[0001] This invention relates to a handle for motorcar doors.
[0002] From a certain time till now there have been manufactured outer handles for motorcar
doors, which are mounted in such a manner as to result in being disposed substantially
in alignment with the outer surface of the motorcar body. In order to allow grasping
the handle, the outer surface of the body is provided with a pocket disposed adjacent
the handle.
[0003] Such pocket give rise to disadvantages from the point of view of the aerodynamic
characteristics of the motorcar and the noise produced by this latter, especially
in the case of high performance motorcars.
[0004] To obviate such disadvantages there have been proposed handles disposed substantually
in alignment with the outer surface of the motor body which are provided with a plate
mounted in register with the pocket formed adjacent the handle, which plate is movable
between a first position, in which it is disposed in alignment with the outer surface
of the motorcar body and covers the said pocket, and a second position in which the
plate is withdrawn into the interior of the pocket so as to allow grasping the handle,
said plate also being provided with elastic means tending to push it towards its first
position.
[0005] Thanks to this characteristic, during the travel of the motorcar the outer surface
of the motorcar body does not present any cavities which may alter the aerodynamic
characteristics of the motorcar or increase the nois of this latter.
[0006] When it is necessary to actuate the handle, a hand is introduced into the pocket
disposed adjacent the handle to push the said plate towards its position retracted
into the interior of the pocket
[0007] The elastic means with which the said plate is provided make this latter return to
its first position in which it covers the said pocket, as soon as the hand is withdrawn
from this latter.
[0008] However, this technical solution has some disadvantages. First of all, as the plate
is pushed into the interior of the pocket the elastic means with which this plate
is provided keep it pressed against the hand thus rendering difficult the grasping
of the handle; furthermore, it is necessary for the pocket to be rather deep, since,
as the plate is pressed, the handle remains stationary and therefore it is necessary
to introduce the hand to a sufficient depth for being able to grasp the handle.
[0009] This involves also the disadvantage consisting in the inner overall dimensions of
the unit, which hinder the opera- ion of aligning the slidable glass of the window
with the surface of the body.
[0010] The object of the invention is to provide a unit which will improve the manoeuvre
of grasping the handle, reducing, at the same time, the overall dimensions of the
pocket and avoiding the necessity to maintain the plate pressed against the fingers
of the hand during the actuation of the handle.
[0011] To attain this and other objects which will be clearly apparent from the following
description, the invention proposes the provision of a motorcar door handle disposed
substantially aligned with the outer surface of the door in register with a pocket
formed to allow grasping the handle hinged on the door and provided with means for
releasing this fatter, while a plate, also hinged on the door, is mounted in register
with the pocket and adjacent the handle, and is movable between a first position,
in which it is disposed in alignment with the outer surface of the motorcar body and
covers the pocket, and a second position, in which it is withdrawn in the interior
of the pocket so as to allow grasping the handle, characterized in that there are
provided first elastic means which ensure the stability of said extreme positions
of the plate, as well as projections of the plate arranged to cooperate with the handle
and such as to impart to the handle, at the outside, an initial rotation during the
displacement of the plate towards the said second position, further elastic means,
connected to the handle and arranged to overcome the counteraction of the first elastic
means, being provided for returning the handle and the plate to the respective positions
aligned with. the surface of the door as the handle is being released.
[0012] The invention will now be described with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a front view of the handle unit according to the present invention,
Figure 2 is a rear view of the unit shown in Fig. 1,
Figure 3 is a sectional view along line III-III of Fig. 2,
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views along line IV-IV of Fig. 2 in three different
working stages, respectively, and
Figure 7 is a sectional view along line VII-VII of Fig. 2.
[0013] Handle 10 comprises a stationary portion 11, in which there is disposed a lock 12,
and a movable portion 13 formed by a plate pivotably mounted, at the upper part thereof,
about a horizontal axis 14.
[0014] The axis 14 of the plate 13 is anchored on a body 15 which delimits the pocket containing
the handle unit and is fixed at 16 to the sheet 17 of the side of the door, in register
with an ear 18 of the sheet 17, bent towards the interior of the space containing
the handle, and, moreover, is hooked at 33 to the sheet 17 by a overturned portion
34 by means of a shelf 35 formed on the body 3
5, the whole being visible in Fig: 7.
[0015] Rigidly connected to the plate 13 is a bracket 19 mounted slidable within a space
23 of the body 15 and provided with a slot 10 containing the bar 21 for releasing
the door. Furthermore, wound on the axis 14 are springs 22 whose ends 24 and 25 exert
a pressure onto the body 15 and the plate 13, respectively.
[0016] A second plate 26, positioned below the first plate, is provided with arms 27 hinged
at 28 to the body 15 beyond which they exted by means of teeth 29.
[0017] Second springs 30 have their ends 31 reaching the body 15, whiles their second end
32 is fixed to the arm 27 of the plate 26.
[0018] When it is necessary to open the door, with the handle 10 normally disposed in the
position shown in Fig. 4, the lower plate 26 is pushed by means of the fingers of
a hand, which plate, counteracting the force of the spring 30, rotates inside the
pocket till it reaches the position shown in Fig. 5. At the same time, the teeth 29
exert a pressure onto the handle 10 making it partially rotate towards the ouside,
as shown in Fig. 5. In this situation, moreover, the plate 26 will result in being
locked in the position shown in Fig. 5, inasmuch as the ends 32 of the springs 30,
which act onto the arms 27, will result in being positioned beyond the ideal straight
line which passes through the pivoting point of the said arms and the engagement point
of springs 30 themselves, and accordingly the plate 26 will be maintained in striking
position against the body 15, as can be seen from Fig. 5.
[0019] It will now be easy for the user to grasp the handle 10 , which has automatically
rotated slightly towards the outside, not having even any pressure exerted onto the
fingers by the plate, which is stationary now.
[0020] By further rotating the handle 10 until it attains the position shown in Fig. 6,
an action will be exerted onto the bar 21 which releases the door, thus allowing this
latter to be opened.
[0021] When the handle 10 is released, this latter, pushed by the springs 22, will return
first to the position shown in Fig. 5 and thet to that shown in Fig. 4.
[0022] This is obtained by simply providing a load of the springs 22 which is higher that
the load of the springs 30; in this way, in fact, when the handle
10 will have returned to the intermediate position shown in Fig.5, by pressing the
tooth 29 of the arms 27, the springs 22 will overcome the force exerted by the springs
30 and will allow the plate 13 to continue the rotation until it reaches the rest
position shown in Fig. 4, thus making return to this position also the lower plate
26.
1.-A motorcar door handle disposed substantially aligned with the outer surface of
the door in register with a pocket formed to allow grasping the handle hinged on the
door and provided with means for releasing this latter, whilst a plate, also hinged
on the door, is mounted in register with the pocket and adjacent the handle, and is
movable between a first position, in which it is disposed in alignment with the outer
surface of the motorcar body and covers the pocket, and a second position, in which
it is withdrawn in the interior of the pocket so-as allow grasping the handle, characterized
in that there are provided first elastic means which ensure the stability of said
extreme positions of the plate, as well as projections of the plate arranged to cooperate
with the handle and such as to impart to the handle, on the outside, an initial rotation
during the displacement of the plate towards the said second position, further elastic
means, connected to the handle and arranged to overcome the counteraction of the first
elastic means, being provided for returning the handle and the plate to the respective
positions aligned with the surface of the door as the handle is being released.
2.-A handle as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the plate is provided with
arms which are hinged to the door within the pocket and extend beyond the hinging
point by means of said projections intended to assume a position in striking relationship
against the handle and to push it outwards during the rotation of the plate towerds
the interior of the pocket
3.-A handle as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the first elastic means are
formed by springs which maintain the plate alternately in the two extreme positions
after they have passed an intermediate position laying on the traight line joining
the fixing point of the springs with hinging point of the arms of the plate.
4.-A handle as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the second elastic means
directly act onto the handle to bring it back to the position of alignment with the
surface of the door and have a load higher than that of the said first elasting means
which act onto the plate.