Fca US LLC

Richard R Sukhdeo

Christopher J Sytek

Clifford L Eberle, Jr

Robert J Gibbs

Eric Ghoukasian

David R Parks

Paul A Steffes

Vinaya Sridhar

Vivek V Kirtane

Vinayak D Gadre

Samuel J Matt

A connector for a removable tailgate includes a shank, an actuator and a retainer. The shank has a thread, a passage and an opening from the exterior of the shank to the passage. The actuator is received within the passage and has a stop portion and a void, and is movable relative to the shank from a first position in which the void is aligned with the opening and a second position in which the stop portion is aligned with the opening. And the retainer is received in the opening and movable relative to the shank from an extended position in which the retainer extends outwardly from the exterior of the shank farther than the thread and a retracted position in which the retainer is received at least partially in the void and in which the retainer does not extend from the exterior of the shank beyond the thread.

Connector for removable tailgate

A vehicle tailgate () has a frame () with a cross beam () and a pair of side beams (). One side beam () extends from each end of the cross beam (). A first metal tapping plate () is secured with the cross beam (). At least one elongated tang () is positioned between the body () and each tab (). A clevis bracket () is positioned on the side beams (). An overmolded () material is on the shaft () and the two heads () of the striker (). The wedges (), on the clevis bracket (), aligns the clevis bracket () with the striker (). A second tapping plate () is secured to the sheet metal.

Vehicle tailgate

Growing community of inventors

Auburn Hills, MI, United States of America

Richard R Sukhdeo