Vehicle with tailgate

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a vehicle with a tailgate, and more particularly to a tailgate for a pickup truck, a station wagon, and a van, and so forth.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Generally, at the rear of a bed in a vehicle such as a pickup truck or a station wagon, a tailgate constituting a rear wall of the bed is provided. The tailgate is pivotally supported by a floor of the bed or right and left side-walls of the bed. When closed, the tailgate stands upright to form the rear wall of the bed, and when opened, the tailgate extends outwardly and horizontally as a rearward extension of the floor of the bed.

[0005] However, if the vehicle runs with the bed empty and the tailgate closed, the air resistance increases and consequently the fuel economy deteriorates. In this case, maintaining the tailgate open would suppress an increase in the air resistance, but due to rearward protrusion of the tailgate, the driver must be careful when parking the vehicle.

[0006] To solve these problems, there has been developed a technique which houses the tailgate under the bed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,828 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,278.

[0007] According to the above technique, however, a space having a length corresponding to the height of the tailgate must be provided under the bed, and a suspension for rear wheels is disposed in a lower part of the vehicle at the rear of the bed. Therefore, it is difficult to secure such a space unless the vehicle has a sufficient rear overhang.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle with a tailgate, which can be provided in a variety of vehicles without being restricted by e.g., the size of the vehicles, thus considerably improving the usability.

[0009] To attain the above object, there is provided a vehicle with a tailgate which comprises a first tailgate with one end thereof mounted on a rear end of a bed, a second tailgate extending from the other end of the first tailgate, and a tailgate telescoping device that drives the second tailgate to move in a direction toward the one end of the first tailgate.

[0023] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12 showing preferred embodiments thereof.

[0024] In FIGS. 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a pickup truck; 2, a bed; and 3, a tailgate.

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates the pickup truck 1 as viewed from the rear. The tailgate 3 is provided at the rear end of the bed 2. When positioned at the rear end of the bed 2, the tailgate 3 is pivotally supported by lower parts of right and left side walls 4 of the bed so that the tailgate 3 can be tilted from an upright position, in which it closes the bed 2, to a flat position, in which it opens the bed 2.

[0026] The tailgate 3 is comprised of a first tailgate 5 positioned in a lower part when closed, and a second tailgate 6 positioned in an upper part when closed.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, a space (a recess) 7 is formed inside the first tailgate 5. On the other hand, the second tailgate 6 is comprised of a bulged part 8, which is positioned in an upper part and having a bulged portion bulging in the direction of the length of the vehicle in the state in which the tailgate 3 is closed, and a downward telescoping part 9 (extending part), which can be selectively inserted into the space 7 formed inside the first tailgate 5. At the center of the tailgate 3 in the direction of the vehicle width, a first linear actuator 10 (a tailgate telescoping device), having one end thereof fixed to the first tailgate 5 and the other end thereof fixed to the second tailgate 6, is disposed.

[0028] Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, linear bearings 11 are provided at both ends of the tailgate 3 in the direction of the vehicle width. Guide rails 12 constituting the linear bearing 11 are fixed to the first tailgate 5, while bearings 13 constituting the linear bearings 11 are fixed to the second tailgate 6. The downward telescoping part 9 of the second tailgate 6 guided by the linear bearings 11 due to retraction by the first linear actuator 10 is retracted in the space 7 formed inside the first tailgate 5, such that the length of the tailgate 3 in the direction of the shorter side thereof (vertical direction in a closed state) can be shortened. By operation of the first linear actuator 10, the state of the tailgate 3 can be arbitrarily switched between a state in which the height of the tailgate 3 is equal to the height of the right and side walls 4 of the bed 2 as shown in FIG. 1 and a state in which the downward telescoping part 9 of the second tailgate 6 is fully retracted in the space 7 of the first tailgate 5 to telescope the tailgate 3 to the utmost extent as shown in FIG. 2.

[0029] It should be noted that the front surface of the bulged part 8 of the second tailgate 6 in the direction of the length of the vehicle is made to be level with the front surface of the first tailgate 5 in the direction of the length of the vehicle when the tailgate 3 is closed, and hence when the tailgate 3 is telescoped to the utmost extent, the front surface of the tailgate 3 in the direction of the length of the vehicle is substantially flat.

[0030] Shafts 14 are provided in lower parts of the right and left sides of the tailgate 3 in the closed state. As shown in FIG. 8, the shafts 14 are rotatably supported by bearing blocks 15. As shown in FIG. 9, the bearing blocks 15 are each comprised of a supporting part 16, which rotatably supports the shaft 14, and a roller part 18, which slides within a bearing rail 17. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the bearing rail 17 has one end thereof pivotally supported by each of groove parts 19 formed at right and left ends of the lower part of the bed 2 such that the bearing rail 17 can rotate about the pivot. As shown in FIG. 10, a bearing block stopper 22, having a tilted surface 20 tilted diagonally rearward and a projection 21, is fixed to the groove part 19 close to an end of the groove part 19 in the rear of the vehicle body.

[0031] When the bearing block 15 moves along the bearing rail 17 toward the rear of the vehicle body, the supporting part 16 of the bearing block 15 comes into contact with the tilted surface 20 and then moves upward along the tilted surface 20 with the rotation of the bearing rail 17 until the supporting part 16 comes into contact with the projection 20. It should be noted that the bearing block 15 is moved forward and backward via a ball screw, which is disposed in the groove part 19 and is actuated by a motor, not shown, connected to the bearing block 15.

[0032] Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the tailgate 3 is provided with a second linear actuator 23 which has one end thereof connected to the shaft 14 and the other end thereof connected to the first tailgate 5. The expansion and contraction of the second linear actuator 23 causes the tailgate 3 to rotate about the shaft 14. Further, the shaft 14 is provided with a stopper, not shown, which inhibits the tailgate 3 from tilting toward the inside of the bed 2 when the tailgate stands upright, and inhibits the tailgate 3 from tilting downward when the tailgate 3 is extended horizontally.

[0033] The tailgate 3 with the second tailgate 6 being extended to the utmost extent as shown in FIG. 1 can be reduced in height by contracting the first linear actuator 10 to retract the downward telescoping part 9 of the second tailgate 6 into the first tailgate 5 as shown in FIG. 2 due to contraction of the first linear actuator 10. In this way, in the state in which the tailgate 3 is telescoped, a longer luggage or the like can be loaded on the bed 2, the rearward visibility can be improved, and the air resistance can be reduced although the tailgate 3 is closed, as compared with the state in which the tailgate 3 is extended.

[0034] The tailgate 3 closed while being telescoped to the utmost extent as shown in FIG. 2 is caused to rotate about the shafts 14 at the lower end toward the rear of the vehicle body by contraction of the second linear actuator 23. The tailgate 3 is rotated to a position where the upper surface thereof can be substantially flat as shown in FIG. 3 (a position restricted by the stopper). The upper surface of the tailgate 3 having made substantially flat is level with the floor of the bed 2. In this case, since the tailgate 3 is telescoped, the tailgate 3 projects only slightly rearward from the vehicle body, hence an extra parking space is not required, and the driver can easily back up the vehicle. Moreover, the air resistance can be reduced when the vehicle is driven with the tailgate 3 being opened. Further, since the upper surface of the bed 2 is level with the upper surface of the tailgate 3, and the tailgate 3 projects only slightly rearward, it is possible to easily take a luggage on or off of the bed 2. It should be noted that the tailgate 3 can be rotated even in extended state, and the tailgate 3 can be stopped at a desired position between the flat position and the upright position by operation of the second linear actuator 23.

[0035] It should be noted that when the tailgate 3 lies in the states shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the rearward movement of the bearing block 15 is restricted since it is in contact with the projection 21 of the bearing block stopper 22 (a downward moving device) at the rear end of the vehicle. At the same time, the bearing block 15 has passed over the tilted surface 20 of the bearing stopper 22, and hence the bearing rail 17 is pushed up toward the upper side of the groove part 19 via the roller part 18 of the bearing block 15.

[0036] In the state in which the telescoped tailgate 3 is extended horizontally as shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface of the tailgate 3 is lowered to be under the floor of the bed 2 by actuating the ball screw to move the bearing block 15 toward the front of the vehicle body to thus cause the bearing block 15 as well as the bearing rail 17 to lower along the tilted surface 20 of the bearing block stopper 22 until the bearing rail 17 is supported by the lower side of the groove part 19. Then, the telescoped tailgate 3 is retracted in a tailgate retracting part provided under the floor of the bed 2 as shown in FIG. 4. Causing the bearing block 15 supporting the shafts 14 of the tailgate 3 to get on and off the tilted surface 20 of the bearing block stopper 22 can change the position of the tailgate 3 in the vertical direction according to the position of the bearing block 15 in the direction of the length of the vehicle. Therefore, in the case where the tailgate 3 is positioned at the rear end of the vehicle, closing the tailgate 3 in the extended state can close the bed 2 while the upper surface of the tailgate 3 is level with the right and left side walls 4 of the bed 2, and when the tailgate 3 is opened, the floor of the bed 2, the first tailgate 5, and the bulged part 8 of the second tailgate 6 can be level with each other as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 12. When the tailgate 3 moves forward, the tailgate 3 lowers to be retracted in the tailgate retracting part without causing the upper surface thereof from interfering with the floor of the bed 2. Further, since the tailgate 3 is retracted in telescoped state (i.e. the state in which the tailgate 3 has been reduced in length in the direction of the length of the vehicle) under the floor of the bed 2, even in case of a vehicle with no extra space under the rear part of the bed 2, such as a vehicle whose rear overhung is small, can employ the above described arrangement in which the tailgate 3 is retracted under the floor of the bed 2. Further, when the tailgate 3 is retracted, it projects only slightly rearward from the vehicle body, and hence there is no need for extra space for parking, the driver can easily back the vehicle, and the rearward visibility can be improved. In addition, the air resistance can be suppressed when the vehicle is driven with the tailgate 3 being retracted.

[0037] The tailgate 3 is extended and telescoped by actuation of the first linear actuator 10, opened and closed by actuation of the second linear actuator 23, and retracted by actuation of the ball screw. The actuators may be controlled by operating switches in a vehicle compartment, bed 2, or remote controller to extend or telescope, open or close, and retract the tailgate 3.

[0038] Further, a vehicle speed detecting device may be connected to controllers for the respective actuators of the tailgate 3 so that the actuators can be controlled such that the tailgate 3 is telescoped (or extended horizontally or retracted) when the detected vehicle speed becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined speed. In this case, the air resistance can be reduced.

[0039] Further, the actuators may be controlled such that the tailgate 3 is telescoped (or extended horizontally or retracted) when a shift position detecting device detects the backward movement of the vehicle. In this case, the rearward visibility can be improved, making it easer to back the vehicle.

[0040] Although in the above described embodiment, the tailgate 3 is extended or telescoped, opened or closed, and retracted under the control of the actuators, but may be extended or telescoped, opened or closed, and retracted by manual control without using the actuators.

[0041] Further, although in the above described embodiment, the pickup truck was taken as an example, the present invention may also be applied to a variety of vehicles such as a station wagon insofar as it has a tailgate capable of spreading out horizontally.

[0042] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.