Truck tailgate position indicator

• US 6,727,806 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George C. Mitchell, Jerold L. Massie
• Original Assignee: George C. Mitchell, Jerold L. Massie
• Inventors: Massie, Jerold L., Mitchell, George C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US10/273,622
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.24, 340/687, 340/426.15, 340/426.29, 340/438, 340/457, 340/545.1, 116/35.R, 116/28.R
• US Class Current: 340/426.24
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1001 Alarm systems associated with another car fitting or mechanism, e.g. door lock or knob, pedals features related to the general power supply B60R25/1018
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001

Abstract

The truck tailgate position indicator is a warning system for pickup trucks that would alert the driver when the tailgate is in the lowered, or open, position. The device would consist primarily of a push button switch mounted in the truck bed such that the tailgate would push the button upon being closed, a control circuit, an indicator light, an override switch, a buzzer, and mounting hardware. When the tailgate was closed, the switch would automatically be pressed, opening the control circuit and disabling the warning light and the audible alarm. Opening the tailgate would release the switch, thereby completing the control circuit and enabling the warning system. A manual override switch would be provided to disable the warning system for those occasions when the driver wishes to travel with the tailgate in the lowered position without having a constant reminder.

Claims

1. A truck tailgate position indicator comprising:

an L-shaped mounting bracket having a longer leg with a front surface and a rear surface and formed with a transverse aperture from said front surface to said rear surface and a perpendicular shorter leg with a front surface and a rear surface and formed with a plurality of transverse apertures from said front surface to said rear surface and connected on said rear surface of said shorter leg to the upper rear portion of the side panel of the bed of a pickup truck wherein said front surface of said longer leg faces and is parallel and in close proximity to the raised tailgate of said pickup truck;

a push-button tailgate switch having an open position, a closed position, and a main body with an extended push button and connected to said transverse aperture of said longer leg of said mounting bracket wherein said tailgate of said pickup truck will press said tailgate switch and place said tailgate switch in said open position when said tailgate is placed in the vertical locked position;

a plurality of bolts connected to said mounting bracket at said plurality of transverse apertures in said shorter leg wherein said bolts hold said mounting bracket securely to said side panel of said bed of said pickup truck;

a plurality of electrical wires, each having a first end, a central portion, and a second end, and connected on said first ends to said main body of said tailgate switch;

a control circuit connected to said second ends of said plurality of electrical wires;

an indicator light connected to said control circuit;

an override switch connected to said control circuit;

a fuse connected to said tailgate switch and to said override switch;

a relay control;

a first relay having an open position and a closed position wherein said relay is normally in said closed position and connected to said indicator light and said relay control wherein said relay control places said first relay in said open position, disabling said indicator light, when said tailgate switch is pushed and places said first relay in said closed position, enabling said indicator light, when said tailgate switch has not been pushed; and

a second relay having an open position and a closed position wherein said relay is normally in said open position and connected to said indicator light and said relay control wherein said relay control places said second relay in said closed position and disables said indicator light when said override switch is pushed; and

wherein said control circuit is reset when the ignition of said pickup truck is switched off and then on wherein said first relay is placed in said closed position, enabling said indicator light, and said second relay is placed in said open position.

2. The truck tailgate position indicator of claim 1 wherein control circuit is placed under the dashboard of said pickup truck.

3. The truck tailgate position indicator of claim 2 wherein said central portions of said plurality of electrical wires are placed under the edge of the side panel of the bed of said pickup truck while being routed from said tailgate switch to said control circuit.

4. The truck tailgate position indicator of claim 1 further comprising:

a rectangular indicator light panel having a front surface, a rear surface, a top, a bottom parallel to said top, a right side perpendicular to said top and joining said top to said bottom, and a left side parallel to said right side and joining said top to said bottom and connected on said front surface to said indicator light and said override switch.

5. The truck tailgate position indicator of claim 4 wherein said rear surface of said indicator light panel is mounted on the dashboard of said pickup truck.

6. A truck tailgate position indicator comprising:

an L-shaped mounting bracket having a longer leg with a front surface and a rear surface and formed with a transverse aperture from said front surface to said rear surface and a perpendicular shorter leg with a front surface and a rear surface and formed with a plurality of transverse apertures from said front surface to said rear surface;

a push-button tailgate switch having an open position, a closed position, and a main body with an extended push button and connected to said transverse aperture of said longer leg of said mounting bracket;

a plurality of bolts connected to said mounting bracket at said plurality of transverse apertures in said shorter leg;

a plurality of electrical wires, each having a first end, a central portion, and a second end, and connected on said first ends to said main body of said tailgate switch;

a control circuit connected to said second ends of said plurality of electrical wires;

an indicator light connected to said control circuit;

an alarm buzzer connected to said control circuit;

a speaker connected to said alarm buzzer;

an override switch connected to said control circuit;

a fuse connected to said tailgate switch and to said override switch;

a relay control;

a first relay having an open position and a closed position wherein said relay is normally in said closed position and connected to said indicator light, said alarm buzzer, and said relay control wherein said relay control places said first relay in said open position, disabling said indicator light and said alarm buzzer, when said tailgate switch is pushed and places said first relay in said closed position, enabling said indicator light and said alarm buzzer, when said tailgate switch is not pushed; and

a second relay having an open position and a closed position wherein said relay is normally in said open position and connected to said indicator light and said relay control wherein said relay control places said second relay in said closed position and disables said indicator light and said alarm buzzer when said override switch is pushed;

wherein said rear surface of said shorter leg of said mounting bracket is affixed to the upper rear portion of the side panel of the bed of a pickup truck wherein said front surface of said longer leg faces and is parallel and in close proximity to the raised tailgate of said pickup truck and said tailgate of said pickup truck will press said tailgate switch and place said tailgate switch in said open position when said tailgate is placed in the vertical locked position; and

wherein said control circuit is reset when the ignition of said pickup truck is switched off and then on wherein said first relay is placed in said closed position, enabling said indicator light and said alarm buzzer, and said second relay is placed in said open position.

7. The truck tailgate position indicator of claim 6 wherein alarm buzzer and said speaker are placed under the dashboard of said pickup truck.

8. The truck tailgate position indicator of claim 6 wherein control circuit is placed under the dashboard of said pickup truck.

9. The truck tailgate position indicator of claim 8 wherein said central portions of said plurality of electrical wires are placed under the edge of the side panel of the bed of said pickup truck while being routed from said tailgate switch to said control circuit.

10. The truck tailgate position indicator of claim 6 further comprising:

a rectangular indicator light panel having a front surface, a rear surface, a top, a bottom parallel to said top, a right side perpendicular to said top and joining said top to said bottom, and a left side parallel to said right side and joining said top to said bottom and connected on said front surface to said indicator light and said override switch.

11. The truck tailgate position indicator of claim 10 wherein said rear surface of said indicator light panel is mounted on the dashboard of said pickup truck.