Door opening device in a vehicle

• US 7,774,983 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited
• Inventors: Hirakui, Hidemasa, Shimura, Ryoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu; Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US11/739,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 493/39, 493/40, 493/41, 296/146.4, 296/146.8
• US Class Current: 49/341
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/619 using flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards

Abstract

A door is pivotally secured to the back of a vehicle. A door opening device comprises a connecting rod including an upper end and a lower end. The upper end of the connecting rod is pivotally mounted to the door. The door opening device further comprises a guide member having a guide slit, a rack bar which slides up and down in the guide slit, a connecting shaft that pivotally connects the lower end of the connecting rod to an upper end of the rack bar and a driving unit for opening and closing the door via the connecting rod. The lower end of the connecting rod is pivotally coupled to the upper end of the rack bar.

Claims

1. A door opening device in a vehicle that includes a door pivotally supported by a hinge shaft disposed on a body of the vehicle, the device comprising:

a connecting rod including an upper end and a lower end, said upper end being pivotally coupled to said door at a position spaced from the hinge shaft;

a guide member fixed to the vehicle body such that a longitudinal axis of said guide member extends generally vertically, said guide member having a guide slit extending generally vertically, the guide member having a first side facing an inside of the vehicle and a second side facing an outside of the vehicle;

a rack bar positioned at the first side of the guide member and including an engagement shaft that extends away from the rack bar in a first direction and engages in the guide slit of the guide member to enable the rack bar to move up and down along the guide slit, the rack bar comprising an upper end and a connecting portion at the upper end of the rack member, the connecting portion being bent at a right angle with respect to the upper end of the rack bar toward the inside of the vehicle, wherein the connecting portion extends away from the rack bar and said guide member in a second direction opposite to said first direction

a connecting shaft having a longitudinal axis extending generally in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and connecting pivotally the lower end of the connecting rod to the upper end of the rack bar at the connecting portion of the rack bar; and

a driving unit mounted on the second side of the guide member, and operable to drive said rack bar to move up and down thereby opening and closing said door via the connecting rod.

2. The door opening device of claim 1, wherein the device is positioned adjacent a side pillar at a back of the vehicle body.

3. The door opening device of claim 1, wherein the door comprises a hatchback door at a back of the vehicle body.