Tailgate Step Assembly with Nested Chamber and Articulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The elevated cargo bed in vehicles, such as pickup trucks, poses challenges for easy ingress and egress due to the height difference between the cargo bed and the ground, which existing tailgate designs do not adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A tailgate assembly with a movable step that can be deployed from a stowed position within the tailgate chamber to provide a step surface to the cargo bed, utilizing an articulation assembly and a lid that covers the step when not in use, allowing vertical displacement and pivoting to facilitate easier access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a step is provided to assist access to the cargo bed, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The step is nested within a chamber formed in the tailgate, allowing the step to be stored inside the tailgate structure when not in use. This nesting approach provides the step function without adding external protruding components, thereby improving ease of operation while minimizing increases in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The step is made movable between a stowed position within the chamber and a deployed position where it provides access to the cargo bed. This dynamic configuration allows the step to be available when needed while maintaining a clean, integrated appearance when not in use, resolving the contradiction between functionality and structural simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If a movable step is deployed from the tailgate, then ease of operation is improved, but stability of the object's composition deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The step is nested within a dedicated chamber in the tailgate, which provides structural support and defined movement paths. This nesting ensures the step moves along controlled trajectories rather than freely, maintaining tailgate structural stability while enabling the step function.
Solution Approach 2:
An articulation assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the step and the tailgate, providing controlled movement and positioning. This intermediary structure ensures the step can be deployed and retracted smoothly while maintaining stable, predictable positions during operation, preventing structural instability.
3Device complexity
If the step is stowed within the tailgate chamber, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The step is pre-positioned within the chamber in a ready-to-deploy state. When access is needed, the step can be quickly retrieved from its pre-positioned location without requiring complex assembly or preparation, maintaining ease of operation while keeping the structure simple and integrated.
Data Source
AI summary
A tailgate assembly includes, among other things, a tailgate coupled to a vehicle body, and a step moveable from a stowed position where the step is held within a chamber of the tailgate to a step position where the step provides a step surface to a vehicle cargo bed. A method includes, among other things, moving a step from a stowed position where the step is held within a chamber of a tailgate to a step position where the step provides a step surface to a vehicle cargo bed.