Vehicle door system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsMarcus Hoggarth, Matthew Graeme Leck, Benjamin Carroll, Stephen De Saulles, Edward Rose, Morten Warren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle door system having an upper door configured to cover a top portion of an opening in the body of a vehicle and to open in an upward direction, and a lower door configured to cover a bottom portion of the opening and to open in a sideways direction. The upper door includes a deployable portion configured to form at least a portion of a canopy extending away from the body of the vehicle.
Claims11
A vehicle door system having first and second upper doors independently movable between an open position and a closed position to cover only a top portion of an opening in a body of a vehicle and to open in an upward direction, and first and second lower doors independently movable to cover only a bottom portion of the opening, wherein the lower doors are translated by arms laterally with respect to the opening in the body of the vehicle to open in a lateral direction, the first and second upper doors each including a deployable portion configured to form at least a portion of a canopy extending away from the body of the vehicle when at least one of the upper doors is at least partially open.
A method of accessing a vehicle, the vehicle having first and second upper doors configured to cover only a top portion of an opening in a body of the vehicle, and first and second lower doors configured to cover only a bottom portion of the opening, the upper doors comprising a deployable portion configured to form at least a portion of a canopy extending away from the body of the vehicle when at least one of the upper doors are open, the method comprising:
- Opening at least one of the upper doors in an upward direction;
- opening at least one of the lower doors in a sideward direction to allow a user to access the vehicle;
- and
- deploying at least one of the deployable portions to form at least a portion of a canopy extending away from the body of the vehicle when at least one of the upper doors is open.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.