Structure of door opening/closing apparatus

• US 20040020128A1
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ihashi, Yoshitomo
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/344
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/80 specially adapted for opening panels, e.g. doors for non-fixed roofs B60J10/90
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/101 for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/619 using flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/722 Racks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/12 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards

Abstract

In a door opening/closing apparatus allowing a door opening to have as wide an area as possible, an improved structure is provided which can serve to obviate the need for including a reinforcement structure or an additional seal structure, so that the door opening/closing apparatus can be simplified in structure. An arm member 3 is coupled to a door of a vehicle, and a driving unit 2 is provided inside a vehicle body of the vehicle to move the arm member 3. The arm member 3 is arranged to be protrudable from inside of the vehicle body, through a space which the door D occupies when closed, pushing the door D open and pulling the door D shut. A seal member 8 is provided along an inner peripheral edge of a body panel PB defining a door opening S of the vehicle body, and a through opening 9 through which the arm member 3 is protrudable is formed in the seal member 3.

Claims

1. A structure of a door opening/closing apparatus, comprising:

an arm member coupled to a door of a vehicle; and

a driving unit provided inside a vehicle body of the vehicle to move the arm member, wherein the arm member is arranged to be protrudable from inside of the vehicle body, through a space which the door occupies when closed, pushing the door open and pulling the door shut; and

wherein a seal member is provided along an inner peripheral edge of a body panel defining a door opening of the vehicle body, and a through opening through which the arm member is protrudable is formed in the seal member.

2. A structure of a door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seal member includes a first seal member and a second seal member, the through opening being formed in the first seal member;

and the second seal member being formed separately from the first seal member and provided contiguously to the first seal member.

3. A structure of a door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first seal member is formed by molding.

4. A structure of a door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first seal member is made of material harder than that which the second seal material is made of.