Sophisticated Design Automatic Tailgate Week Five and Six Deliverables September 26, 2001 Ted Akiskalos June Doan Tarek Elshazly Maggie Kim David Nimitz Sharon Ramey

Patent Search Similarities Differences Interesting Points Selection Quality Function Deployment Level One Analysis Level Two Analysis Week Five and Week Six

Similarities: Electric Motor Winding/ raising tailgate Unwinding/ lowering Differences: Cable Cab access Locking Mechanism Manual Operation (if needed) Interesting Point: Motor Position Single Motor Motor Vehicle including a power actuated tailgate Patent # 6,068,321 Date: May 30, 2000

Dump Truck Tailgate Patent Number : 5,407,251 April 18, 1995 Similarities: using hydraulic pistons to open and close tailgate Differences: larger scale application use of guides and mobile connection to aid movement Interesting Point: designed specifically for dump truck with obstruction on rear end

Similarities: Design is similar to the linkage design suggested by Dr Lipkin Design uses the same concept as the cable truck by pulling on the tailgate to raise it Differences: Design is not exactly like any of the conceptual designs presented Design uses links not cables to push and pull tailgate down or up Interesting Point: Design uses gear ratios to apply needed torque Design might not fit in given space Patent Number: 6,217,097 April 17, 2001 Powered Operated Tailgate

Electrically Controlled Tailgate Operator Similarities: Electric Motor Cable Switch Differences: Worm Gear Arrangement and positioning Actuating Mechanism Patent number: 5,449,212 Date: Sep 12, 1995 Interesting points: Tensioning Mechanism Using worm screw to change rotational motion to linear motion No need of spool to store cables

Tailgate Hinge Mechanism Similarities (To Featherweight Tailgate Design): Functions to reduce the lowering/lifting weight of the tailgate Both are active systems (human force is required) Uses existing tailgate latch device Differences: Torsion rod rather than torsion springs Placement along hinge axis Attachment to truck bed Interesting Point: The stability of the tailgate in the open position Patent Number:5,988,724 November 23, 1999

Tailgate Lowering Mechanism Similarities: Spring powered Cable Manual operation Very easy to install Differences: Spring attached to the box instead of the tailgate Compression spring instead of torsion spring Patent number: 6,196,609 Date: Mar 6, 2001 Interesting points: Can be combined with patent 6,279,979 to minimize risk of cable snapping Same approach to the problem as our design

First Level Evaluation Matrix + = Better than Datum - = Worse than Datum S = Same as Datum

Second Level Evaluation Matrix 4:Excellent 3:Good 2:Fair 1:Poor

Conclusion Selection: “Cable Truck” Superior in First & Second Level Evaluations Next Week: Mockup Presentation of Progress