Truck Tailgate Check Strap Extension Bracket
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Trucks with tailgates face difficulties in loading heavy or bulky objects due to the tailgate's horizontal open position, which obstructs reaching into the bed and requires additional support for cargo, necessitating a solution that maintains the tailgate's usefulness while facilitating easier cargo loading.
Innovation Solution
A check strap system with an extension bracket and pull tab mechanism that allows the tailgate to pivot further beyond the horizontal position, enabling easier access and loading of heavy cargo while maintaining the conventional open position for support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tailgate is kept in the conventional open (horizontal) position for cargo support, then cargo support function is improved, but ease of loading heavy cargo deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The check strap system is designed to be dynamically adjustable between two positions: a first position where the tailgate is constrained at a ninety-degree angle for cargo support, and a second position where the tailgate can be lowered below horizontal for easier cargo loading. The extension bracket and pull tab mechanism enable smooth transition between these states, allowing the system to adapt to different operational needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the angular parameter of the tailgate from a fixed ninety-degree position to a variable position that can range from horizontal (ninety degrees) to below horizontal (greater than ninety degrees). This parameter change is achieved through the check strap's extension bracket, which allows the tailgate to pivot beyond the conventional horizontal position, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining support function and enabling easier loading.
2Ease of operation
If the tailgate is lowered below horizontal position for easier cargo loading, then ease of operation is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The check strap system provides preliminary anti-action by preventing the tailgate from moving beyond the desired position. When the tailgate is lowered for loading, the check strap's extension bracket controls the descent and prevents excessive movement. The spring mechanism provides continuous counter-force to maintain structural stability while allowing controlled movement, thereby preventing instability that would occur with uncontrolled tailgate movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension bracket and pull tab assembly act as an intermediary mechanism between the tailgate and the vehicle frame. This intermediary system mediates the movement of the tailgate, allowing it to pivot below horizontal for easier loading while maintaining structural stability through the controlled mechanical linkage. The spring-loaded pull tab provides a controlled interface that enables smooth movement while preventing uncontrolled positions.
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 easier loading and unloading of heavy cargo by allowing the tailgate to pivot downward, improving access and support for cargo, while maintaining the conventional open position for cargo support.
Implementation Method 1
a spring biasing the pull tab toward the side of the tailgate
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle including a bed, and a tailgate, pivotally attached to the vehicle to close off a rear end of the bed, the tailgate having a front surface and a side with a pull tab recess. A check strap has a forward end attached to the bed and a rearward end; and an extension bracket has an extension plate pivotally connecting at a forward end to the rearward end of the check strap, a rear fastener pivotally securing the extension plate to the side of the tailgate, a pull tab extending through the extension plate and laterally slidable out of the pull tab recess, the extension plate extending essentially parallel to the front surface when the pull tab is received in the pull tab recess.