U.S. patent application number 10/000074 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-20 for automotive double folding tailgate.
Invention is credited to Pyo, Ha Geun.
Application Number | 20020074821 10/000074 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19702784 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020074821 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pyo, Ha Geun |
June 20, 2002 |
AUTOMOTIVE DOUBLE FOLDING TAILGATE
Abstract
An automotive double folding tailgate constructed to doubly fold
a lid panel and a glass to position same toward floor of automobile
body enabling to make a cargo loading space available, the tailgate
comprising: a lid panel supported on a floor of automobile body via
a pivot unit, and a glass foldable at a lower end thereof via a
folding unit mounted at an upper part of the lid panel and
releasably mounted to a roof panel at an upper end thereof via a
locking unit.
Inventors: |
Pyo, Ha Geun; (Ulsan,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ANTONELLI TERRY STOUT AND KRAUS
SUITE 1800
1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
ARLINGTON
VA
22209
|
Family ID: |
19702784 |
Appl. No.: |
10/000074 |
Filed: |
December 4, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/106 ;
296/146.8; 296/57.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J 1/1884 20130101;
B60J 5/103 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/106 ;
296/57.1; 296/146.8 |
International
Class: |
B60J 005/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 7, 2000 |
KR |
2000-74242 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An automotive double folding tailgate, the tailgate comprising:
a lid panel supported on a floor of automobile body via pivot means
and a glass foldable at a lower end thereof via folding means
mounted at an upper part of the lid panel and releasably mounted to
roof panel at an upper end thereof via locking means.
2. The tailgate as defined in claim 1, wherein the pivot means
comprises: a fixation bracket fixed the floor of the automobile
body; a connection bracket fixed to a lower end of the lid panel;
and a hinge pin coupled between the two brackets and functioning as
a pivot axle when the lid panel is turned backward into interior of
the automobile.
3. The tailgate as defined in claim 1, wherein the folding means
comprises: a hinge arm having a "" shape with one end thereof being
fixed via a fixation bolt to a groove formed at a fixation member
for supporting the glass; and a hinge base to which a fixation end
of the hinge arm is fixed via a pivot pin where the hinge base is
fixed to the lid panel by the fixation bolt.
4. The tailgate as defined in claim 3, wherein the hinge base is
formed with a depressed bent part for allowing the hinge arm to
rotate therein freely.
5. The tailgate as defined in claim 1, wherein locking means
comprises: a hook having a housing for receiving a hitching end
fixed to the glass and functioning as a lock via resilience; and a
locker coupled to the hook and mounted to the roof panel for fixing
the glass.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an automotive double
folding tailgate, and more particularly to an automotive double
folding tailgate adapted to be folded and unfolded downward to
enable to open a cargo loading space.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Generally, an automobile is formed at the rear part thereof
with an open space for loading cargoes. In case of an automobile
with emphasis more on loading cargoes, the automobile adopts a
tailgate folding upward of the body thereof and minimizes obstacle
at the entrance of cargo loading space (W) to thereby enable to
expedite loading of cargoes.
[0005] The tailgate thus described generally includes, as
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a lid panel 1 having a glass 2, gas
lifters 3 and 3' so mounted as to support the lid panel at both
lateral surfaces of automobile body and to keep an opened position
of the lid panel 1 when the lid panel 1 hinged at roof panel (R) is
lifted upward, and a latch assembly 5 mounted underneath the lid
panel 1 to be coupled to a striker installed at the automobile body
to function as locking action.
[0006] Unexplained reference numeral 4 is a key cylinder for
manipulating the latch assembly by way of automobile key.
[0007] There is an advantage in the lifting tailgate thus described
in that a relatively spacious cargo loading space (W) can be
obtained in comparison to a general passenger car and cargo loading
is easy but there is a disadvantage in that the lid panel 1 having
a radius of gyration covering the entire cargo loading space (W)
equipped with glass 2 is lifted upward to protrude backward of the
automobile, posing an obstacle to cargo loading and being unable to
be lifted in a very narrow space at the back of the automobile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention is disclosed to solve the
aforementioned problems and it is an object of the present
invention to provide an automotive double folding tailgate adapted
to fold a lid panel and glass to allow being positioned toward
floor inside the automobile, thereby posing no obstacle to loading
a big cargo and enabling to open a cargo loading pace easily even
in a very narrow space at the back of the automobile.
[0009] In accordance with the object of the present invention,
there is provided an automotive double folding tailgate, the
tailgate comprising:
[0010] a lid panel supported on a floor of automobile body via
pivot means; and
[0011] a glass foldable at a lower end thereof via folding means
mounted at an upper part of the lid panel and releasably mounted to
a roof panel at an upper end thereof via locking means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] For fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the
invention, reference should be made to the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tailgate according to the
prior art;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic structural drawing of a tailgate
according to the prior art;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic structural drawing of a double folding
tailgate according to the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a double folding tailgate
according to the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a detailed drawing of pivot means according to the
present invention;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a detailed drawing of folding means according to
the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a detailed drawing of locking means according to
the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of
FIG. 6; and
[0021] FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG.
6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Now, preferred embodiment of the present invention will be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic structural drawing of a double folding
tailgate according to the present invention, where the tailgate
includes a lid panel 1 supported on a floor (F) of automobile body
via pivot means 10, and a glass 2 foldable at a lower end thereof
via folding means 20 mounted at an upper part of the lid panel 1
and releasably mounted to a roof panel (R) at an upper end thereof
via locking means 30.
[0024] The pivot means 10 includes a fixation bracket 11 fixed the
floor (F) of the automobile body, a connection bracket 12 fixed to
a lower end of the lid panel 1 and a hinge pin 13 coupled between
the two brackets 11 and 12 and functioning as a pivot shaft axle
when the lid panel 1 is turned backward into interior of the
automobile.
[0025] Furthermore, the folding means 20 installed in pairs, each
spaced out at a predetermined interval, for stably folding the
glass 2 toward the lid panel 1 includes, as shown in FIG. 4, a
hinge arm 21 having a "" shape with one end thereof being fixed via
a fixation bolt 24 to a groove formed at a fixation member 2a for
supporting the glass 2, and a hinge base 22 to which a fixation end
21a of the hinge arm 21 is fixed via a pivot pin 23 where the hinge
base 22 is fixed to the lid panel 1 by the fixation bolt 25.
[0026] At this location, the hinge base 22 is formed with a
depressed bent part 22a for allowing the hinge arm 21 to rotate
therein freely.
[0027] Furthermore, a fixation bolt 24 is mounted by a washer 24'
and an insert 24" as illustrated in FIG. 8 while the pivot pin 23,
as shown in FIG. 9, is equipped with a bush 23' to reduce friction
during rotation between the fixation end la of the hinge arm 21 and
the bent part 22a of the hinge base 22 and to be stably
supported.
[0028] Meanwhile, locking means 30 installed in pairs, each spaced
out at a predetermined interval, for stably holding the glass 2 to
the roof panel (R) includes a hook 31 having a housing 31a for
receiving a hitching end 31b fixed to the glass 2 and functioning
as a lock via resilience, and a locker 32 coupled to the hook 31
and mounted to the roof panel (R) for fixing the glass 2.
[0029] Now, operation of the present invention will be
described.
[0030] First of all, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when the hitching
end 31b, comprising the hook 31 of the locking means 30 for fixing
the glass 2, being equipped on the upper ends of the roof panel (R)
and the glass 2, each being coupled, is lowered, spring is pressed
to make the hitching end 31b detached from the locker 32.
[0031] Successively, when the glass 2 deprived of restraining force
of locking means 30 is held to be moved to the lid panel 1, the
glass 2 is folded onto the lid panel 1 via the folding means 20
coupling the lid panel 1 and the glass 2.
[0032] In other words, the hinge arm 21 of the folding means 20 is
rotated toward the lid panel 1 via the pivot pin 23 to allow the
glass 2 to be fully folded and received into a receiving space la
of the lid panel 1, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0033] At this time, it should be apparent that a cushioning pad of
soft material such as sponge mounted at the receiving space I a of
the lid panel 1 absorbs the shock of the glass 2.
[0034] Successively, when the lid panel 1 where the glass 2 is
accommodated is turned backward into the interior of the automobile
via hinge pin 13 of pivot means 10, the lid panel 1 is folded onto
the floor (F) of the automobile body to open the cargo loading
space (W).
[0035] As a result, no hindrance is caused by the lid panel 1 and
the glass 2 when bulky cargo is loaded into the cargo loading space
(W), enabling to load the bulky cargo, and even if space behind the
rear of the automobile is narrow, it is easy to open and close the
lid panel 1.
[0036] Meanwhile, when the lid panel 1 folded onto the floor (F) of
automobile body thus described is to be closed again, the lid panel
1 is erected via the hinge pin 13 of pivot means 10, and the glass
2 is held to be lifted toward the roof panel (R), and the hitching
end 31b of hook 31 secured to the glass 2 of the locking means 30
is inserted into locker 32 fixed to the roof panel (R) to thereby
be locked thereat.
[0037] As apparent from the foregoing, there is an advantage in the
automotive double folding tailgate thus described in that a
tailgate is folded into interior of the automobile body to open
cargo loading space (W), such that hindrance caused by a lid panel
opened upward and protruded backward when cargo is loaded or
unloaded can be removed, thereby enabling to easily open and close
the tailgate even in a narrow space at the rear of the
automobile.
* * * * *