Patent ID: 8226146

Claim:
A tailgate dampening system for a vehicle including a frame and a tailgate lift assist system including a torque rod rotationally grounded between the tailgate at a one end and the vehicle's frame at another end, the dampening system comprising: a coupling shaft attached to one end of the torque rod, a bell crank arm attached the coupling shaft on a side opposite the torque rod, and a dampening strut attached between the vehicle's frame and the bell crank arm, the bell crank arm moving the dampening strut as the bell crank arm is rotated by the torque rod through the coupling shaft as the torque rod is twisted in response to the tailgate being opened, the moved dampening strut reducing the rate at which the tailgate falls, the dampening strut including a metered piston within a body of the dampening strut, the metered piston including at least one orifice through which a fluid moves from a first side of the piston to a second side of the piston as the piston is moved within the body of the dampening strut by the crank arm as the tailgate is moved to an open position, the dampening strut containing an internal check valve, through which an un-metered flow of the fluid from the second side of the piston to the first side of the piston occurs, thereby reducing the dampening by the dampening strut in a direction corresponding to the tailgate being closed, so as to allow the tailgate to be closed with minimal resistance, the dampening system performing a dampening function only in connection with the opening of the tailgate, such that it provides no effect in lifting the tailgate.