Tailgate assembly

Abstract

A tailgate assembly having an inner panel and an outer panel which is selectively coupled to the inner panel. The tailgate assembly further includes at least one stiffening member which is selectively and operatively contained between the panels and which increases the strength and durability of the tailgate assembly.

1. A tailgate assembly comprising
 an inner panel;  
 an outer panel; and  
 at least one stiffening member which is operatively contained between said inner panel and said outer panel, said at least one stiffening member having a first flange portion which is coupled to said inner panel, a second flange portion which is coupled to said outer panel, and a broad face portion which is disposed between the first and second flange portions and which wholly resides within a single plane.  
 
     
     
       2. The tailgate assembly of  claim 1  wherein said at least one stiffening member has a generally Z-shaped cross sectional area and a pair of substantially identical, opposed, and generally rectangular end flanges which are selectively coupled to said inner panel. 
     
     
       3. The tailgate assembly of  claim 2  wherein said at least one stiffening member is linearly coextensive with said inner and outer panels. 
     
     
       4. The tailgate assembly of  claim 3  wherein said at least one stiffening member is formed from steel. 
     
     
       5. The tailgate assembly of  claim 4  wherein said at least one stiffening member is glued to said outer panel. 
     
     
       6. The tailgate assembly of  claim 1  wherein said at least one stiffening member has a generally “I” shaped cross sectional area. 
     
     
       7. A tailgate assembly comprising
 an outer panel which is symmetric about a certain plane of symmetry; an inner panel which is selectively coupled to said outer panel; and  
 at least one stiffening member which is coupled to and which is operatively contained between said inner panel and said outer panel, said at least one stiffening member having a face portion which is perpendicular to said certain plane of symmetry.  
 
     
     
       8. The tailgate assembly of  claim 7  wherein said at least one stiffening member has a generally Z-shaped cross sectional area and a pair of substantially identical, opposed, and generally rectangular end flanges which are selectively coupled to said inner panel. 
     
     
       9. The tailgate assembly of  claim 7  wherein said at least one stiffening member has an “I” shaped cross sectional area. 
     
     
       10. The tailgate assembly of  claim 8  wherein said at least one stiffening member is linearly coextensive with said inner and outer panels. 
     
     
       11. The tailgate assembly of  claim 10  wherein said at least one stiffening member is formed from steel. 
     
     
       12. The tailgate assembly of  claim 11  wherein said at least one stiffening member is glued to said outer panel. 
     
     
       13. The tailgate assembly of  claim 7  wherein said inner panel is symmetric about a second plane of symmetry and wherein said face portion is perpendicular to said second plane of symmetry. 
     
     
       14. A tailgate assembly comprising
 an outer panel having a first outer edge;  
 an inner panel which is selectively coupled to said outer panel and which includes a second outer edge; and  
 a pair of substantially identical members which are coupled to said inner and outer panels, said pair of substantially identical members being linearly coextensive to both of said respective outer edges of said inner and outer panels each of said pair of substantially identical members having a broad face portion which respectively forms a right angle with respect to each of said inner and outer panels, and each of said pair of substantially identical members having a pair of substantially identical flange portions which are respectively parallel to said first outer edge and said second outer edge.  
 
     
     
       15. The tailgate assembly of  claim 14  wherein each of said pair of substantially identical members has a generally Z-shaped cross sectional area and opposed and substantially identical end flanges. 
     
     
       16. The tailgate assembly of  claim 15  wherein each of said pair of substantially identical members are formed from steel. 
     
     
       17. The tailgate assembly of  claim 16  wherein each of said pair of substantially identical members are glued to said outer panel. 
     
     
       18. The tailgate assembly of  claim 14  wherein said inner panel includes a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
       19. The tailgate assembly of  claim 18  further comprising a cover panel which selectively covers said apertures and which is selectively attached to said inner panel. 
     
     
       20. The tailgate assembly of  claim 19  wherein said outer panel includes aperture and wherein said inner panel includes a tab which is selectively received by said aperture of said inner panel. 
     
     
       21. A tailgate assembly comprising:
   an inner panel having at least an outer edge;        an outer panel having at least an outer edge; and        at least one stiffening member which is operatively contained between said inner panel and said outer panel, said at least one stiffening member having a first flange portion which is coupled to said inner panel, a second flange portion which is coupled to said outer panel, and a body portion which is disposed between the first and second flange portions;        where the outer edge of the outer panel is folded over the outer edge of the inner panel, thereby further coupling the inner panel and outer panel.     
     
     
       22. The tailgate assembly of  claim 21  wherein the stiffening member is welded to the inner panel and bonded to the outer panel. 
     
     
       23. The tailgate assembly of  claim 21  further comprising a second stiffening member which is operatively contained between said inner panel and said outer panel, wherein said second stiffening member has a first flange portion which is coupled to said inner panel, a second flange portion which is coupled to said outer panel, and a body portion which is disposed between the first and second flange portions, where said second stiffening member is substantially parallel to said at least one stiffening member. 
     
     
       24. The tailgate assembly of  claim 21  wherein the inner panel has a plurality of surface depressions, and the at least one stiffening member is attached to said surface depressions formed in the inner panel. 
     
     
       25. The tailgate assembly of  claim 24  wherein the plurality of surface depressions are substantially rectangular and evenly spaced. 
     
     
       26. The tailgate assembly of  claim 25  wherein the surface depressions are elongate in a direction generally perpendicular to a width of the tailgate, and where there are at least  7  surface depressions. 
     
     
       27. The tailgate assembly of  claim 24  wherein the stiffening member is elongate and oriented generally perpendicular to the surface depressions formed in the inner panel. 
     
     
       28. The tailgate assembly of  claim 21  wherein said body portion of the stiffening member has a broad face. 
     
     
       29. The tailgate assembly of  claim 21  wherein said body portion of the at least one stiffening member wholly resides within a single plane. 
     
     
       30. A tailgate assembly comprising:
   an inner panel having at least an outer edge;        an outer panel having at least an outer edge; and        at least one stiffening member which is operatively contained between said inner panel and said outer panel, said at least one stiffening member having a first flange portion which is coupled to said inner panel, a second flange portion which is coupled to said outer panel, and a body portion which is disposed between the first and second flange portions;        where said first flange portion is generally parallel to said inner panel and said second flange portion is generally parallel to said outer panel.     
     
     
       31. The tailgate assembly of  claim 30  wherein said first flange portion is welded to the inner panel and said second flange portion is bonded to the outer panel. 
     
     
       32. The tailgate assembly of  claim 30  further comprising a second stiffening member which is operatively contained between said inner panel and said outer panel, wherein said second stiffening member has a first flange portion which is coupled to said inner panel, a second flange portion which is coupled to said outer panel, and a body portion which is disposed between the first and second flange portions, where said second stiffening member is substantially parallel to said at least one stiffening member; and where the outer edge of the outer panel is folded over the outer edge of the inner panel, thereby further coupling the inner panel and outer panel. 
     
     
       33. The tailgate assembly of  claim 32  wherein the inner panel has a plurality of surface depressions, and the at least one stiffening member is attached at said surface depressions formed in the inner panel, wherein the plurality of surface depressions are substantially rectangular and evenly spaced, and wherein the surface depressions are elongate in a direction generally perpendicular to a width of the tailgate. 
     
     
       34. The tailgate assembly of  claim 33  wherein said body portion of the stiffening member has a broad face that wholly reside within a single plane. 
     
     
       35. A tailgate assembly comprising:
   an inner panel having a body with opposed outer edges;        an outer panel having a body with opposed outer edges, where at least one outer edge of the outer panel is formed upon a lip portion which causes the outer edge to reside above a portion of the body of the outer panel; and        at least one stiffening member which is operatively contained between said inner panel and said outer panel, said at least one stiffening member having a first flange portion which is coupled to said inner panel, a second flange portion which is coupled to said outer panel, and a body portion which is disposed between the first and second flange portions;        where the opposed outer edges of the outer panel are folded over the opposed outer edges of the inner panel thereby further coupling the inner panel and outer panel, and where an upper edge of the tailgate is formed from the lip portion of the outer panel.     
     
     
       36. The tailgate assembly of  claim 35  wherein an upper half of the inner panel includes at least five apertures of substantially similar size, where the apertures are positioned adjacent one another and collectively span substantially an entire width of the inner panel. 
     
     
       37. The tailgate assembly of  claim 36  wherein at least one of the apertures is centrally positioned along the width of the inner panel, with two other of the apertures being positioned to each side of the central aperture. 
     
     
       38. The tailgate assembly of  claim 35  wherein the outer panel includes an opening configured to allow a user to open and close the tailgate assembly. 
     
     
       39. The tailgate assembly of  claim 38  further comprising a tab coupled to the inner panel, the tab residing within an opening of the outer panel when the inner and outer panels are coupled, the tab being adapted to allow a user to open and close the tailgate assembly. 
     
     
       40. The tailgate assembly of  claim 39  wherein the inner panel has a plurality of surface depressions, wherein the plurality of surface depressions are substantially rectangular and evenly spaced, and wherein the surface depressions are elongate in a direction generally perpendicular to a width of the tailgate. 
     
     
       41. The tailgate assembly of  claim 40  wherein said first flange portion is welded to the inner panel and said second flange portion is bonded to the outer panel. 
     
     
       42. The tailgate assembly of  claim 40  wherein the stiffening members is elongate and oriented generally perpendicular to the surface depression formed in the inner panel, and where the stiffening member is made of steel and structurally strengthens the tailgate assembly. 
     
     
       43. The tailgate assembly of  claim 35  where the stiffening member flange that is coupled to the inner panel extends upward from the body portion of the stiffening member at substantially a right angle and the stiffening member flange that is coupled to the outer panel extends downward from the body portion of the stiffening member at substantially a right angle. 
     
     
       44. The tailgate assembly of  claim 43  wherein the inner panel is substantially the same size as the outer panel. 
     
     
       45. The tailgate assembly of  claim 43  wherein the inner panel is substantially the same shape as the outer panel. 
     
     
       46. A tailgate assembly comprising:
   an inner panel having at least an outer edge and a plurality of surface depressions formed therein;        an outer panel having at least an outer edge;        a first stiffening member which is operatively contained between said inner panel and said outer panel, and which is elongate and oriented generally perpendicularly to the surface depressions formed in the inner panel, said first stiffening member having a first flange portion which is coupled to the inner panel at at least some of the surface depressions formed in the inner panel, a second flange portion which is coupled to said outer panel, and a body portion which is disposed between the first and second flange portions; and        a second stiffening member which is operatively contained between said inner panel and said outer panel, wherein said second stiffening member has a first flange portion which is coupled to said inner panel, a second flange portion which is coupled to said outer panel, and a body portion which is disposed between the first and second flange portions, where said second stiffening member is substantially parallel to said at least one stiffening member;        where the outer edge of the outer panel is folded over the outer edge of the inner panel, thereby further coupling the inner panel and outer panel.     
     
     
       47. The tailgate assembly of  claim 46 , where for each of the first and second stiffening members, the first flange portion is welded to the inner panel and the second flange portion is bonded to the outer panel. 
     
     
       48. The tailgate assembly of  claim 46  wherein the plurality of surface depressions are substantially rectangular and evenly spaced. 
     
     
       49. The tailgate assembly of  claim 48  wherein the surface depressions are elongate in a direction generally perpendicular to a width of the tailgate, and where there are at least  7  surface depressions.