Hinge structure for coach door

A vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle body;
• a coach door;
• and
• a hinge structure comprising:
• a connecting plate,
• a fixed bracket coupled to the vehicle body, wherein a first end portion of the fixed bracket is hingedly coupled to the connecting plate, and a second end portion of the fixed bracket includes an arch-shaped guide arm,
• a driving assembly coupled to the connecting plate to be movable along the guide arm,
• an electric-powered assembly coupled to the driving assembly, wherein the electric-powered assembly and the driving assembly are configured to perform a first linear-movement operation and a second arc-movement operation, and
• a hinge arm coupled to the coach door, wherein the hinge arm is coupled to the electric-powered assembly so as to be movable relative to the electric-powered assembly,
• wherein the hinge arm is configured to be move linearly by the electric-powered assembly and the driving assembly relative to the electric-powered assembly during the first linear-movement operation, and
• wherein the hinge arm is configured to pivot in an arch shape relative to the fixed bracket by the driving assembly during the second arc-movement operation.

A method of opening a coach door of a vehicle, comprising:

• rotating a motor shaft with an electric motor;
• rotating a first gear with the motor shaft based on the rotating of the motor shaft, wherein the first gear includes first gear teeth along only a first-gear arc portion of the first gear;
• rotating a second gear based on the rotating of the first gear, wherein the second gear includes second gear teeth engageable with the first gear teeth of the first gear, and wherein the second gear includes a slider pin extending from the second gear at a location adjacent an edge of the second gear;
• translating the rotating of the second gear to linearly moving a hinge arm via a slider slot in the hinge arm, wherein the slider pin is in the slider slot, and wherein the hinge arm is coupled to the coach door;
• linearly moving the coach door based on the linearly moving of the hinge arm;
• continuing the rotating of the motor shaft and rotating a third gear based on continuing the rotating of the motor shaft, wherein the third gear and the first gear are fixed on the motor shaft to rotate together, and wherein the third gear includes third gear teeth along on only a third-gear arc portion of the third gear;
• disengaging the first gear teeth from the second gear teeth and engaging the third gear teeth with guide teeth on an arc-shaped guide arm, based on continuing the rotating of the motor shaft and based on the rotating of the third gear;
• pivoting the hinge arm about a rotation axis based on the rotating of the third gear and based on the engaging of the third gear teeth with the guide teeth;
• pivoting the coach door based on the pivoting of the hinge arm;
• and
• opening the coach door based on the pivoting of the coach door.