Tesla wants to patent the « Power tailgate mechanism » for Cybertruck. The application relates to power systems for opening and closing hinged closing panels, in particular the rear door of a vehicle.
Background
Various vehicles can be equipped with hinged closing panels. Many trucks have tailgates that can open to lengthen the body and allow for loading and unloading, and close to create limited space. The rear door can pivot between open and closed positions to selectively provide access to the inside of the bed. As a rule, the range of motion of the rear door is approximately 90 degrees from the open position to the closed position. Existing latch devices may include latches that attach to the vehicle structure and are aligned to engage the latches in the rear door when the rear door is in the closed position.
About the invention
Tesla has filed a patent application for a « Power tailgate mechanism » which describes a system for moving a hinge between an open position and a closed position to open and close a truck’s tailgate. In particular, they are talking about Cybertruck, the image of which is used in the application, and can be used in such vehicles. The described system includes an actuator for moving the closing panel between an open position and a closed position relative to the housing and a counterweight element for reducing the mechanical force generated by the actuator for driving the closing panel.
Mechanism improvements
The present disclosure relates to power systems for opening and closing hinged closing panels, in particular the back door of a vehicle. Tesla elaborates that power rear doors often require complex systems involving many costly components. In addition, known power systems can be bulky, which can limit the ability to efficiently and compactly place the system inside a vehicle.
In the patent application, Tesla describes embodiments that may provide advantages over such power supply systems. For example, in some embodiments, the implementation of the power system can significantly reduce the number of required components. This reduction in components can significantly reduce supply chain overhead, installation time and cost.
In addition, the system may have improved reliability due to, for example, a reduction in the number of components. The power system can be useful in dealing with adverse weather conditions, such as when an ice bridge forms between the rear door and the truck bed. Some of the power systems described in the patent application can destroy the ice bridge formed between the rear door and the truck bed.
