Five position tailgate assembly
AssigneeJ.R. Kennedy Co., Ltd.
InventorsRobert B. Humphrey, George Counes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A five-position tailgate assembly wherein a single user can conveniently configure that tailgate to employ one of five different orientations, including a configuration having a closed door assembly, a configuration having that door assembly rotated up to about 90 degrees downwardly to an open position, a configuration wherein that door assembly is rotated in a first direction up to about 180 degrees around a first vertical axis, a configuration wherein that door assembly is rotated in a second direction up to about 180 degrees around a second vertical axis, and a configuration wherein that door assembly is removed from the tailgate assembly.
Claims14
A tailgate assembly for use in a pickup truck, wherein said pickup truck comprises a bed having a closed end and an open end, comprising:
- a frame disposed in said open end of said bed, wherein said frame comprises a first vertical member and a second vertical member joined by a horizontal member;
- a first side member pivotably connected to said first vertical member;
- a second side member pivotably connected to said second vertical member;
- a door assembly, wherein said door assembly is rotatably connected to said first side member, and wherein said door assembly is rotatably connected to said second side member;
- wherein said door assembly in combination with said first side member and said second side member is removeably attached to said frame.
A method to gain access to a pickup truck bed, wherein said pickup truck bed includes a tailgate assembly comprising a door assembly, comprising the steps of:
- rotating said door assembly up to about 90 degrees around a horizontal axis;
- rotating said door assembly in a first direction up to about 180 degrees around a first vertical axis;
- rotating said door assembly in a second direction up to about 180 degrees around a second vertical axis;
- and
- removing said door assembly;
- wherein said tailgate assembly further comprises:
- a frame disposed in said open end of said bed, wherein said frame comprises a first vertical member and a second vertical member joined by a horizontal member;
- a first side member pivotably connected to said first vertical member;
- a second side member pivotably connected to said second vertical member;
- said door assembly, wherein said door assembly is rotatably connected to said first vertical member and to said second vertical member;
- and
- wherein said door assembly in combination with said first side member and said second side member is removeably attached to said frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.