IP Library › Granted Patent US 12703435
Granted Patent B2
US 12703435 · App. 18/313,081 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Tailgate subassembly presetting method and tailgate assembly having preset subassemblies

Inventors: Joseph Prior (Detroit, MI); Joshua Robert Hemphill (White Lake, MI); Raul Ezequiel Alvarez Ruiz (Estado de Mexico, MX); Michael Shawn Watterworth (Brighton, MI); Cheryl Ann Engel (Jackson, MI); Dinesh Murali (Chennai, IN)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B62D33/0273
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12703435
App. No.
18/313,081
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The tailgate assembly method includes presetting a frame subassembly of a tailgate assembly relative to a vehicle structure; and presetting a door subassembly of the tailgate assembly relative to the frame subassembly. The frame subassembly can include a cargo bed access opening between a driver side section and a passenger side section. The door subassembly can be pivotable relative to the frame subassembly back-and-forth between a door open position and a door closed position. The door subassembly closes the cargo bed access opening when the door subassembly is in the door closed position.

Claims (27)

1 . A tailgate assembly method, comprising:

presetting a frame subassembly of a tailgate assembly relative to a vehicle structure; and

presetting a door subassembly of the tailgate assembly relative to the frame subassembly,

wherein the frame subassembly includes a cargo bed access opening between a driver side section and a passenger side section, the door subassembly pivotable relative to the frame subassembly back-and-forth between a door open position and a door closed position, the door subassembly closing the cargo bed access opening when the door subassembly is in the door closed position,

wherein the presetting of the frame subassembly comprises presetting the driver side section and the passenger side section such that the cargo bed access opening is wider at a vertical top of the cargo bed access opening than at a vertical bottom of the cargo bed access opening.

2 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 1 , wherein the presetting of the frame subassembly comprises tilting the driver side section outboard from a design position for the driver side section, and tilting the passenger side section outboard from a design position of the passenger side section.

3 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 1 , wherein the presetting of the frame subassembly includes providing a bow in a connection member of the frame subassembly prior to securing the frame subassembly to the vehicle structure, the connection member extending along an inboard side of the driver side section, along an inboard side of the passenger side section, and along a bottom of the cargo bed access opening.

4 . The tailgate assembly of claim 3 , wherein the connection member extends continuously and uninterruptedly from the inboard side of the driver side section, along the bottom of the cargo bed access opening, and to the inboard side of the passenger side section.

5 . The tailgate assembly of claim 3 , wherein the connection member is a tube.

6 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 1 , wherein a hinge side of the door subassembly is pivotably connected to one of the driver side section or the passenger side section, wherein a latch side of the door subassembly is latched to the other of the driver side section or the passenger side section.

7 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 6 , wherein the presetting of the door subassembly comprises presetting the door subassembly such that the latch side is shifted vertically above the hinge side within the cargo bed access opening.

8 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 1 , wherein the tailgate assembly is pivotable relative to the vehicle structure about a horizontal axis back-and-forth between a tailgate closed position and a tailgate open position.

9 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 1 , wherein the presetting of the frame subassembly offsets the frame subassembly from a design position for the frame subassembly, wherein the presetting of the door subassembly offsets the door subassembly from a design position for the door subassembly.

10 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 1 , further comprising securing the frame subassembly to a vehicle cargo bed after presetting the frame subassembly.

11 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 1 , further comprising securing the door subassembly to the frame subassembly after presetting the door subassembly.

12 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 1 , wherein the frame subassembly and the door subassembly are configured to pivot together relative to the vehicle structure about a horizontally extending axis, wherein the door subassembly is configured to pivot relative to the frame subassembly about a vertically extending axis.

13 . A tailgate assembly, comprising:

a frame subassembly having a cargo bed access opening between a driver side section and a passenger side section, the frame subassembly offset from a preset frame subassembly position, the frame subassembly secured to a structure of a vehicle in the preset frame subassembly position; and

a door subassembly that is pivotably coupled to the frame subassembly, the door subassembly pivotable relative to the frame subassembly back-and-forth between a door open position and a door closed position, the door subassembly closing the cargo bed access opening when the door subassembly is in the door closed position, the door subassembly offset from a preset door subassembly position, the door subassembly secured to a structure of the vehicle in the preset door subassembly position, wherein, in the preset frame subassembly position, the cargo bed access opening is wider at a vertical top of the cargo bed access opening than at a vertical bottom of the cargo bed access opening.

14 . The tailgate assembly of claim 13 , wherein the frame subassembly and the door subassembly pivot together about a horizontally extending axis, wherein the door subassembly pivots relative to the frame subassembly about a vertically extending axis.

15 . The tailgate assembly of claim 13 , further comprising connecting the driver side section of a frame subassembly to the passenger side section of the frame subassembly using a tube.

16 . The tailgate assembly of claim 13 , wherein the driver side section is on a driver side of the cargo bed access opening in the tailgate assembly, and the passenger side section is on a passenger side of the cargo bed access opening.

17 . The tailgate assembly of claim 13 , wherein, in the preset frame subassembly position, the driver side section is tilted outboard from a design position for the driver side section, and the passenger side section is tilted outboard from a design position of the passenger side section.

18 . A tailgate assembly method, comprising:

presetting a frame subassembly of a tailgate assembly relative to a vehicle structure by tilting a driver side section outboard from a design position for the driver side section, and by tilting a passenger side section outboard from a design position for the passenger side section, the frame assembly including a cargo bed access opening between the driver side section and the passenger side section; and

securing a door subassembly to the frame such that the door subassembly is pivotable relative to the frame subassembly back-and-forth between a door open position and a door closed position, the door subassembly closing the cargo bed access opening when the door subassembly is in the door closed position.

19 . The tailgate assembly method of claim 18 , further comprising presetting the door subassembly during the securing such that the door subassembly is offset from a design position for the door subassembly.