US 11,890,905 B2
Tailgate hitch sensor system
Praveen Reddy Muddasani, Novi, MI (US); Graham A. Motzing, Eau Claire, WI (US); and Joel D. Diller, Eau Claire, WI (US)
Assigned to CURT Manufacturing, LLC, Eau Claire, WI (US)
Filed by Curt Manufacturing, LLC, Eau Claire, WI (US)
Filed on Jan. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/140,296.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/956,411, filed on Jan. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0206218 A1, Jul. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. B60D 1/64 (2006.01); B62D 33/027 (2006.01)
CPC B60D 1/64 (2013.01) [B62D 33/0273 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tailgate hitch sensor system comprising:
a cover for a receiver tube of a hitch attached at the rear of a truck having a bed with a tailgate, the tailgate being movable from an upright position to at least one downward position, the cover being movable between a closed position where the cover extends over a rear opening into the receiver tube and an opened position where the rear opening into the receiver tube is exposed;
a switch which changes connection state based upon movement of the cover between the closed position and the opened position; and
an electrical circuit which inactivates movement of the tailgate to the at least one downward position based on the connection state of the switch when the cover is in the opened position.