Tailgate for a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle having such a tailgate

• US 7,722,106 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
• Original Assignee: Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
• Inventors: Bunsmann, Winfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Kiran B.
• Application Number:
  US11/667,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 296/50, 296/106, 296/146.1, 296/146.2, 296/146.8, 296/51, 296/56, 296/57.1
• US Class Current: 296/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/1861 vertically, e.g. into lower part of rear door before opening rear door
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/103 where lower door part moves independently from other door structures, e.g. by being hinged on the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window

Abstract

In a tailgate for a motor vehicle, which comprises a lower tailgate body (18), on which a rear window (22) is mounted, on whose upper area a supplemental brake light (24) is provided, the rear window (22) is lowerable into the tailgate body (18), wherein the rear window, at least when the vehicle is driven, is lowerable only so far that its upper area provided with the supplemental brake light (24) upwardly projects from the tailgate body.

Claims

1. A tailgate for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a tailgate body,

a rear window mounted on the tailgate body and being lowerable into the tailgate body, and

a supplemental brake light provided on an upper area of the rear window,

wherein the lowerability of the rear window into the tailgate body is restricted such that the upper area of the rear window provided with the supplemental brake light remains visible and above the tailgate body at least when the motor vehicle is being driven.

2. A tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the supplemental brake light is affixed to the rear window with adhesive.

3. A tailgate according to claim 2, further comprising planar conductive leads attached to an edge area of the rear window and electrically coupled to the supplemental brake light for conducting power to the supplemental brake light.

4. A tailgate according to claim 1, further comprising planar conductive leads attached to an edge area of the rear window and electrically coupled to the supplemental brake light for conducting power to the supplemental brake light.

5. A tailgate according to claim 1, further comprising a frame partially or completely encompassing an edge area of the rear window, the supplemental brake light being integrated in the frame and the frame being at least partially lowerable into the tailgate body with the rear window.

6. A tailgate according to claim 5, wherein power supply conductors for the supplemental brake light are integrated into the frame.

7. A tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the rear window is arranged and constructed to be completely lowerable into the tailgate body when the motor vehicle is stationary or is not in operation so as to facilitate loading of the motor vehicle through a rear window opening.

8. A motor vehicle tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the tailgate body is arranged and constructed to be rearwardly tiltable with respect to the vehicle body when the rear window is fully accommodated within the tailgate body.