Truck tailgate assembly

Abstract

An assembly for gating a truck load bed, the truck load bed having a laterally extending rear opening, the assembly incorporating a tailgate fitted for receipt within the load bed's rear opening, the tailgate incorporating a hollow bored lower member having an arcuately curved upper wall; the assembly further incorporating a camera case having an open lower end which is angularly mounted upon the hollow bored lower member's arcuately curved upper wall; the assembly further incorporating a camera cable passage port opening the hollow bored lower member at the arcuately curved upper wall, wherein the camera cable passage port communicates with the camera case's open lower end.

Claims

1. An assembly for gating a truck load bed, the truck load bed having a laterally extending rear opening, said assembly comprising: (a) a lower frame member, said member being laterally sized for receipt within the laterally extending rear opening of the truck bed; (b) a case having a plurality of walls, the case being fixedly attached to and extending upwardly from the lower frame member; and (c) a video camera housed within the case.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of walls of the case comprise a rear wall, wherein the case is opened by a port positioned at the rear wall, and wherein the video camera has a lens exposed at said port.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the case comprises a rear opening, and wherein the rear wall comprises an access plate fitted for closing the rear opening.

4. The assembly of claim 3 further comprising a mounting bracket adapted for supporting the video camera, wherein the mounting bracket operatively spans between the video camera and the access plate.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the case has lower port, and further comprising a wire lead operatively connected to the video camera, wherein the wire lead extends through the lower port.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the lower frame member has a hollow bore, wherein said bore is opened by an upper port, wherein the upper port communicates with the lower port of the case, and wherein the wire lead further extends through the upper port.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the hollow bore of the lower frame member is further opened by a lower passage, wherein the wire lead further extends laterally along the hollow bore of the lower frame member, and wherein the wire lead further extends through the lower passage.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the lower frame member has a D configured cross section.

9. An assembly for gating a truck load bed, the truck load bed having a laterally extending rear opening, said assembly comprising: (a) a conduit having an upper opening, the conduit being laterally fitted for receipt within the laterally extending rear opening of the load bed of the truck; (b) a matrix of laterally extending members including a lowermost laterally extending member, said matrix of members being fixedly attached to and extending upwardly from the conduit; (c) a camera case and video camera combination, wherein the camera case is mounted between the conduit and said lowermost member; and, (d) a wire lead connected operatively to the video camera, wherein the wire lead extends through the upper opening of the conduit.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the lowermost laterally extending member comprises louver, and further comprising a rearwardly opening slot extending forwardly into said louver, wherein the camera case is nestingly received within said slot.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the conduit is further opened by a lower passage, and wherein the wire lead further extends laterally along the conduit and through the lower passage.

12. An assembly for gating a truck load bed, the truck load bed having a laterally extending rear opening, said assembly comprising: (a) a tailgate fitted for receipt within the laterally extending rear opening of the truck load bed, the tailgate comprising a hollow bored lower member having an arcuately curved upper wall; (b) a camera case having an open lower end, the camera case being angularly mounted at its lower end upon the arcuately curved upper wall; and (c) a camera cable passage port, wherein said port opens the hollow bored lower member at the arcuately curved upper wall, and wherein said port communicates with the camera case's open lower end of the camera case.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the tailgate comprises a lower louver, and further comprising a slot extending forwardly into and opening rearwardly at the lower louver, wherein the camera case is nestingly received within the slot.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the camera case is closed by a rear access plate, and further comprising a video camera housed within the camera case, wherein the video camera is removably mounted upon an interior surface of said plate.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the camera case is opened by a camera lens port, said port extending through the access plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the instant inventive truck tailgate assembly.

(2) FIG. 2 is a magnified view of a portion of the structure depicted in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 redepicts the structure of FIG. 2, the view of FIG. 3 showing the assembly in a configuration which precedes incorporation of camera and camera case components.

(4) FIG. 4 is an alternative perspective view of the structures of FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view, as indicated in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(6) Referring now to the drawings and in particular to Drawing FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the instant inventive truck tailgate assembly is referred to generally by Reference Arrow 1. The exemplary assembly of the drawing figures is configured for mounting at the rear of a pickup truck's load bed. A major structural component of the assembly comprises a lower frame member 2 which spans laterally or from left to right, such member substantially spanning the entire lateral width of the rear opening of such pickup truck's load bed.

(7) Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the lower frame member 2 preferably has a D shaped cross-sectional shape which includes an arcuately curved upper wall 4 and a substantially flat lower wall 10. An upper wire leads passage port 8 opens the hollow interior 6 of the lower frame member 2 at the arcuately curved upper wall 4, and a lower wire leads passage port 12 further opens the hollow interior 6 at the lower wall 10. The lower wire leads passage port 12 is preferably laterally oblongated, as depicted, to allow for a laterally and upwardly angled passage therethrough of camera wire leads or conduits 76. In order to guard against wire abrasions, an elastomeric or plastic trim piece 14 lines the edges of the lower port 12.

(8) In a preferred embodiment, the upper port 8 is substantially centrally located along the lateral dimension of the lower frame member 2, such positioning allowing for a substantially central mount of a case mounted video camera 70. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the lower wire lead port 12 is offset leftwardly from the center of the lower frame member 2 to facilitate easy routing of and receipt of the camera wire leads 76. The portion of the lower frame member 2 through which the leads 76 laterally extend serves as and constitutes an electric wire protecting conduit in addition to its function as a structural frame member.

(9) Further structural components of the instant inventive assembly comprise left and right vertical frame members 16 which are fixedly welded to and extend upwardly from left and right ends of the lower frame member 2. Right and left cover plates 18 and 20 aesthetically cover the right and left vertical frame member 16. An upper frame member 22 having a lowered middle section 26 spans between upper ends of the vertical frame members 16, the lowered section 26 forming and defining a trailer gooseneck passage opening 24. A latch 28 for selectively opening and closing the tailgate (via coaxial cable actuators, not within views) is provided at the lowered section 26. A matrix of laterally extending louvers 30 spans between the vertical frame members 16, such louvers being medially supported by support posts 32.

(10) A further structural component of the instant inventive assembly comprises a case which is referred to generally in Drawing FIG. 2 by reference arrow 42. The case 42 has an upper wall 43 and a forward wall 45, such walls defining a hollow interior camera housing space 44. Such space 44 is opened by a rearward port 46 which is removably covered by an access plate 40.

(11) The case 42 is downwardly opened by a lower port 48. As shown in FIG. 5, the arcuate upper wall 4 of the lower frame member 2 facilitates selectively angled positioning of the case 42 with respect to the lower frame member 2, the case being rigidly welded at a chosen angular position by welds 58. The front to rear dimension of port 48 is preferably greater than that of port 8 so that selective adjustments of the front to rear position of the case 42 with respect to the frame member 2 may selectively adjust the view angle of the internally mounted video camera 70. The underlying port 8 advantageously remains in communication with port 48 over a range of selectable view angles without any outward exposure of the edges of the port 8.

(12) The rear cover plate 40 is preferably fitted for covering and closing the case's rear opening, such plate preferably being removably secured upon the case by screw fasteners 56. Such plate 40 preferably includes a video camera lens port 54 within which a video camera lens 72 of the video camera 70 is exposed. The plate 40 also preferably includes mounting brackets 74 which support the video camera 70. The preferred mount of the video camera 70 upon the forward or interior surface of the access plate 40 facilitates easy and convenient extraction and removal of the camera 70 from the case 42. Opening of the case 42 via rearward removal of the access plate 40 advantageously automatically extracts the camera 70 from the case 42.

(13) The electrical wire leads 76 preferably include power and video signal cables which operatively serve the video camera 70. Such wire leads 76 extend downwardly from the video camera 70 to pass through the case's and lower frame member's aligned ports 48 and 8. The leads 76 then extend through and along the interior 6 of the frame member 2 to exit the frame member 2 downwardly and leftwardly via port 12. Further extension of the wire leads 76 (not depicted within views) communicate with the truck's electrical system, preferably extending to a dashboard mounted video screen.

(14) Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame matrix's lowermost louver 34 directly overlies the lower frame member 2, such lower louver advantageously rigidly supporting the case 42. A rearwardly opening C slot 36 presenting peripheral edges 38 may be cut and formed within the lowermost louver 34, such slot 36 preferably being closely fitted to the exterior dimensions of the case 42. Peripheral welds 60 formed along such edges 38 advantageously enhance the louvers' structural support of the case 42.

(15) As indicated above, the view angle of the camera 70 may be selectively pointed or aimed by adjusting the front to rear position of the case 42 with respect to the underlying frame member 2. Referring in particular to FIGS. 3 and 5, to accommodate such front to rear positioning and view angle adjustment, the front to rear dimension d or depth of the C slot 36 may be correspondingly adjusted.

(16) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a forward portion 31 of the lower louver 34 forwardly overlies the C slot 36 and forwardly overlies the case 42 which is supported within such slot. While the tailgate is raised to its closed position, such forward portion 31 protects the camera case 42 from impacts with rearwardly sliding objects carried upon the truck's load bed. While the tailgate is lowered for use as a step surface, the forward portion 31 of the lower louver 34 alternatively protects against impingement of feet against the case 42.

(17) In operation of the instant inventive tailgate, the interior 44 of the case 42, in combination with the hollow interior 6 of the lower frame member 2, functionally house and protect the electrical wire leads 76.

(18) While the principles of the invention have been made clear in the above illustrative embodiment, those skilled in the art may make modifications to the structure, arrangement, portions and components of the invention without departing from those principles. Accordingly, it is intended that the description and drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in the limiting sense, and that the invention be given a scope commensurate with the appended claims.