Being the full-sized truck sales leader for 45 years doesn’t come easily. So Ford has had to be a step ahead of the competition with new innovations for its F-Series trucks to maintain its lead. The F-150 has had a multifunctional tailgate for over a decade with its integrated tailgate step and grab pole that allowed for easier entry and exit of the bed. In addition, the 14th-generation 2021 Ford F-150 offers a Tailgate Work Surface that includes integrated rulers, a cupholder, a mobile device holder, and a pencil holder. But these truck truck tailgate triumphs cannot tarry, as GM and Ram will continue to add new innovations to their trucks in this cutthroat, high-volume segment that’s currently radiating with excess.
Ford has indeed been busy studying and benchmarking the competition in order to make improvements over its existing tailgate designs. In doing so, Ford Motor Company has filed for a wide range of patents for various multifunctional tailgate designs, and the most recent makes use of a “detachable workpiece support apparatus for a tailgate step.” That description may sound a bit too legalese, but the illustrations ultimately resemble an embedded sawhorse, which also includes a retractable step assembly. How neat is that?
Ford F-150 sawhorse tailgate USPTO illustration.## Ford F-150 Sawhorse Tailgate Patent Details
The Ford F-150 sawhorse tailgate patent details the innovation as a workpiece support that is comprised of a right and left attachment which also includes a workpiece support bar that is attached to one of the step support members. The support bars extend outward from the top/rear edge of the tailgate when it’s open. By utilizing this detachable workpiece support, the user will be able to cut and drill on whatever material they are working with without worrying about damaging the truck’s tailgate.
This feature works well with other ideas Ford has filed patents for as it utilizes the top portion of the gate. But we won’t know for sure what all Ford has planned for their future multifunction tailgate until it launches, and that date is still unknown. But with a new multifunction tailgate to go against the competition in combination with a built-in Pro Power Onboard generator, Ford continues to demonstrate that it knows what customers need and want well before anybody else does.
Ford F-150 sawhorse tailgate USPTO illustration.
