Patent ID: 7905530

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a body defining an interior compartment of the vehicle; a tailgate attached to the body and configured for pivoting between an open position and a closed position; a trim panel disposed on the tailgate and within the interior compartment of the vehicle when the tailgate is disposed in the closed position; and a self-actuating device in physical communication with the trim panel and configured for reversibly presenting for use to assist in pivoting the tailgate between the open position and the closed position, wherein the self-actuating device includes; a handle configured to reversibly transition between a first form wherein the handle is flush to the trim panel and the handle is stowed, and a second form wherein the handle protrudes from the trim panel and the handle is presented for use; an activation device configured for providing an activation signal; and at least one actuator in operable communication with each of the handle and the activation device and configured to receive the activation signal from the activation device to thereby reversibly transition the handle between the first form and the second form.