Patent ID: 7438346

Claim:
A vehicle, comprising: a door frame alongside a position in a passenger compartment of the vehicle normally occupied by an occupant of the vehicle; a door having a first, closed position arranged in said door frame and a second, fully open position outside of said door frame; a door check mechanism which enables said door to be moved from said first position to said second position and from said first position to any one of a plurality of different open positions between said first position and said second position, said door check mechanism comprising a motor arranged to move said door from said first position to said second position and from said first position to any of the plurality of different open positions between said first position and said second position before said door reaches said second position; control means for controlling said motor to initiate an opening movement of said door from said first position and stop said opening movement of said door before said door reaches said second position when said door is in any one of the different open positions between said first position and said second position and maintain said door in said stopped position in the absence of applied force to hold said door in said stopped position; lever means coupled to said door; and rotation means coupled to said motor and said lever means for enabling said motor to cause said lever means to exert a force on said door in order to cause said door to open or close, said rotation means comprising a gear engaging with said motor and a shaft arranged to be rotated by said gear, said lever means comprising lever arms coupled to said shaft and arranged to exert a force on said door upon rotation of said shaft in order to cause said door to open and close.