Patent ID: 7641261

Claim:
An apparatus for supporting a sliding door that moves between a closed position and a fully open position to selectively cover an opening in a vehicle, comprising: a track mounted along an exterior side of the vehicle and extending away from the opening to a remote end, the length of the track from the opening to the remote end being less than the distance traveled by the sliding door between the closed position and the fully open position; a door bracket for fixedly mounting to the sliding door, the door bracket having a slot extending substantially parallel to the track and having first and second ends; and a roller bracket having rollers received by the track and movable between a first position proximate the opening and a second position at the remote end of the track, wherein the roller bracket includes a pin slidably received in the slot to shift between the first and second ends of the slot; and wherein the door bracket includes a first retainer configured to pivotally retain the pin at the first end of the slot when the sliding door is at or moving out of or into its closed position, and a second retainer configured to retain the pin at the second end of the slot when the sliding door is in its fully open position.