VEHICLE LIFTGATE POWER OPERATING SYSTEM

摘要

A power operating system for opening and closing a vehicle liftgate (12) has a pair of drive units (22) supported on the vehicle frame and connected to the liftgate for opening and closing the liftgate. Each drive unit includes a bracket (24) that is secured to the vehicle body for supporting several parts including a reversible electric motor (26), a gear grain (28), a rack (30) and a cradle (32) that are mounted on the bracket. The electric motor drives the rack via the output gear (28C) of the gear train that has an axis (29). The rack (30) slides in the cradle (32) which is pivotally mounted on bracket so that cradle pivots about the axis (29) of the output gear (28C) to hold the teeth of the rack in engagement with the teeth of the output gear to accommodate rocking movement of rack (30) as it moves from a retracted position to an extended position. An arcuate track (34) is fixed to the vehicle body, and an arcuate link (36) slides in the arcuate track. The arcuate link (36) has an inboard end that is pivotally connected to an end of the rack (30) and an outboard end that is pivotally connected to the liftgate (12).