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US 6,742,834 B1Granted
Midgate assembly including garage door style midgate panel
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsElizabeth A. Merritt, Andrew J. Novajovsky, Vincent L. Ruma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle body includes a passenger compartment and a cargo compartment separated by a midgate assembly which occupies a midgate opening. A seat is positioned in the passenger compartment. The midgate assembly includes a midgate panel which is movable along a pair of guide tracks from a closed position in the midgate opening to an open position under the seat.
Claims11
A vehicle body having a first compartment for carrying passengers or cargo and a second compartment for carrying cargo rearwardly adjacent to the first compartment, the body comprising:
- a frame defining an opening between the first and second compartments, the opening including lower and upper portions;
- first and second guide tracks each having a first portion secured to the frame along opposing sides of the lower portion of the opening, a curved portion adjacent bottom corners of the lower portion of the opening, and a second portion extending forwardly in the vehicle body from the respective curved portion;
- and
- a midgate panel having opposing sides slidably engaged with the first and second guide tracks to facilitate movement of the panel between a closed position covering the lower portion of the opening when the panel engages the first portion of the guide tracks, and an open position permitting access through the lower portion of the opening when the panel engages the second portion of the guide tracks.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.