Truck Tailgate Step and Handle Assembly With Integrated Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The height of pickup truck tailgates creates safety hazards during ingress and egress, especially in darkness, due to awkward stepping and potential interference from unseen objects stored in the load bed.
Innovation Solution
A truck load bed ingress and egress assembly with a tailgate clearance arm, a columnar handle, and a step component, along with an integrated lamp assembly, securely attaches to the truck's rear towing receiver hitch, providing a stable step and illumination to assist operators in safely entering and exiting the load bed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the tailgate is lowered to horizontal position for access, then the tailgate provides a platform for entering the load bed, but the height of 19-22 inches creates safety hazards and awkward stepping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate step structure (step assembly with tread and support leg) positioned between the ground and the tailgate. This intermediary element reduces the stepping height from 19-22 inches to a manageable level, providing a stable transition platform that eliminates the safety hazards of direct stepping onto the high tailgate while maintaining easy access to the load bed.
2Ease of operation
If the operator attempts to step onto the tailgate in darkness, then access to the load bed is achieved, but unseen objects stored at the rear interfere with foot placements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a lighting assembly that emits light to illuminate the step assembly and the area around it. This lighting function changes the visual environment from dark to illuminated, allowing the operator to see stored objects and foot placement areas clearly, thereby eliminating the hazard of unseen objects interfering with safe footing during nighttime operations.
3Ease of operation
If the operator attempts to step down from the tailgate in darkness, then exiting the load bed is achieved, but darkness prevents seeing ground conditions that may interfere with stable foot placements
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting assembly illuminates not only the step assembly but also the ground area where the operator will step down. This illumination changes the visual conditions from dark to bright, allowing the operator to see ground conditions, obstacles, and stable footing areas clearly during exit operations, thereby eliminating the hazard of unseen ground conditions.
4Reliability
If a step assembly is added to reduce tailgate height, then safety and ease of access are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ingress and egress function into separate modular components: a step assembly with tread and support leg, a lighting assembly with boom arm and light source, and a latch mechanism. Each component performs a specific function and can be independently attached or removed from the tailgate, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining safety and functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The support leg of the step assembly is designed to be adjustable or movable, allowing it to be positioned at different heights or angles depending on the tailgate position and operator needs. This dynamic adjustment capability provides versatility without requiring a complex fixed structure, simplifying the overall design while adapting to different operational conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A truck load bed ingress and egress assembly incorporating a tailgate clearance arm; a column fixedly attached to and extending upwardly from a distal end of the tailgate clearance arm; a step mounted at the tailgate clearance arm's distal end; and a light mounted at the column's upper end, the column constituting a handle which secures foot placement upon the step by stabilizing a user, the column further constituting a light mount which further secures the foot placements upon the step by illuminating the step.