Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Door or window with specified vehicle feature
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-10
2001-05-22
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Door or window with specified vehicle feature
C296S146110, C296S146120, C296S146130, C049S501000, C160S199000, C160S206000, C160S213000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234565
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to bifold doors especially for use in vehicles but also adaptable to other bifold door applications. A specific embodiment relates to a power actuated dual action bifold side door for accessing the rear compartment of a vehicle from either side of an associated door opening.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known in the art to provide trucks, vans and other automotive vehicles with sliding or swinging side doors for accessing the rear passenger or cargo carrying portion of the vehicle. Such types of vehicle doors generally open from the forward or aft position of an associated door frame or opening but not generally from both. When a vehicle has a rear compartment usable in either a passenger carrying or cargo carrying mode, the location of seats or the desired positioning of cargo may make it desirable to open the door from either side of the door frame or opening for maximum convenience in loading of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves this and other problems by provision of a dual action bifold door which is pivotable on either side of the door frame and can thus be opened from either side while pivoting around hinge means on the other side. The door includes two panels that are hinged together near their adjacent center edges with their outer edges guided in one or more tracks. Thus with the door fully open, the protrusion from the side of the vehicle, or other application, is limited to the width of one of the panels, or only one half the total width of the door assembly. This allows clearance for full opening of the door even when parked near another vehicle or wall. It also allows entry from either side of the door opening which is most convenient under the particular circumstances. A specific design also accommodates intrusion by the fender well of a vehicle into one of the door panels.
While such a dual action bifold door may be made for completely manual operation, the vehicle application is preferably power operated. In an exemplary embodiment, the two panels are connected together by hinges having spaced pivots and including gear mechanisms to insure equal angular opening and closing motions of the two door panels. The forward panel is preferably hinged on upper and lower pivots supported on carriers movable on upper and lower tracks from the forward edge of the door frame. The rear panel may be hinged from a single upper pivot to allow for a lower edge cutout around an adjacent wheel well. In applications without an intruding wheel well, the rear, or second, panel may also be pivoted on upper and lower hinge pivots carried on dual carriers on the upper and lower tracks.
Rearward door opening motions may be powered by motor driven screws which draw the forward pivots on their tracks toward the rear of the door opening while the rear panel swings outward around its single pivot to open the door from its forward edge. For opening from the rear edge, another motor driven screw may draw the single rear pivot forward along the upper track toward the front of the door opening while the forward panel swings outward about its two forward pivots. In either action, the trailing door panel has one edge drawn outward by the hinges connecting it to the adjacent panel and pivoted on its hinge or hinges which are supported by the screw driven tracked carriers. Suitable clasp and latch means may be provided to draw and/or hold the door panels in a door closed position.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of certain specific embodiments of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.
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Bryant Wade W
Rossman Dean N
Upton Edmond D
General Motors Corporation
Leahy Charles E.
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran B.
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