Tailgate reinforcement

• US 10,227,097 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lund Motion Products Inc (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lund Motion Products Inc (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Justin
• Application Number:
  US15/619,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20170369108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 2961466
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0431 the elements being arranged at the hinge area
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/023 Sideboard or tailgate structures vehicle side panels in general B62D25/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0273 Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks B62D33/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/03 by swinging down B62D33/0273 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 43/02 external to the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/16 the sub-units or components being exterior fittings, e.g. bumpers, lights, wipers , exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a reinforcement or brace that can be installed on the tailgate of a vehicle. The reinforcement can provide structural support for heavier mounted objects, such as tires, as well as allowing for different attachment points. Advantageously, the tailgate hinge does not need to be removed or replaced.

Claims

1. A spare tire carrier reinforcement for a vehicle tailgate, the reinforcement comprising:

a reinforcement recessed portion configured to cover a portion of an existing hinge on a tailgate, wherein the existing hinge is configured to at least partially fit within a recess on an inner surface of the reinforcement recessed portion of the spare tire carrier reinforcement; and

an attachment member that attaches the reinforcement recessed portion of the spare tire carrier reinforcement to the vehicle tailgate.

2. The reinforcement of claim 1, further comprising a pair of existing hinges and a pair of reinforcement recessed portions, each of the pair of reinforcement recessed portions configured to cover a portion of an existing hinge of the pair of existing hinges, the spare tire carrier reinforcement further comprising a reinforcement bridging portion that connects the pair of reinforcement recessed portions.

3. The reinforcement of claim 1, wherein the spare tire carrier reinforcement does not extend outside a perimeter of the tailgate.

4. The reinforcement of claim 1, wherein the spare tire carrier reinforcement further comprises a reinforcement carrier portion configured to fit within a recess of the vehicle tailgate.

5. The reinforcement of claim 4, further comprising a spare tire carrier configured to attach to an outer surface of the reinforcement carrier portion of the spare tire carrier reinforcement on a first side of the spare tire carrier.

6. The reinforcement of claim 5, further comprising a spacer, wherein the spare tire carrier is configured to attach to an outer surface of the spacer on a second side of the spare tire carrier.

7. The reinforcement of claim 2, wherein the reinforcement recessed portions extend further from the tailgate than the reinforcement bridging portion.

8. The reinforcement of claim 2, wherein the reinforcement bridging portion leaves a gap between an inside surface of the reinforcement bridging portion and the tailgate.

9. The reinforcement of claim 1, wherein the spare tire carrier reinforcement is configured to be directly attached to the existing hinge by inserting at bolt through the spare tire carrier reinforcement, into an existing aperture in the existing hinge, and into the vehicle tailgate.

10. The reinforcement of claim 2, wherein the spare tire carrier reinforcement reduces torsion on the existing pair of hinges.

11. The reinforcement of claim 1, further comprising tabs or holes on an outer surface of the spare tire carrier reinforcement.

12. The reinforcement of claim 1, wherein the existing hinge is configured to contact at least one surface of the reinforcement recessed portion.

13. The reinforcement of claim 1, wherein the existing hinge is sandwiched between the reinforcement recessed portion and the tailgate.

14. The reinforcement of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement recessed portion is configured to cover at least half of the existing hinge on the tailgate.

15. A method of installing a spare tire carrier reinforcement onto a tailgate of a vehicle, the method comprising:

removing bolts attaching at least one tailgate hinge to the tailgate from at least one aperture in the at least one tailgate hinge and tailgate;

covering a portion of the existing tailgate hinge with the spare tire carrier reinforcement, wherein the at least one tailgate hinge fits within a recess in the spare tire carrier reinforcement; and

inserting bolts through apertures in the spare tire carrier reinforcement and into the aperture in the at least one tailgate hinge and the tailgate.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

removing a spare tire carrier from the tailgate; and

after inserting the bolts, attaching the spare tire carrier to an outer surface of the spare tire carrier reinforcement.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

attaching at least one spacer to the tailgate after the removing of the spare tire carrier; and

attaching the spare tire carrier to an outer surface of the at least one spacer.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one tailgate hinge is not removed during installation of the spare tire carrier reinforcement.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the spare tire carrier reinforcement covers at least half of the existing tailgate hinge.