AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORY MOUNTING BRACKET ASSEMBLIES

Abstract

Example accessory receiving bracket assemblies for mounting a wide range of accessories to a motor vehicle while the vehicle is stationary or not moving. Each accessory receiving bracket assembly can provide generic and secure attachment points for securing an accessory relative to the vehicle. An example accessory receiving bracket assembly can be mounted to a hinge assembly of a vehicle closure system and can include a first receiving bracket portion, a second receiving bracket portion, and one or more mechanical fasteners for securing the first and second receiving bracket portions to each other to at least partially surround the hinge assembly.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to motor vehicles, and more particularly to accessory receiving bracket assemblies for mounting a wide variety of accessories relative to the vehicle while the vehicle is stationary. GENERAL STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Motor vehicles typically include one or more closure elements. Examples of closure elements include doors and swing doors. Generally, closure elements can be moved between an open and a closed position relative to a vehicle body structure to provide vehicle entrance / exit. SUMMARY

[0003] A vehicle closure element system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a hinge assembly and an accessory receiving bracket assembly positioned to at least partially surround the hinge assembly. The accessory receiving bracket assembly includes a first receiving bracket portion, a second receiving bracket portion, and a fastener securing the first receiving bracket portion and the second receiving bracket portion to each other.

[0004] In a further non-limiting embodiment of the above vehicle closure element system, the first receiving bracket portion is disposed at an upper portion of the hinge assembly and the second receiving bracket portion is disposed at a lower portion of the hinge assembly.

[0005] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the upper portion and the lower portion are part of a hinge bracket of the hinge assembly.

[0006] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the hinge bracket is mounted to a swing door of the vehicle closure element system.

[0007] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the first receiving bracket portion and the second receiving bracket portion each include a body portion and a hook portion.

[0008] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the hook portion is configured to hook into a hinge bracket of the hinge assembly.

[0009] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, a first hook portion of the hook portion is configured to interface with an outer surface of the hinge bracket, a second hook portion of the hook portion is configured to interface with an inner surface of the hinge bracket, and a bridge portion of the hook portion is configured to interface with an upper horizontal surface of the hinge bracket.

[0010] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, a portion of each of the first hook portion, the second hook portion, and the bridge portion includes a protective cover.

[0011] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the hook portion is received within a recess of an inner surface of the hinge bracket.

[0012] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the recess extends between a first mounting pad and a second mounting pad of the inner surface of the hinge bracket.

[0013] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the body portion includes at least one threaded opening.

[0014] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the body portion includes at least one locating opening sized to receive a locating post of the first receiving bracket portion, the second receiving bracket portion, or an accessory.

[0015] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the fastener extends through a through-opening of the second receiving bracket portion and into a threaded opening of the first receiving bracket portion.

[0016] A vehicle closure member system according to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a closure member, a first hinge assembly mounted to the closure member, a first accessory receiving bracket assembly removably mountable to the first hinge assembly, and an accessory mounted to the first accessory receiving bracket assembly.

[0017] In a further non-limiting embodiment of the above vehicle closure element system, the closure element is a rear swing gate.

[0018] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure member systems, the first hinge assembly includes a body-side hinge bracket mounted to a vehicle body and a door-side hinge bracket mounted to the closure member.

[0019] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the first accessory receiving bracket assembly is configured to hook into the door-side hinge bracket.

[0020] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, a second hinge assembly is mounted to the closure element, and a second accessory receiving bracket assembly is removably mountable to the second hinge assembly. The accessory is mounted to each of the first accessory receiving bracket assembly and the second accessory receiving bracket assembly.

[0021] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the accessory is a television mounting system.

[0022] In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing vehicle closure element systems, the accessory is a modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE) panel.

[0023] The embodiments, examples, and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs, the claims, or the following description and drawings, including their various aspects or respective individual features, may be used independently of one another or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.

[0024] The various features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings accompanying the detailed description may be briefly described as follows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. Figure 1 illustrates a motor vehicle equipped with a locking element system. The locking element system is shown in Fig. 1 shown in a closed position. Fig. 2 illustrates an open position of the closure element system from Fig. 1. Fig. Figure 3 illustrates selected portions of the vehicle closure system. One or more accessory receiving bracket assemblies may be removably mounted to each hinge assembly of the vehicle closure system. Fig. 4 illustrates an exemplary accessory receiving bracket assembly for use with a vehicle closure element system. Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the accessory mount bracket assembly of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view through section 6-6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a rear view of selected portions of a vehicle closure element system. Fig. Figure 8 is a front exploded view of an accessory receiving bracket assembly. Fig. 9 is an exploded rear view of an accessory receiving bracket assembly. The Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B illustrate an exemplary accessory that may be mounted relative to a vehicle closure member by a pair of accessory receiving bracket assemblies. The Fig. 11A, Fig. 11B, Fig. 11C, Fig. 11D and Fig. 11E illustrate another exemplary accessory that may be mounted relative to a vehicle closure member by a pair of accessory receiving bracket assemblies. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] This disclosure describes in detail exemplary accessory receiving bracket assemblies for mounting a wide range of accessories to a motor vehicle while the vehicle is stationary or not moving. Each accessory receiving bracket assembly may provide generic and secure attachment points for securing an accessory relative to the vehicle. An exemplary accessory receiving bracket assembly may be mounted to a hinge assembly of a vehicle closure system and may include a first receiving bracket portion, a second receiving bracket portion, and one or more mechanical fasteners for securing the first and second receiving bracket portions together to at least partially surround the hinge assembly. These and other features of this disclosure are described in more detail below.

[0026] Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 schematically illustrate selected portions of a motor vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to simply as a "vehicle"). Vehicle 10 may be a car, a truck, a van, an SUV, a semi-trailer, or any other type of vehicle. Vehicle 10 could also be a conventional motor vehicle, a traction battery-powered hybrid or electric vehicle, or an autonomous vehicle (i.e., a driverless vehicle).

[0027] Although a specific relationship of components is illustrated in the figures of this disclosure, the illustrations are not intended to be limiting of this disclosure. In other words, the placement and orientation of the various components of the vehicle 10 are shown schematically and could vary within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the various figures accompanying this disclosure are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or reduced in size to emphasize certain details of a particular component, assembly, or system.

[0028] The vehicle 10 may include one or more closure members 12 mounted relative to a vehicle body 14 and configured to move between closed and open positions to access a vehicle interior (e.g., a cargo area, a passenger compartment, etc.). In the illustrated embodiment, the closure member 12 is mounted to a rear 16 of the vehicle 10 and configured as a swinging door. In other implementations, the closure member 12 may be part of a dual outward-swinging door system that may be provided to the rear 16 of the vehicle 10 to access the vehicle interior, such as for loading and / or unloading cargo.However, the teachings of this disclosure are not limited to swing doors and rear outward-swinging doors and could be applied to various other types of closure elements, including, but not limited to, side doors, tailgates, etc.

[0029] The closure element 12 may be movably mounted to the vehicle body 14 by a first hinge assembly 18 and a second hinge assembly 20. The first and second hinge assemblies 18, 20 may movably support the closure element 12 relative to the vehicle body 14. Together, the closure element 12, the first hinge assembly 18, and the second hinge assembly 20 may constitute a closure element system 22 of the vehicle 10. Although two hinge assemblies are illustrated in the exemplary embodiment, the closure element system 22 could include a greater or fewer number of hinge assemblies.

[0030] The first hinge assembly 18 may be mounted at a location on the closure member 12 that is vertically above the second hinge assembly 20. However, other configurations may be possible within the scope of this disclosure. Vertical and horizontal, as used in this disclosure, refer to the ground in a typical orientation of the vehicle 10 during operation.

[0031] In one embodiment, the first hinge assembly 18 and the second hinge assembly 20 are visible when the closure member 12 is closed. The first and second hinge assemblies 18, 20 may therefore be considered exposed or "Class A" hinge assemblies.

[0032] The configuration of the second hinge assembly 20 may be substantially identical to that of the first hinge assembly 18. Therefore, for the purposes of this disclosure, details described herein with respect to the first hinge assembly 18 should be understood to apply equally to the second hinge assembly 20 unless otherwise indicated.

[0033] The closure element 12 is in Fig. 1 in a closed position P1 and in Fig. 2 in an open position P2. When moved to the open position P2, the closure element 12 allows users to gain access to the vehicle interior. When closed, the closure element 12 provides a barrier between the interior and the exterior of the vehicle 10. Although not specifically shown, the closure element 12 can be moved to various angular positions between the closed position P1 and the open position P2.

[0034] In one embodiment, the closure element 12 is offset by an angle relative to the vehicle body 14 by approximately 100° or more when in the open position P2 from Fig. 2. In this disclosure, the term "about" means that the expressed amounts or ranges need not be exact, but may be approximate and / or larger or smaller, reflecting acceptable tolerances, conversion factors, measurement errors, etc. A total range of movement of the closure element 12 may vary and is dependent on various design criteria.

[0035] A vehicle user may regularly desire to use the vehicle 10 as a social gathering place during outdoor activities (e.g., camping, tailgate parties, etc.). As part of supporting these activities, the user may wish to mount one or more accessories on the vehicle 10. Some users may find it difficult to mount accessories on the vehicle 10 without first removing a vehicle component or drilling directly into the vehicle body 14. This disclosure is therefore directed to accessory receiving bracket assemblies that may be used in combination with the closure member system 22 to secure a wide range of accessories relative to the vehicle 10 while the vehicle 10 is stationary or not moving.

[0036] The Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 illustrate with continued reference to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 Details associated with an accessory receiving bracket assembly 28 that may be removably mounted to the closure member system 22 to facilitate the ability to mount one or more accessories relative to the vehicle 10 while the vehicle 10 is in a stationary, motionless state. Although two accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 are shown in the exemplary figures (e.g., one on each of the first hinge assembly 18 and the second hinge assembly 20), it should be understood that one or more accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 could be mounted to the closure member system 22 for securing accessories relative to the vehicle 10.

[0037] Each accessory receiving bracket assembly 28 may be configured to engage either the first hinge assembly 18 or the second hinge assembly 20 to mount the accessory receiving bracket assembly 28 to the closure element system 22. The first hinge assembly 18 and the second hinge assembly 20 of the closure element system 22 may each include a body-side hinge bracket 30 and a door-side hinge bracket 32. The door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​may be connected to the body-side hinge bracket by a pivot pin 34 (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 4) be pivotally connected to the body-side hinge bracket 30.

[0038] The body-side hinge bracket 30 may be mounted to the vehicle body 14 by one or more mechanical fasteners 36 (see Fig. 3). In one embodiment, the mechanical fasteners 36 secure the body-side hinge bracket 30 to a hinge mounting bracket 38. The hinge mounting bracket 38 may be secured by one or more additional mechanical fasteners 40 (see Fig. 3) to secure the body-side hinge bracket 30 relative to the vehicle body 14 to another component of the vehicle body 14.

[0039] The door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​may be mounted to an outer surface 42 of the closure member 12 by one or more mechanical fasteners 44. The outer surface 42 may be referred to as a "Class A surface" of the closure member 12.

[0040] The door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​may have an inner surface 46 (best in Fig. 6-7) facing in a direction toward the outer surface 42 of the closure member 12, and an outer surface 48 facing in a direction away from the outer surface 42 of the closure member 12 when mounted to the closure member 12. The inner surface 46 may include a plurality of mounting pads 50 configured to interface with the outer surface 42 of the closure member 12. An opening 52 may be formed through at least a portion of the mounting pads 50. The openings 52 are sized to receive one of the mechanical fasteners 44 for mounting the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​to the closure member 12.

[0041] Recesses 54 may be formed in the inner surface 46 of the door-side hinge bracket 32. The recesses 54 may extend from the inner surface 46 in a direction toward the outer surface 48 of the door-side hinge bracket 32. One or more of the recesses 54 may be disposed between adjacent pairs of the mounting pads 50. The recesses 54 create open spaces between the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​and the outer surface 42 of the closure member 12 to allow the accessory receiving bracket assembly 28 to hook or abut the door-side hinge bracket 32.

[0042] The inner surface 46 of the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​may additionally include one or more stiffening ribs 56 to increase the strength and rigidity of the door-side hinge bracket 32. One or more of the stiffening ribs 56 extend within each recess 54 between adjacent pairs of the mounting pads 50. However, the specific configuration of the stiffening ribs 56 is not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0043] The accessory receiving bracket assembly 28 may include an upper or first receiving bracket portion 58, a lower or second receiving bracket portion 60, and one or more mechanical fasteners 62 for securing the first and second receiving bracket portions 58, 60 together after the first and second receiving bracket portions 58, 60 are positioned to at least partially surround the door-side hinge bracket 32. The first receiving bracket portion 58 and the second receiving bracket portion 60 may each include a body portion 64 and a hook portion 66. In one embodiment, the body portion 64 and the hook portion 66 are formed (e.g., molded) together to form a one-piece, integrated structure of the first and second receiving bracket portions 58, 60.

[0044] The body portion 64 of the first receiving bracket portion 58 may include a pair of locating posts 68 configured to engage locating openings 70 of the body portion 64 of the second receiving bracket portion 58 to ensure that the first and second receiving bracket portions 58, 60 are properly aligned to receive the fasteners 62. However, within the scope of this disclosure, an opposite configuration is also contemplated, in which the locating posts 68 are part of the body portion 64 of the second receiving bracket portion 60 and the locating openings 70 are part of the body portion 64 of the first receiving bracket portion 58. In one embodiment, one of the locating openings 70 is round to provide a 4-way locator, and another of the locating openings 70 is elongated to provide a 2-way locator.

[0045] In one embodiment, the locating posts 68 project outwardly from a lower surface 72 of the body portion 64 of the first receiving bracket portion 58, and the locating openings 70 are formed in an upper surface 74 of the body portion 64 of the second receiving bracket portion 60. However, other configurations are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure.

[0046] A front surface 76 of the body portion 64 of each of the first receiving bracket portion 58 and the second receiving bracket portion 60 may include one or more threaded openings 78, one or more locating openings 80, or both. The front surfaces 76 may face in a direction away from the outer surface 48 of the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​and are thus provided on an opposite side from the hook portions 66. The threaded openings 78 may be used to secure (e.g., screw) accessories to the accessory receiving bracket assembly 28, and the locating openings 80 are configured to locate and thus properly align the accessories to the accessory receiving bracket assembly 28.In one embodiment, the first receiving bracket portion 58 includes two threaded openings 78 and the second receiving bracket portion 58 includes one threaded opening 78 and two locating openings 80. However, other configurations are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure.

[0047] Each hook portion 66 of the first and second receiving bracket portions 58, 60 is configured to engage the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​and may include a first hook portion 82, a second hook portion 84, and a bridge portion 86 connecting between the first hook portion 82 and the second hook portion 84. When the accessory receiving bracket assembly 28 is secured to the door-side hinge bracket 32, the first hook portion 82 may interface with the outer surface 48, the second hook portion 84 may interface with the inner surface 46, and the bridge portion 86 may interface with either an upper horizontal surface 88 or a lower horizontal surface 90 of the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​(see Fig. 6).

[0048] The second hook portions 84 may be accommodated in the recesses 54 of the inner surface 46 to allow the hook portions 66 to hook or abut the door-side hinge bracket 32. The first and second receiving bracket portions 58, 60 therefore at least partially surround the door-side hinge bracket 32. The second hook portions 84 may include one or more cutouts 92 for accommodating one or more of the mounting pads 50 of the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​(see Fig. 7).

[0049] A protective lining 94 may be provided on selected portions of the hook portions 66 to protect the corresponding surfaces of the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​and the closure member 12 by eliminating metal-to-metal contact. The protective lining 94 may be provided on an inner surface of the first hook portions 82, an inner surface of the bridge portions 86, and both an inner and outer surface of the second hook portions 84. In one embodiment, the protective lining 94 is a rubber (e.g., ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber) layer adhered to the hook portions 66. However, other configurations are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure.

[0050] When the first and second receiving bracket portions 58, 60 are engaged with the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​and properly aligned relative to each other via the locating posts 68 and the locating openings 70, the first and second receiving bracket portions 58, 60 can be clamped together by the fasteners 62 to firmly secure the accessory receiving bracket assembly 28 to the door-side hinge bracket 32. Each fastener 62 can be a bolt, for example, and can be inserted through a through-hole 96 formed in the second receiving bracket portion 60 and into a threaded opening 98 formed in the first receiving bracket portion 58.

[0051] The accessory receiving mount assemblies 28 can each provide generic attachment points for securing a wide range of accessories to the vehicle 10. Example accessories that could be secured to the vehicle 10 using one or more of the accessory receiving mount assemblies 28 include, but are not limited to, bike racks, ski racks, snowboard racks, canister mounting brackets, flag mounts, grille mounts, all-terrain vehicle jack racks, fishing rod holders or crates, swing-out tables, camping light poles, vehicle body removal jacks, modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE) panels, articulated television mounting systems, etc. In some implementations, the accessories mounted by the accessory receiving mount assemblies 28 are mounting accessories that can themselves be used to mount additional accessories to the vehicle 10 (e.g.,Skis, snowboards, bicycles, fishing rods, televisions, tools, tables, trash cans, fire extinguishers, grills, shovels, etc.).

[0052] When not needed for mounting accessories, each accessory receiving bracket assembly 28 can be separated from the door-side hinge bracket 32 ​​of the first hinge assembly 18 or the second hinge assembly 20 and then stored within the vehicle 10. The accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 can be stored in any suitable location within the vehicle 10, including, for example, within any suitable storage bin of the passenger compartment or cargo area.

[0053] The Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B illustrate the use of a pair of accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 to secure an accessory 100A to the closure element system 22 and thus to the vehicle 10. Although two accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 are shown being used, some accessories may require a greater or fewer number of accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 to achieve mounting. In this implementation, the accessory 100A is a MOLLE panel that can be used to mount additional accessories (e.g., tie-downs, hooks, tool holders, shelves, clamps, straps, etc.) to the vehicle 10.

[0054] The accessory 100A may be mounted directly to the accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 using a variety of mechanical fasteners 102 (e.g., bolts, screws, etc.). Each fastener 102 may be inserted through a mounting opening 104 of the accessory 100A and then into one of the threaded openings 78 of the accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 to mount the accessory 100A relative to the vehicle 10. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the mounting openings 104 may be configured as 2-way or 4-way position encoders. In another embodiment, the mounting openings 104 are located within recesses 106 of the accessory 100A.

[0055] The accessory 100A may additionally include a series of accessory-compatible openings 108 for securing additional accessories to the accessory 100A. The accessory-compatible openings 108 may be provided in various sizes and shapes. In one embodiment, a first portion of the accessory-compatible openings 108 are configured as round openings, a second portion of the accessory-compatible openings 108 are configured as slots, and a third portion of the accessory-compatible openings 108 are configured as E-rail accessory openings. However, other configurations are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure.

[0056] The Fig. 11A-11E illustrate the use of a pair of accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 for securing another accessory 100B to the closure element system 22 and thus to the vehicle 10. In this implementation, the accessory 100B is a television (TV) mounting system for mounting a television (TV) 110 to the vehicle 10.

[0057] The accessory 100B may include a mounting plate 112, a tubular arm structure 114, a first bracket 116, and a second bracket 118. The mounting plate 112 may be a VESA-compatible TV mounting plate and thus may accommodate various sizes and manufacturers of TVs. The mounting plate 112 may include a plurality of mounting openings 120 that can receive fasteners (not shown) for mounting the TV 110 to the mounting plate 112. The mounting plate 112 may additionally include one or more brackets 122 configured to connect the tubular arm structure 114 to the mounting plate 112.

[0058] The tubular arm structure 114 may include a plurality of tubular arms 124A-124D. The tubular arms 124A-124D may be connected to each other, such as by welding. The tubular arm 124A may be either rotatably or non-rotatably connected to the brackets 122 of the mounting plate 112. The tubular arm 124B may be connected to the first bracket 116 and the second bracket 118 via bushings 126. The tubular arm 124B of the tubular arm structure 114 may therefore pivot on the bushings 126 relative to the first and second brackets 116, 118. The tubular arms 124C and 124D may connect between the tubular arm 124A and the tubular arm 124B.

[0059] The first bracket 116 may be mounted to the accessory receiving bracket assembly 28, which is secured to the first hinge assembly 18, and the second bracket 118 may be mounted to the accessory receiving bracket assembly 28, which is secured to the second hinge assembly 20 (see Fig. 11E). Mechanical fasteners 128 (e.g., bolts, screws, etc.) may be used to secure the first bracket 116 and the second bracket 118 to the accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28. The fasteners 128 may be inserted through mounting openings 130 of the first and second brackets 116, 118 and may be received in the threaded openings 78 of the accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28.

[0060] The first and second brackets 116, 118 may each have locating posts 132 (best in Fig.11D) for locating the brackets relative to the accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28. The locating posts 132 are configured to engage the locating openings 80 of the accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28 to ensure that the first and second brackets 116, 118 are properly aligned to receive the fasteners 128 used to mount the first and second brackets 116, 118 to the accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28.

[0061] The first and second brackets 116, 118 may each include a cylindrical recess 134. Each cylindrical recess 134 is configured to receive one of the sockets 126 of the tubular arm structure 114, thereby enabling rotation between the tubular arm structure 114 and the first and second brackets 116, 118, and thus rotation relative to the accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28. The TV 110 may therefore be pivoted between multiple angular positions relative to the closure member 12 when mounted to the accessory 100B and the accessory 100B is mounted to the accessory receiving bracket assemblies 28.

[0062] The accessory mount bracket assemblies described herein facilitate a generic and secure attachment method for securing a wide range of accessories to a motor vehicle. The proposed accessory mount bracket assemblies can be connected to closure hinge assemblies without removing any vehicle component and without drilling into the vehicle structure to create a secure fastener connection, thus enabling quick and convenient use.

[0063] Although the various non-limiting embodiments are illustrated as having specific components or steps, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to these particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments.

[0064] It should be understood that like reference numerals indicate corresponding or similar elements throughout the several views. It should be understood that while a specific component arrangement is disclosed and illustrated in these exemplary embodiments, other arrangements could also benefit from the teachings of this disclosure.

[0065] The foregoing description is intended to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that certain modifications may be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be read carefully to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.

Claims

[1] Vehicle closure element system, comprising: a hinge assembly; an accessory receiving bracket assembly positioned to at least partially surround the hinge assembly; and the accessory receiving bracket assembly includes a first receiving bracket portion, a second receiving bracket portion, and a fastener securing the first receiving bracket portion and the second receiving bracket portion to each other. [2] The vehicle closure element system of claim 1, wherein the first receiving bracket portion is disposed at an upper portion of the hinge assembly and the second receiving bracket portion is disposed at a lower portion of the hinge assembly. [3] The vehicle closure element system of claim 2, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are part of a hinge bracket of the hinge assembly, and optionally wherein the hinge bracket is mounted to a swing door of the vehicle closure element system. [4] A vehicle closure element system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first receiving bracket portion and the second receiving bracket portion each include a body portion and a hook portion, and wherein the hook portion is optionally configured to hook onto a hinge bracket of the hinge assembly. [5] The vehicle closure element system of claim 4, wherein a first hook portion of the hook portion is configured to interface with an outer surface of the hinge bracket, a second hook portion of the hook portion is configured to interface with an inner surface of the hinge bracket, and a bridge portion of the hook portion is configured to interface with an upper horizontal surface of the hinge bracket. [6] Vehicle closure element systems according to claim 5, wherein a portion of each of the first hook portion, the second hook portion and the bridge portion includes a protective cover. [7] The vehicle closure element system of claim 4, wherein the hook portion is received in a recess of an inner surface of the hinge bracket, and wherein the recess optionally extends between a first mounting pad and a second mounting pad of the inner surface of the hinge bracket. [8] The vehicle closure element system of claim 4, wherein the body portion includes at least one threaded opening. [9] Vehicle closure element systems according to claim 4, wherein the body portion includes at least one locating opening sized to receive a locating post of the first receiving bracket portion, the second receiving bracket portion, or an accessory. [10] Vehicle closure element systems according to claim 4, wherein the fastener extends through a through opening of the second receiving bracket portion and into a threaded opening of the first receiving bracket portion. [11] Vehicle closure element system, comprising: a closure element; a first hinge assembly mounted on the closure member; a first accessory receiving bracket assembly removably mountable to the first hinge assembly; and an accessory mounted on the first accessory mount bracket assembly. [12] The vehicle closure element system of claim 11, wherein the closure element is a rear swing gate. [13] The vehicle closure member system of claim 11 or 12, wherein the first hinge assembly includes a body-side hinge bracket mounted to a vehicle body and a door-side hinge bracket mounted to the closure member, and wherein the first accessory receiving bracket assembly is optionally configured to hook onto the door-side hinge bracket. [14] A vehicle closure element system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, comprising a second hinge assembly mounted on the closure element and a second accessory receiving bracket assembly removably mountable on the second hinge assembly, wherein the accessory is mounted on each of the first accessory receiving bracket assembly and the second accessory receiving bracket assembly. [15] A vehicle closure element system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the accessory is a television mounting system or a modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE) panel.

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