Patent ID: 8353555

Claim:
A sliding door mechanism for a vehicle arranged to move a door from a door opening provided in a vehicle side body structure from a closed position to an open position, the sliding door mechanism comprising: an upper slide rail and a lower slide rail fixed to the vehicle side body structure; an upper slider associated with the upper rail and movable along the upper rail and a lower slider associated with the lower rail and movable along the lower rail; an upper link assembly operatively connected to the vehicle door and the upper slider; and a lower link assembly operatively connected to the vehicle door and the lower slider, wherein at least one link assembly of the upper link assembly and lower link assembly is configured to vary a moment of force about a pivot while moving the vehicle door between the closed position and the open position, the moment of force being one of an opening moment and a closing moment and being dependent on a position of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle side body structure, the at least one link assembly being configured such that the moment of force is substantially zero between when the vehicle door moves between the closed position and the open position.