Door sealing and timing mechanism for use in coach door configuration for a vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle includes a body having an uninterrupted side aperture that provides access to an interior passenger cabin. A front door is hingedly attached at a forward edge of the uninterrupted side aperture. The front door is selectively operable between front open and front closed positions. A rear door is hingedly attached at a rearward edge of the uninterrupted side aperture. The rear door is selectively operable between rear open and rear closed positions. A latching assembly is at least partially positioned within the body and configured to receive the front door in the front closed position and the rear door in the rear closed position. A sealing assembly is defined between a forward seal of the rear door and a rearward seal of the front door. The forward and rearward seals engage one another in a fully-closed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for operating coach-style doors for a vehicle, the method comprising steps of:
 unlocking, via a controller, a front door that overlaps a rear door in a closed position, wherein the front and rear doors are disposed within a single access aperture of a frame for the vehicle in the closed position;   moving, via the controller, the front door to a rear door clear position wherein the rear door is unobstructed by the front door;   unlocking the rear door via the controller; and   moving the rear door to a rear door open position to provide access to a passenger cabin for the vehicle via the single access aperture.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of unlocking the front door also includes unlatching the front door from the frame. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of unlocking the rear door also includes unlatching the front door from the rear door. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the front door in the rear door clear position remains within the single access aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of moving the rear door to the rear door open position includes operating the rear door via the controller. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein after the rear door is moved to the rear door open position, the front door is moved from the rear door clear position to a front door closed position. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein when the rear door is moved toward a rear door closed position, the front door is moved from the front door closed position to the rear door clear position. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 moving the rear door to a rear door closed position within the single access aperture;   locking the rear door via the controller;   moving the front door, via the controller, from the rear door clear position to a front door closed position; and   locking the front door via the controller.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of locking the front door via the controller includes latching the front door to the frame. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of locking the front door via the controller also includes latching the front door to the rear door. 
     
     
         11 . A method for operating a rear door of coach-style doors for a vehicle, the method comprising steps of:
 unlocking, via a controller, the rear door, wherein a front door and the rear door of the coach-style doors are in a non-overlapping configuration within a single access aperture of a frame for the vehicle in a closed position;   unlatching the rear door relative to the frame;   unlatching the rear door relative to the front door when the front door is in a front door closed position; and   moving the rear door to a rear door open position to provide access to a passenger cabin for the vehicle via the single access aperture.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of unlatching the rear door includes disengaging a latching assembly that extends between the front door and the rear door. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of moving the rear door to the rear door open position includes moving the rear door via the controller. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising steps of:
 moving the rear door to a rear door closed position;   latching the rear door, via the controller, relative to the frame;   determining whether the front door is in the front door closed position;   latching the rear door, via the controller, relative to the front door when the front door is in the front door closed position; and   locking the rear door via the controller.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of latching the rear door relative to the front door includes engaging a latching assembly that extends between the front door and the rear door. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of disengaging the latching assembly includes disengaging a sealing assembly that is disposed between the front door and the rear door. 
     
     
         17 . A method for operating a front door of coach-style doors for a vehicle, the method comprising steps of:
 unlocking, via a controller, the front door, wherein the front door and a rear door of the coach-style doors are in a non-overlapping configuration within a single access aperture of a frame for the vehicle in a closed position;   unlatching the front door relative to the frame;   unlatching the front door relative to the rear door when the rear door is in a rear door closed position;   unsealing the front door relative to the rear door when the rear door is in the rear door closed position; and   moving the front door to a front door open position to provide access to a passenger cabin for the vehicle via the single access aperture.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of unsealing the front door relative to the rear door includes operating a magnetic sealing assembly to an actuated position that is repelled from a gap defined between the front door and the rear door. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of unsealing the front door relative to the rear door includes operating a mechanical sealing assembly to an actuated position that is moved away from a gap defined between the front door and the rear door. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of unlatching the front door relative to the rear door and the step of unsealing the front door relative to the rear door are performed as sequential steps.