Patent ID: 7774983

Claim:
A door opening device in a vehicle that includes a door pivotally supported by a hinge shaft disposed on a body of the vehicle, the device comprising: a connecting rod including an upper end and a lower end, said upper end being pivotally coupled to said door at a position spaced from the hinge shaft; a guide member fixed to the vehicle body such that a longitudinal axis of said guide member extends generally vertically, said guide member having a guide slit extending generally vertically, the guide member having a first side facing an inside of the vehicle and a second side facing an outside of the vehicle; a rack bar positioned at the first side of the guide member and including an engagement shaft that extends away from the rack bar in a first direction and engages in the guide slit of the guide member to enable the rack bar to move up and down along the guide slit, the rack bar comprising an upper end and a connecting portion at the upper end of the rack member, the connecting portion being bent at a right angle with respect to the upper end of the rack bar toward the inside of the vehicle, wherein the connecting portion extends away from the rack bar and said guide member in a second direction opposite to said first direction a connecting shaft having a longitudinal axis extending generally in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and connecting pivotally the lower end of the connecting rod to the upper end of the rack bar at the connecting portion of the rack bar; and a driving unit mounted on the second side of the guide member, and operable to drive said rack bar to move up and down thereby opening and closing said door via the connecting rod.