GB2529837A

GB2529837A - Utility vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2529837A
Application number: GB1415556.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James John Alexander Dowle; Ian Salsbury
Original assignee: NORMAN TRUST
Current assignee: NORMAN TRUST
Priority date: 2014-09-03
Filing date: 2014-09-03
Publication date: 2016-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 2034-09-03
Also published as: BR102015021390A8; ZA201506430B; BR102015021390A2; GB2529837B; CN105711657A; CN105711657B; GB201415556D0

Abstract

A tailgate 28 for a vehicle (2, Figure 1), such as a truck or utility vehicle, having a load space (6, Figure 1) has hinge formations 30 along both a long edge and a short edge 26. The vehicle has hinge formations at an edge of the load space suitable for engaging hinge formations 30 of either the long edge or the short edge, typically allowing tailgate 28 to be used as a loading ramp. The hinge formations may be in the form of spindles engaging into barrels. Cutouts 24 may be provided on tailgate 28 to expose lamps 20 at the rear of the vehicle. Tailgate 28 may also be provided with fold-out legs (32, Figure 5) allowing use as a table or workbench when detached from the load space.

Description

Utility Vehicle

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a utility vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART

Utility vehicles typically have a load space to the rear of a cabin, with side walls bounding the lateral edges of the load space and a tailgate at the rear. The tailgate will usually be hinged at its lower edge to a rear edge of the load space, to allow it to be dropped to a horizontal or a dropped vertical position. In this open position, loads can be placed in or on the load space before lifting the tailgate back to an upright vertical position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide a way in which access to the load space can be improved, and other collateral benefits obtained. In most cases, the tailgate is wider than it is tall, so by removing it and re-attaching it to the load space edge by its shorter edge the tailgate forms a useful ramp. This avoids having to lift some loads to the height of the load space before loading them, as they can then be driven, wheeled or dragged up the ramp.

Thus, the present invention provides a vehicle having a load space and a tailgate, the tailgate having a relatively long edge and a relatively short edge, and having hinge formations along at least both said edges, the vehicle having hinge formations at an edge of the load space apt to engage with either of the hinge formations of the long edge or the hinge formations of the short edge.

The hinge formations of the long edge are preferably identical to the hinge formations of the short edge, so that only a single set of hinge formations are needed on the vehicle which can then engage with either edge of the tailgate. The hinge formations can comprise (on one side) a substantially cylindrical spindle held spaced from the relevant edge, and (on the other side) a barrel into which the spindle can extend. The spindle can be held spaced from the relevant edge via an [-shaped bracket, one limb of which is attached to the relevant edge and from the other limb of which the spindle extends transversely, substantially parallel to and spaced from the relevant edge. Two sets of hinge formations can be provided on each of the load space edge, the long edge, and the short edge, each of the two sets being spaced by a corresponding distance so that the formations of the long edge and the short edge can engage with the same formations on the load space edge.

Utility vehicles often include lamp units at the rear of the vehicle, adjacent the load space. The tailgate can therefore be provided with cut-outs located so as to expose the lamp units when the tailgate is connected to the vehicle via its long edge.

As an additional benefit, the tailgate can provided with a set of fold-out legs to support the tailgate as a table or workbench when detached from the load space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying figures in which; Figure 1 shows a perspective rear three-quarter view of a utility vehicle according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a similar view of the vehicle of figure 1, with the tailgate open; Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of a part of figure 2; Figure 4 shows the vehicle of figures ito 3 with the tailgate reconfigured; Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the tailgate; and Figure 6 shows the second embodiment, erected as a table/workbench.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 is a perspective view from the rear of a vehicle 2 which has a cab 4 and a load space 6 defined generally by the rear 8 of the cab 4, a floor 10 side walls 12, 14 and a S tailgate 16 (shown in the closed position). The vehicle is shown as having four wheels 18 (only 3 are visible in Figure 1); it also has two rear lamp units 20, one on each side of the rear of the vehicle 2 (as shown, the left hand unit has two lamps and the right hand unit three lamps, these lamps are for indicating intended turns, braking, reversing and/or night time illumination as required).

Figure 2 shows the same vehicle 2 but with the tailgate 16 in the open position so as to provide access to the load space 6; the tailgate 16 has been folded down along the rear edge 22 of the floor 10 of the load space 6, about which edge 22 the tailgate 16 is hinged as will be described below in relation to Figure 3. It will be noted that the tailgate is provided with cut outs 24; these correspond to the shape of the lamp units 20, so that when the tailgate 16 is in the raised or closed position, as in Figure 1, the lamp units 20 are visible.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of part of the vehicle 2 as shown in Figure 2; it can be seen that the tailgate 16 comprises a generally rectangular frame 26 to which is fixed a flat panel 28 (in which the cut outs 24 are formed). Two hinge formations 30 are provided along the side of the frame 26; similar hinge formations, not visible in Figure 3, are provided along the edge of the frame 26 which is parallel to the rear edge 22 of the floor 10 of the load space 6 and these are adapted to cooperate with matching hinge formations (not shown) which are provided along the rear edge 22 to allow the tailgate 16 to swing through an arc between the closed and open position. These hinge formations are also adapted to allow the tailgate 16 to be removed from the edge 22 and either repositioned on the vehicle as shown in Figure 4 or used separately, as shown in Figure 5. A suitable hinge is a flag hinge, which is an easily releasable butt hinge which can be selectively taken apart, comprising a fixed pin or spindle on one leaf of the hinge and a matching barrel on the other leaf of the hinge -such a fixed spindle is shown in Figure 3, and joining/separating such a hinge formation is a simple matter of moving the tailgate 16 relative to the rear edge 22 of the load space 10, in alignment with the axes of the spindles, so that the spindle of the formations 30 engage with/disengage from the matching barrels provided along the edge 22.

If a ramp is needed to move a load into the load space 6, the tailgate 16 can be removed easily and reconfigured as shown in Figure 4, so that the hinge formations 30 along the short side of the tailgate 16 are engaged with the matching hinge formations along the edge 22 instead of the hinge formations on the long side of the tailgate 16 (as in Figures 1 to 3); the tailgate is then swung down so as to extend from the edge 22 to the ground, so forming a ramp into the load space 6. It will be appreciated that the distances between the hinge formations 30 on the short side of the tailgate 16 and along the long side of the tailgate will have to match the distance between the barrels provided along the edge 22 so that the tailgate can be used as both a tailgate and as a ramp. If there are more hinge formations provided on the long side of the tailgate 16 than along the short side, and there are the same number of matching barrels provided along the edge 22 as there are hinge formations provided along the long side of the tailgate 16, when the tailgate is reconfigured as shown in Figure 4, with the short side of the tailgate hinged to the edge 22, the tailgate 16 can be made to engage with different sets of brackets so as to be positioned centrally relative to the axis of movement of the vehicle 2 (as shown in Figure 4), or it can be offset to one or other side of that axis; in this way, a heavy load might be moved up the ramp and positioned on one side of the load space, then the ramp disengaged and re-engaged towards the other side so that a second load may be moved up and positioned on the other side of the vehicle.

Matching barrels could be provided along one or both of the rear edges 12a, 14a of the sides 12, 14 of the load space 6, so that the tailgate 16 could be lifted into position and either form a fixed tailgate, or one which is side hinged along one or other of the sides 12a, 14a. Additionally or alternatively, fasteners can be provided along edges 12a, 14a to releasably engage with hinge formations 30 when the tailgate 16 is hinged along its long edge to edge 22, and in the closed position of Figure 1, to hold the tailgate 16 in the closed position.

Figure 5 shows the tailgate 16 separated from the vehicle, and having legs 32 that fold or bend on hinges (not shown) located at the connection point between the or each leg 32 and the panel 28 (or the frame 26). The legs 32 are designed to fold and fit securely against the panel 28, while remaining attached thereto when the tailgate is in use as a tailgate or a ramp (as in the left hand drawing), but to be folded down when the tailgate 16 is to be used as a table (as shown in the right hand drawing). The cut outs 24 are located in the corners of the panel 28, and therefore do not detract excessively from the tailgate 16 when it is used as a table.

It will of course be understood that many variations may be made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, there could be any number of hinges on each side of the tailgate, and the hinge formation may be reversed (with the spindles provided on the vehicle and the barrels on the tailgate 16). The hinges may be of any suitable design which enables the tailgate to be easily attached to or detached from the rear edge 22 of the floor 10 of the load space 6; whereas it is preferred that the hinges along the long and short sides of the tailgate are identical, in some applications it might be preferred to have different arrangements -lbr example, hinges along one short side and one long side but fasteners along the other side(s). The hinges may also function as releasable fasteners, and they may be formed of plastic, metal or composite material. Furthermore, where different variations or alternative arrangements are described above, it should be understood that embodiments of the invention may incorporate such variations and/or alternatives in any suitable combination.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A vehicle comprising a load space and a tailgate, the tailgate having a relatively long edge and a relatively short edge, and having hinge formations along both said edges the vehicle having hinge formations at an edge of the load space apt to engage with either of the hinge formations of the long edge or the hinge formations of the short edge.
2. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the hinge formations of the long edge are identical to the hinge formations of the short edge.
3. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the hinge formations of the vehicle, or of the long edge and the short edge, comprise a substantially cylindrical spindle held spaced from the relevant edge.
4. A vehicle according to claim 3 in which the spindle is held spaced from the relevant edge via an [-shaped bracket, one limb of which is attached to the relevant edge and from the other limb of which the spindle extends transversely, substantially parallel to and spaced from the relevant edge.
5. A vehicle according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the hinge formations of the long edge and the short edge, or of the vehicle, respectively, comprise a barrel into which the spindle can extend.
6. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein two sets of hinge formations are provided on each of the load space edge, the long edge, and the short edge, each of the two sets being spaced by a corresponding distance so that the formations of the long edge and the short edge can engage with the same formations on the load space edge.
7. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims comprising lamp units adjacent the load space, wherein the tailgate is provided with cut-outs located so as to expose the lamp units when the tailgate is connected to the vehicle via its long edge.
8. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the tailgate is provided with a set of fold-out legs to support the tailgate as a table or workbench when detached from the load space.
9. A vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.