Patent Grant
9879451
This application claims priority to PCT International Application No. PCT/DE2010/001109 filed on Sep. 18, 2010, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2009 045 875.1 filed on Oct. 20, 2009, both of which are fully incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention is directed toward a handle device for a locking device for a movable door or the like on a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1. In this case, the handle device has a handle part which is mounted movably with respect to a door of the vehicle and is movable between a rest position and an operating position. In the rest position, the handle part is arranged flush with the outer side of the door and, in the operating position, said handle part protrudes from the outer side of the door in the manner of a projection, wherein, in the operating position, the handle part can be operated in order to open the door. Furthermore, in this handle device, an actuating unit is provided, by means of which the handle part can be transferred at least from the rest position into a first operating position.
A generic prior art is disclosed, for example, in DE 10 2004 036 663 A1. In this case, the comparable handle part is spring-loaded in the rest position and is locked in the rest position via a button. Upon actuation of the button, the latter releases the spring-loaded handle part, the spring force transferring the handle part from the rest position into the operating position. From this position, the handle part can be transferred into an end position or second operating position in order to actuate a locking device. However, handle devices of this type have the disadvantage that the movably mounted handle part has to be transferred from an operating position back into the rest position. This can only take place by further manual actuation or by an electromechanical drive. However, the convenience of a handle device of this type is significantly reduced by this. There is also the risk during a manual return of the handle that the handle part has not been transferred from the operating position thereof into the rest position, and then said handle part protrudes from the outer side of the door in an interfering manner. However, this means that the advantages of a flush handle device are lost.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a handle device which has simple operation and a high level of security. In order to achieve the abovementioned object, a handle device with the features of the main claim, in particular with the features from the characterizing part, is proposed. Further advantageous refinements of the invention emerge from the dependent claims.
According to the invention, in the handle device, the actuating unit is mounted pivotably in order to transfer the handle part from the rest position thereof into a first operating position. It is thus optionally provided for the actuating unit to be provided with an actuating element which interacts mechanically with the handle part and, upon actuation, transfers the handle part into the operating position. In this connection, the handle part is spring-loaded in such a manner that the handle part is always pressed into the rest position thereof, the actuating element, in particular, acting counter to the spring force.
Within the context of the present application, the term: door is used for a movable flap, movable cover or the like.
The handle device according to the invention has a first and a second module in order to install said handle device more easily on the door of the vehicle. The first module contains a handle mount with which said module is arranged on an inner side of the door. The second module contains a handle shell and is arranged on the outer side of the door. In this case, the handle part is additionally mounted movably on the handle shell. The handle part is installed at the same time as the handle shell is installed on the vehicle. The handle device according to the invention therefore has the advantage that even necessary installation steps of the handle device can be carried out during the manufacturing of the handle device, i.e. at the manufacturer of the handle device, rather than at the vehicle manufacturer. By this means, the final installation can be significantly simplified and the associated costs reduced. The preassembly can also be at least partially automated, whereas, by contrast, the final installation of the handle device on the door of a vehicle still requires human activity.
Furthermore, in the case of the handle device according to the invention, provision can be made for the first module to be mechanically connected to the second module in such a manner that the handle device is held on the door. It is therefore possible to arrange the handle device in a positionally fixed manner on the door only by the connection of the two modules. For this purpose, latching elements, which interact with mating latching elements on the first module in a form-fitting and/or frictional manner, can be provided on the second module. Said latching elements can be expediently configured as clips or plug-in connectors or the like which interact with corresponding mating latching elements, for example in the form of projections or recesses or the like. It is also conceivable for the two modules to be connected to each other via at least one additional fastening element. Said fastening element may consist, for example, of a screw, a rivet or a bolt or a securing plate. It has proven particularly advantageous to connect the second module to the first module via a securing plate which is pushed onto the handle mount on the inner side of the door and interacts in a form-fitting manner with the latching elements, which are configured as projections, of the second module. The use of a securing plate of this type has the advantage that it is possible for the final installation of the handle device on the door to be carried out more or less without any tools. Furthermore, shaking or other mechanical influences are also unable to release the connection between the two modules.
The handle device according to the invention is installed, as a rule, only through an aperture or an opening in the door. Owing to the large aperture, it is particularly simple to arrange the first module on the inner side and the second module on the outer side and to connect said modules to each other. For preadjustment to be achieved even at this point, the aperture can have adjusting means which are arranged, for example, as recesses or projections in the edge of the aperture. Said adjusting means interact in a form-fitting manner with mating adjusting means on the handle device. Said adjusting means therefore permit only a single predefined arrangement of the handle device in the region of the aperture of the door. Such an adjusting means may also consist of an impressed step at the edge of the aperture. The shape of the aperture may even be used as an adjusting means. In addition, an offset or deep-drawn edge of the aperture has the advantage that the handle device in said region can be arranged flush with the outer side of the door.
It is likewise conceivable for the handle part to be movable at least between a rest position and an operating position, the handle part, in particular, lying substantially flush with the outer side of the door in the rest position and protruding out of the outer side of the door into an operating position. It is therefore possible to configure the handle device to be substantially flush with the outside door. A handle device of this type has the advantages that it does not protrude out of the outer side during the operation of the vehicle and therefore wind noises, in particular at high speeds of the vehicle, can be reliably avoided. In addition, the risk of an accident, in particular for pedestrians or other people, can also be reduced, since no parts of the handle device protrude out of the outer side of the door in the manner of a projection. On account of this problem, for example, the side mirrors in motor vehicles are configured so as to be foldable and are then flexibly folded inward upon contact with a person. Furthermore, a handle part of a handle device arranged flush with the outside door can also be significantly less soiled than a handle part which protrudes out of the outer side of the door. A flush handle device therefore has substantial advantages.
In the case of the previously described flush handle device, provision can be made for the aperture in the door, in particular in a door panel, to be substantially closed by the handle shell. In this connection, the handle shell together with the handle mount can in particular hold the handle device in a form-fitting and/or frictional manner in the opening on the door panel. In this refinement of the invention, it is likewise possible to omit fastening the first and/or the second module directly to the door with additional fastening means.
One measure improving the invention can make provision for the first module to have a blocking unit which serves for locking the handle part. In this case, the blocking unit in particular can be actuated either manually or automatically via an actuating unit. It is likewise conceivable for the first module to have a locking cylinder which serves to manually unlock a security system, as a result of which the locking device can be operated by means of the handle part. All of the essential components of the handle device according to the invention can therefore be preassembled on the first module or the second module of the handle device, wherein the final installation consists only of connecting the two modules to the vehicle. After said final installation, the handle device merely has to be connected to the mechanical transmission elements, for example for the central locking or the locking device, or to the electric transmission elements, in the form of electric lines to the security system or to the motor vehicle electronics. The mechanical transmission elements may consist, for example, of a Bowden cable or a linkage which transmits the pivoting movement of the handle part or the acting tensile forces on the handle part to the locking device.
A spring element can also be preassembled on the first module, and therefore, after the final installation, the movable handle part can be subjected to the corresponding spring force. After connection of the two modules, said spring element therefore acts on the movable handle part. In this case, the spring force can be used in order to retract or extend the handle part.
The blocking unit which has already been mentioned above and which is arranged on the first module can be moved between a locking position and a release position, a movement of the handle part being permitted in the release position and a movement of the handle part being blocked in the locking position. Said blocking unit can therefore also serve as a crash interlock, since the blocking unit prevents unintentional opening of the door if, in particular, acceleration forces act on the handle part in the event of an accident of the vehicle. The blocking unit preferably always takes up the locking position thereof and only for the movement of the handle part from the rest position into the operating position is transferred into the release position required for this purpose. The handle part is therefore basically locked in the rest position by the blocking unit. For this purpose, the blocking unit can have a blocking element, as a result of which, in the locking position of the blocking unit, the handle part is held in a form-fitting manner and, in the release position of the blocking unit, the handle part is released so as to be movable. A part from the rest position thereof, the handle part itself can also have a second operating position in addition to a first operating position. In the first operating position, the handle part is extended or pivoted a little out of the rest of the handle device such that it is easily accessible for an operator. From there, said handle part can then be transferred into the second operating position by means of tensile force. In said second operating position, the handle part protrudes further out of the outer side of the door than in the first operating position of said handle part. The movement of the handle part from the first operating position into the second operating position can be used mechanically to actuate the locking device, in particular via the transmission element. The locking device can itself consist of a lock which can lock the door. In the second operating position, the locking device is opened, the operator being able to open the door by way of the handle part. Of course, instead of the abovementioned transmission element, it is conceivable for an electric component, in particular a switch, to be activated for the transfer of the handle part from the rest position thereof, optionally via the first operating position, into the second operating position, said switch subsequently correspondingly activating the locking device, as a result of which the lock can be opened and/or closed electromechanically.
Furthermore, provision may optionally be made for the actuating unit which serves to actuate the blocking unit to conceal the locking cylinder with respect to the outer side of the door. In the event of a manual actuation of the actuating unit, the latter at least partially releases the locking cylinder. Upon said actuation of the actuating unit, the handle part is released at the same time. It is likewise conceivable for the blocking unit additionally to serve as a mechanical drive for the handle part. In this case, the blocking unit not only releases the handle part but the latter can also be transferred from the rest position into the first operating position. The blocking element which has a first and a second end can serve for this purpose, the first end being arranged on the actuating unit and the second end interacting with the handle part. The blocking element itself can have a beveled step which mechanically interacts with a cam or projection on the handle part, wherein the required pivoting movement of the handle part from the rest position into the first operating position can be produced by the step of the blocking element pushing out the handle part on the projection.
Furthermore, provision may be made for the actuating unit to have a cover which serves as a contact surface. Said cover, in the unactuated state, can be arranged flush with the outer side of the door and, in particular, can conceal the locking cylinder. Therefore, the cover for the actuating unit carries out two functions at the same time, since said cover can firstly constitute protection for the locking cylinder and secondly can serve as an actuating surface. It has proven particularly advantageous if the cover is configured so as to be removable such that the locking cylinder is entirely released, even if the actuating unit otherwise conceals the locking cylinder. The removable cover can be configured so as to be slidable on the actuating unit, in particular on an actuating element, and can latch to the latter via latching and mating latching means. The cover is expediently pushed on only after arranging the first and second module on the door. The cover can therefore also serve to close off an open part of the handle shell, which part is not closed by the handle part in the rest position. Consequently, a flush handle device can be achieved even if a blocking unit is additionally present for locking the handle part.
The handle device can likewise additionally be provided with an electronic unit which, for example, constitutes a component of the security system. The electronic unit can also serve to realize illumination for the area laterally around the door of the vehicle. However, the electronic unit may also comprise a proximity sensor or an antenna or the like. The security system may itself be an access authorization system and/or a driving authorization system. Keyless access, for example via an ID transmitter, to the vehicle can therefore be realized by the electronic unit.
It should also be mentioned at this juncture that the handle part in the handle device according to the invention is transferred from the rest position thereof into the first and/or second operating position thereof purely manually. If the handle part changes mechanically between the rest position thereof and the operating position thereof, a corresponding spring element is present for the resetting of the handle part.
The invention also describes a method for installing a handle device which serves for operating a locking device of a vehicle. The handle device contains a first module which has the handle mount and which is arranged on the inner side of the door by means of the handle mount. Furthermore, the handle device has the second module which is arranged on an outer side of the door and contains a handle part, wherein the handle part is mounted movably with respect to the door in order to operate the handle device. Provision is made in this connection for the first and the second module to be preassembled, the second module being preassembled at least from a handle shell and a handle part, which is mounted movably on the handle shell, and subsequently, for the final installation, the two preassembled modules being fastened to the door. Said final installation is intended to implement the functioning capability of the handle device on the door. As has already been explained previously, only the electric and/or mechanical transmission elements are still to be connected to the handle device. The installation method is therefore distinguished by simple final installation on the door of the vehicle. All of the remaining installation steps can already be preassembled at the manufacturer of the handle device, wherein, in particular, installation steps carried out mechanically can be used.
Furthermore, provision can be made in the installation method for the first module to be constructed from the handle mount and a blocking unit, the blocking unit in particular having an actuating unit. The blocking unit can also be used not only for blocking the handle part but also for driving the handle part. Furthermore, a spring element and/or a locking cylinder can be preassembled on the handle mount of the first module, and, after the final installation, the spring element in particular interacts mechanically with the handle part and the locking cylinder serves to manually unlock a security system. Furthermore, the first module can be latched to the second module, wherein the door is arranged between the first and the second module. For said latching, latching elements, which interact with corresponding mating latching elements on the first module, can be provided on the second module. To secure the connection of the first and the second module, an additional fastening element in particular can be provided so that the two modules are not released from each other even in the event of severe shaking and other influences.
Furthermore, provision may optionally be made for a cover to be fastened to the handle part and/or for a further cover to be fastened to the actuating unit. As a rule, the arrangement of the cover on the handle part is undertaken during the preassembly of the second module, whereas the cover for the actuating unit is fastened to the door only after the first module has been connected to the second module. However, it is also conceivable for said further cover for the actuating unit also to be fastened during the preassembly process.
Further advantageous measures and features of the invention emerge from the description below and the depicted figures. The invention is illustrated in a number of exemplary embodiments in the figures, in which:
As is furthermore apparent in
Furthermore, it can be seen from
The second module 50 of the handle device 10 contains the handle shell 54 and the handle part 51 mounted thereon. The handle part 51 can itself consist of a plurality of individual parts, if said handle part is intended to be used for receiving an electronic unit 53. For this purpose, a cavity 51.1, in which the electronic unit 53 can be embedded, can be provided in the handle part 51. In order to close the cavity 51.1 and to protect the electronic unit 53 against environmental influences, it is possible to provide a cover 52 which can be arranged in particular via latching means 52.3 with mating latching means 51.6 on the handle part 51. The cover 52 can additionally be secured on the handle part 51 by means of a holding means 56. Said holding means 56 can have a screw. In the present exemplary embodiment from
In order to arrange the handle part 51 so as to be mountable on the handle shell 54, an aperture 51.3 is provided in the bearing arm 51.4, said aperture together with a bearing pin 55 forming a rotary bearing with the handle shell 54. A corresponding aperture is likewise provided in the bearing arm 54.3 of the handle shell 54 for the form-fitting receiving of the bearing pin 55. In contrast to the handle part 51, the handle shell 54 has two parallel bearing arms 54.3, between which the bearing arm 51.4 of the handle part 51 is guided. Of course, a complementary arrangement of the respective bearing arms is also conceivable. In order for the handle part 51 to have a laterally stable guide, said handle part is equipped with an articulated guide 51.2 which mechanically interacts with the handle shell 54. The handle shell 54 itself has an opening 52.1 into which the handle part 51 comes entirely or partially to lie when said handle part is in the rest position Ia. Furthermore, an aperture 54.4 for the actuating unit 33, in particular the actuating element 33.1, is provided in the handle shell 54. The handle shell 54 likewise has a further aperture 54.5 for the locking cylinder 35. However, it is not necessary for each handle device 10 according to the invention to be equipped with a locking cylinder 35, since, customarily, in the case of an existing access authorization system, only the driver's side or passenger's side is provided with a mechanical locking cylinder 35.
In the same manner as the first module 30, the second module 50 can be preassembled at the manufacturer of the handle device 10 such that only the two modules 30, 50 still have to be joined together for the final installation on the door 11. Subsequently, a transmission element merely has to be connected from the movably mounted handle part 51 to a locking device 12 in the door 11. A corresponding locking device 12 is indicated schematically in
The principle of a flush handle device 10 can be seen in both
In the exemplary embodiment from
In
At this juncture, it should be mentioned that the actuating unit 33 can also be used only to transfer the handle part 51 from the rest position Ia thereof into the first operating position Ib thereof. In this case, the actuating unit 33 therefore constitutes a mechanical drive for the handle part 51. A handle device 10, in which the actuating unit 33 does not exert any mechanical effect on the handle part 51, is also conceivable. A corresponding cover 34 of the actuating unit 33 merely has to be pressed into the opening 11.2 in order to be able to reach with the finger behind the handle part 51. In such an alternative, the handle part 51 also has only one rest position Ia and one operating position Ib or Ic.
In the locking position IIa (not illustrated in
It is also clearly visible in
Finally, it should be mentioned that the above-described exemplary embodiments can be combined arbitrarily with one another, and therefore the features which have been disclosed with respect to one exemplary embodiment can also be present in a different exemplary embodiment.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2009 045 875 | Oct 2009 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DE2010/001109 | 9/18/2010 | WO | 00 | 4/19/2012 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2011/047649 | 4/28/2011 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120228886 A1 | Sep 2012 | US |
