Pickup Truck Tailgate with Sliding Inner Frame
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Pickup truck owners face challenges in transporting long or oversized loads, as conventional tailgates do not provide sufficient length, leading to the need for trailers, which can leave the truck bed empty and negate the purpose of using a pickup truck.
Innovation Solution
A pickup truck tailgate with an outer frame and inner frame that can be extended, featuring a locking mechanism, support cables, and a toolbox, allowing for enhanced bed length and the inclusion of loading ramps for improved load handling and storage, along with a gate release mechanism for easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a conventional tailgate is used, then the tailgate structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the bed length is insufficient for transporting long or oversized loads
Solution Approach 1:
The tailgate is divided into an outer frame and an inner frame that can be independently positioned. The inner frame with vertical members can be extended beyond the outer frame to increase bed length, and the two frames are connected through track channels that allow relative movement between them.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner frame is designed to be movable relative to the outer frame through track channels, allowing the bed length to be dynamically adjusted. The inner frame can slide along the track channels to extend or retract, providing variable bed length based on loading requirements.
2Length of moving object
If the inner frame is made movable to extend bed length, then long loads can be transported, but the locking mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism utilizes the natural positioning of the inner frame within the track channels. The gravity and friction between the inner frame and track channels provide automatic locking when the inner frame is in extended or retracted positions, reducing the need for additional complex locking components.
3Reliability
If support cables are added to hold the outer frame in opened position, then the tailgate can be securely opened, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support cables are designed as separate, removable components that can be independently installed or removed based on usage needs. When the tailgate needs to be opened for loading, the cables are released; when closed position is needed, the cables provide support. This modular approach adds reliability only when needed.
4Use of energy by moving object
If grating is used in the interior field, then airflow is improved for fuel efficiency, but the structural strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The tailgate combines grating material with a structural frame system. The grating provides airflow passages for fuel efficiency, while the surrounding outer frame, inner frame, and track channels provide the necessary structural strength to support the tailgate and its contents.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe and easy transportation of long or oversized items without the need for trailers, providing increased bed length, improved access to tools, and enhanced fuel efficiency through improved airflow.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the corresponding release knobs may include a spring to allow for automatic locking when the tailgate is lifted up and closed.
Implementation Method 2
The outer frame may be in an opened position is supported on a pair of support cables from each upper and outward corner of the outer frame.
Implementation Method 3
The grating may allow for a plurality of air flow through the tailgate when traveling at highway speeds resulting in higher gas mileage.
Data Source
AI summary
The pickup truck tailgate is a replacement tailgate for a pickup truck. The main body or field of the tailgate is made of a metal mesh which allows for smooth air flow through the bed of the truck. The tailgate is also provided with a removable inner section that slides outward. When the tailgate is in a down position, this section may be slide outward to allow for a longer bed area or raised upward when the tailgate is in the vertical position.