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:
Aug. 15, 2006
Filed:
Sep. 27, 2005
Steve Bruford, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Larry Holt, Uxbridge, CA;
Charles Bambenek, Farmington, MI (US);
Jeff Firzlaff, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Steve Bruford, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Larry Holt, Uxbridge, CA;
Charles Bambenek, Farmington, MI (US);
Jeff Firzlaff, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Multimatic, Inc., Markham, CA;
Abstract
A pivotable grab handle device is movable between a stowed position, which is positioned within a mating cavity formed in the main tailgate structure, and a deployed position that projects upwardly above the top surface of a lowered main tailgate structure. The grab handle device is mounted on a retainer bracket that is affixed to a pivot bracket mounted to the top surface of the lowered main tailgate structure. When pivotally raised into the deployed position, the grab handle allows a person using a supplemental tailgate assembly configured into a step function extending below the plane of the lowered main tailgate structure to be stabilized while climbing onto the cross member of the supplemental tailgate assembly and onto the top surface of the lowered main tailgate structure.