Structure of door opening/closing apparatus

• US 6,871,449 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ihashi, Yoshitomo
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US10/626,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20040020128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 493/39, 493/40, 493/41, 494/751, 494/901, 296/50, 296/106, 296/146.8
• US Class Current: 49/339
• 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 which closes a door opening of a body panel; 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 the body panel defining the door opening of the vehicle body, and a through opening in the seal member through which the arm member protrudes 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 mid 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.