GB1503901A - Sliding door assembly for vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

1503901 Sliding doors for vehicles R J KORNER 13 Feb 1975 [13 Feb 1974] 52623/73 Heading B7B A vehicle sliding and laterally movable door assembly, Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a fixed door frame structure 2, 3; a door 1 having mounted thereon, at substantially its midheight, a guide channel 4 which in use extends parallel to the direction of sliding movement, the rear portion of the door being supported by upper and lower hinged brackets 6, 12 on the frame structure 2, 3 rotatable with a vertical shaft 7 pivotally secured to the rear door frame structure 3, the upper bracket 6 having pivoted at its free end a plastics slider 8, Fig. 5, engaging the guide 4 and the lower bracket 12 having pivoted at its free end a bearing member 13 which slidably supports the rear end of a lower guide rail 14, Fig. 4, which at its front end is pivotably securable by a hinge 15 to the front door frame structure 2, wherein the lower rail 14 supports, via trapped balls 19, an elongate relatively slidable intermediate member 18, Fig. 3, which in turn supports by trapped balls 23 an elongate relatively slidable member 22 secured to the bottom part of the door 1. Stops are provided on the lower elongate relatively slidable members to limit relative movement therebetween, and lifting movement of the front part of the door, when open, relative to the rail 14 is prevented by a stop bracket 32 on the door. The door is initially urged to the open position by a helical spring 11 secured at one end to the shaft 7 and at the other end to the vehicle structure. A stop 9 is located at the rear end of the guide channel 4 and is engaged by an L-shaped flange 10 at the free end of the bracket 6 when the door is fully closed. When the door is open the flange 10 is so positioned to permit rearward sliding of the door 1. To ensure positive location of the door on closing a tapered pin 37 thereon is engageable with a socket in the front frame structure 2. The socket has a smaller diameter than the largest diameter of the pin 37. Also the bracket 6 passes through an overcentre position to the fully closed position of the door to wedge the door relative to its frame. The door is manually operable but can be power operated by an electric motor driving a pinion engaging a toothed rack attached to the outer face of the rail 14, as described with reference to Fig. 8 (not shown). The motor is reversible and controlled by push buttons and electric switches which are also coupled by mechanical linkage to the door lock (not shown) at the rear edge of the door, as described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10 (not shown).