Opening and closing device for vehicle sliding door

Abstract

An opening and closing device for a vehicle sliding door slidably attached to a vehicle body. The device has a latch engageable with a striker, a ratchet engageable with the latch for maintaining the engagement between the latch and the striker, a first motor, a second motor, a wire drum rotated by the first motor, a wire cable provided between the sliding door and the wire drum for pulling the sliding door toward an open position or close position thereof when the wire drum is rotated, a power transmission provided between the second motor and the latch for turning the latch from a half-latch position to a full-latch position under power of the second motor, a safety lever operatively connected to the open handle for cutting off the power transmission when the open handle is manipulated, detecting apparatus for detecting actuation of the safety lever, and a control for operating the first motor to move the sliding door toward the open position when the detecting apparatus senses activation of the safety lever.