Abstract

A door operator for a slide door that is slidingly supported relative to a door opening in a side panel of a vehicle body is disclosed. The door is supported adjacent its forward end on at least one forward guide member and is supported adjacent its rear end on a rear guide member. The guide members guide the door through (i) an initial closing movement generally parallel to the side panel, (ii) a final closing movement generally parallel to the side panel, (iii) at least a portion of its final closing movement generally toward the plane of the door opening, and (iv) at least a portion of its initial opening movement generally away from the plane of the door opening. The door operator comprises means including a cable member coupled to the rear end of the door for driving the door along the guide members to thereby move the door through its initial and final opening and closing movements. When used as part of a system, the powered sliding door operating system also includes a clamping means including a rotatable striker plate mounted on the vehicle body and having an eccentrically mounted striker pin thereon engagable by a latch bolt member on the door for clamping the door to the vehicle body with the door in a finally closed position in the door opening.