Device for operating opposite sliding doors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11525293-B2
Application number	US-201916590998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2019
Priority date	Dec 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A device for operating opposite sliding doors of a vehicle includes a center rail mounted at a center inside a door and formed in a curved shape so that the door moves to the outside of a vehicle interior of the vehicle when the door is opened. A center roller is mounted on the vehicle body so as to correspond to the center rail. The center roller is configured to move the center rail by being coupled to the center rail when the door is opened or closed as a center bearing unit formed at one side of the center roller is seated on the center rail. The center roller has a center shaft formed at a position spaced apart from the center bearing unit such that the center shaft can rotate the center roller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for operating opposite sliding doors of a vehicle having a vehicle body, the device comprising:
a center rail mounted at a center inside a first door in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the center rail formed in a curved shape so that the first door moves to the outside of a vehicle interior of the vehicle when the first door is opened;
a center roller mounted on the vehicle body so as to correspond to the center rail, the center roller configured to move the center rail by being coupled to the center rail when the first door is opened or closed as a center bearing unit formed at one side of the center roller is seated on the center rail, wherein the center roller has a center shaft formed at a position spaced apart from the center bearing unit such that the center shaft can rotate the center roller;
a lower rail mounted at a lower side of the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the lower rail formed in a curved shape so that the first door moves inside the vehicle when the first door is closed; and
a lower roller mounted at a lower side inside the first door so as to correspond to the lower rail, the lower roller configured to move along the lower rail by being coupled to the lower rail when the first door is opened or closed as a lower bearing unit formed at one side of the lower roller is seated on the lower rail, wherein the lower roller has a lower shaft formed at a position spaced apart from the lower bearing unit such that the lower shaft can rotate the lower roller;
wherein the center bearing unit has a male stopper that is formed in a protrusion shape at an upper side of the center bearing unit to prevent the center rail from moving while exceeding a predetermined range;
wherein the center rail further comprises a full-opening female stopper that is formed at one side of the center rail so as to come into contact with the male stopper when the first door is opened and a closing female stopper that is formed at another side of the center rail so as to come into contact with the male stopper when the first door is closed, wherein the full-opening female stopper, the closing female stopper, and the male stopper restrict an opening and closing range of the first door; and
wherein the full-opening female stopper, together with the male stopper, prevents movement of the first door by fixing the first door when the first door is in an opened state, and the closing female stopper, together with the male stopper, prevents the movement of the first door by fixing the first door when the first door is in a closed state.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the doors include a front door and a rear door, and wherein a pair of center rails, a pair of center rollers, a pair of lower rails, and a pair of lower rollers are mounted vertically symmetrically, such that the front door and the rear door are opened in opposite directions.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the center rail further comprises a center guide portion that is bent in an n shape toward the center roller and positioned at an upper side of the center rail.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the center bearing unit further comprises a center guide bearing which is formed in a cylindrical shape and inserted into a lower side of the center guide portion so that a circumferential surface of the center guide bearing comes into contact with a lateral surface the center guide portion, such that the circumferential surface of the center guide bearing can rotate along the lateral surface of the center guide portion to allow the center roller to perform a rolling movement when the first door is opened or closed, and the center guide bearing prevents the center roller from being withdrawn from the center rail and can guide the first door along a movement trajectory.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the center rail further comprises a center support portion that is formed by being a lower portion of the center rail toward the center roller.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the center bearing unit further comprises a center anti-rotation bearing that is formed in a cylindrical shape and is inserted into an upper side of the center support portion so that a circumferential surface of the center anti-rotation bearing comes into contact with the center support portion, such that the center anti-rotation bearing can rotate in a state in which the circumferential surface of the center anti-rotation bearing is in contact with an upper surface of the center support portion when the first door is opened or closed, and the center anti-rotation bearing prevents a rotation of the first door caused by a load of the first door when the first door is opened or closed.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the center bearing unit further comprises a center rod bearing that is formed in a cylindrical shape and is inserted into a lower side of the center support portion so that a circumferential surface of the center rod bearing comes into contact with the center support portion, such that the center rod bearing can rotate in a state in which the circumferential surface of the center rod bearing is in contact with a lower surface of the center support portion when the first door is opened or closed, and the center rod bearing supports a load of the first door.

8. A device for operating opposite sliding doors of a vehicle having a vehicle body, the device comprising:
a center rail mounted at a center inside a first door in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the center rail formed in a curved shape so that the first door moves to the outside of a vehicle interior of the vehicle when the first door is opened;
a center roller mounted on the vehicle body so as to correspond to the center rail, the center roller configured to move the center rail by being coupled to the center rail when the first door is opened or closed as a center bearing unit formed at one side of the center roller is seated on the center rail, wherein the center roller has a center shaft formed at a position spaced apart from the center bearing unit such that the center shaft can rotate the center roller;
a lower rail mounted at a lower side of the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the lower rail formed in a curved shape so that the first door moves inside the vehicle when the first door is closed; and
a lower roller mounted at a lower side inside the first door so as to correspond to the lower rail, the lower roller configured to move along the lower rail by being coupled to the lower rail when the first door is opened or closed as a lower bearing unit formed at one side of the lower roller is seated on the lower rail, wherein the lower roller has a lower shaft formed at a position spaced apart from the lower bearing unit such that the lower shaft can rotate the lower roller;
wherein the center bearing unit has a male stopper that is formed in a protrusion shape at an upper side of the center bearing unit to prevent the center rail from moving while exceeding a predetermined range;
wherein the center rail further comprises a full-opening female stopper that is formed at one side of the center rail so as to come into contact with the male stopper when the first door is opened and a closing female stopper that is formed at another side of the center rail so as to come into contact with the male stopper when the first door is closed, wherein the full-opening female stopper, the closing female stopper, and the male stopper restrict an opening and closing range of the first door;
wherein the full-opening female stopper, together with the male stopper, prevents movement of the first door by fixing the first door when the first door is in an opened state, and th

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Yun Hyung-In

Classifications

• E05Y2201/684

  Rails; Tracks · CPC title

• B60J5/0477

  with two doors opening in opposite direction · CPC title

• E05Y2900/531

  Doors · CPC title

• E05D15/10 Primary

  movable out of one plane into a second parallel plane · CPC title

• E05D15/1047

  specially adapted for vehicles (E05D15/1044 takes precedence) · CPC title