Patent ID: 7549691

Claim:
A removable end gate arrangement wherein an end gate portion of a vehicle is removable from a cargo portion of a vehicle upon rotating the end gate about an axis to a selected position and then moving the end gate laterally with respect to the axis, the arrangement comprising: a pair of cups on one of the cargo or end gate portions, each cup defining a trunion of a hinge and each cup having a laterally opening notch therein that extends in an axial direction with respect to the hinge and includes diverging flanges defining the laterally opening notch, the cups having end openings oriented in opposite directions; a pair of pins on the other of the cargo or end gate portions, the pair of pins extending in opposite directions and being received in the pair of cups to configure the hinge, each of the pins having a first cross-sectional area larger than the lateral opening of the notch and a second cross-sectional area smaller than the lateral opening of the notch, wherein when the second cross-sectional areas align with the notch the tailgate portion is removable from the cargo portion, and a pair of retainer clips rotatably mounted on one of the cargo or end gate portions for rotary movement with respect to the notches in the cups from first positions in which the retainer clips overlie the notches and are captured between the diverging flanges and block the lateral opening of the notches to second positions in which the retainer clips are displaced from capture between the diverging flanges and rotary displaced from and not overlying the lateral openings of the notches, to allow the pins to be removed from the notches when the second cross-sectional areas are aligned with the notches thereby permitting the tailgate portion to be detached from the cargo area portion.