Vehicle liftgate power operating system

A power operating system for opening and closing a vehicle liftgate comprising:

• a vehicle frame and an access opening;
• a liftgate pivotally attached to the vehicle frame adjacent to the top of the access opening for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis;
• a drive unit supported on the frame and connected to the liftgate for opening and closing the liftgate,
• the drive unit comprising a bracket that is secured to the vehicle body for supporting several parts including a reversible electric motor, a gear train, a rack and a cradle that are mounted on the bracket,
• the electric motor having an output that drives the rack via the output gear of the gear train that has an axis,
• the rack being slidable in the cradle,
• the cradle being pivotally mounted on the bracket so that cradle pivots about the axis of the output gear to hold the teeth of the rack in engagement with the teeth of the output gear to accommodate rocking movement of rack as it moves from a retracted position to an extended position,
• an arcuate track that is fixed to the vehicle body, and
• an arcuate link that slides in the arcuate track,
• the arcuate link having an inboard end that is pivotally connected to an end of the rack and an outboard end that is pivotally connected to the liftgate.

A power operating system for opening and closing a vehicle liftgate comprising:

• a vehicle frame and an access opening;
• a liftgate pivotally attached to the vehicle frame adjacent to the top of the access opening for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis;
• a pair of drive units supported on the frame and connected to the liftgate for opening and closing the liftgate,
• each drive unit comprising a bracket that is secured to the vehicle body for supporting several parts including a reversible electric motor, a gear train, a rack and a cradle that are mounted on the bracket,
• the electric motor having an output that drives the rack via an output gear of the gear train that has an axis,
• the rack being slidable in the cradle,
• the cradle being is pivotally mounted on bracket so that cradle pivots about the axis of the output gear to hold the teeth of the rack in engagement with the teeth of the output gear to accommodate rocking movement of rack as it moves from a retracted position to an extended position,
• an arcuate track that is fixed to the vehicle body, and
• an arcuate link that slides in the arcuate track,
• the arcuate link having an inboard end that is pivotally connected to an end of the rack and an outboard end that is pivotally connected to the liftgate.