Patent ID: 6196608
Filing Date: 2001-03-06
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A motor vehicle comprising:a vehicle body defining a bed having a bed aperture;a tailgate assembly;a plurality of first conventional fasteners;a plurality of second conventional fasteners; anda hinge mechanism having a hinge pin structure and a pair of hinge members, the hinge pin structure including a pin member and a pair of mounting brackets, the pin member having a unitarily formed body portion and a pair of pin ends, each of the pin ends being generally cylindrical in shape, each of the pin ends being fixedly coupled to the body portion about a generally horizontal axis, the mounting brackets being generally L-shaped and having first and second bracket portions, the first bracket portion fixedly coupled to the body portion and extending generally perpendicular to the generally horizontal axis, the first bracket portion extending substantially around one-half of the perimeter of the body portion, the second bracket portion being spaced apart from and generally parallel to the generally horizontal axis, the second bracket portion being fixedly coupled to an end of the first bracket portion opposite the body portion, each of the second bracket portions having a plurality of mounting apertures, each of the plurality of first conventional fasteners extending through an associated one of the mounted apertures and coupling the hinge pin structure to the vehicle body, each of the pair of hinge members being unitarily formed from a sheet steel material and having first and second hinge portions, each of the first hinge portions being formed as a generally hollow cylinder sized to engage an associated one of the pin ends, each of the second hinge portions being fixedly coupled to an associated one of the first hinge portions and extending therefrom in a plane that is spaced apart from and parallel to the generally horizontal axis, the second hinge portion, each of the second hinge portions having a plurality of hinge fastening apertures, each of the plurality of second conventional fasteners extending through an associated one of the hinge fastening apertures and fixedly coupling the hinge members to the tailgate, the hinge members rotating about the pin ends to permit the tailgate to be moved between a generally vertical position substantially closing the bed aperture in the vehicle body and a generally horizontal position substantially clearing the bed aperture in the vehicle body.