Granted Patent B2

US 7,243,978 · App. 11/252,672 · Granted Jul 17, 2007

Abstract

Claims (16)

1. A door assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:

a door arranged to be slideably mounted to a vehicle;

a guide track attached to the door;

a slider positioned within the guide track; and

a connecting member having a vehicle end and a slider end, the connecting member comprising a swing arm arranged to be pivotally attached to the vehicle at the vehicle end and pivotally attached to the slider at the slider end, the swing arm and slider arranged to enable the door to pivot between a closed position and a sliding position, to translate relative to the vehicle along the guide track, and to be flush to a vehicle exterior when in the closed position and extended away from the vehicle exterior when in the sliding position;

the swing arm further including a rotation guide member arranged to engage the guide track to limit rotation of the swing arm when the door is in the sliding position.

2. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the guide track, the slider, and the connecting member are arranged to enable the door to translate relative to the vehicle between an open position and a closed position while keeping the door substantially parallel to a vehicle exterior.

3. The door assembly of claim 1 further including;

at least one additional guide track arranged to be attached to the vehicle;

at least one additional slider positioned within the at least one additional guide track; and

at least one additional connecting member having a slider end and a door end, the at least one additional connecting member being attached to the slider at the slider end and attached to the door at the door end;

wherein the at least one additional guide track, the at least one additional slider, and the at least one additional connecting member are arranged to enable the door to translate relative to the vehicle along the at least one additional guide track.

4. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the guide track further includes:

a first guide member arranged to engage the slider when the door is in a closed position; and

a second guide member arranged to engage the slider when the door is in an open position.

5. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the door is arranged to translate in a generally horizontal direction.

Assignments (20)