The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 07, 2020
Filed:
Jan. 28, 2019
Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc., Northville, MI (US);
Koji Nagase, Novi, MI (US);
Daisuke Yamada, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER AMERICA, INC., Northville, MI (US);
Abstract
A tailgate interlocking occupant step apparatus and method for a vehicle, includes a powered tailgate, a powered occupant step, a kick sensor mounted to the occupant step, and a controller having processing circuitry. The processing circuitry detects a signal from the kick sensor, operates the powered occupant step to move the occupant step to an extended position, operates the powered tailgate to lower the tailgate to an opened position, and when a pinch force is detected either in the occupant step or the tailgate, stops the operation of both the occupant step and the tailgate.