Vehicle door handle

Abstract

 A handle (8) for a vehicle door (1), having a structure (9) which is fitted to the door (1) and supports a device (15) for manually controlling an electric lock of the door (1); the device (15) having a pushbutton switch (17), and a single, elastically deformable, elongated activating body (28), which acts directly on the switch (17), is formed in one piece from plastic material, and has opposite end portions (27) connected to the structure (9) to rotate, with respect to the structure (9), about respective instantaneous axes (33) movable crosswise to themselves.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle door handle.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates in particular, but not exclusively, to a handle for a vehicle luggage compartment door, and of the type comprising a rigid structure fitted to the vehicle door and supporting a device for controlling an electric door lock.

[0003] Known control devices normally comprise a pushbutton switch; and a push element fitted in sliding manner to the rigid structure, and which is moved manually by the user into a forward switching position to activate the pushbutton switch, and is maintained in a withdrawn rest position detached from the pushbutton switch by one or more elastic reaction elements, normally metal springs, separate from both the push element and the structure.

[0004] Though used, known handles have the disadvantage of being fairly expensive, by comprising a large number of components and being fairly complicated to manufacture and assemble.

[0005] Moreover, some known solutions are only used on a very limited scale, on account of the push element only being movable into the forward switching position by acting on a given point of the device - an inconvenience which is rarely acceptable, especially by more demanding users.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle door handle designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, and which, in particular, is straightforward and cheap to produce and provides for a high degree of reliability and efficiency.

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a handle for a vehicle door having an electric lock; the handle comprising a structure fitted to the door, and a device, carried by said structure, for controlling said electric lock; the device comprising a pushbutton switch, and manual operating means for manually operating the pushbutton switch; characterized in that said manual operating means comprise a single elongated body at least partially deformable elastically and which acts directly on said pushbutton switch; relatively-movable means being provided to fit said elongated body to said structure.

[0008] A non-limiting embodiment of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front view, with parts removed for clarity, of a preferred embodiment of the handle according to the present invention, as fitted to a partially illustrated vehicle door;

Figure 2 shows a partial view in the direction of arrow A in Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a larger-scale section, with parts removed for clarity, along line III-III in Figure 1.

[0009] Number 1 in the accompanying drawings indicates as a whole a vehicle door, the body 2 of which comprises a hollow portion 3 defining a cavity 4 (Figure 3), which communicates externally through a first opening 5, and with the inside of door 1 through an elongated second opening 6 coaxial with an axis 7.

[0010] Door 1 is fitted in known manner (not described in detail) with a handle 8 comprising a structure 9, a flared hollow portion 10 of which extends inside cavity 4 through opening 5, and a peripheral flange portion 10' of which extends outside body 2 to close the gap defined by portions 3 and 10.

[0011] Portion 10 comprises a flat lateral wall 11 facing the portion of body 2 in which opening 6 is formed, and in turn comprising two longitudinal portions 12 facing each other and parallel to axis 7, and two transverse portions 13 facing each other, extending perpendicularly to axis 7, and defining, together with longitudinal portions 12, a rectangular opening 14 extending at opening 6 (Figure 3).

[0012] Wall 11 is fitted integrally with a bracket 16, which extends inside door 1 through opening 6 and supports a known pushbutton switch 17 forming part of a device 15 for controlling a known electric lock (not shown) of door 1. Switch 17 is located, in use, inside door 1, and has a respective axis 18, which is coincident with an activating direction of switch 17, extends perpendicularly to axis 7, and is substantially equidistant from transverse portions 13 and from longitudinal portions 12. More specifically, bracket 16 defines a click-in seat 19 for switch 17, which is clicked into seat 19 through a lateral opening 20. Inside seat 19, switch 17 is maintained in a fixed position by a pair of pins 22, which extend inside seat 19 perpendicularly to axes 7 and 18, and each engage a respective through hole 23 in switch 17.

[0013] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, structure 9 also comprises, for each transverse portion 13, a pair of facing elastic walls 25 integral with respective portion 13 and extending parallel to and on opposite sides of a plane containing axes 7 and 18.

[0014] Walls 25 in each pair define a respective seat 26 for a respective end portion 27 of an elongated body 28 made of plastic material and forming part of device 15. Body 28 is of a length, measured parallel to axis 7, substantially equal to the length of opening 14 measured in the same direction, and also comprises an elongated intermediate portion 29 extending at opening 14 and detached from wall 11, and which, in use, cooperates directly with, to operate or activate, switch 17.

[0015] Each portion 27 of body 28 is connected to the respective pair of walls 25 by a respective click-in connecting assembly 30 comprising, for each respective wall 25, a slot 31 parallel to axis 18 and facing the slot 31 in the other wall 25 in the same pair. The slots 31 formed in walls 25 in the same pair are engaged by respective pins 32, which are integral with respective portion 27, extend coaxially with a common axis 33 perpendicular to axes 7 and 18, and engage respective slots 31 in sliding manner in directions parallel to axis 18 and in rotary manner about common axis 33 to define, together with the respective walls, a hinge with an axis movable parallel to itself in a direction parallel to axis 18. Each pin 32 is defined axially by a respective inclined- front surface 34, which, when fitting body 28 to structure 9, cooperates in sliding manner with a respective inclined lead-in surface internally defining respective wall 25, to enable pin 32 to click into and remain inside slot 31.

[0016] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, each portion 27 carries a respective integral elastic blade 36, which projects towards switch 17, is positioned facing and parallel to portion 29, and is separated transversely from portion 29 on the same side as switch 17. Each blade 36 has a respective cylindrical end portion 37 contacting a respective stop surface internally defining one arm of a respective L-shaped bracket 38, the other arm of which is integral with wall 11, and extends perpendicularly to wall 11 on the same side as walls 25.

[0017] As shown in Figure 3, opening 14 is closed by a seal 40 made of elastomeric material, extending on the opposite side of wall 11 to body 28, and comprising an elongated longitudinal projection 41 loosely engaging opening 14 and directly contacting body 28.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3, seal 40 comprises a lateral peripheral portion 42, which partly engages a seat 43 formed in wall 11, and is retained inside seat 43 by a number of appendixes 44 integral with seal 40, and which engage respective through openings 45 formed in wall 11 to click onto the other side of wall 11.

[0019] In actual use, when pressed manually, as of the rest condition shown in Figures 1 and 3, seal 40 is therefore deformed to move body 28 gradually into the forward position to activate switch 17. More specifically, the manual pressure applied by the user on seal 40 flexes elastic blades 36, which in turn moves portions 27 with respect to respective walls 25; and as soon as the pressure applied by the user on seal 40 is released, blades 36 restore body 28 to the rest position.

[0020] As compared with known solutions, handle 8 as described is therefore extremely straightforward to produce and quick to assemble. This is mainly due to the design characteristics of device 15, wherein switch 17 is activated by a single elastic body 28 made in one piece from plastic material and clicked onto structure 9.

[0021] Unlike known solutions, the design characteristics of body 28 and the particular way in which body 28 is connected to structure 9 also enable switch 17 to be activated by pressing any point of the portion of seal 40 facing elongated body 28. That is, if pressure is applied by the user at a substantially central point of said portion of seal 40, portion 29 of body 28 simply translates parallel to itself along axis 18, by both blades 36 being subjected to the same bending moment. Conversely, if pressure is applied close to one of hinge axes 33, portion 29 practically only rotates about the other hinge axis 33. In all the other intermediate conditions, portion 29 rotates and translates towards switch 17.

[0022] With handle 8 as described, therefore, pushbutton switch 17 is activated, and hence the respective lock controlled, extremely easily, even by an inexperienced user, by virtue of the considerable length of body 28, and the particular way in which body 28 is connected to structure 9 enabling switch 17 to be activated by pressing any point of seal 40 and, hence, of body 28.

[0023] Handle 8 as described is therefore extremely quick to assemble and cheap to produce. This is mainly due to the straightforward component parts of the lock, and to the lock being assembled by clicking switch 17 onto bracket 16, sliding body 28 along axis 7 and parallel to wall 11 so that portions 27 of body 28 are inserted between respective walls 25 and pins 32 click into respective slots 31, and finally clicking seal 40 onto structure 9. The particular connection of seal 40 to structure 9 provides for fluidtight sealing opening 14 in structure 9, through which the inside of door 1 communicates externally, and so forming a control device unaffected by external agents.

Claims

1. A handle (8) for a vehicle door (1) having an electric lock; the handle (8) comprising a structure (9) fitted to the door (1), and a device (15), carried by said structure (9), for controlling said electric lock; the device (15) comprising a pushbutton switch (17), and manual operating means (28, 40) for manually operating the pushbutton switch (17); characterized in that said manual operating means (28, 40) comprise a single elongated body (28) at least partially deformable elastically and which acts directly on said pushbutton switch (17); relatively-movable means (30, 36) being provided to fit said elongated body (28) to said structure (9).

2. A handle as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said elongated body (28) is formed in one piece from plastic material.

3. A handle as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said elongated body (28) comprises an intermediate portion (29) facing said pushbutton switch (17) and acting, in use, directly on the pushbutton switch (17); and two lateral portions (27) located on opposite longitudinal sides of said intermediate portion (29), and each connected to said structure (9) by said relatively-movable means (30, 36).

4. A handle as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that said elongated body (28) also comprises, for each said lateral portion (27), elastic blade means (36) integral with the respective lateral portion (27) and contacting a respective fixed stop (37) on said structure (9) to push said intermediate portion (29) into a rest position detached from said pushbutton switch (17).

5. A handle as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said relatively-movable means (30, 36) comprise click-in connecting means.

6. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said relatively-movable means (30, 36) comprise, for each said lateral portion (27), a guide-slide assembly (31, 32), which, in use, enables the respective lateral portion (27) to move in a direction substantially parallel to an activating direction (18) of the pushbutton switch (17).

7. A handle as claimed in Claim 6, characterized in that said relatively-movable means (30, 36) also comprise, for each said lateral portion (27), hinge means (31, 32) enabling the respective lateral portion (27) to rotate with respect to said structure (9) about a respective hinge axis (33) substantially perpendicular to said activating direction (18).

8. A handle as claimed in Claim 7, characterized in that said relatively-movable means (30, 36) comprise, for each said lateral portion (27), an elongated seat (31) extending parallel to said activating direction (18) and carried by either one of said structure (9) or the respective said lateral portion (27); and a pin (32) carried by the other of said structure (9) or the respective said lateral portion (27) and engaging the respective said elongated seat (31) in rotary manner about the respective said hinge axis (33) and in sliding manner in said activating direction (18).

9. A handle as claimed in Claim 8, characterized in that each said pin (32) clicks into the respective said elongated seat (31).

10. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 9, characterized by comprising connecting means (22, 23) for connecting said pushbutton switch (17) to said structure (9); said connecting means (22, 23) comprising at least one seat (23) carried by either one of said structure (9) or said pushbutton switch (17); and at least one projection (22) carried by the other of said structure (9) or said pushbutton switch (17) and positively engaging said seat (23) to prevent said pushbutton switch (17) from moving with respect to said structure (9) in at least one direction parallel to said activating direction (18); click-in retaining means (16) being provided to retain said projection (22) inside said seat (23).

11. A handle as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, characterized in that said structure (9) comprises an opening (14) formed at said elongated body (28) and of a length substantially equal to the length of the elongated body (28); said manual operating means also comprising an elastically deformable seal (40) closing said opening (14) and at least partly contacting said elongated body (28).

12. A handle as claimed in Claim 11, characterized in that said structure (9) comprises an outer seat (43) surrounding said opening (14) and partly housing said seal (40); retaining means (44) being provided to retain said seal (40) inside said outer seat (43).

13. A handle as claimed in Claim 12, characterized in that said retaining means comprise a number of elastically deformable projections (44) integral with said seal (40) and which click onto said structure (9).

Drawing