Tail gate opening and closing device for a vehicle

• US 5,518,287 A
• Filed: 01/06/1995
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hideo Totani
• Original Assignee: Hideo Totani
• Inventors: Totani, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US08/369,436
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 296/57.1, 296/50, 298/23 R, 298/23 MD
• US Class Current: 296/57.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/26 Means for controlling movement of tailboards or sideboards open loading compartments with movable sideboards or tailgates B62D33/027
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/03 by swinging down B62D33/0273 takes precedence

Abstract

A tail gate opening and closing device for a vehicle. In order to prevent earth and sand from being attached on the inner wall surface of the tail gate after discharging a load, a rotary plate is provided such that when the tail gate is closed it has a free end portion in contact with the inner wall surface of the tail gate. When the tail gate is accommodated below the floor surface in an open position, the free end portion of the rotary plate is supported at the upper end edge of the tail gate and is pivotally affixed to the rear end portion of the floor surface of the bed.

Claims

1. A tail gate opening and closing device for a vehicle bed, comprising left and right side walls (4A), a tail gate (3A), a pair of drive cylinders (5) respectively supported on said left and right side walls (4A) of the vehicle bed, each of said drive cylinders including operating rods (10), a pair of left and right connection links (8) which include an inner end portion and an outer end portion, said inner end portion of said left and right connecting links are pivotally supported by an end of said operating rods (10) of the drive cylinders (5), and said outer end portion of said left and right connection links is respectively fixedly provided on left and right end walls (3b) of the tail gate;

tapers (12) are formed by cutting along a lower rear end portion of said left and right side walls, a taper (1b) is formed by cutting along a floor surface (1a) of said vehicle bed with respect to an inner wall surface (3a) of the tail gate (3A), a rotary plate (20) is pivotally affixed to a rear end portion of a floor surface (1a) of said vehicle bed such that when the tail gate (3A) is closed, a free end portion (21) of said rotary plate is in contact with an internal wall surface (3a) of the tail gate 3A, and when the tail gate (3A) is accommodated below the floor surface (1a) of the vehicle bed, said free end portion (21) of the rotary plate is supported at an upper end edge (19) of the tail gate (3A).

2. A tail gate opening and closing device for a vehicle bed, comprising left and right side walls (4B), a tail gate (3B) in which an internal wall surface is formed so as to have a substantially dog-leg shape (3A) in cross section, a pair of drive cylinders (5) respectively supported on said left and right side walls (4B) of said vehicle bed;

and a pair of left and right connection links include an inner end portion and an outer end portion, said inner end portion of said left and right connection links is pivotally supported by an end of said operating rods (10) of the drive cylinders (5), and said outer end portion of said left and right connection links is respectively fixedly provided on left and right end walls (3b) of the tail gate (3B), a rotary plate (20b) is affixed to said vehicle bed such that when the tail gate (3B) is closed, a free end portion (21B) of said rotary plate is in contact with an inner wall surface of the tail gate (3B), while when the tail age (3B) is accommodated below a floor surface (1a), the free end portion (21B) of said rotary plate hangs in a vertical state backwardly of an upper end edge (19B) of the tail gate (3B).

3. A tail gate opening and closing device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 2, wherein when the tail gate (3B) is accommodated below the floor surface (1a), the free end portion (21B) of the rotary plate (20B) hangs down in a vertical state backwardly of the upper end edge (19B) of the tail gate (3B).