Vehicle door assembly

Details Vehicle door assembly Vehicle door assembly

1999-08-11

2001-08-28

Redman, Jerry (Department: 3639)

Movable or removable closures

Mounted for multidirectional or oblique movement

Initial or terminal movement transverse to sliding movement...

C049S221000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06279267

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a vehicle door assembly and more particularly, to an assembly which may be used in combination with a slidable vehicle door and which allows the door to maintain an open position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Doors allow individuals to selectively enter and exit a vehicle and cooperatively provide a selectively closed passenger compartment which protects the vehicle occupants as the vehicle is driven. One type of door which has become relatively popular, especially when deployed upon a “van type” vehicle, is a sliding door. Particularly, the sliding door is usually relatively large and selectively and movably extends across the entire passenger compartment as well as the storage compartment which resides behind the driver's seat. This relatively large sliding door therefore, when selectively moved to an open position, allows the entire passenger compartment and storage area to be accessed, thereby allowing for relatively easy entry into the entire passenger compartment and storage area and allowing groceries and other packages and containers to be easily placed within the vehicle. Moreover, some vehicles have multiple sliding doors, thereby allowing access into the vehicle from a number of directions or “sides”. While these sliding doors allow for relatively easy entry into the van or vehicle, they suffer from some drawbacks.
Perhaps one of the greatest drawbacks which is associated with these deployed sliding doors is that the doors, while capable of being selectively opened, do not adequately “lock” or remain open, especially if the vehicle is parked or is resident upon a hill or other inclined road. Thus, each of the relatively large and open doors often and unexpectedly close, thereby annoying those individuals or pets who are resident within the doors' path of closure.
While attempts have been made to selectively and securely “lock” the doors in the open position, these attempts have various drawbacks and are not particularly desirable. That is, these prior attempts include relatively costly and complicated latching mechanisms which are prone to failure and/or malfunction and which increase the amount of force which is required to close the opened door. This last drawback is particularly troublesome to children, the elderly, and other individuals of slight stature.
There is therefore a need for a vehicle door assembly which may be used in combination with a sliding vehicle door, which is relatively low in cost, which has relatively “uncomplicated” and relatively “simple” components, and which substantially ensures that the selectively opened sliding door is held in the open position without substantially increasing the amount of force needed to close the opened door.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide a vehicle door assembly which overcomes at least some of the previously delineated drawbacks associated with vehicle door assemblies and with prior attempts at causing the vehicle door to maintain an open position.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a vehicle door assembly which is relatively low in cost, which is relatively simple in design, which allows a sliding vehicle door to be movable between a first open position and a second closed position, and which further allows the vehicle door to maintain the first open position until moved to the second closed position.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a relatively low-cost vehicle door assembly which causes a vehicle door to remain in an open position, which allows the selectively opened door to be selectively closed, and which does not substantially increase the amount of force required to close the open door.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an assembly for use with a sliding door of the type used within a vehicle is provided. Particularly, the sliding door is movable from a first closed position to a second open position and includes a first wheel which is movably disposed upon a ramped track which is formed within the vehicle and a second wheel which is movably disposed within a second track which is formed within the vehicle. The assembly includes a brake pad which is selectively positioned within the second track and which engages the second wheel as the door is moved to the second open position and which cooperates with the ramped track and the first wheel to allow the door to remain in the second open position.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a method is provided to allow a vehicle door to remain in a selectively open position. The method includes the steps of causing the opened vehicle door to frictionally engage a portion of the vehicle when the vehicle door is selectively placed in the open position, thereby substantially ensuring that the open vehicle door remains in the open position.
These and other features, advantages, aspects, and embodiments will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the following drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1712562 (1929-05-01), Jeffers
patent: 3708192 (1973-01-01), Klebba et al.
patent: 4152872 (1979-05-01), Tanizaki et al.
patent: 4502246 (1985-03-01), Minami
patent: 4559740 (1985-12-01), Tuchiya et al.
patent: 4606146 (1986-08-01), Jozefozak
patent: 5361540 (1994-11-01), Rogers, Jr. et al.
patent: 5934022 (1999-08-01), Faubert
patent: 6036257 (2000-03-01), Manuel

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