Hyundai Develops Sliding/Gullwing Door System

Hyundai Motor Co. has filed an application with the U.S. Patent Office for a vehicle door that can open upward like a gullwing unit or slide sideways like a minivan door.

The carmaker, which received a patent for the design in Korea in 2014, envisions the system being used in recreational vehicles. It notes that the dual-mode system would allow greater access to rear seats and storage when operating as a gullwing door, but also would enable the door to slide open if there isn’t enough room to swing it up.

The unique design teams upper, intermediate and lower rails for the door to slide on with an upper hinge to accommodate the gullwing mechanism. The patent application, including several detailed drawings, can be viewed here.