US3713690A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle body box equipped with at least one sliding door
Assignee: RAMSEIER AND JENZER AG
•
Filing: 1971-05-17
•
Granted: 1973-01-30
•
Expires: 1991-05-17
Abstract
Abstract A box construction for a vehicle equipped with at least one sliding door which when in its closed position is located in the same plane as a stationary wall located adjacent thereto or as a second sliding door which when in its closed position is similarly located adjacent thereto. The invention contemplates the provision of a mechanism for each sliding door and cooperating with stationary components of the vehicle box and serving to permit displacement of such sliding door out of its closed position, while simultaneously lowering same through an amount greater than its thickness, into a preparatory position. When the sliding door is in such preparatory position, then, displaceable traveling rollers mounted at the sliding door and located over such sliding door bear in freely suspended fashion upon a stationary linear rail located at the edge of the roof of the vehicle box, and the aforesaid mechanism enables the sliding door to again be raised out of its preparatory position and placed back into its closed position.
Inventors
- 👤 L Knothe
- 👤 E Loeblein
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 14:15
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60J; B60J5/00; B60J5/04; B60J5/06; B60J5/062
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
331 words
A box construction for a vehicle equipped with a vehicle box and at least one sliding door which when in its closed position is located in the same plane as a stationary wall located adjacent thereto or in the same position as a second sliding door which when in its closed position is similarly located adjacent thereto, the improvement comprising means provided for each sliding door for displacement of such sliding door out of its closed position, while simultaneously lowering same through an amount greater then its thickness, into a preparatory position, displaceable traveling rollers mounted at the sliding door and located over such sliding door, stationary linear rail means positioned at the region of an edge of the roof of the vehicle box for cooperating with said traveling rollers, said displaceable traveling rollers bearing in freely suspended fashion upon said stationary linear rail means when said sliding door is in said preparatory position, and said means further enabling said sliding door to again be raised out of said preparatory position and placed back into said closed position, said means provided for each sliding door comprising a shaft arrangement, means for rotatably and non-displaceably mounting said shaft arrangement at the lower edge of the sliding door, actuation means with which said shaft arrangement cooperates, a number of support arms attached to said shaft arrangement, each of said support arms being provided with a free end portion, a bottom edge profile element located at the vehicle box at the region of the lower edge of the sliding door, a counter support means provided for each support arm and mounted at said bottom edge profile element, each said counter support means possessing a trough containing a support surface, said free end portion of each support arm bearing upon the support surface of each associated counter support means when the sliding door is in its closed position and during movement of said sliding door into its preparatory position and back into its closed position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
331 words
A box construction for a vehicle equipped with a vehicle box and at least one sliding door which when in its closed position is located in the same plane as a stationary wall located adjacent thereto or in the same position as a second sliding door which when in its closed position is similarly located adjacent thereto, the improvement comprising means provided for each sliding door for displacement of such sliding door out of its closed position, while simultaneously lowering same through an amount greater then its thickness, into a preparatory position, displaceable traveling rollers mounted at the sliding door and located over such sliding door, stationary linear rail means positioned at the region of an edge of the roof of the vehicle box for cooperating with said traveling rollers, said displaceable traveling rollers bearing in freely suspended fashion upon said stationary linear rail means when said sliding door is in said preparatory position, and said means further enabling said sliding door to again be raised out of said preparatory position and placed back into said closed position, said means provided for each sliding door comprising a shaft arrangement, means for rotatably and non-displaceably mounting said shaft arrangement at the lower edge of the sliding door, actuation means with which said shaft arrangement cooperates, a number of support arms attached to said shaft arrangement, each of said support arms being provided with a free end portion, a bottom edge profile element located at the vehicle box at the region of the lower edge of the sliding door, a counter support means provided for each support arm and mounted at said bottom edge profile element, each said counter support means possessing a trough containing a support surface, said free end portion of each support arm bearing upon the support surface of each associated counter support means when the sliding door is in its closed position and during movement of said sliding door into its preparatory position and back into its closed position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
331 words
A box construction for a vehicle equipped with a vehicle box and at least one sliding door which when in its closed position is located in the same plane as a stationary wall located adjacent thereto or in the same position as a second sliding door which when in its closed position is similarly located adjacent thereto, the improvement comprising means provided for each sliding door for displacement of such sliding door out of its closed position, while simultaneously lowering same through an amount greater then its thickness, into a preparatory position, displaceable traveling rollers mounted at the sliding door and located over such sliding door, stationary linear rail means positioned at the region of an edge of the roof of the vehicle box for cooperating with said traveling rollers, said displaceable traveling rollers bearing in freely suspended fashion upon said stationary linear rail means when said sliding door is in said preparatory position, and said means further enabling said sliding door to again be raised out of said preparatory position and placed back into said closed position, said means provided for each sliding door comprising a shaft arrangement, means for rotatably and non-displaceably mounting said shaft arrangement at the lower edge of the sliding door, actuation means with which said shaft arrangement cooperates, a number of support arms attached to said shaft arrangement, each of said support arms being provided with a free end portion, a bottom edge profile element located at the vehicle box at the region of the lower edge of the sliding door, a counter support means provided for each support arm and mounted at said bottom edge profile element, each said counter support means possessing a trough containing a support surface, said free end portion of each support arm bearing upon the support surface of each associated counter support means when the sliding door is in its closed position and during movement of said sliding door into its preparatory position and back into its closed position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
331 words
A box construction for a vehicle equipped with a vehicle box and at least one sliding door which when in its closed position is located in the same plane as a stationary wall located adjacent thereto or in the same position as a second sliding door which when in its closed position is similarly located adjacent thereto, the improvement comprising means provided for each sliding door for displacement of such sliding door out of its closed position, while simultaneously lowering same through an amount greater then its thickness, into a preparatory position, displaceable traveling rollers mounted at the sliding door and located over such sliding door, stationary linear rail means positioned at the region of an edge of the roof of the vehicle box for cooperating with said traveling rollers, said displaceable traveling rollers bearing in freely suspended fashion upon said stationary linear rail means when said sliding door is in said preparatory position, and said means further enabling said sliding door to again be raised out of said preparatory position and placed back into said closed position, said means provided for each sliding door comprising a shaft arrangement, means for rotatably and non-displaceably mounting said shaft arrangement at the lower edge of the sliding door, actuation means with which said shaft arrangement cooperates, a number of support arms attached to said shaft arrangement, each of said support arms being provided with a free end portion, a bottom edge profile element located at the vehicle box at the region of the lower edge of the sliding door, a counter support means provided for each support arm and mounted at said bottom edge profile element, each said counter support means possessing a trough containing a support surface, said free end portion of each support arm bearing upon the support surface of each associated counter support means when the sliding door is in its closed position and during movement of said sliding door into its preparatory position and back into its closed position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The vehicle box as defined in claim 1, wherein each free end portion of each support arm possesses a substantially cylindrical construction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
75 words
The vehicle box as defined in claim 1, wherein said shaft arrangement is arranged at said sliding door and said counter support means are arranged at said bottom edge profile element in such a manner that at the location of the closed position of the sliding door during displacement of such sliding door from said closed position into the preparatory position, and vice versa, there is traversed by said support arms an upper dead-center position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
212 words
The vehicle box as defined in claim 1, further including a vehicle framework, wherein said linear rail means is formed from a roof edge profile element located at the upper edge of the sliding door and having a lower inwardly directed first portion, said roof edge profile element being continuous along the upper edge of said sliding door and forming a supporting portion of the vehicle fraMework, said roof edge profile element further possessing a second inclined portion which is inclined in accommodation to the average inclination of the path along which the axis of rotation of said shaft arrangement moves during displacement between said closing position and said preparatory position, said roof edge profile element further possessing a third vertically extending portion, guide element means secured to said roof edge profile element, said guide element means having guide surfaces which partially extend parallel to said second portion of said roof edge profile member, support elements mounted at the upper edge of the sliding door, each of said support elements carrying at least one of said displaceable traveling rollers as well as a guide roller, said guide roller cooperating with said second portion of said roof edge profile element as well as with said guide surfaces of the associated guide element means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
The vehicle box as defined in claim 4, wherein each counter support means further comprises a pair of centering surface means located to each side of said slide surface and neighboring such slide surface, said centering surfaces being inclined both in the displacement direction of the sliding door as well as in the transverse direction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
90 words
The vehicle box as defined in claim 1, wherein each counter support means is equipped with a slide surface which extends from the associated support surface towards the interior of the vehicle box and is upwardly inclined, said free end portion of each support arm having a thickened cylindrical configuration and at the beginning of its rotation, during movement of the sliding door from its preparatory position into the closing position, such cylindrical end portion initially slides upon such sliding surface and thereafter comes to bear upon the support surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-30 | 1976-07-31 | 1977-01-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-30 | 1980-07-31 | 1981-01-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-30 | 1984-07-31 | 1985-01-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |