阅读说明：本技术 用于车辆的滑动门 (Sliding door for vehicle ) 是由 金相天 崔洪林 金相祐 于 2020-09-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及用于车辆的滑动门。所述滑动门适用于难以应用直线轨道的车门部分,可以包括：车门轨道、车身轨道和移动臂,所述车门轨道在车辆的竖直方向上安装在构造为关闭至车身的车门中；所述车身轨道在车辆的纵向方向上安装在车门所关闭至的车身中；所述移动臂具有在竖直方向上沿着车门轨道可移动地联接以在移动的过程中沿着车身的横向方向打开或关闭车门的一个端部以及在纵向方向上沿着车身轨道可移动地联接以使车门在移动的过程中沿着车身的纵向方向滑动地移动的另一端部。(The present invention relates to a sliding door for a vehicle. The sliding door is suitable for a vehicle door part where a linear rail is difficult to apply, and may include: a door rail mounted in a door configured to be closed to a vehicle body in a vertical direction of the vehicle; the vehicle body rail is mounted in a vehicle body to which a door is closed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; the moving arm has one end portion movably coupled in a vertical direction along the door rail to open or close the door in a lateral direction of the vehicle body during movement and another end portion movably coupled in a longitudinal direction along the vehicle body rail to slidably move the door in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body during movement.)

1. A sliding door apparatus for a vehicle, the sliding door apparatus comprising:

a door rail mounted in a door configured to be closed to a vehicle body in a vertical direction of the vehicle;

a vehicle body rail mounted in a vehicle body to which a door is closed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and

a moving arm having a first end movably coupled in a vertical direction along the door rail to open or close the door in a lateral direction of the vehicle body during movement of the moving arm and a second end movably coupled in a longitudinal direction along the vehicle body rail to slidably move the door in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body during movement of the moving arm.

2. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

a rack is mounted along the door rail;

a gear module is gear-engaged to the rack at the first end of the moving arm to move in a vertical direction and rotate the first end of the moving arm.

3. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the gear module includes:

a module housing coupled to and guided by the door rail to slide in a vertical direction;

a drive gear rotatably coupled to the module housing and engaged with the rack;

a driven gear rotatably coupled to the module housing and fixed to a first end of the moving arm; and

an intermediate gear rotatably coupled to the module case and engaged to the driving gear and the driven gear, and configured to transmit a rotational force of the driving gear to the driven gear.

4. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a motor coupled to the drive gear and configured to supply a driving force to the drive gear.

5. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a first pulley fixed to a transmission shaft of the motor;

a second pulley rotatably mounted to the door rail; and

a drive belt coupled to the first and second pulleys and connected to the module housing.

6. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein when the gear module moves from one end portion to the other end portion of the entire vertical movement section, a transmission ratio between the rack and the driven gear is configured such that the moving arm rotates from one end portion to the other end portion of the entire rotation section.

7. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the door rail is mounted on an inner surface of a door frame;

the body rail is mounted on an outer surface of the column.

8. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle body rail is installed in a curved shape along an A-pillar or a C-pillar of a vehicle body;

the door rail is vertically installed in a portion of the door frame corresponding to the B-pillar of the vehicle body.

9. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein:

a guide slit is formed on a door-facing surface of the vehicle body rail in a longitudinal direction;

a first end of the roller portion is coupled to a second end of the moving arm in a ball joint configuration;

a middle portion of the roller portion passes through the guide slit, and a roller provided at a second end portion of the roller portion is inserted into the vehicle body rail and is guided to move along the vehicle body rail.

10. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle body rail is formed in a twisted shape along a longitudinal direction thereof, the guide slit of the vehicle body rail adjacent to the B-pillar is formed to face a lower end portion of the door rail, and the guide slit of the vehicle body rail remote from the B-pillar is formed to face an upper end portion of the door rail.

11. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein a spherical portion is formed at a first end of the roller portion, and a spherical groove portion for accommodating a ball of the spherical portion is formed at a second end of the moving arm, so that the spherical portion and the spherical groove portion are coupled in a ball joint structure.

12. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the roller is formed in plurality, including a first side roller, a center roller, and a second side roller.

13. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein a rotational axis of the center roller is aligned perpendicular to rotational axes of the first side roller and the second side roller.

14. The sliding door apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein rail grooves are formed on first and second side surfaces of the door rail, and rail protrusions inserted into the rail grooves are formed at first and second sides of the module case such that the module case is coupled to the door rail to slidably move in a vertical direction.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sliding door for a vehicle, which is suitable for a door portion to which a linear rail is difficult to apply.

Background

In passenger vehicles and vans for leisure, sliding doors are employed, which are opened or closed by pushing the sliding doors in a longitudinal direction.

The linear rail is fixed to the vehicle body and the vehicle door in the front-rear direction thereof, and the sliding door is fixed to the vehicle body through a roller and hinge structure, so that the vehicle door can be guided along the track of the rail to be opened and closed in a sliding mode.

However, the conventional sliding door has a problem in that the rail of the door is exposed to the inside of the vehicle, thereby reducing aesthetic feeling in terms of interior design of the vehicle. Further, it is difficult to arrange the layout of the door interior in addition to the door glass.

Since the rail is straight in shape, the rail is applicable to a rear door, but has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to apply the rail to a front door whose roof side portion is formed to be inclined downward.

The information disclosed in this background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Disclosure of Invention

Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a sliding door for a vehicle, which is suitable for a door portion where it is difficult to apply a linear rail in terms of design.

According to one aspect, there is provided a sliding door for a vehicle, the sliding door comprising: a door rail mounted in a door in a vertical direction of the vehicle, the door configured to be closed to the vehicle body; the vehicle body rail is mounted in a vehicle body to which a door is closed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; the moving arm has one end portion movably coupled in a vertical direction along the door rail to open or close the door in a lateral direction of the vehicle body during movement and another end portion movably coupled in a longitudinal direction along the vehicle body rail to slidably move the door in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body during movement.

A rack gear may be provided along the door rail, and the gear module may be connected to the rack gear at one end of the moving arm in a gear engagement structure to move in a vertical direction while rotating the one end of the moving arm.

The gear module may include: a module case coupled to and guided by the door rail to slide in a vertical direction thereof; the external drive gear is axially coupled to the module housing and engaged with the rack; the driven external gear is axially coupled to the module case and fixed to one end of the moving arm; the intermediate external gear is axially coupled to the module case and engaged between the driving external gear and the driven external gear, and is configured to transmit the rotational force of the driving external gear to the driven external gear.

The sliding door may further include a motor configured to supply a driving force to the driving outer gear.

When the gear module moves from one end to the other end of the entire vertical movement section, the gear ratio between the rack and the driven external gear may be configured such that the moving arm rotates from one end to the other end of the entire rotation section.

The door rail may be mounted on an inner surface of the door frame, and the body rail may be mounted on an outer surface of the pillar.

The vehicle body rail may be installed in a curved shape along an a-pillar or a C-pillar of the vehicle body, and the door rail may be vertically installed in a portion of the door frame corresponding to a B-pillar of the vehicle body.

A guide slit may be formed on a surface of the vehicle body rail facing the door in a longitudinal direction thereof, one end portion of the roller portion may be coupled to the other end portion of the moving arm in a ball joint structure, a middle portion of the roller portion may pass through the guide slit, and a roller provided at the other end portion of the roller portion may be inserted into the vehicle body rail and guided to move along the vehicle body rail.

The vehicle body rail may be formed in a twisted shape in a longitudinal direction thereof, the guide slit of the vehicle body rail adjacent to the B-pillar may be formed to face a lower end portion of the door rail, and the guide slit of the vehicle body rail distant from the B-pillar may be formed to face an upper end portion of the door rail.

The method and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in detail in the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, which are incorporated herein, and which together serve to explain certain principles of the invention.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which a door slides to be opened according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention when viewed from the outside of a vehicle;

fig. 2A, 2B and 2C are schematic views for describing opening and closing operational relationships of a vehicle door according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment in which a gear engagement structure inside a gear module and a driving force of a motor are supplied to the gear module according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic view illustrating another exemplary embodiment in which a driving force of a motor is supplied to a gear module according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a schematic view for describing an operational relationship of rotating a moving arm when a gear module is vertically moved according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a schematic view for describing a structure in which a roller part is inserted into a vehicle body rail to move according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a twisted shape of a vehicle body rail according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the invention incorporated herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and environment of use.

In the drawings, like numerals refer to like or equivalent parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the present invention is intended to cover not only exemplary embodiments of the present invention but also various alternative embodiments, modified embodiments, equivalent embodiments or other embodiments, which are included in the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The sliding door according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention has a sliding door structure for being configured regardless of a design line of a vehicle. The slide door is adapted to be mounted to an upper rail portion at an upper end portion of the vehicle door 10. For reference, the rail portion may be formed even at the lower end portion and the intermediate portion of the door 10. These track sections may be adapted in the form of existing linear track structures.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a state in which a vehicle door 10 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention slides to open as viewed from the outside of a vehicle, and fig. 2A, 2B, and 2C are schematic views for describing opening and closing operational relationships of the vehicle door 10 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The vehicle door 10 includes a door rail 100, a body rail 200, and a moving arm 400.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention comprises: a door rail 100, a body rail 200, and a moving arm 400, the door rail 100 being installed in a door 10 in a vertical direction of a vehicle, wherein the door 10 is closed to a body 20; the vehicle body rail 200 is installed in the vehicle body 20 to which the door is closed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; one end of the moving arm 400 is connected to be movable in the vertical direction along the door rail 100 and to open and close the door 10 in the lateral direction of the vehicle body 20 during movement, and the other end is connected to be movable in the front-rear direction along the vehicle body rail 200 so that the door 10 is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 20 during movement.

For example, the door rail 100 is vertically installed on an inner surface of the door 10 facing the inside of the vehicle, and the body rail 200 is installed on an outer surface of the body 20 facing the outside of the vehicle in the front-rear direction thereof. Further, it is configured such that one end portion of the moving arm 400 moves vertically along the door rail 100, and the other end portion moves in the front-rear direction thereof along the vehicle body rail 200.

That is, in the state where the door 10 is closed, one end of the moving arm 400 is located at the lowermost end portion of the door rail 100, and the other end is located at the distal end portion on one side of the vehicle body rail 200.

In the above state, when a force for opening the door 10 is provided, one end portion of the moving arm 400 moves upward along the door rail 100 to apply a force for pushing the door 10. In the present process, the vehicle door 10 is moved in the lateral direction of the vehicle body 20 so that a gap is generated between the vehicle door 10 and the vehicle body 20.

Further, when an urging force is applied to the vehicle door 10 toward the distal end portion of the other side of the vehicle body rail 200, the other end portion of the moving arm 400 moves along the vehicle body rail 200 so that the vehicle door 10 can be slidably moved in a direction corresponding to the distal end portion to open the vehicle door 10.

Alternatively, when the door 10 is closed in the opened state, the door 10 and the moving arm 400 may be moved in the reverse order to close the door 10.

As described above, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, when the door 10 is opened, the moving arm 400 moves along the door rail 100 installed in the vertical direction to adjust the distance between the vehicle body 20 and the door 10. Therefore, since it is not necessary to dispose the rail in the front-rear direction of the door 10, the sliding door can be applied even to the door 10 in which the rail is difficult to be disposed due to a layout problem inside the door 10. Even for the front portion of the vehicle door 10 in which the roof side portion is formed in a curved shape rather than a linear shape in terms of design, the slide door can be applied.

Further, since the amount of lateral movement of the door 10 is determined according to the length of the moving arm 400, it is sufficient to ensure that the gap between the vehicle body 20 and the door 10 reaches a desired level when the door 10 is opened.

Further, fig. 3 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment in which a gear engagement structure inside the gear module 300 and a driving force of the motor M are supplied to the gear module 300 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The door rail 100 and the moving arm 400 are connected by a gear engagement structure so that the moving arm 400 moves vertically along the door rail 100.

For description with reference to the drawings, the rack 110 is provided at a middle portion of the door rail 100 along the door rail 100.

Further, the gear module 300 is connected to the rack 110 at one end of the moving arm 400 in a gear engagement structure, so as to form a structure that causes the gear module 300 to move vertically while rotating one end of the moving arm 400.

That is, when a force for opening the vehicle door 10 is supplied to the gear module 300, the gears in the gear module 300 are coupled to the rack 110 in a gear engagement structure, so that the gear module 300 vertically moves along the rack 110 and rotates the moving arm 400 coupled to the gear module 300.

To describe the configuration of the gear module 300 in detail, the gear module 300 includes: a module case 310, an outer driving gear 320, an outer driven gear 350, and an outer intermediate gear, the module case 310 being guided by the door rail 100 to slide vertically; the external drive gear 320 is axially coupled to the module case 310 and engaged with the rack 110; the driven external gear 350 is axially coupled to the module case 310 and fixed to one end of the moving arm 400; the intermediate external gear is axially coupled to the module case 310 and engaged between the driving external gear 320 and the driven external gear 350 to transmit the rotational force of the driving external gear 320 to the driven external gear 350.

For example, the module case 310 is formed in a shape covering a part of the front surface of the door rail 100. Rail grooves 313 are formed on both side surfaces of the door rail 100, and rail protrusions 316 inserted into the rail grooves 313 are formed at both sides of the module case 310 so that the module case 310 may be coupled to the door rail 100 to slidably move in a vertical direction thereof.

Further, in the module case 310, the external drive gear 320, the plurality of intermediate external gears, and the external driven gear 350 are axially coupled to both sides of the module case 310 and rotate, and the external gears are connected to each other in an external mesh structure.

That is, the driving external gear 320 is coupled to the lower end portion of the module case 310 in a meshing structure to be coupled to the rack 110, the first intermediate external gear 330 is externally meshed with the front side of the driving external gear 320, the second intermediate external gear 340 is externally meshed to the first intermediate external gear 330, and the driven external gear 350 is externally meshed upwardly to the second intermediate external gear 340.

Further, one end of the moving arm 400 is fixed to the driven external gear 350 so that the moving arm 400 rotates according to the rotation of the driven external gear 350.

In the present case, the externally meshed gear may be a gear having a shape in which two gears having different outer diameters coaxially overlap. This may be a shape that takes into account the transmission ratio between the externally meshed gears. Therefore, when the external gears satisfy the gear ratio required for the design, the external gears can each be formed in the shape of a simple pinion gear.

That is, referring to fig. 5, when the driving external gear 320 rotates in a clockwise direction and moves upward along the rack 110, the first intermediate external gear 330 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the second intermediate external gear 340 rotates in a clockwise direction, and the driven external gear 350 rotates in a counterclockwise direction.

Accordingly, the gear module 300 is moved upward, and at the same time, the moving arm 400 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, so that the door 10 is separated from the body 20. On the other hand, when the gear module 300 moves downward while the moving arm 400 rotates in the clockwise direction, the door 10 approaches the vehicle body 20.

Further, the operation of opening the door 10 from the body 20 may be achieved by a manual method or an automatic method.

That is, as described above, when the door 10 is manually pulled from the outside of the vehicle in a state where the door 10 is closed, the gear module 300 is moved upward while the moving arm 400 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction so that the door 10 can be opened from the vehicle body 20.

Also, when the door 10 is automatically opened, it may be configured to further include a motor M that supplies a driving force to the external drive gear 320.

As one illustrative example, as shown in fig. 3, a driving shaft of the motor M is coupled to a shaft of the external drive gear 320 so that the rotational force of the motor M is directly supplied to the external drive gear 320. Accordingly, the external gear 320 is driven to move along the rack 110, so that the moving arm 400 can rotate.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view illustrating another exemplary embodiment in which a driving force of a motor according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention is supplied to a gear module 300.

Referring to the drawing, the pulley is connected to a driving shaft of the motor M, and the module case 310 of the gear module 300 is coupled to an intermediate portion of the driving belt b. However, even in the present case, the structure of the external gear in the gear module 300 may be configured as shown in fig. 3.

That is, when the rotational force of the motor M is supplied to the pulley p to move the driving belt b, the module case 310 is vertically moved. Accordingly, the external drive gear 320 moves along the rack 110 so that the moving arm 400 can rotate.

Further, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the gear ratio between the rack gear 110 and the driven external gear 350 may be configured such that the moving arm 400 rotates from one end to the other end of the entire rotation section when the gear module 300 moves from one end to the other end of the entire vertical movement section.

That is, when the driving external gear 320 reaches from one end to the other end of the movement range, a gear ratio is configured between the gears engaged with each other such that the moving arm 400 reaches from one end to the other end of the rotation range according to the arrival of the driving external gear 320.

This can be expressed by the following equation.

Y＝aX

Y: gear ratio between rack and external drive gear

X: transmission ratio between the driven external gear and the second intermediate external gear

a: transmission ratio between the external drive gear and the second intermediate external gear

Meanwhile, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the door rail 100 may be mounted on an inner surface of the door frame 12, and the body rail 200 may be mounted on an outer surface of the pillar.

The vehicle body rail 200 may be installed in a curved shape along the a-pillar 22 or the C-pillar of the vehicle body 20, and the door rail 100 may be vertically disposed in a portion of the door frame 12 corresponding to the B-pillar 24 of the vehicle body 20.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view for describing a structure in which a roller part 410 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention is inserted into a vehicle body rail 200 to move.

Referring to the drawings, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a guide slit 210 is formed on a surface of the body rail 200 facing the door 10 in a longitudinal direction.

Further, one end of the roller portion 410 is coupled to the other end of the moving arm 400 at a ball joint structure 420.

Further, the middle portion of the roller portion 410 passes through the guide slit 210, so that the roller provided at the other end portion of the roller portion 410 is inserted into the vehicle body rail 200 and is guided to move along the vehicle body rail 200.

For example, the vehicle body rail 200 is formed in a rectangular sectional tube shape with a hollow inside, and the roller is rollingly moved in a state of being in contact with the inner surface of the vehicle body rail 200.

The center roller 412 may be provided at a center portion of the other end portion of the roller portion 410 to be rollingly moved while being in contact with the inner wall surface of the body rail 200 in the front-rear direction thereof. Further, side rollers 414 may be provided at both sides of the center roller 412 to be rollingly moved while being in contact with the inner wall surface of the vehicle body rail 200 in the vertical direction thereof.

That is, when a force moving in an opening direction of the door 10 is provided (a separate motor may be used) in a state where the door 10 is separated in a lateral direction of the vehicle body 20, the center roller 412 and the side rollers 414 may be in contact with an inner wall surface of the vehicle body rail 200 to be rollingly moved, so that the moving arm 400 may be moved along the vehicle body rail 200.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the axis of rotation of the center roller 412 is aligned perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the side rollers 414.

A spherical portion 413 is formed at one end of the roller portion 410, and a spherical groove portion 415 for receiving a sphere of the spherical portion 413 is formed at the other end of the moving arm 400, so that the spherical portion 413 and the spherical groove portion 415 are coupled in a spherical joint structure 420. Thus, when the moving arm 400 moves along the body rail 200, the bending movement of the other end portion of the moving arm 400 moving downward can be absorbed by the ball joint structure 420.

Therefore, the curved-shaped vehicle body rail 200 is installed in the front portion of the vehicle door 10 to which it is difficult in terms of design to apply a straight rail, and is configured to move the moving arm 400 along the vehicle body rail 200. Further, the slide door may be applied even to the front portion of the vehicle door 10.

Further, fig. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a twisted shape of the vehicle body rail 200 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The vehicle body rail 200 may be formed in a twisted shape in the longitudinal direction so that the opening direction of the guide slit 210 close to the B-pillar 24 may be formed to face the lower end portion of the door rail 100, and the opening direction of the guide slit 210 away from the B-pillar 24 may be formed to face the upper end portion of the door rail 100.

For example, when the sliding door is implemented in the front door portion, the body rail 200 is mounted in a built-in structure in a portion of the body 20 forming the a-pillar 22. The opening direction of the guide slit 210 is formed downward at the rear side of the vehicle body rail 200, so that the opening direction of the guide slit 210 is formed toward the lateral direction at the front side of the vehicle body rail 200 due to the twisted shape of the vehicle body rail 200.

That is, when the door 10 moves forward, the gear module 300 moves to the upper portion of the door rail 100 so that the position of one end portion of the moving arm 400 connected to the gear module 300 becomes gradually higher and the position of the other end portion of the moving arm 400 becomes gradually lower.

Thus, when the moving arm 400 moves forward along the body rail 200, the opening direction of the guide slit 210 is formed to face the gear module 300, so that the moving arm 400 moves smoothly along the body rail 200 without bending or damaging the moving arm 400.

As described above, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, when the door 10 is opened, the moving arm 400 moves along the door rail 100 installed in the vertical direction to adjust the distance between the vehicle body 20 and the door 10. Therefore, since it is not necessary to dispose the door rail 100 in the front-rear direction of the door 10, the sliding door can be applied even to the door 10 in which the rail is difficult to be disposed due to a layout problem inside the door 10. Even for the front portion of the vehicle door 10 in which the roof side portion is formed in a curved shape rather than a linear shape in terms of design, the slide door can be applied.

Further, since the amount of lateral movement of the door 10 is determined according to the length of the moving arm 400, it is sufficient to ensure that the clearance between the vehicle body 20 and the door 10 reaches a desired level when the door 10 is opened.

According to various aspects of the present invention, when the door is opened, the moving arm moves along the door rail installed in the vertical direction to adjust the distance between the vehicle body and the door, and since it is not necessary to arrange the door rail in the longitudinal direction of the door, there is an advantage in that the sliding door can be applied to a door in which it is difficult to arrange the rail due to a layout problem inside the door. Further, there is an advantage in that the sliding door can be applied even to the front portion of the vehicle door in which the roof side portion is formed in a curved shape rather than a linear shape in terms of design.

Further, since the amount of lateral movement of the door is determined according to the length of the moving arm, it is sufficient to ensure that the clearance between the vehicle body and the door reaches a desired level when the door is opened.

For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "upward", "downward", "upwardly", "downwardly", "front", "rear", "back", "inside", "outside", "inwardly", "outwardly", "inside", "outside", "inner", "outer", "forward" and "rearward" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures. It will be further understood that the term "connected," or derivatives thereof, refers to both direct and indirect connections.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiments disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and its practical application to enable others skilled in the art to make and use various exemplary embodiments of the invention, as well as alternatives and modifications thereof. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.