Claims
- 1. A liftglass assembly for closing an opening defined in a body of a motor vehicle for use on a road surface, wherein the vehicle includes features defining a vehicle beltline that intersects the opening, the body of the motor vehicle having a cargo area for transporting cargo, the cargo area being adapted to be loaded with cargo from a portable cart of predetermined height, the liftglass assembly comprising:
a glass panel adapted to be pivotally mounted on the vehicle body proximate to the opening such that the glass panel is movable between a closed position overlying the opening and an open position allowing access to the opening, the glass panel having an upper portion defining a window, and a lower portion positioned beneath the window when the glass panel is in the closed position; the lower portion of the glass panel having a lower margin with a height from the road surface not substantially greater than the predetermined height of the portable cart.
- 2. A liftglass assembly for closing an opening defined in a body of a motor vehicle for use on a road surface, wherein the vehicle includes features defining a vehicle beltline that intersects the opening, the body of the motor vehicle having a cargo area for transporting cargo, the cargo area being adapted to be loaded with cargo from a portable cart of predetermined height, the liftglass assembly comprising:
a glass panel adapted to be pivotally mounted on the vehicle body proximate to the opening such that the glass panel is movable between a closed position overlying the opening and an open position allowing access to the opening, the glass panel having an upper portion defining a window, and a lower portion positioned beneath the window when the glass panel is in the closed position; the lower portion of the glass panel having a lower margin with a height from the road surface not substantially greater than the predetermined height of the portable cart, whereby the cargo area can be loaded and unloaded manually with reduced effort; the lower portion of the glass panel having a surface feature secured thereto, the surface feature substantially traversing the lower portion of the glass panel in substantial alignment with the vehicle beltline when the glass panel is in the closed position.
- 3. The liftglass assembly of claim 2 wherein the glass panel includes a lowermost edge, and wherein the surface feature is raised to define a step in generally parallel spaced relationship with respect to at least a portion of the lowermost edge of the glass panel.
- 4. A liftgate assembly for closing a rear opening defined in a motor body of a vehicle for use on a road surface, wherein the vehicle body includes a plurality of side features defining a vehicle beltline, the body of the motor vehicle having a cargo area for transporting cargo, the cargo area being adapted to be loaded with cargo from a portable cart of predetermined height, the liftgate assembly comprising:
a first closure panel adapted to be pivotally mounted on the vehicle body proximate to the rear body opening such that the first closure panel is movable between a closed position overlying the rear body opening and an open position allowing access to the rear body opening, the first closure panel defining a periphery of a secondary opening in the motor vehicle body when the first closure panel is in the closed position; and a second closure panel pivotally mounted on the first closure panel proximate to the secondary opening such that the second closure panel is movable between a closed position overlying the secondary opening and an open position allowing access to the secondary opening, the secondary opening including a lower edge with a height from the road surface not substantially greater than the predetermined height of the portable cart, whereby the cargo area can be loaded and unloaded manually with reduced effort.
- 5. The liftgate assembly of claim 4 wherein the second closure panel has an upper portion defining a window and a lower portion, including a raised surface feature, in substantial alignment with the vehicle beltline when the first and second closure panels are in their respective closed positions.
- 6. The liftgate assembly of claim 5, wherein the raised surface feature is an injection molded polymer.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/910,741, filed Jul. 23, 2001, entitled “LIFTGATE WITH LOW-LIFTOVER LIFTGLASS”, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09910741 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10354478 |
Jan 2003 |
US |