Patent Application
20240392621
This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0068459 filed on May 26, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a hidden door handle assembly for a vehicle, which is used when a user pulls or rotates the door handle of the vehicle to open a door of the vehicle.
Generally, door handles installed on the doors of vehicles come in various forms depending on the vehicle model. These vehicle door handles are broadly classified into a grip type and a lift up type depending on the direction of operation and shape. The two types described above have a structure that allows the user to open the door by putting their hand in a certain exposed space and pulling or rotating the handle.
In the case of the double lift up type, a separate hand insertion space is formed between the handle and the exterior of the door panel, which not only restricts the design, but also frequently causes outside air to flow into the operating part of the outside handle and enter the cabin when driving at high speeds.
In addition, in the case of the grip type, the housing portion is absent, so it provides an improved appearance than the lift up type, but it still has design limitations because a separate space for hand insertion should be formed outside the door panel.
To improve the inflow of outside air and design limitations, hidden type door handles are being developed. However, since such hidden type of door handle can fail to be exposed to the exterior when the vehicle's power is discharged or in an emergency situation, concerns are being raised in opening the door in such emergency situations.
The present disclosure is intended to solve this problem. More specifically, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a door handle assembly for a vehicle, which is hidden inside the door and not exposed to the door surface of the vehicle when the vehicle is being driven or parked. When the door needs to be opened, the handle cover inside the door rotates so that the opening area of the door can be used as a door catch.
In addition, the present disclosure provides a hidden door handle assembly for a vehicle that does not have a separate door catch that the user can pull on the outside of the door, but still allows the door to be opened manually when the vehicle's power is discharged or in an emergency situation.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present disclosure, a door handle assembly for a vehicle may include a housing having an opening formed on one side; a handle cover configured to be rotated inside the housing in a first direction to uncover the opening, or to be rotated in a second direction, which is opposite from the first direction, to cover the opening; a switch provided adjacent to the opening of the housing, the switch being configured to cause a door of the vehicle to be opened in a state where the handle cover uncovers the opening; and a driving member that rotates the handle cover to open or close the opening. The driving member may allow the handle cover to be rotated with respect to a first rotation axis, and at the same time, a second rotation axis, which is spaced apart from the first rotation axis and revolves around the first rotation axis, such that the handle cover is moved by both a translational motion and a rotational motion.
More specifically, the driving member may include a rotation shaft that rotates about the first rotation axis in response to a driving force transmitted to a proximate end thereof, a guide gear fixed inside the housing and having a first gear formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, a link member, a first side of which is coupled to a distal end of the rotation shaft such that the rotation shaft and the link member rotate simultaneously, and a revolution shaft, in which a second gear is provided at one end to mesh with the first gear, that rotates about the second rotation axis and revolves around the rotation shaft.
In the driving member, a rotation angle of the revolution shaft may be formed to be greater than a rotation angle of the rotation shaft.
The driving member may be disposed on one side or both sides of the handle cover.
The handle cover may include a cover portion formed to correspond to a shape of the opening and configured to cover the opening, and an extension portion provided at rear of the cover portion to allow an interior space of the housing to be communicated with the opening in response to the cover portion being rotated away from the opening.
The handle cover may further include a reflective cover made of a transparent or translucent material and provided to connect the cover portion and the extension portion, wherein the reflective cover is configured to be visible through the opening as a curved surface on the opening, and a lighting portion that is disposed at an inside space between the cover portion and the reflective cover and irradiates light to be transmitted through the reflective cover when the opening is opened.
Further, the switch may be disposed in an upper region of the opening within the housing, and when the opening is opened, the light may be irradiated from the lighting portion to illuminate an operating region of the switch.
The door handle assembly may further include a manual opening module provided on one side of the opening inside the housing. As such, in response to power to the driving member being cut off, the manual opening module may allow the opening to be manually opened.
The manual opening module may include a button portion to allow a user to press it, and a linkage arm that rotates to unlock a door latch in response to the button portion being pressed.
The driving member may further include an elastic member that is coupled to the rotation shaft and provides an elastic restoring force to the link member to bias the handle cover toward a closed position.
According to the hidden door handle assembly for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the following advantages may be achieved. First, the handle cover can undergo both a translational motion and a rotational motion, thereby securing a wider space for the user to push his/her hand into the accommodation space through the opening. Second, when the handle cover rotates, light can be irradiated through the lighting portion, thereby improving aesthetics and making it easier to find the switch. Third, since the handle cover is arranged to cover (e.g., shield) the accommodation space when driven or parked, the inflow of outside air and wind noise can be minimized, and at the same time, insects and foreign substances can be prevented from entering the interior of the vehicle. Fourth, even when the vehicle's power is completely discharged, the door can still be opened and closed manually.
The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the disclosure.
The summary set forth above as well as the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure set forth below may be better understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments are shown in the drawings for the purpose of illustrating the disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact arrangement and means shown in the drawings.
Below, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The benefits and features of the present disclosure and the methods to achieve them will become clear when referring to the detailed embodiments along with the attached drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and can be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments are provided solely to make the disclosure more thorough and to fully inform a person with ordinary skill in the art, and the invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, identical reference numbers refer to identical components.
The present disclosure is subject to various modifications and can have multiple embodiments; specific embodiments are exemplified and described in the drawings.
However, this is not intended to limit the present disclosure to specific embodiments. Rather, it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes falling within the idea and technical scope of the present disclosure.
Terms that include ordinals such as “first,” “second,” etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a second component may be termed a first component, and similarly, a first component may be termed a second component.
The term “and/or” includes any combination of the listed related items or any of the related items.
When it is mentioned that one component is “connected to” or “coupled with” another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, or there may be another component in between. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that one component is “directly connected to” or “directly coupled with” another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.
The terms used in this application are only for describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the disclosure.
Singular expressions, unless explicitly stated otherwise in context, include plural expressions.
In this application, terms such as “include” or “have” are used to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof stated in the specification, and do not preclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are assigned to identical or corresponding components, regardless of the drawing numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.
Referring to
First, the housing 110 may have a substantially rectangular opening 111 formed along the horizontal direction in the center region thereof.
A front surface 111a, where the opening 111 is formed on the housing 110, may be assembled on the inside to correspond to an opening formed in the exterior door panel, or formed as a portion of the exterior door panel to be formed integrally with the exterior door panel. The housing 110 may include an accommodation space 111b formed inside, and a handle cover 120, a switch 130, and a manual opening module 150 may be disposed inside the accommodation space 111b. Further, a driving area 111c may be provided while being separated from the accommodation space 110b, and the driving member 140 may be disposed within the driving area 111c.
The housing 110 may be provided with a partition wall 111d to separate the accommodation space 111b and the driving area 111c. The partition wall 111d may be arranged so that a portion of the driving member 140 penetrates through the partition wall 111d, or a portion of the driving member 140 may be inserted and fixed to the partition wall 111d so that the driving member 140 is supported by the partition wall 111d.
The housing 110 may have driving areas 111c formed on both sides with respect to the accommodation space 111b. In such an embodiment, as one example, the accommodation space 111b may be formed at the inner center of the housing 110, and a driving area 111c that is at least partially separated from the accommodation space 111b may be provided at each end along the longitudinal direction of the handle cover 120. Further, the driving member 140 may be provided in each driving area 111c. In some other embodiments, the hidden door handle assembly 100 for a vehicle of the present disclosure may be configured so that the driving area 111c is provided only on one side of the accommodation space 111b, and the driving member 140 is provided therein.
The housing 110 may have a structure in which the rear portion that is opposite from the front surface is open, and a back cover 110′ may be provided to cover the open rear portion.
Additionally, the switch 130 may provide a function to release the door latch from the door frame. The switch 130 may be disposed on the rear surface of the housing 110 in the accommodation space 111b inside the housing 110. As such, when the user inserts a finger through the opening 111 with the palm facing upward and grasps the housing 110, the finger may contact the switch 130 disposed on the back side of the housing 110.
Additionally, the handle cover 120 may be arranged to be rotatable within the accommodation space 111b. The handle cover 120 may include a cover portion 121, an extension portion 122, a reflective cover 123, and a lighting portion 124.
The cover portion 121 may be formed to correspond to the shape of the opening 111 and may be arranged to cover the opening 111 in the door closed state.
The extension portion 122 may extend to the rear of the cover portion 121, and both side ends may be connected to the driving member 140 so that a rotational force due to the rotation of the handle cover 120 in the opening and closing direction can be transmitted.
Further, the handle cover 120 may be arranged to rotate about a first rotation axis (A1) and simultaneously rotate about a second rotation axis (A2) spaced apart from the first rotation axis (A1). Therefore, since the rotational and translational movements of the handle cover 120 occur simultaneously, the inside of the accommodation space 111b may be exposed by the rotation of the handle door 120, and at the same time, the movement about the first rotation axis A1 may move the cover portion 121 away from the opening 111. Due to such movements of the handle cover 120, the hidden door handle assembly 100 for a vehicle can provide the advantage of more efficiently securing a space where the user can insert his or her hand into the accommodation space 111b through the opening 111.
Hereinafter, the rotational direction that opens the opening 111 from the state in which the opening 111 is covered by the handle cover 120 is defined as the first direction D1, and conversely, the rotational direction that rotates to cover the opening 111 from the state in which the opening 111 is fully open is defined as the second direction D2. Each component of the driving member 140 may also rotate along the first direction D1 or the second direction D2.
When the handle cover 120 rotates in the first direction D1 to open the opening 111, the space between the cover portion 121 and the extension portion 122 may be exposed on the opening 111 side. At this time, a reflective cover 123 may be disposed on a portion that is exposed to the opening 111 between the cover portion 121 and the extension portion 122. In other words, when the handle cover 120 is opened along the first direction D1, the reflective cover 123 may be exposed inside the accommodation space 111b and on the opening 111 side.
The reflective cover 123 may have a curved upper surface to ensure that the accommodation space 111b is sufficiently maintained when the user's hand enters and exits the accommodation space 111b. At the same time, the reflective cover 123 may reflect the light irradiated from the lighting portion 124 provided therein and set the irradiation direction of the light by refracting and/or reflecting the light. In some embodiments, the reflective cover 123 may be made of a flat surface rather than a curved surface, and in such embodiments, a polarizing plate that can set the direction of light may be provided on the reflective cover 123.
Additionally, the lighting portion 124 may include one or more PCB boards 125 and a plurality of LED modules 126 provided on the boards 125. The lighting portion 124 may be controlled such that the light is illuminated only when the handle cover 120 is opened.
At the rear of the cover portion 121, a touch sensor module 127 that detects when the user touches the front surface of the cover portion 121, and a near field communication (NFC) module 128 that detects a card key or smartphone equipped with an NFC chip may be provided.
Additionally, the driving member 140 may include a rotation shaft 141, a guide gear 142, a link member 143, a revolution shaft 144, and an elastic member 145. As described above, the driving members 140 and 140′ may be respectively disposed on both sides of the handle cover 120, and since these configurations are substantially symmetrical, only the driving member 140 disposed on the right side as shown in
The rotation shaft 141 may receive a driving force from a driving portion DP that uses a motor or an actuator and may be coupled to the driving area 111c to rotate about the first rotation axis A1. At this time, a proximate end of the rotation shaft 141 may be partially exposed to the outside of the driving area 111c for connection to the driving portion DP.
The guide gear 142 may include a first gear 142a formed on its outer surface and be fixed inside the driving area 111c. The rotation shaft 141 may be inserted to penetrate the guide gear 142 and may be inserted through the elastic member 145 along the coupling direction.
A first side (e.g., lower side) of the link member 143 may be coupled to a distal end of the rotation shaft 141.
The link member 143 may be disposed on the first rotation axis A1 so that the first side rotates simultaneously with the rotation of the rotation shaft 141. The revolution shaft 144 may be coupled to penetrate a second side (e.g., upper side) of the link member 143. Accordingly, the link member 143 may be formed to be elongated in a substantially oval shape from the first side to the second side, and may provide a function of connecting the rotational movements of the first rotation axis A1 and the second rotation axis A2.
The revolution shaft 144 may include a second gear 144a provided at a proximate end thereof, and a distal end thereof may be fixed to the side surface of the handle cover 120 while penetrating the second side of the link member 143. The second gear 144a may be arranged to mesh with the first gear 142a, and the second gear 144a may be arranged to revolve around the rotation shaft 141 while being meshed with the first gear 142a, and therefore spinning or rotating with respect to the second rotation axis A2.
Accordingly, the handle cover 120 may be rotated by the revolution shaft 144 and may revolve around the rotation shaft 141. Here, resultant motion may occur as the revolution shaft 144 and the rotation shaft 141 rotate with respect to their respective rotation centers.
In addition, the rotational movement may occur while the revolution shaft 144 is rotated around the rotation shaft 141 along the circumference of the first gear 142a with the first gear 142a and the second gear 144a meshed.
At this time, the rotation angle of the revolution shaft 144 may be configured to be greater than the rotation angle of the rotation shaft 141. A detailed explanation regarding this will be provided in the operation description later.
The elastic member 145 may be disposed so that a first side abuts a hook 143a formed in the central region of the link member 143 and a second side abuts the inner surface of the housing 110 to elastically bias the link member 143 toward the second direction D2.
The operation of the driving member 140 may be controlled by an auto flush control unit, which will be described later, and may be operated in a normal operation mode or an accelerated operation mode.
In the normal operation mode, after measuring the rotation angle of any one of the rotation shaft 141, the link member 143, or the revolution shaft 144, the auto flush control unit may determine whether the rotated angle matches a predetermined rotation angle and may control so that the driving portion DP stops when it rotates by a predetermined angle within a predetermined time.
In addition, in the accelerated operation mode, which may be activated in a case where the handle cover 120 cannot operate due to foreign substance or ice in the driving member 140, after measuring the rotation angle of any one of the rotation shaft 141, the link member 143, or the revolution shaft 144, the auto flush control unit may determine whether the rotated angle matches the predetermined rotation angle. In response to determining that the predetermined angle is not obtained within the set time, the driving portion DP may be controlled to operate for a predetermined time at an increased output or a maximum output. If the handle cover 120 cannot operate even after operating once in the accelerated operation mode, the auto flush control unit may be controlled to repeat the same operation again.
In addition, when the handle cover 120 does not complete the rotation at the predetermined rotation angle while operating in the accelerated operation mode, the auto flush control unit may control to restore the state before operation by measuring the rotation angle of any one of the rotation shaft 141, the link member 143, or the revolution shaft 144. By such an operation, the positions of the driving member 140 and the handle cover 120 may be initialized, and the operation may be stopped.
Further, the manual opening module 150 may include a button portion 151 and a linkage arm 152.
The button portion 151 may be disposed on a different surface from the switch 130 within the accommodation space 111b inside the housing 110. In such an embodiment, as an example, the switch 130 may be disposed inside the housing 110 on the upper inner surface of the housing 110 above the opening 111, and the button portion 151 may be disposed on the upper left surface.
When the vehicle is completely discharged or in an emergency, a user may forcibly or manually open the handle cover 120 and press the button portion 151 to rotate the linkage arm 152. For example, unlike the switch 130, the button portion 151 may cause the linkage arm 152 to be mechanically rotated by a predetermined range in response to pressure being applied thereto. Accordingly, the distance to which the button portion 151 is required to be pressed by applying pressure may be greater than the displacement distance to activate the switch 130.
The button portion 151 may include a contact piece 153 that extends from the rear center and abuts the linkage arm 152. The contact piece 153 may be rotatably inserted into a proximate side of the linkage arm 152 to maintain the connected state even while the linkage arm 152 rotates.
The linkage arm 152 may include a first frame 154, a proximate end of which is coupled to the contact piece 153, and a second frame 155 that is bent from a distal end of the first frame 154. In some embodiments, the length of the second frame 155 may be longer than the length of the first frame 154. The second frame 155 may be connected to the door latch at a distal end thereof.
With respect to the center of rotation between the first frame 154 and the second frame 155, the second frame 155 may be formed to be longer in length than the first frame 154. Accordingly, when the button portion 151 is pressed, the distal end of the second frame 155 may be displaced by a longer distance compared to the distance that the proximate end of the first frame 154 is displaced by the button press. For example, the amplification ratio of the distance moved while the first frame 154 rotates and the distance moved while the second frame 155 rotates may be at least 1:2 or more.
Referring to
In
When the rotation shaft 141 rotates in the first direction D1 (or clockwise based on
Since the second gear 144a of the revolution shaft 144 is arranged to mesh with the first gear 142a on the guide gear 142, when the link member 143 rotates along with the rotation shaft 141, the revolution shaft 144 may also be rotated at the same time.
When the handle cover 120 is completely opened as shown in
Since the handle cover 120 is arranged to move along with the rotation via the driving member 140, the space into which the user can insert his or her hand through the opening 111 into the accommodation space 111b (see
Further, when the user puts the hand into the opening 111 and grasps the housing 110, since the switch 130 is disposed at the position that corresponds to the finger of the user, the vehicle door can be opened by pulling the upper part of the housing 110 or the outer door panel 10 while activating the switch 130. In addition, since this structure does not require a separate door catch, it allows the design to be less restricted, and at the same time, outside air can be prevented from flowing into the cabin space due to the combined structure of the door catch.
Referring to
Referring to
Additionally or alternatively, for example, when the user touches the front surface of the cover portion 121 that is exposed through the opening 111 with a card or a smartphone equipped with an NFC chip approved for the vehicle, the NFC module 128 may transmit the user's tag data to the AFCU, and the AFCU may determine it as the tag of the approved user and cause the handle cover 120 to be opened.
Further, the auto flush control unit may control the lighting portion 124 to turn on as the handle cover 120 is opened, as shown in
The lighting portion 124 may illuminate the inside of the accommodation space 111b, and more preferably, may irradiate light to a region that corresponds to where the switch 130 is disposed or the active region of the switch 130. For example, if the switch 130 is arranged in an elongated shape as shown in
Further, for security purposes, when the driving member 140 has the power, it may be configured that the handle cover 120 is prevented from rotating even if the handle cover 120 is forcibly pushed, and the handle cover 120 may maintain the opening 111 closed. In other words, the user may open the opening 111 only by holding and touching a smart key approved for the vehicle or tagging the NFC chip while the vehicle is normally powered.
The button portion 151 may protrude from the inner side surface of the housing 110 to allow the user to press it using a finger or other tools.
When the user presses the button portion 151, the contact piece 153 may be linearly translated within the manual operation region provided at the upper part of the driving area 111c and may become abutted with the first frame 154, which in turn may rotate the first frame 154.
Then, while rotating with respect to the rotation center of the linkage arm 152 between the first frame 154 and the second frame 155, the distal end of the second frame 155 may be rotated by the distance L2, which is longer than the distance L1 by which the proximate end of the first frame 154 rotates. Accordingly, since the distal end of the second frame 155 is directly or indirectly connected to the door latch, the vehicle door may be opened manually.
Therefore, with the hidden door handle assembly for a vehicle according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the handle cover may be arranged to move along with the rotation, thereby securing a wider space for the user to push his hand into the accommodation space through the opening. When the handle cover rotates, light may be irradiated by the lighting portion, thereby improving aesthetics and also making it easier to find the switch. Since the handle cover is arranged to cover the accommodation space when the vehicle is being driven or parked, it can prevent or minimize the inflow of outside air and wind noise, and at the same time, it can prevent insects and foreign substances from entering the interior. Further, the door may be allowed to be opened and closed manually when the vehicle's power is completely discharged.
Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can be implemented in various other forms. Those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will understand that the technical concepts or essential features of the present disclosure can be implemented in different forms without altering their essence. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be considered exemplary and not restrictive in any way.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0068459 | May 2023 | KR | national |
