IP Library Granted Patent US 8,844,197
Granted Patent B2
US 8,844,197 · App. 12/971,663 · Granted Sep 30, 2014

Sliding door for a vehicle

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,844,197
App. No.
12/971,663
Filed
Dec 17, 2010
Granted
Sep 30, 2014
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3634
USPC
49/414
Abstract

A sliding door for a vehicle includes a guide rail, a sliding carriage and a guide pin ( 34 ). The sliding carriage is longitudinally displaceably journalled at the guide rail and is connected by a multijoint to the vehicle body. The guide pin ( 34 ) is guided in a guide track ( 41 ) provided at the sliding door. To improve such a sliding door, the guide track ( 41 ) includes a first guide track ( 42 ) and a second guide track ( 43 ) which is elastically biased ( 47 ) with respect to the first guide track ( 42 ) (FIG. 4 ).

Claims (22)

1. A sliding door ( 1 ) for a vehicle comprising a guide rail ( 5 ), having a sliding carriage ( 6 ) which is longitudinally displaceably supported on the guide rail ( 5 ) and connected by a multijoint ( 7 , 11 , 6 , 4 ) to the vehicle body and having a guide pin ( 34 ) which is guided in a guide track assembly ( 41 ) provided on the sliding door ( 1 ), wherein

the guide track ( 41 ) includes a first guide track ( 42 ) and a second guide track ( 43 ) arranged for guiding the guide pin ( 34 ) therebetween along lengths thereof by contacting opposite sides of the guide pin ( 34 ), with the first and second guide tracks ( 42 , 43 ) disposed at different heights and the second guide track ( 43 ) being elastically biased ( 47 ) with respect to the first guide track ( 42 ).

2. A sliding door in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second guide track ( 43 ) is biased by a spring ( 47 ).

3. A sliding door in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second guide track ( 43 ) is pivotably ( 45 ) journalled with respect to the first guide track ( 42 ).

4. A sliding door in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first guide track ( 42 ) and the second guide track ( 43 ) are arranged above one another.

5. A sliding door in accordance with claim 1 , wherein two rollers ( 50 , 51 ) are provided at the guide pin ( 34 ).

6. A sliding door in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the rollers ( 50 , 51 ) are configured as ball-shaped.

7. A vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, having one or more sliding doors in accordance with claim 1 .

8. A sliding door in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the second guide track ( 43 ) is pivotably ( 45 ) journalled with respect to the first guide track ( 42 ).

9. A sliding door in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the first guide track ( 42 ) and the second guide track ( 43 ) are arranged above one another.

10. A sliding door in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the first guide track ( 42 ) and the second guide track ( 43 ) are arranged above one another.

11. A sliding door in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the first guide track ( 42 ) and the second guide track ( 43 ) are arranged above one another.

12. A sliding door in accordance with claim 11 , wherein two rollers ( 50 , 51 ) are provided at the guide pin ( 34 ).

13. A sliding door in accordance with claim 10 , wherein two rollers ( 50 , 51 ) are provided at the guide pin ( 34 ).

14. A sliding door in accordance with claim 9 , wherein two rollers ( 50 , 51 ) are provided at the guide pin ( 34 ).

15. A sliding door in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first and second guide tracks ( 42 , 43 ) and guide pin ( 34 ) are arranged with respect to one another, such that upon opening the sliding door ( 1 ), the guide pin ( 34 ) is supported by the first guide track ( 42 ) inwardly disposed from the second guide track ( 42 ) and upon closing the sliding door ( 1 ), the guide pin ( 34 ) is supported by the second guide track ( 42 ).

16. A sliding door in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the first guide track ( 42 ) is connected to the sliding door ( 1 ) and comprises a pivot axle ( 45 ) about which the second guide track ( 43 ) is pivotally journalled.

17. A sliding door in accordance with claim 16 , additionally comprising a tension spring ( 47 ) fastened at one end to a fastening point ( 48 ) on the first guide track ( 42 ) and at an opposite end to a fastening point ( 49 ) on the second guide track ( 43 ) remote from the pivot axle ( 45 ), such that said fastening points ( 48 , 49 ) are disposed further from the pivot axle ( 45 ) than adjacent ends of the first and second guide tracks ( 42 , 43 ).

18. A sliding door in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said rollers ( 50 , 51 ) and first and second guide tracks ( 42 , 43 ) are arranged with respect to one another, such that upon opening the door ( 1 ), an upper roller ( 50 ) of said rollers ( 50 , 51 ) is supported by the first guide track ( 42 ) as the guide pin ( 34 ) moves forwardly and upon closing the door ( 1 ), a lower roller ( 51 ) of said rollers ( 50 , 51 ) is supported by the second guide track ( 43 ) as the guide pin ( 34 ) moves rearwardly.

19. A sliding door in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said first guide track ( 42 ) is positioned both upwardly and inwardly from said second guide track ( 43 ) to define the guide track assembly ( 41 ) for the guide pin ( 34 ) therebetween, and

additionally comprising a control lever ( 11 ′) fastened to a lower end of the guide pin ( 34 ) and extending underneath the second guide track ( 43 ).

20. A sliding door in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said guide pin ( 34 ) is positioned to be longitudinally guided along the guide track assembly ( 41 ) defined between the first and second guide tracks ( 42 , 43 ) upon opening and closing the door ( 1 ).

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2023
From: BLUE TORCH FINANCE LLC
To: DURA AUTOMOTIVE HOLDINGS U.K., LTD.; DUS OPERATING INC.; GROUPER STAMPING LLC; GROUPER ACQUISITION COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 064502/0136 →
PATENT AND TRADEMARK SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 13, 2022
From: DURA AUTOMOTIVE HOLDINGS U.K., LTD; DUS OPERATING INC.; GROUPER STAMPING, LLC; GROUPER ACQUISITION COMPANY, LLC
To: BLUE TORCH FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 059704/0131 →
RELEASE OF PATENT AND TRADEMARK SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 10, 2022
From: BLUE TORCH FINANCE LLC
To: DURA AUTOMOTIVE HOLDINGS U.K., LTD; DURA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH; DUS OPERATING, INC.
Reel/Frame 058671/0253 →
PATENT AND TRADEMARK SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 5, 2021
From: DURA AUTOMOTIVE HOLDINGS U.K., LTD; DURA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH; DUS OPERATING INC.
To: BLUE TORCH FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055224/0756 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2017
From: DURA AUTOMOTIVE BODY & GLASS SYSTEMS GMBH
To: DURA AUTOMOTIVE HOLDINGS U.K., LTD
Reel/Frame 041590/0278 →