Reverse opening vehicle door
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsEdward Thomas Kozak, James A. O'Brien, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reverse opening vehicle door is provided (10), including a door body (16) having a fore portion (18) and an aft portion (20), a catch mechanism (50), and a hinge mechanism (70). The catch mechanism (50) and the hinge mechanism (70) permit the door body (16) to move between at least three positions including a closed position (22) having a fore closed position (30) and an aft closed position (32), an intermediate position (24) having an aft intermediate position (34) located outboard and rearward of the aft closed position (32) and a fore intermediate position (36) located rearward of the fore closed position (30), and an open position (26) in which the fore portion (18) is rotated rearward about the aft intermediate position (34).
Claims39
A reverse opening vehicle door for use within a door opening of a vehicle, the door opening including a striker positioned on the vehicle, comprising:
- a door body having a fore portion and an aft portion;
- a catch mechanism positioned on the fore portion of said door body;
- a hinge mechanism positioned on the aft portion of said door body;
- said catch mechanism and said hinge mechanism permitting said door body to move from a closed position wherein said fore portion is in a fore closed position and said aft portion is in an aft closed position to an intermediate position wherein said aft portion is in an aft intermediate position located outboard and rearward of said aft closed position and said fore portion is in a fore intermediate position located rearward of said fore closed position;
- and
- said catch mechanism and said hinge mechanism permitting said fore portion of said door body to rotate about said aft intermediate position to move said door body from said intermediate position to an open position.
A reverse opening vehicle door for use within a door opening of a vehicle comprising:
- a door body having a fore portion and an aft portion;
- a hinge mechanism including at least one rotating pivot arm having a first fixed pivot position and a first free pivot position.
A reverse opening vehicle door for use within a door opening of a vehicle, the door opening including a striker positioned on the vehicle, comprising:
- a door body having a fore portion and an aft portion;
- a catch mechanism including a catch path having a receiving portion and a travel portion;
- said receiving portion allowing said catch mechanism to engage the striker from an outboard/inboard direction;
- and
- said travel portion allowing said door body to move, while engaging the striker, in a fore/aft direction.
A reverse opening vehicle door for use within a door opening of a vehicle, the door opening including a striker positioned on the vehicle, comprising:
- a door body having a closed position and an open position;
- and
- a catch mechanism positioned on said door body and capable of engaging the striker from an inboard direction when said door body is aft of said closed position;
- wherein said catch mechanism is capable of engaging the striker and simultaneously allows said door body to move in a fore/aft direction.
A method of opening a reverse opening vehicle door comprising:
- moving a door body having a fore portion and an aft portion from a closed position, wherein said fore portion is in a fore closed position and said aft portion is in an aft closed position, to an intermediate position, wherein said aft portion is in an aft intermediate position located outboard and rearward of said aft closed position and said fore portion is in a fore intermediate position located rearward of said fore closed position;
- and
- moving said door body from said intermediate position to an open position wherein said fore portion is rotated rearward about said aft intermediate position.
A method of closing a reverse opening vehicle door comprising:
- moving a door body, having a fore portion and an aft portion, from an open position to an intermediate position by rotating said fore portion forward about said aft portion;
- and
- moving said door body from said intermediate position, wherein said aft portion is in an aft intermediate position and said fore portion is in a fore intermediate position, to a closed position wherein said aft portion is in an aft closed position located inboard and forward of said aft intermediate position and said fore portion is in a fore closed position located forward of said fore intermediate position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.