Patent ID: 6840567

Claim:
A sliding door structure for a vehicle having a door opening extending from a side body panel of a vehicle body to a roof panel of the vehicle body, sliding door structure comprising: a sliding door slidably mounted on one side of a vehicle body for sliding movement in a lengthwise direction of the vehicle body between a closed position in said door opening and an opening position wherein said sliding door extends along an outer surface of said side body panel to fully expose said door opening and having a side portion in conformity in configuration with a side opening portion of the door opening and a roof portion in conformity in configuration with a roof opening portion of the door opening; and a guide mechanism for guiding said sliding movement of said sliding door, said guide mechanism putting said roof portion of said sliding door substantially flush with said roof panel in said closed position and causing said sliding door to shift and swing outward in a transverse direction of the vehicle body so that said roof of said sliding door completely comes out of said roof opening portion of the door opening and to travel rearward in said lengthwise direction at the beginning of opening operation of said sliding door from said closed position toward said closed position; said guide mechanism comprising: an upper slide guide assembly comprising a rear guide rail secured to a middle portion of said vehicle body in a vertical direction and a front slider slidably supported by said rear guide rail, so as to overlap said rear guide rail when said sliding door travels in said lengthwise direction; a swinging mechanism operationally connected between said front slider and said sliding door so as to cause said sliding door to swing laterally in said transverse direction when said sliding door travels in said lengthwise direction; and a base slide guide rail secured to said vehicle body and connecting for said sliding door to said vehicle body for slide movement of said sliding door relative to said vehicle door so that said base slide guide rail causes said sliding door to shift laterally in said transverse direction when said sliding door travels in said lengthwise direction.