Hinge assemblies are provided that are capable of providing lift assistive forces when moving a tailgate of a motor vehicle from a tailgate open position to a tailgate closed position. An exemplary hinge assembly may include a body-side or stationary hinge component, a tailgate-side or movable hinge component, and a pivot rod that pivotably connects the movable hinge component to the stationary hinge component. The hinge assembly may additional include one or more spring assemblies each having a carrier and a spring. The spring assembly may be configured to store energy when the tailgate is moved from the tailgate closed position to the tailgate open position. The stored energy can be subsequently released to reduce the amount of lifting effort necessary for a user to return the tailgate back to the tailgate closed position.
VEHICLE TAILGATE LIFT ASSIST HINGE ASSEMBLIES
2025-08-07
Patent
Electronic Resource
English