Patent ID: 8857889

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a body defining a door opening; a door assembly pivotably attached to the body and moveable along a swing path between a fully closed position sealing the door opening, and a fully opened position; and a door check system interconnecting the body and the door assembly and configured for securing the door assembly relative to the body at any position of the door assembly along the swing path of the door assembly, wherein the door check system includes: a rod having a length and interconnecting the door assembly and the body; a coil spring coiled around an outer periphery of the rod, wherein the coil spring includes a first axial end and a second axial end spaced from each other along the length of the rod; a plate rotatable about an axis, with the first axial end of the coil spring and the second axial end of the coil spring attached to the plate; and an actuator coupled to the coil spring and operable to contract coils of the coil spring against the rod to tighten the coil spring against the rod, and wherein the actuator is operable to expand the coils of the coil spring to loosen the coil spring about the rod; wherein the actuator is coupled to the plate and configured to rotate the plate about the axis in both a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, wherein rotation of the plate in the first rotational direction tightens the coil spring against the rod to secure the rod relative to the coil spring and prevent movement of the door assembly relative to the body, and wherein rotation of the plate in the second rotational direction loosens the coil spring about the rod to allow the rod to move relative to the coil spring and allow the door assembly to move relative to the body.