Liftgate and mounting bracket system
AssigneeRS Drawings, LLC
InventorPaul Bark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and system of installing a liftgate under a vehicle bed. In one implementation, the system includes a liftgate and a mounting device. The mounting device comprises at least one mounting bracket having a group of multiple substantially horizontal slots vertically stacked relative to one another so as to be at different heights relative to ground when the bracket is installed under a vehicle bed essentially parallel to ground. The slots are vertically spaced on the bracket relative to one another to accommodate different vehicle bed heights so as to maintain the liftgate within a desired vertical ground clearance when mounted in a slot on said bracket under a vehicle bed.
Claims28
A method of installing a liftgate under a vehicle bed, the liftgate comprising a platform coupled to a support frame via a lift linkage, the platform capable of being moved by an actuator via the lift linkage between a raised position and a lowered position, the method comprising:
- attaching a liftgate mounting device under the vehicle bed, wherein the liftgate mounting device comprises an elongate bracket having a group of elongate slots spaced relative to one another along a width of the bracket so as to be at different distances to the vehicle bed when the bracket is lengthwise installed under the vehicle bed, such that the slots are vertically stacked on the bracket relative to one another essentially parallel to the vehicle bed when the bracket is installed under the vehicle bed to accommodate different vehicle bed heights so as to maintain the liftgate within a desired vertical ground clearance when mounted on a slot on said bracket under the vehicle bed;
- selecting a slot from said group of elongate slots based on the vehicle bed height from ground and desired liftgate ground clearance range;
- and
- slidably mounting the liftgate on the selected slot under the vehicle bed.
A liftgate system for mounting under a vehicle bed, comprising:
- a liftgate comprising a platform coupled to a support frame via a lift linkage, the platform capable of being moved by an actuator via the lift linkage between a raised position and a lowered position;
- and
- a liftgate mounting device comprising an elongate bracket having a group of elongate slots spaced relative to one another along a width of the bracket so as to be at different distances to the vehicle bed when the bracket is lengthwise installed under the vehicle bed, such that
- the slots are vertically stacked on the bracket relative to one another essentially parallel to the vehicle bed when the bracket is installed under the vehicle bed to accommodate different vehicle bed heights so as to maintain the liftgate within a desired vertical ground clearance when the liftgate is slidably mounted horizontally under the vehicle bed via said support frame mounted on a slot selected from said group of elongate slots on the bracket based on the vehicle bed height from ground and the desired liftgate ground clearance range.
A liftgate mounting device for mounting a liftgate under a vehicle bed, the liftgate comprising a platform coupled to a support frame via a lift linkage, the platform capable of being moved by an actuator via the lift linkage between a raised position and a lowered position, the mounting device comprising:
- an elongate bracket having a group of elongate slots spaced relative to one another along a width of the bracket so as to be at different distances to the vehicle bed when the bracket is lengthwise installed under the vehicle bed, such that
- the slots are vertically stacked on the bracket relative to one another essentially parallel to the vehicle bed when the bracket is installed under the vehicle bed to accommodate different vehicle bed heights so as to maintain the liftgate within a desired vertical ground clearance when the liftgate is slidably mounted horizontally under the vehicle bed via said support frame mounted on a slot selected from said group of elongate slots on the bracket based on the vehicle bed height from ground and the desired liftgate ground clearance range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.