Patent ID: 6231100
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
In a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment and a cargo area, the cargo area partially enclosed by a tailgate panel with an upper edge and a lower edge, said tailgate panel pivotally mountable to the cargo area along the lower edge, said tailgate panel having a predetermined thickness and an inner surface exposed to the cargo area, and an opposing outer surface, the improvement comprising:the tailgate panel having a center open area with a periphery defined by at least three contiguous edges anda plurality of rigid cylindrical tubular rods extending through the open area with one end of each rigid cylindrical tubular rods attached to one edge and the other end of each rod attached to another edge wherein said rods are in parallel configuration and spaced from each other and each cylindrical tubular rod having an outer surface coplanar with the inner surface of the tailgate panel,wherein the tubular rods have a thickness less than the thickness of the tailgate panel.