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:
Jun. 05, 2018
Filed:
Mar. 14, 2017
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Tim Alan Mouch, Saline, MI (US);
Jeffrey Ronald Bohmer, Monroe, MI (US);
Sino Johan Van Dyk, Plymouth, MI (US);
William Edward Draper, III, Canton, MI (US);
Jay Curtiss Griffith, Northville, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A method is provided for lowering a tailgate of a motor vehicle when that motor vehicle is hitched to a trailer having a component that interferes with the lowering of the tailgate. The method comprises the steps of displacing a section of the tailgate to form a clearance opening in the tailgate, folding the tailgate into a lowered position and accommodating the component of the trailer in the clearance opening when the tailgate is folded and lowered. Various tailgate assemblies for performing the method are also disclosed.