A vehicle door assembly includes a vehicle body structure, a first door, a second door and a support assembly. The vehicle body structure has a wall portion that defines a door opening. The support assembly is fixed to the wall portion proximate the door opening and has at least one pair of tracks with door support devices and a motorized door mechanism. The door support devices independently support the first door and the second door for movement along the at least one pair of tracks and the motorized door mechanism is configured to raise and lower the door support devices along with the first door and the second door from respective closed orientations covering corresponding sections of the door opening and open orientations exposing the corresponding sections of the door opening.

A door opening and closing apparatus includes a rail module including: a rail member extending along a front-and-rear direction; a drive device mounted on the rail member; and a supporting member coupled to a closing cable a part of which is wound around the rotating drum and that is hung on a closing inversion member and an opening cable a part of which is wound around the rotating drum and that is hung on an opening inversion member. The rail module is provided with the drive device fastened to an outside of a vehicle body such that a part of the drive device goes inside the vehicle body through an opening provided on the vehicle body. An outer diameter of the rotating drum of the drive device is made smaller than a maximum diameter of a deceleration mechanism for making the rotating drum rotate forward and backward.

A door opening and closing apparatus includes a rail module including: a rail member extending along a front-and-rear direction; a drive device mounted on the rail member; and a supporting member coupled to a closing cable a part of which is wound around the rotating drum and that is hung on a closing inversion member and an opening cable a part of which is wound around the rotating drum and that is hung on an opening inversion member. The rail module is provided with the drive device fastened to an outside of a vehicle body such that a part of the drive device goes inside the vehicle body through an opening provided on the vehicle body. An outer diameter of the rotating drum of the drive device is made smaller than a maximum diameter of a deceleration mechanism for making the rotating drum rotate forward and backward.

A tensioning assembly for winding a winding system includes a support bracket connectable to a fixed frame, a collar portion removably mountable onto a shaft of the winding system proximate to the support bracket, a ratchet wheel, and a pawl component. The collar portion is removably secured onto the shaft. The ratchet wheel is securely mounted onto the collar portion and is rotatable therewith. The ratchet wheel has a plurality of teeth and a plurality of corresponding recesses. The pawl component is operatively mountable on the support bracket and is moveable with respect to said support bracket, the pawl component having an extremity being positioned, shaped and sized with respect to at least one recess of the ratchet wheel for allowing rotation of the shaft along a winding direction, and for blocking rotation of the shaft along an unwinding direction.

A sliding tailgate includes a moving main body configured to be located on at least a portion of a rear surface of a vehicle, roof levers located at both side ends of a front portion of the moving main body and configured to be moved along roof rail units, tilting units configured to rotate the roof levers thereabout so as to tilt the front portion of the moving main body, rail units configured to be located on a vehicle body and coupled to roller units located at a rear end of the moving main body so as to provide a moving trajectory of the rear end of the moving main body, drive units located on the moving main body and configured to apply driving force to the roller units, and a controller configured to receive a request for opening the moving main body.

A sliding tailgate includes a moving main body configured to be located on at least a portion of a rear surface of a vehicle, roof levers located at both side ends of a front portion of the moving main body and configured to be moved along roof rail units, tilting units configured to rotate the roof levers thereabout so as to tilt the front portion of the moving main body, rail units configured to be located on a vehicle body and coupled to roller units located at a rear end of the moving main body so as to provide a moving trajectory of the rear end of the moving main body, drive units located on the moving main body and configured to apply driving force to the roller units, and a controller configured to receive a request for opening the moving main body.

An illustrative folding tailgate for an automotive vehicle includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion that are rotatably connected to one another. A first latch may be attached to the first wall portion and configured to engage with a complementary latch part at a first portion of a vehicle to lock the tailgate in a closed position. A guide member may be attached to the first wall portion and configured to move along a rail disposed at a rear of the automotive vehicle, the guide member configured to move along the rail in a manner constrained by the rail. A rotatable connection mechanism may be attached to the second wall portion and configured to attach to a second portion of a vehicle. The tailgate may be configured to open and close via folding movement of the first and second wall portions relative to one another.

An illustrative folding tailgate for an automotive vehicle includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion that are rotatably connected to one another. A first latch may be attached to the first wall portion and configured to engage with a complementary latch part at a first portion of a vehicle to lock the tailgate in a closed position. A guide member may be attached to the first wall portion and configured to move along a rail disposed at a rear of the automotive vehicle, the guide member configured to move along the rail in a manner constrained by the rail. A rotatable connection mechanism may be attached to the second wall portion and configured to attach to a second portion of a vehicle. The tailgate may be configured to open and close via folding movement of the first and second wall portions relative to one another.

A vehicle may include a frame structure, a body mounted to the frame structure, and a door structure defining a first side segment defining a portion of a first side of the vehicle, a second side segment defining a portion of a second side of the vehicle opposite the first side, and a roof segment extending from the first side segment to the second side segment and defining a portion of a top of the vehicle. The vehicle may also include a door mechanism coupled to the door structure and configured to move the door structure between a closed position and an open position, relative to the body.

A vehicle may include a frame structure, a body mounted to the frame structure, and a door structure defining a first side segment defining a portion of a first side of the vehicle, a second side segment defining a portion of a second side of the vehicle opposite the first side, and a roof segment extending from the first side segment to the second side segment and defining a portion of a top of the vehicle. The vehicle may also include a door mechanism coupled to the door structure and configured to move the door structure between a closed position and an open position, relative to the body.