Door for vehicles including airplanes

Claim 1

A VERTICALLY OPENING DOOR FOR AN OPENING IN A VEHICLE BODY INCLUDING AIRCRAFT, COMPRISING: AT LEAST A PAIR OF BODY CONFORMING DOOR PANELS HAVING UPPER AND LOWER EDGES, ONE PANEL BEING HINGED ALONG ITS UPPER EDGE TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE ALONG AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BODY, THE SECOND PANEL BEING HINGED TO THE FIRST-MENTIONED PANEL ALONG A SECOND HINGE AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE FIRST-MENTIONED HINGE, THE SECOND PANEL HAVING A FREE LOWER EDGE OPPOSITELY DISPOSED FROM THE SECOND-MENTIONED HINGE AXIS, SAID SECOND-MENTIONED HINGE AXIS BEING LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE BOTTOM AND TOP EDGES OF THE FIRST-MENTIONED PANEL AT A PREDETERMINED POSITION, THE DISTANCE FROM THE SECOND-MENTIONED HINGE AXIS TO THE HINGED EDGE OF THE FIRST-MENTIONED PANEL WITH THE BODY BEING LESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SECONDMENTIONED HINGE AXIS AND THE FREE EDGE OF THE SECONDMENTONED PANEL, PERMITTING SWINGING OF THE PANELS AT THE SECOND-MENTIONED HINGE AXIS BETWEEN SAID PANELS THROUGH AN ARC TOWARD THE CENTER LONGITUDINAL AXIS AT THE TOP OF THE VEHICLE UNTIL SAID SECOND-MENTIONED HINGE AXIS PASSES THROUGH A DEAD CENTER POSITION WHEREBY SAID DOOR PANELS WILL BE MAINTAINED IN FULLY OPENED POSITION, AND A GUIDING MEANS AT EACH SIDE EDGE OF THE OPENING, GUIDE ENGAGING MEANS ON EACH SIDE EDGE OF THE SECONDMENTIONED PANEL, SAID GUIDE ENGAGING MEANS BEING IN CONTINUOUS SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GUIDING MEANS TO SECURE THE SECOND-MENTIONED PANEL IN THE OPENING WHEN IN OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION IN RELATION TO SAID OPENING.