GB2621397A

GB2621397A - Motor vehicle including a rear door assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2621397A
Application number: GB2211797.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frazier Tony
Original assignee: Morris Commercial Ltd
Current assignee: Morris Commercial Ltd
Priority date: 2022-08-12
Filing date: 2022-08-12
Publication date: 2024-02-14
Also published as: GB202211797D0

Abstract

Motor vehicle with pair of rear doors 8 hingedly and slidably mounted to vehicle pillar by mechanism 32 comprising a hinge element (38) pivotally mounted at a first end to vehicle chassis defining a fixed pivotal axis; second end of hinge element providing a carriage slidably mounted to a slide track (36) mounted to the vehicle door. Guide mechanism 82 comprising link pivoted to each of door and vehicle controls the opening and closing movement of the door. Rear doors swing and slide open alongside side of the vehicle.

Description

Motor Vehicle including a Rear Door Assembly [1] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle including a rear door assembly, and to a method of opening a rear door assembly of a motor vehicle.

[2] It is well known to provide motor vehicles, such as commercial vans, camper-vans and mini-buses, with a pair of rear doors. The rear doors are hinged on opposite sides of the vehicle and open outwardly, and are locked together and to the vehicle body at a centre of the rear opening containing the pair of rear doors.

[3] Conventionally known rear door assemblies have various hinge structures which suffer from a number of technical disadvantages.

1004] First, for a simple hinge structure, when the rear doors are fully open, the open doors may cover some of the width of the rear opening, thereby limiting full-width access to allow goods to be loaded into the rear of the vehicle. Also, such a hinge structure can require a large loading area to be provided behind the vehicle to accommodate the fully opened rear doors when loading/unloading while the vehicle is parked in a standard parking space between other vehicles.

[5] Second, some hinge designs permit the fully opened doors to swine out beyond the width of the vehicle, for example, into the roadway or over a footpath, which can be inconvenient or dangerous for the operator, passing vehicles and pedestrians. In particular, some known rear doors incorporate a specific hinge function which allows the doors, after being fully opened about a hinge structure in a first opening movement to an opening angle of 90 degrees relative to the rear end of the vehicle body, then in a second opening movement the rear door is rotated a further 180 degrees to a total opening angle of 270 degrees, so that the open rear door is disposed alongside the vehicle body, with the outer face of the rear door adjacent to the outer face of the rear part of the side of the vehicle body. This known hinge structure requires the rear doors to extend beyond the overall width of the vehicle. In some designs, the operator has to step out to the side of the vehicle, for example into the roadway, to latch the rear doors in the fully open position.

[6] There is a need in the art for an improved rear door assembly of a motor vehicle that avoids the technical problems encountered by known rear door assemblies as described above. 1007] There is also a need in the art for a rear door assembly in motor vehicles such as commercial vans mini-buses and camper-vans which can open in a single movement to a position alongside the vehicle body to give a full width opening, for example to allow goods and pallets to be loaded into the rear of the vehicle.

10081 There is also a need in the art for a rear door assembly in motor vehicles such as commercial vans, mini-buses and camper-vans which can keep the open rear doors within the overall width of the vehicle, the side view mirrors being the widest point.

[9] There is also a need in the art for a rear door assembly in motor vehicles which has a concealed opening/closing mechanism when the rear doors are in a closed position, and has low manufacturing cost, and low technical complexity coupled with technical robustness and reliability after extended use.

[10] The present invention aims, at least partially, to meet one or more of these needs in the art.

[11] The present invention accordingly provides a motor vehicle including a rear door assembly according to claim 1.

[12] The present invention also provides a method of opening a rear door assembly of a motor vehicle according to claim 21.

[13] Preferred features of the motor vehicle and method of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[14] The present inventors have devised a rear door assembly of a motor vehicle which can overcome the problems with known rear door mechanisms as described above.

[15] In particular, the preferred embodiments of the present invention can provide a motor vehicle, such as a commercial van, mini-bus or camper-van, including a rear door assembly which can open in a single movement, to a position alongside the vehicle body to give a full width opening, for example to allow goods and pallets to be loaded into the rear of the vehicle.

[16] The preferred embodiments of the present invention can also provide a rear door assembly in motor vehicles such as commercial vans, mini-buses and camper-vans which can keep the open rear doors within the overall width of the vehicle, the side view minors being the widest point. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the rear doors never swing out into a roadway or over a footpath, which is a great improvement in safety for the operator, passing vehicles and pedestrians. The, preferred embodiments of the present invention also allow full opening of the rear doors for loading/unloading whilst parked in a standard parking space between other vehicles. The preferred embodiments of the present invention further avoid any need for the operator to step out to the side of the vehicle, for example either into a roadway or onto a footpath, to latch the rear doors in the fully open position.

[17] The preferred embodiments of the present invention can further provide a rear door assembly in motor vehicles which has an externally-concealed opening/closing mechanism when the rear doors are in a closed position. and has low manufacturing cost, and low technical complexity coupled with technical robustness and reliability after extended use.

[18] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [19] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective exterior view of a body of a motor vehicle which includes a pair of rear doors in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, although only one rear door of the pair of rear doors is illustrated, the rear door being in a closed position in the motor vehicle, and parts of the vehicle body being omitted for clarity of illustration; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective interior view, partly cut-away, of the rear door and vehicle body of the embodiment of Figure 1 in the closed position; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective exterior view of the rear door and vehicle body of the embodiment of Figure 1 in the fully open position; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective interior view, partly cut-away, of the rear door and vehicle body of the embodiment of Figure 1 in the fully open position; Figure 5 is a schematic perspective interior view, partly cut-away, of the rear door and vehicle body of the embodiment of Figure 1 in the partly open position; Figure 6 is a schematic perspective detailed view of a hinged and slidable door mechanism mounting the rear door to the vehicle body in the embodiment of Figure 1, the mechanism being in a position corresponding to the closed position of the rear door; Figure 7 is a schematic perspective detailed view of a guide arm of a guide mechanism for controlling the movement of the door body between the closed position and a fully open position in the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a schematic cross-section, partly cut-away, from above of the door of the embodiment of Figure 1 in the closed position; Figure 9 is a schematic cross-section, partly cut-away, from above of the door of the embodiment of Figure 1 in a first open position at which the door is starting-to-open; Figure 10 is a schematic cross-section, partly cut-away, from above of the door of the embodiment of Figure 1 from above in a second open position at which the door is approximately one third open; and Figure 11 is a schematic cross-section, partly cut-away, from above of the door of the embodiment of Figure 1 in a second open position at which the door is fully open.

[20] Referring to Figures 1 to 11, there is shown a motor vehicle 2, including the vehicle body 4 of the motor vehicle 2. Parts of the vehicle 2 and the vehicle body 4 are omitted for clarity of illustration. The motor vehicle 2 includes a rear door assembly 6. The rear door assembly 6 includes a pair of rear doors, each comprising a respective door body 8, in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, although only one rear door, which is the left-hand rear door, of the pair of rear doors is illustrated in the Figures. The construction of the right-hand rear door typically mirrors the construction of the illustrated left-hand rear door, and a handle and locking mechanism (not illustrated) is provided for locking the rear doors together and to the vehicle body 4. Such a rear door assembly, which includes a pair of rear doors, in a motor vehicle, is well known to those skilled in the art. The rear door may be opened manually or may be driven or assisted by an electrically powered drive system (not shown). Typically, a handle is engaged by the user from inside or outside the vehicle and the door body 8 is pushed or pulled to move the door body 8 outwardly relative to the vehicle body 4 in order to open the door. Either or both of the rear doors may be opened as desired. 10211 In accordance with the present invention, the motor vehicle 2 may be a van, a campervan or a mini-bus, or any other motor vehicle having a pair of rear doors. In the illustrated embodiment, the motor vehicle 2 is a van having a rear cargo area. The motor vehicle 2 may have any suitable power train, and for example may be an electrically powered vehicle.

[22] As described above, the rear door assembly 6 comprises a pair of door bodies 8. Each door body 8 has opposite outer and inner upright edges 10, 12 and opposite top and bottom edges 14, 16. The pair of door bodies 8 is shaped and dimensioned to fit, in a closed position, within a rear opening 18 defined by a door frame 20 of the motor vehicle 2. In Figures 1 and 2, the rear door body 8 is shown in a closed position in the motor vehicle, and in Figures 3 and 4, the rear door body 8 is shown in a fully open position in the motor vehicle.

[23] The door frame 20 comprises opposite first and second rear pillars 22, 24 and opposite upper and lower edges 26, 28.

1024] In the closed position, the pair of door bodies 8 are adjacent to each other with the inner upright edges 12 being adjacent to each other in a central region 30 of the rear opening 18 and the outer upright edges 10 are adjacent to the first and second rear pillars 22, 24 respectively. 1025] A hinged and slidable door mechanism 32 is mounted on each door body 8.

[26] As shown in detail in Figure 6, the hinged and slidable door mechanism 32 comprises a hinge plate 34, a slide plate 36 and a hinged slide element 38.

[27] The hinge plate 34 is fitted to the respective first or second rear pillar 22, 24, for example by bolts (not shown) passing through mounting holes 40. The hinge plate 34 has upper and lower flanges 42, 44 having pivot holes (not shown) aligned along an upright axis, marked by a dashed line H in Figure 5.

10281 The slide plate 36 is fitted to an internal face 46 of the door body 8, for example by bolts (not shown) passing through mounting holes 48. The slide plate 36 comprises a pair of vertically spaced parallel slide tracks 50a, 50b oriented along a slide direction extending along the slide plate 36. The slide direction in use is oriented between the opposite outer and inner upright edges 10, 12 of the door body 8, and is horizontal, and is orthogonal to the upright axis. In an alternative embodiment, only one slide track may be provided.

[029] The hinged slide element 38 has opposite first and second ends 52, 54. The first end 52 is hingedly connected to the hinge plate 34 by a hinge part 56 which has opposite upper and lower ends 58, 60 hingedly fitted to the upper and lower flanges 42, 44 to define an upright hinge axis, which is the upright axis marked by the dashed line H in Figure 5. The second end 54 is slidably connected to the slide plate 36 and configured to slide along the slide tracks 50a, 50b.

10301 The second end 54 of the hinged slide element 38 comprises two pairs of vertically spaced slide bearings 62a, 62b. the slide bearings of each pair 62a, 62b being coupled to a respective one of the slide tracks 50a, 50b. The pairs of slide bearings 62a, 62h are spaced from each other in a direction extending along the slide plate 36. However, in an alternative embodiment, only one pair of upper and lower slide bearings may be provided.

[31] The slide plate 36 has opposite first and second ends 64, 66 which are respectively located adjacent to the outer and inner upright edges 10, 12 of the door body 8. Typically, the slide plate 36 extends along at least 75% of a lateral width of the door body 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the slide plate 36 extends along about 90% of the lateral width of the door body 8. As will be described hereinafter, the length of the slide plate 36 determines the location of the door body 8 in the fully open position for any given width dimension of the door body 8.

[32] In the closed position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 6, the hinged slide element 38 is located at the first end 64 of the side plate 36 and in the fully open position, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the hinged slide element 38 is located at the second end 66 of the side plate 36. In the partly open position, as shown in Figure 5, the hinged slide element 38 is located between the first and second ends 64, 66 of the side plate 36.

[33] The hinged slide dement 38 comprises a U-shaped portion 68 having first and second leg parts 70a. 70b connected by a central part 72. A free end 74 of the first leg part 70a comprises the first end 52 of the hinged slide element 38, A transverse portion 76 of the hinged slide element 38 is disposed at an end 78 of the second leg part 70b. The transverse portion 76 comprises the second end 54 of the hinged slide element 38. The U-shaped portion 68 defines a central cavity 80 which is configured to receive at least a portion of the respective first or second rear pillar 22, 24 when the door body 8 is in the fully open position.

[34] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a guide mechanism 82 is mounted on each door body 8 for controlling the movement of the door body 8 between the closed position and a fully open position.

[35] Referring in detail to Figure 7, the guide mechanism 82 comprises at least one guide arm 84 having a first end 86 pivotally fitted to the vehicle body 6 and an opposite second end 88 pivotally fitted to door body 8. The guide mechanism may comprise an upper guide arm, a lower guide arm or, as in the illustrated embodiment, a combination of an upper guide arm 84a and a lower guide arm 84b.

[36] The upper guide arm 84a is fitted between the upper edge 26 of the door frame 20 and the top edge 14 of the door body 8. Preferably, the upper guide arm 84a is fitted between a downwardly-oriented face 90 of the upper edge 26 of die door frame 20 and the internal face 46 of the door body 8 at the top edge 14 of the door body 8.

[37] The upper guide arm 84a is illustrated in Figure 7. The first end 86 is pivotally mounted to a body mounting bracket 92 by a body pivot pin 94 and the second end 88 is pivotally mounted to a door mounting bracket 96 by a door pivot pin 98.

[38] The lower guide arm 84b is fitted between the lower edge 28 of the door frame 20 and the bottom edge 16 of the door body 8. Preferably, the lower guide arm 84b is fitted between the lower edge 28 of the door frame 20 at a position externally of, and lower than, the rear opening 18 and the internal face 46 of the door body 8 at the bottom edge 16 of the door body 8. Typically, the lower guide arm 84b may be fitted to an underside of a floor of the motor vehicle 2.

[39] In the illustrated embodiment, the hinged and slidable door mechanism 32 comprises a single hinge assembly formed by the hinged slide element 38 and the hinge plate 34 and the single hinge assembly comprises the sole hinge connection between the door body 8 and the respective rear pillar 22, 24. The hinged and slidable door mechanism 32 is configured to support the weight of the door body 8 when the door body 8 is in the fully open position. Typically, the guide mechanism 82 is unsupporting of the weight of the door body 8 when the door body 8 is in the fully open position and the hinged and slidable door mechanism 32 is configured to support the entire weight of the door body 8 when the door body 8 is in the fully open position.

[40] It may be seen from the Figures that the rear door assembly 6 has a concealed opening/closing mechanism when the rear door bodies 8 are in a closed position. In addition, the rear door assembly 6 has low manufacturing cost, and low technical complexity coupled with technical robustness and reliability after extended use.

[41] The operation of the rear door assembly 6 will now be described with reference to Figures 8 to 11 which show the configuration of the door body 8 and the hinged arid slidable door mechanism 32 as the door body 8 progressively moves from the closed position to the fully open position through intermediate partly-open positions.

[42] Figure 8 shows the fully closed position. When the door body 8 is in the fully closed position within the rear opening 18 of the door frame 20, the hinged slide element 38 is located at the first end 64 of the side plate 36.

[43] As shown in Figure 9, when the door body 8 has opened slightly, the hinged slide element 38 has been rotated about a small acute angle relative to the hinge plate 34 but the hinged slide element 38 has not started to slide along the slide plate 36. The outer upright edge 10 of the door body 8 is therefore hinged away from the door frame 20 so that the outer upright edge 10 is laterally spaced outwardly, and separated by a gap 100, from the adjacent panel part 102 of the vehicle body 4. This outward lateral spacing enables the door body 8 subsequently to be slide laterally outwardly without engaging the vehicle body 4.

[44] As shown in Figure 10, when the door body 8 is partly open, for example approximately one third open, the door body 8 has slid relative to the hinged slide element 38 so that the door body 8 has slid in a laterally outward and forward direction relative to the rear opening 18, and the hinged slide element 38 is located between the first and second ends 64, 66 of the side plate 36. The guide arms 84a, 84b (only 84b is shown in Figure 10) have rotated outwardly away from the vehicle body 4, in a clockwise direction shown in Figure 10, and the guide arms 84a, 84b are shaped and dimensioned to control the transport path of the door body 8 during the opening (and subsequent closing) operation. The guide arms 84a, 84b control the sliding of the door body 8 relative to the rotating hinged slide element 38 and thereby accurately and consistently define the transport path of the moving door body 8.

[45] As shown in Figure 11, when the door body 8 is fully open, the door body 8 has fully slid relative to the hinged slide element 38 so that the door body 8 has slid in a laterally outward and forward direction relative to the rear opening 18, and the hinged slide clement 38 is located at the second end 66 of the side plate 36. The guide arms 84a, 84b (only 84b is shown in Figure 11) have fully rotated outwardly away from the vehicle body 4. The rear pillar 22 is partly received within the cavity 80 of the U-shaped portion 68, which facilitates the full laterally outward and forward movement of the door body 8 without interference by the vehicle body 4.

10461 In the motor vehicle and method of the present invention, the hinged and slidable door mechanism 32 and the guide mechanism 82 are configured to cause the door body 8, when moved from the closed position to a fully open position, to rotate the door body 8 about the upright hinge axis, by rotation of the first end 52 of the hinged slide element 38 relative to the hinge plate 34, and, while the door body 8 is rotating, to cause the door body 8 to slide forwardly relative to the rear opening 18, by a sliding action of the slide plate 36 relative to the second end 54 of the hinged slide element 38. As shown in Figure 11, in the fully open position, at least a laterally outer part 104 of the door body 8, which laterally outer part 104 includes the outer upright edge 10, is positioned forwardly of the rear opening 18 along a respective side 106 of the motor vehicle 2.

[47] Also, the hinged and slidable door mechanism 32 and the guide mechanism 82 are configured to cause the door body 8 to move between the closed position and the fully open position in a single continuous movement. The single continuous movement preferably comprises a first opening phase in which the door body 8 only rotates about the upright hinge axis, by rotation of the first end 52 of the hinged slide element 38 relative to the hinge plate 34, and a subsequent second opening phase in which the door body 8 simultaneously rotates about the upright hinge axis and slides relative to the second end 54 of the hinged slide element 38.

[48] Furthermore, the hinged and slidable door mechanism 32 and the guide mechanism 82 are configured to cause the inner upright edge 10 of the door body 8, when in the fully open position, to be positioned laterally outwardly of the rear opening 18.

[49] Various other embodiments of the motor vehicle and method in accordance with the present invention and within the scope of the appended claims will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

Claims 1. A motor vehicle including a rear door assembly, the rear door assembly comprising: (i) a pair of door bodies, each door body having opposite outer and inner upright edges and opposite top and bottom edges, wherein the pair of door bodies is shaped and dimensioned to fit, in a closed position, within a rear opening defined by a door frame of the motor vehicle, the door frame comprising opposite first and second rear pillars and opposite upper and lower edges, wherein in the closed position the pair of door bodies are adjacent to each other with the inner upright edges being adjacent to each other in a central region of the rear opening and the outer upright edges being adjacent to the first and second rear pillars respectively; (ii) a hinged and slidable door mechanism, mounted on each door body, which comprises: a hinge plate fitted to the respective first or second rear pillar, a slide plate fitted to an internal face of the door body, wherein the slide plate comprises at least one slide track oriented along a slide direction extending between the opposite outer and inner upright edges of the door body, a hinged slide element having opposite first and second ends, wherein the first end is hingedly connected to the hinge plate to define an upright hinge axis and the second end is slidably connected to the slide plate and configured to slide along the at least one slide track; and (iii) a guide mechanism, mounted on each door body, for controlling the movement of the door body between the closed position and a fully open position, the guide mechanism comprising at least one guide arm having a first end pivotally fitted to a body of the motor vehicle, at a position at or adjacent to one of the upper and lower edges of the door frame, and an opposite second end pivotally fitted to one of the respective top and bottom edges of the door body.
2. A motor vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the hinged and slidable door mechanism and the guide mechanism are configured to cause the door body, when moved from the closed position to a fully open position, to rotate the door body about the upright hinge axis, by rotation of the first end of the hinged slide element relative to the hinge plate, and, while the door body is rotating, to cause the door body to slide forwardly relative to the rear opening, by a sliding action of the slide plate relative to the second end of the hinged slide element, wherein in the fully open position at least a part of the door body, which part includes the outer upright edge, is positioned forwardly of the opening along a respective side of the motor vehicle.
3. A motor vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the hinged and slidable door mechanism and the guide mechanism are configured to cause the door body to move between the closed position and the fully open position in a single continuous movement.
4. A motor vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the single continuous movement comprises a first opening phase in which the door body only rotates about the upright hinge axis, by rotation of the first end of the hinged slide element relative to the hinge plate, and a subsequent second opening phase in which the door body simultaneously rotates about the upright hinge axis and slides relative to the second end of the hinged slide element.
5. A motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the hinged and slidable door mechanism and the guide mechanism are configured to cause the inner upright edge of the door body, when in the fully open position, to be positioned laterally outwardly of the opening.
6. A motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the slide plate comprises a pair of vertically spaced parallel slide tracks and the second end of the hinged slide element comprises a pair of vertically spaced slide bearings, each slide hearing being coupled to a respective one of the slide tracks.
7. A motor vehicle according to claim 6 wherein the second end of the hinged slide element comprises two pairs of vertically spaced slide bearings, the pairs of slide bearings being spaced from each other in a direction extending along the slide plate.
8. A motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the slide plate has opposite first and second ends which are respectively located adjacent to the outer and inner upright edges of the door body.
9. A motor vehicle according to any claim 8 wherein in the closed position the hinged slide element is located at the first end of the side plate and in the fully open position the hinged slide element is located at the second end of the side plate.
10. A motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the slide plate extends along at least 75% of a lateral width of the door body.
11. A motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the hinged slide element comprises a U-shaped portion having first and second leg parts connected by a central part, a free end of the first leg part comprising the first end of the hinged slide element, and a transverse portion disposed at an end of the second leg part, the transverse portion comprising the second end of the hinged slide element.
12. A motor vehicle according to claim 11 wherein die U-shaped portion defines a central cavity which is configured to receive at least a portion of the respective first or second rear pillar when the door body is in the fully open position.
13. A motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the guide mechanism comprises an upper guide arm and a lower guide arm, wherein the upper and lower guide arms are fitted between the respective upper or lower edges of the door frame and the respective top or bottom edges of the door body.
14. A motor vehicle according to claim 13 wherein the upper guide arm is fitted between a downwardly-oriented face of the upper edge of the door frame and the internal face of the door body at the top edge of the door body.
15. A motor vehicle according to claim 13 or claim 14 wherein the lower guide aim is fitted between the lower edge of the door frame at a position externally of, and lower than, the opening and the internal face of the door body at the bottom edge of the door body.
16. A motor vehicle according to claim 15 wherein the lower guide arm is fitted to an underside of a floor of the motor vehicle.
17. A motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 16 wherein the hinged and slidable door mechanism comprises a single hinge assembly formed by the hinged slide element and the hinge plate and the single hinge assembly comprises the sole hinge connection between the door body and the respective rear pillar.
18. A motor vehicle according to claim 17 wherein the hinged and slidable door mechanism is configured to support the weight of the door body when the door body is in the fully open position.
19. A motor vehicle according to claim 18 wherein the guide mechanisms is unsupporting of the weight of the door body when the door body is in the fully open position and the hinged and slidable door mechanism is configured to support the entire weight of the door body when the door body is in the fully open position
20. A motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 19 which is a van, a camper-van or a mini-bus.
21. A method of opening a rear door assembly of a motor vehicle, the rear door assembly comprising: (i) a pair of door bodies, each door body having opposite outer and inner upright edges and opposite top and bottom edges, wherein the pair of door bodies is shaped and dimensioned to fit, in a closed position, within a rear opening defined by a door frame of the motor vehicle, the door frame comprising opposite first and second rear pillars and opposite upper and lower edges, wherein in the closed position the pair of door bodies are adjacent to each other with the inner upright edges being adjacent to each other in a central region of the rear opening and the outer upright edges being adjacent to the first and second rear pillars respectively; (ii) a hinged and slidable door mechanism, mounted on each door body, which is hingedly connected, about an upright hinge axis, to the respective first or second rear pillar and is slidably connected to the door body; and (iii) a guide mechanism, mounted on each door body, for controlling the movement of the door body between the closed position and a fully open position, the guide mechanism comprising at least one guide arm having a first end pivotally fitted to a body of the motor vehicle, and an opposite second end pivotally fitted to the door body, wherein the method comprises moving the door body from the closed position to a fully open position by rotating the door body about (he upright hinge axis and, while the door body is rotating, sliding the door body forwardly relative to the rear opening, by a sliding action of the door body relative to the hinged and slidable door mechanism, wherein in the fully open position at least a part of the door body, which part includes the outer upright edge, is positioned forwardly of the opening along a respective side of the motor vehicle.
22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the hinged and slidable door mechanism and the guide mechanism are configured to cause the door body to move between the closed position and the fully open position in a single continuous movement.
23. A method according to claim 22 wherein the single continuous movement comprises a first opening phase in which the door body only rotates about the upright hinge axis, and a subsequent second opening phase in which the door body simultaneously rotates about the upright hinge axis and slides relative to the hinged and slidable door mechanism.
24. A method according to any one of claims 21 to 23 wherein the hinged and slidable door mechanism and the guide mechanism are configured to cause the inner upright edge of the door body, when in the fully open position, to be positioned laterally outwardly of the opening.
25. A method according to any one of claims 21 to 24 wherein the motor vehicle is a van, a camper-van or a mini-bus.