Rear door device in vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9499031-B2
Application number	US-201414495461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Dec 27, 2013
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A rear door device for a vehicle may include a rear door, an upper rail mounted to the rear door in a width direction, an upper slider inserted in the upper rail to support the upper rail, a lower rail mounted to a vehicle body and formed with a curved portion, a lower slider inserted in the lower rail and movable along the lower rail, an upper support structure having one end connected to the upper slider and the other end mounted to the vehicle body for supporting the upper slider, and a connection structure for connecting the lower slider to the upper rail. The rear door device permits the rear door to be opened or closed by sliding it forward or backward in the length direction of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rear door device in a vehicle comprising:
a rear door;
an upper rail mounted to the rear door in a width direction thereof;
an upper slider inserted in the upper rail to support the upper rail;
a lower rail mounted to a vehicle body and having a curved portion formed thereon;
a lower slider inserted in the lower rail and movable along the lower rail;
an upper support structure having a first end connected to the upper slider and a second end mounted to the vehicle body for supporting the upper slider; and
a connection structure for pivotally connecting the lower slider to the upper rail,
wherein the upper rail includes:
a center rail positioned at a middle portion in a height direction of the vehicle;
an upper side rail positioned over the center rail in the height direction; and
a lower side rail positioned under the center rail in the height direction, and
wherein the upper side rail and the lower side rail are positioned further at an inner side of the vehicle body in a width direction of the vehicle body than the center rail, and

wherein the upper slider includes:
an upper slider body of a substantially rectangular plate shape;
two center rail rollers rotatably mounted to a front side of the upper slider body, arranged at a predetermined distance from each other in the width direction, to be inserted in the center rail of the upper rail for rolling as the upper rail moves;
two upper side rail rollers rotatably mounted to the front side of the upper slider body, facing upward, arranged at a predetermined distance in the width direction for rolling according to movement of the upper rail;
two lower side rail rollers rotatably mounted to the front side of the upper slider body, facing downward, arranged at a predetermined distance from each other in the width direction for rolling according to movement of the upper rail; and
an upper flange and a lower flange projected from opposite edges of the upper slider body, each extended in a length direction substantially perpendicular to the respective edge, wherein the upper flange has a first assembly through-hole formed therein, and the lower flange has another first assembly through-hole, a second assembly through-hole, and a third assembly through-hole formed side by side.

2. The rear door device of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the center rail, the upper side rail and the lower side rail of the upper rail has a U shaped cross section continuous in a length direction thereof;
openings of the upper side rail and the lower side rail of the upper rail are arranged substantially perpendicular to an opening of the center rail; and
the openings of the upper side rail and the lower side rail of the upper rail are formed to face each other.

3. The rear door device of claim 2 , further comprising
a striker mounted to a lower side of a predetermined portion of the center rail of the upper rail in the length direction and projected upward in the height direction.

4. The rear door device of claim 1 , wherein the upper support structure includes:
a swing arm having a first end rotatably and securedly inserted between the upper flange and the lower flange of the upper slider body; and
a mounting bracket having a first end fastened to a second end of the swing arm, and a second end fixedly mounted to the vehicle body.

5. The rear door device of claim 4 , wherein the swing arm includes:
a swing arm body;
a cylindrical first flange projected as one unit therewith from a first side fore end of the swing arm body; and
two second flanges projected as one unit therewith from a second side fore end of the swing arm body in the width direction and arranged at a left side and a right side of the swing arm body,
wherein the first flange has a cut-out portion such that one side edge of the cut-out portion forms a pressing edge, and
a return spring is built-in or coupled with the cylindrical first flange.

6. The rear door device of claim 5 , wherein the lower flange of the upper slider body has a rail locking device mounted thereto for selectively securing the upper rail to the upper slider.

7. The rear door device of claim 6 , wherein the rail locking device includes:
a first latch and a second latch rotatably mounted in a second assembly through-hole and a third assembly through-hole in the lower flange of the upper slider body, respectively; and
a pressing spring for applying a pressure to the first latch and the second latch in a clockwise direction,
wherein the first latch includes a first hook at a first end thereof, and a pressing projection projected from an opposite side of the first hook so as to be pressed by the pressing edge, and
the second latch includes a second hook for detachably hooking a striker, the second hook having an opened type hooking recess constructed of a first side and a second side which is substantially parallel to the first side and longer than the first side, and a latch projection for being detachably caught at the first hook of the first latch.

8. The rear door device of claim 1 , wherein the lower rail includes:
a center rail positioned at a middle portion in a height direction of the lower rail;
an upper side rail positioned over the center rail; and
a lower side rail positioned under the center rail.

9. The rear door device of claim 8 , wherein
each of the center rail, the upper side rail, and the lower side rail of the lower rail has a U-shaped cross section continuous in a length direction thereof,
wherein the upper side rail, and the lower side rail of the lower rail have openings facing to each other and arranged substantially perpendicular to an opening of the center rail of the lower rail.

10. The rear door device of claim 9 , wherein
the center rail of the lower rail has a rear side fore end which faces a rear side of the vehicle when the center rail is mounted to the vehicle body, with a mounting hole formed therein,
wherein a hold open latch is mounted to the mounting hole for coupling to the lower slider when the rear door is opened or fully opened.

11. The rear door device of claim 10 , wherein the lower slider includes:
a lower slider body having a substantially rectangular plate shape;
two center rail rollers arranged at a predetermined distance from each other in a length direction thereof, rotatably mounted on a front side of the lower slider body, and inserted in the center rail of the lower rail for rolling;
two upper side rail rollers arranged at a predetermined distance from each other in the length direction rotatably mounted on the front side of the lower slider body adjacent to the two center rail rollers and inserted in the upper side rail of the lower rail for rolling; and
two lower side rail rollers arranged at a predetermined distance from each other in the length direction adjacent to the two center rail rollers rotatably mounted on the front side of the lower slider body in a direction opposite to the two upper side rail rollers and inserted in the lower side rail of the lower rail for rolling,
wherein the lower slider body has a striker mounted to a side fore end of the front side of the lower slider body in the length direction thereof for detachably coupling to the hold open latch to hold an opened state of the rear door.

12. The rear door device of claim 11 , wherein the lower slider body has an adjuster hole formed in a second side fore end in the length direction thereof, with an adjuster block mounted thereto and adjustable in a vertical direction in a width direction of the lower slider body of the lower rail, and an adjuster roller rotatably mounted to the adjuster block.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kwangjin Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jae Hong
• Gong Youngbae

Classifications

• B60J5/047 Primary

  characterised by the opening or closing movement · CPC title

• E05D15/101

  specially adapted for vehicles (E05D15/1007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05D15/0621

  Details, e.g. suspension or supporting guides (E05D15/0604, E05D15/08 - E05D15/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60J5/06 Primary

  slidable; foldable · CPC title

• B60J5/12

  slidable; foldable · CPC title