Patent ID: 7980621
Filing Date: 2011-07-19
Classification: E05C,E05D,E05Y

Abstract:
1. A vehicle rear door articulating mechanism comprising: at least one articulating hinge assembly including: at least one hinge arm pivotally mounted to a vehicle C-pillar at one end thereof via a C-pillar hinge mount and pivotally mounted to a vehicle rear door at another end thereof via a door hinge mount, said hinge arm including a generally J-shaped profile between said ends thereof for permitting articulation of the vehicle rear door up to approximately 180° from a rear door closed position, said door hinge mount including a door stop engageable with a stop surface on said hinge arm for limiting pivotal movement of the vehicle rear door, wherein the at least one articulating hinge assembly comprises an upper hinge assembly and a lower hinge assembly and the at least one hinge arm comprises an upper hinge arm and a lower hinge arm, and wherein the articulating mechanism further comprises a tie-bar connected to the upper and lower hinge arms for thereby providing rigidity for simultaneous operation of the upper and lower hinge assemblies, and further comprising at least one member extending generally perpendicular to the tie-bar and at least one door check strap pivotally connected to said tie-bar via the at least one member.