Gate for a vehcile
A vehicle includes a cabin area, a cargo area, a gate and a latch receiver. The gate is disposed between the cabin area and the cargo area. The gate has a closed configuration disposed in an opening in a wall separating the cabin area and the cargo area and an open configuration disposed within the cabin area. The gate includes a latch. The latch receiver is disposed in the wall separating the cabin area and the cargo area. The latch receiver is configured to receive the latch to fix the gate in the closed configuration.
1 . A vehicle comprising:
a cabin area;
a cargo area;
a gate disposed between the cabin area and the cargo area, the gate including a left side surface, a right side surface and a top surface, the gate having a closed configuration disposed in an opening in a wall separating the cabin area and the cargo area and an open configuration disposed within the cabin area, the gate including a striker latch located on the left side surface or the right side surface; and
a latch receiver disposed in the wall separating the cabin area and the cargo area, the latch receiver including a receiver actuator and a receiver member configured to receive and lock the striker latch to fix the gate in the closed configuration.
2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein in the closed configuration a gap is disposed between the wall and the gate, and a lateral flange extends from the gate to cover the gap.
3 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the flange is disposed at a cabin side of the gate.
4 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the flange has an upper end and a lower end, the upper end being wider than the lower end, and a gate actuator configured to move the gate between the closed configuration and the open configuration is attached to a floor of the cabin area by a bracket, the upper end being outboard of the bracket, the lower end being inboard of the bracket.
5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the latch receiver is configured to be operated remotely by an electronic switch.
6 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a gate actuator configured to move the gate between the closed configuration and the open configuration.
7 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the gate actuator and the latch receiver are powered from a same electric supply.
8 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the latch receiver is aligned vertically above the gate actuator at a coupling between the gate actuator and the gate.
9 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the gate has an opening in a lower portion, and an electric supply passes from the wall through the opening in the lower portion and into the gate to power a movable transparent member.
10 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a pinch sensor configured to prevent the gate from reaching the closing configuration.
11 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein in the open configuration a surface on the gate is configured to be generally planar with a surface of a bed of the cargo area.
12 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the gate is configured to contact ribs on a surface of the cabin area in the open configuration.
13 . A method of latching a gate of a vehicle, comprising:
providing a gate between a cabin area of a vehicle and a cargo area of the vehicle, the gate including a left side surface, a right side surface and a top surface, the gate having a striker latch located on the left side surface or the right side surface and a closed configuration and an open configuration;
providing a wall separating the cabin area and the cargo area, the wall including an opening to receive the gate and a latch receiver including a receiver actuator and a receiver member configured to receive and lock the striker latch to fix the gate in the closed configuration;
rotating the gate in a rearward direction of the vehicle so as to locate the gate within the opening; and
receiving the striker latch in the latch receiver to fix the gate within the opening.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein in the closed configuration a gap is disposed between the wall and the gate, and a lateral flange extends from the gate to cover the gap.
15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the flange is disposed at the cabin side of the gate.
16 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising remotely operating the latch receiver by an electronic switch.
17 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising moving the gate between the closed configuration and the open configuration with a gate actuator.
18 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising powering the gate actuator and the latch receiver from the same electric supply.
19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the gate has an opening in a lower portion, and a same electric supply passes from the wall through the lower opening and into the gate to power a movable transparent member.
20 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising activating a pinch sensor to prevent the gate from reaching the closing configuration.