of the tailgate member relative to the bed,
- wherein:
- the bed comprises a deck on which to place the cargo;
- an accessory storage compartment is positioned on the deck adjacent to the tailgate member;
- and
- in response to an activation signal received by processing circuitry communicably coupled to the actuation mechanism, the actuation mechanism automatically adjusts the height of the tailgate member, while in the horizontal, open position, to be level with a top surface of the accessory storage compartment.
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A height-adjustable tailgate for vehicles, comprising:
- a tailgate member;
- an actuation mechanism coupling the tailgate member to a vehicle bed for transporting cargo, the actuation mechanism being operable to:
- pivot the tailgate member between a vertical, closed position and a horizontal, open position;
- and
- adjust a height of the tailgate member relative to the vehicle bed,
- wherein:
- the vehicle bed comprises:
- a deck on which to place the cargo;
- and
- an accessory storage compartment positioned on the deck adjacent to the tailgate member;
- and
- in response to an activation signal received by processing circuitry communicably coupled to the actuation mechanism, the actuation mechanism automatically adjusts the height of the tailgate member, while in the horizontal, open position, to be level with a top surface of the accessory storage compartment.
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A computer-implemented method for adjusting a height of a vehicle tailgate, comprising:
- receiving, by processing circuitry communicably coupled to an actuation mechanism of a tailgate member, an activation signal,
- wherein the actuation mechanism couples the tailgate member to a bed of the vehicle for transporting cargo;
- and
- in response to the activation signal, adjusting a height of the tailgate member relative to the bed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.