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:
Jan. 27, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 04, 1995
Brent R Sovoda, Dearborn, MI (US);
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A removable tailgate assembly (18, 118), mounted upon a pick-up type truck vehicle (10), is provided with a handle (46, 146) within the vicinity of the lower end portion (20, 120) of the tailgate assembly (18, 118) along the centerline (48) of the tailgate assembly (18, 118) as viewed in the transverse direction extending between opposite sides of the tailgate assembly (18, 118). The handle may comprise a recessed region (60) formed at the corner junction of the inner (52) and bottom panel (56) members of the tailgate assembly (18), or an insert (166) mounted within an aperture (164) formed at the corner junction of the inner (152) and bottom (156) panel members of the tailgate assembly (118) wherein the insert (166) defines a hollow portion (168) for accommodating the fingers (170) of the person removing the tailgate assembly (118) from the vehicle (10) and carrying the same toward a storage facility. The recessed region (60) and the insert (166) have limited width dimensions so as to accommodate, yet comfortably confine, four fingers of the person's hand so as to assist the person (50) in carrying or transporting the tailgate assembly (18, 118) in a balanced manner.