Patent ID: 7484784
Filing Date: 2009-02-03
Classification: B62D,E05D,E05F,E05Y

Abstract:
1. A selectively removable tailgate assembly for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle having a cargo area including a bed floor, a first side cargo wall disposed on a first lateral side of the bed floor, and a second side cargo wall disposed on a second lateral side of the bed floor, with respective rearward ends of the first and second side cargo walls defining a tailgate opening; a tailgate movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the tailgate opening such that in the closed position the tailgate mates with the tailgate opening and the first and second side cargo walls and in the open position the tailgate exposes the cargo area extending the bed floor; a hinge mechanism that connects a portion of the tailgate to a lower portion of a rearward end of the first side cargo wall and a lower portion of a rearward end of the first side cargo wall, wherein at least one portion of the hinge mechanism may be selectively detached from another portion of the hinge mechanism to permit the tailgate to be removed from the vehicle; a power assembly operatively connected to the tailgate hinge mechanism to selectively move the tailgate at least partially between the open and closed positions; and at least one pinch strip connected to at least one of the tailgate and a section of the vehicle proximate the tailgate opening, the pinch strip operative to detect an obstruction when closing the tailgate by the power assembly.