Track arrangement for vehicle sliding door
First Claim
1. An arrangement for mounting a sliding door to a vehicle body in combination with the vehicle body, the sliding door being movable between a fully open position in which the door is oriented substantially parallel to a side of the vehicle body and a closed position in which the sliding door closes an opening in the vehicle body, the arrangement comprising:
- a track mounted longitudinally on an inner side of the sliding door, said track mounted intermediate to an upper and a lower edge of the sliding door;
a carriage support arrangement carried by the sliding door and in slidable communication with said track; and
a swing arm including a first end attached to said carriage support arrangement for pivotal movement about a first axis and a second end attached to the vehicle body for pivotal movement about a second axis, said swing arm adapted for rotation about said second axis between first and second positions whereat said first position the sliding door is in the closed position and said first pivot axis is located fore of said second pivot axis and whereat said second position the sliding door is in an intermediate position fore of said fully open position and said first pivot axis is located aft of said second pivot axis.
21 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An arrangement for mounting a sliding door to a vehicle body for movement between an open position and a closed position. The arrangement includes a guide track mounted to the sliding door, a carriage support arrangement carried by the sliding door and a swing arm. The swing arm is connected to the carriage for pivotal movement about a first axis and to the body for pivotal movement about a second axis. With the sliding door unlatched, the swing-arm rotates the carriage support arrangement and the sliding door through an obtuse swing angle, thereby reducing longitudinal tipping forces on the sliding door. Further, when the swing-arm and sliding door are in the full-open position, the sliding door'"'"'s center of gravity is only slightly offset aft of the carriage support arrangement, thereby reducing the force needed to remove the swing-arm, carriage support arrangement and vehicle sliding door to a fully-closed position.
89 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An arrangement for mounting a sliding door to a vehicle body in combination with the vehicle body, the sliding door being movable between a fully open position in which the door is oriented substantially parallel to a side of the vehicle body and a closed position in which the sliding door closes an opening in the vehicle body, the arrangement comprising:
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a track mounted longitudinally on an inner side of the sliding door, said track mounted intermediate to an upper and a lower edge of the sliding door; a carriage support arrangement carried by the sliding door and in slidable communication with said track; and a swing arm including a first end attached to said carriage support arrangement for pivotal movement about a first axis and a second end attached to the vehicle body for pivotal movement about a second axis, said swing arm adapted for rotation about said second axis between first and second positions whereat said first position the sliding door is in the closed position and said first pivot axis is located fore of said second pivot axis and whereat said second position the sliding door is in an intermediate position fore of said fully open position and said first pivot axis is located aft of said second pivot axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A motor vehicle comprising:
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a body including a side having a door opening; a sliding door having an upper edge, a lower edge and an inner side; an arrangement for mounting said sliding door to a said body so that said sliding door is movable between a fully open position in which said sliding door is oriented substantially parallel to said side of said body and a closed position in which said sliding door closes said door opening in said side, the arrangement comprising; a track mounted longitudinally on said inner side of said sliding door, said track mounted intermediate to said upper and lower edges of said sliding door; a carriage support arrangement carried by said sliding door and in slidable communication with said track; and a swing arm including a first end attached to said carriage support arrangement for pivotal movement about a first axis and a second end attached to said body for pivotal movement about a second axis, said swing arm adapted for rotation about said second axis between first and second positions whereat said first position said sliding door is in said closed position and said first pivot axis is located fore of said second pivot axis and whereat said second position said sliding door is in an intermediate position fore of said fully open position and said first pivot axis is located aft of said second pivot axis. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An arrangement for mounting a sliding door to a vehicle body in combination with the vehicle body, the vehicle body having a side with a door opening, the arrangement comprising:
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a track mounted longitudinally on an inner side of the sliding door, said track mounted intermediate to an upper and a lower edge of the sliding door; a carriage support arrangement carried by the sliding door and in slidable communication with said track; and a swing arm including a first end attached to said carriage support arrangement for pivotal movement about a first axis and a second end attached to said vehicle body for pivotal movement about a second axis; said arrangement operative in a door closed mode in which the sliding door is in a closed position closing the door opening and said first axis is located fore of said second axis; said arrangement operative in a door fully open mode in which the sliding door is in a fully open position longitudinally displaced from the door opening and said first axis is located aft of said second axis. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification