Door assembly for a sport utility or similar vehicle

• US 6,886,881 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bestop Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bestop Incorporated
• Inventors: Henderson, Jack V, Brower, Gregory A
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US10/828,615
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 296/146.2, 296/146.3, 296/147, 296/148, 296/201, 296/146.1, 296/146.5, 495/02
• US Class Current: 296/146.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/08 arranged at vehicle sides
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0476 convertible doors, e.g. window frame is stored in lower door structure

Abstract

A door assembly with upper and lower door portions. The upper door portion has a window section with one or more clear panels mounted in a frame member. In use, the entire upper door portion including the frame member and window section can be removed as a unit and conveniently stored in a pocket or cavity in the lower door portion. The window section in one embodiment has a vertically retractable panel and in another, two clear panels are provided that can be slid horizontally to open the window area. Another embodiment has a folding or pivoting upper door portion which can be collapsed on itself and conveniently stored in the cavity or pocket of the lower door portion.

Claims

1. A door assembly for a vehicle, said door assembly including upper and lower door portions, said lower door portion having at least inner and outer panel sections spaced from each other to create a storage cavity therebetween, said upper door portion having a frame member with a window section mounted therein, said upper door portion being removably mounted to said lower door portion and being selectively positionable between at least first and second positions relative to said lower door portion, said upper door portion in said first position being mounted to said lower door portion with the window section extending upwardly above the lower door portion and said upper door portion in said second position including said frame member and said window section thereof being received in said storage cavity between the panel sections of said lower door portion.

2. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said upper door portion is mounted to said lower door portion in said first position in a first orientation relative to said lower door portion and said upper door portion is received in said storage cavity of said lower door portion in a second orientation, said second orientation being substantially inverted from said first orientation.

3. The door assembly of claim 2 wherein said second orientation is inverted about a substantially horizontal axis from said first orientation.

4. The door assembly of claim 2 wherein said storage cavity is dimensioned to entirely receive said upper door portion including said frame and window section thereof in said second position.

5. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said storage cavity is dimensioned to entirely receive said upper door portion including said frame and window section thereof in said second position.

6. The door assembly of claim 1 further including an elongated cover selectively positionable between said panel sections over said storage cavity to cover the upper door portion received in said storage cavity in said second position.

7. The door assembly of claim 6 wherein said cover is an arm rest.

8. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said upper door portion includes at least one leg member mounted for movement about a pivotal axis relative to said window section between an extend position and a folded position.

9. The door assembly of claim 8 wherein lower door portion has a member dimensioned to slidably receive said leg member in said extended position to support said upper door portion in said first position mounted to said lower door portion with the window section extending upwardly above the lower door portion.

10. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said upper door portion includes at least one leg member mounted for movement relative to said window section between an extended position and a folded position, said window section having a first edge and said one leg member in said extended position extending away from said first edge and in said folded position extending substantially along said first edge.

11. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein said first edge of said window section extends substantially along a first axis and said one leg member in said extended position extends along an axis substantially perpendicular to said first axis.

12. The door assembly of claim 11 wherein said one leg member in said folded position extends substantially along said first axis.

13. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein said first edge of said window section extends substantially along a first axis and said one leg member in said folded position extends substantially along said first axis.

14. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein said one leg has a substantially U-shape cross section with two sides spaces from each other and a base extending therebetween and said U-shape of said leg member in said folded position is dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the first edge of said window section therein between the two sides of said U-shape.

15. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein said upper door portion further includes a second leg member mounted for movement relative to said window section between an extend position and a folded position, said second leg member in said extended position extending away fro said first edge of said window section and in said folded position extending along said first edge.

16. The door assembly of claim 15 wherein said upper door portion with said leg members in said respective folded position being entirely receivable in said storage cavity of said lower door portion.

17. The door assembly of claim 16 further including an elongated cover selectively positionable over said storage cavity to cover the upper door portion received in said storage cavity.

18. The door assembly of claim 17 wherein said cover is an arm rest.

19. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said window section includes at least one clear panel retractable from the first position of the window section extending upwardly above the lower door to a retracted position at least substantially received in said storage cavity of said lower door portion.

20. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the frame member and window section of said upper door portion extend upwardly above the lower door portion in said first position and said window section includes at least one clear panel movable relative to said frame member and retractable from said first position substantially into said storage cavity with said frame member in said first position.

21. The door assembly of claim 20 further including a mechanism to prevent said clear panel from being moved beyond a predetermined, retracted position substantially within the storage cavity of the lower door portion.

22. The door assembly of claim 21 wherein said mechanism includes a handle protruding outwardly of said clear panel and abutting one of said upper and lower door portions with said clear panel in said predetermined, retracted position.

23. The door assembly of claim 20 further including a mechanism to selectively lock said clear panel in said first position extending upwardly above said lower door portion.

24. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said window section includes at least two clear panels with at least one of said two panels mounted for sliding movement horizontally relative to the other.

25. The door assembly of claim 24 wherein said frame member includes first and second segments mounted to each other for movement about a pivotal axis between an open position with the segments extending substantially away from each other and a folded position with the segments extending substantially along one another.

26. The door assembly of claim 25 wherein said segments are in said open position when said upper door portion is in said first position mounted to said lower door portion with the window section thereof extending upwardly above the lower door portion and said segments are in said folded position when said upper door portion is in said second position receive in said storage cavity of said lower door portion.

27. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said frame member includes first and second segments mounted to each other for movement about a pivotal axis between an open position with the segments extending substantially away from each other and a folded position with the segments extending substantially along one another.

28. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said frame member has a portion extending along a first edge of said window section and said upper door portion further includes at least one leg member mounted for movement relative to said portion of the frame member between an extended position extending away from the portion of the frame member and a folded position extending along the portion of the frame member.

29. The door assembly of claim 28 wherein said leg member is mounted for movement about a pivotal axis relative to said frame member between said extended and folded positions.

30. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein at least part of the window section in said first position is spaced from said lower door portion creating a gap therebetween and said door assembly further includes at least one insert member selectively receivable in said gap.

31. The door assembly of claim 30 wherein said window section has inner and outer sides and said one insert member is selectively receivable in said gap adjacent the outer side of said window section and said door assembly further includes a second insert member selectively receivable in said gap adjacent the inner side of said window section.

32. The door assembly of claim 30 wherein said one insert member is selectively mountable to said lower door portion.