The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 27, 1999
Filed:
Aug. 19, 1996
Dorinel Neag, Commerce Township, MI (US);
Michael Abney, Southfield, MI (US);
Thomas Carbone, Grosse Pointe, MI (US);
Keith DeRiso, Southfield, MI (US);
DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
An arrangement for mounting a sliding door to a vehicle body for movement between an open position and a closed position. The arrangement includes a guide track mounted to the sliding door, a carriage support arrangement carried by the sliding door and a swing arm. The swing arm is connected to the carriage for pivotal movement about a first axis and to the body for pivotal movement about a second axis. With the sliding door unlatched, the swing-arm rotates the carriage support arrangement and the sliding door through an obtuse swing angle, thereby reducing longitudinal tipping forces on the sliding door. Further, when the swing-arm and sliding door are in the full-open position, the sliding door's center of gravity is only slightly offset aft of the carriage support arrangement, thereby reducing the force needed to remove the swing-arm, carriage support arrangement and vehicle sliding door to a fully-closed position.