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US 8,075,037 B2Granted
Vehicle rear end assemblies with storage assemblies
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorJennifer J. Mahaffy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle storage assembly of a vehicle includes a deployable and retractable shelf member connected to a tailgate of the vehicle. In a deployed configuration, the shelf member is supported spaced-above the tailgate to provide a horizontal support surface with the tailgate in an open position and the shelf member is supported spaced horizontally from the tailgate to provide a sidewall of a storage compartment with the tailgate in a closed position.
Claims16
A vehicle rear end assembly comprising:
- a tailgate having a folded-down open position for providing access to a rear storage space of a vehicle through an access opening and a folded-up closed position for closing the access opening;
- and
- a storage assembly connected to the tailgate, the storage assembly including a shelf member, wherein when the storage assembly is in a deployed configuration, the shelf member is supported vertically above the tailgate with the tailgate in the open position;
- wherein the shelf member, in the deployed configuration, forms a vertical wall of a storage compartment within the rear storage space of the vehicle with the tailgate in the closed position;
- wherein a floor of the rear storage space provides an exposed bottom to the storage compartment within the rear storage space of the vehicle with the tailgate in the closed position.
2 more elements
A vehicle storage assembly of a vehicle comprising:
- a deployable and retractable shelf member connected to a tailgate of the vehicle, the shelf member comprising a front facing edge, a rear facing edge and ends that extend between the front facing edge and the rear facing edge;
- and
- a support member that supports the shelf member spaced from the tailgate with the storage assembly in the deployed configuration, the support member forming a partition located between the ends of the shelf member with the storage assembly in the deployed configuration;
- wherein, in a deployed configuration, the shelf member is supported spaced-above the tailgate to provide a horizontal support surface with the tailgate in an open position and the shelf member is supported spaced horizontally from the tailgate to provide a sidewall of a storage compartment with the tailgate in a closed position;
- wherein the support member retracts toward the tailgate to place the shelf member in an intermediate configuration with the support member located between the shelf member and the tailgate.
2 more elements
A vehicle comprising:
- a rear storage space;
- a tailgate providing access to the rear storage space, the tailgate having an open position and a closed position;
- and
- a storage assembly connected to the tailgate, the storage assembly including a shelf member, wherein when the storage assembly is in a deployed configuration, the shelf member is supported vertically above the tailgate with the tailgate in the open position;
- wherein the shelf member, in the deployed configuration, forms a vertical wall of a storage compartment within the rear storage space of the vehicle with the tailgate in the closed position;
- wherein a floor of the rear storage space provides an exposed bottom to the storage compartment within the rear storage space of the vehicle with the tailgate in the closed configuration.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.