Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6644074
-
Patent Number
6,644,074
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, May 28, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 11, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Knight; Anthony
- Walsh; John B.
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 070 207
- 070 208
- 070 209
- 070 215
- 070 224
- 070 466
- 070 DIG 31
- 292 DIG 64
- 292 DIG 31
- 292 DIG 53
- 292 3363
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A kit for an external vehicle door handle has a carrier fastened at an inner side of a door panel and a handle mounted on the carrier from the exterior of the door. The carrier has a pivotable bearing arm with a coupling receptacle and the handle has a shaft end with a coupling plug engaging the coupling receptacle of the bearing arm during mounting of the handle. A locking device accessible through a hole in a door folding secures in a locking position the coupling plug and the coupling receptacle for coupling the handle and the bearing arm. The bearing arm has a spring-loaded locking member with a locking location and the coupling plug has a matching counter locking location. The locking device has an adjustable obstacle projecting into the restoring path of the locking member and locking the locking member engaging the counter locking member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a kit for an external door handle, in particular, for vehicles, comprised of a carrier to be fastened at the inner side of the door on an exterior door panel and of a handle which is mounted from the exterior of the door on the mounted carrier, wherein the handle, after having been mounted, is pivotably supported on the carrier and has at one end of the handle a shaft which can be pushed through a cutout in the exterior door panel. Accordingly, the kit is comprised of two initially separate modular units, i.e., a carrier to be fastened on the inner side of the door and a handle. After attachment of the carrier, the handle is mounted from the exterior side of the door on the carrier and maintains a pivotable support relative to the carrier. One end of the handle is provided with a shaft which can be pushed during mounting through a cutout in the door panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a known kit of this kind (German patent 30 30 519 C2), the handle is a pull handle and is pivotably supported on the carrier with its end opposite the shaft. The shaft of the mounted handle penetrates the attached carrier and cooperates with lock levers provided on the inner side of the door.
It has already been suggested (German patent application 199 40 379 A1, unpublished) to use also the shaft for supporting the handle on the carrier. In this case, the handle is connected by two bearings on the carrier and, after having been mounted, is foldable relative to it about a horizontal or slanted axis. For this purpose, the carrier is connected with a bearing arm connected thereto in a pivotable way thus forming a modular unit. The bearing arm is comprised of a coupling receptacle for a coupling plug provided on the end of the shaft. In the engagement area between the coupling receptacle and the coupling plug a locking means is provided which is accessible through a hole in the door folding. In the locking situation, the coupling engagement is secured, and an unwanted demounting is prevented in this way.
In some applications, components are located in the coupling area between the end of the handle shaft and the bearing arm which make the locking means inaccessible. Such components can be, for example, a lock cylinder in the carrier or blind inserts used in place of it. In this case, the advantageous mounting by coupling between the handle shaft and the bearing arm on the carrier cannot be employed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to develop a universally usable kit which makes possible such a mounting by coupling also in the aforementioned unfavorable situations without any problems.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that, for supporting the handle, the carrier already has a pivotable bearing arm with a coupling receptacle; in that the shaft end of the handle is formed as a coupling plug engaging during mounting of the handle the coupling receptacle of the bearing arm; in that in the coupling area of the coupling plug and of the coupling receptacle a locking device is arranged which is accessible through a hole in the door folding of the exterior door panel and which secures the coupling engagement in the locking situation; in that on the bearing arm a movable locking member is arranged which is spring-loaded and has a locking location; in that the coupling plug has a counter locking location for the locking member on the shaft end of the handle; and in that the locking device is comprised of an adjustable obstacle which in the locking situation of the coupling projects into the restoring path of the locking member and locks the locking member in its locking engagement in the coupling plug.
This locking device of the locking means can be arranged at a spacing from the coupling locations. A spacing is selected which is sufficiently large in order to ensure access from a lateral hole in the door folding. In this way, obstacles in the area of the carrier, for example, the lock cylinder, can no longer impair access to the locking device. Advantageously, the locking means can be configured as follows.
According to the invention, the coupling engagement between the shaft end of the handle and the bearing arm of the carrier is pre-secured by locking means which during coupling and decoupling produce locking forces that can be easily overcome and which preliminarily determine the defined coupling position. This preliminary coupling position can be locked by an obstacle which blocks the locking movement of the locking means occurring during the coupling and decoupling action after completed coupling.
These locking means are comprised of a locking member which is moveably arranged on the bearing arm and spring-loaded. The locking member, in the coupling situation, projects with its locking location into a counter locking location which is provided in the area of the coupling plug. Accordingly, it is only required to move the aforementioned obstacle into the restoring path of the locking member in order to lock the locking engagement of the locking member in the coupling plug.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in the following with the aid of the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawing:
FIG. 1
shows a perspective front view of a modular unit comprised of a handle with a pre-mounted recessed shell;
FIG. 2
shows a perspective rear view of the modular unit of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
shows a rearview of a carrier correlated with the modular unit of
FIGS. 1 and 2
before its attachment on the inner side of the outer door panel;
FIG. 4
shows in a slightly perspective plan view, which is broken away for space considerations at the center, the two modular units of
FIGS. 1 and 2
and of
FIG. 3
after completed assembly wherein the extension of a door panel positioned therebetween is illustrated as a dash-dotted line;
FIG. 5
shows in cross-section along the section line V—V the combined kit of
FIG. 4
in the initial phase of the coupling movement of its two modular units, wherein additional elements of the kit which would be interfering with the view have been omitted;
FIG. 6
shows a longitudinal section along the section line VI—VI of
FIG. 5
of a bearing arm which is supported on the carrier, wherein additional elements have been omitted;
FIG. 7
shows in a sectional view corresponding to
FIG. 5
the modular units after completion of the coupling process, wherein the bearing arm is still in the mounting position;
FIG. 8
shows in a longitudinal section view corresponding to
FIG. 6
the modular units after completion of the coupling process, wherein the bearing arm is still in the mounting position;
FIG. 9
shows in a section view analog to
FIG. 5
the rest position of the handle on the fastened carrier, wherein the coupling engagement of the two modular units is secured by a locking device; and
FIG. 10
shows in a longitudinal section view analog to
FIG. 6
the rest position of the handle on the attached carrier, wherein the coupling engagement of the two modular units is secured by a locking device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The kit for an external door handle comprises a premounted modular unit
10
which is to be mounted from the exterior side
11
of the door on a door panel
13
illustrated schematically in FIG.
4
. On the oppositely located inner side
12
of the door a carrier
40
, shown in
FIG. 3
, has been attached previously which is also a modular unit of several pre-mounted elements of which only the most important ones will be mentioned.
This modular carrier unit
40
comprises a first spring-loaded bearing
41
for a bearing arm
42
pivotably supported thereat. The bearing arm
42
has a coupling receptacle
43
. A restoring spring
44
provided in the area of the bearing
41
provides spring loading
45
of the bearing arm
42
in the direction of force arrow
45
of FIG.
3
. The pivot movement of the bearing arm
42
can be limited by end stops, not illustrated in detail. For simplifying the drawings, the position
42
.
0
of the bearing arm
42
is illustrated in
FIG. 3
which characterizes the rest position of a handle
20
belonging to the other modular unit
10
.
The modular unit
10
comprises a recessed shell
30
which extends in the manipulation area
21
of the handle
20
which is pre-mounted thereon. The recessed shell
30
covers in the mounted situation a cutout, not shown in detail, of the outer door panel
13
and assumes at the exterior side
11
of the outer door panel
13
, which is illustrated in a dash-dotted line in
FIG. 9
, a flush position with the carrier
40
. This flush position of the recessed shell
30
is secured relative to the carrier
40
by holding means, not illustrated. The recessed shell
30
is covered by a cover
31
which extends in conformity with the handle
20
and has a penetration
33
. After mounting, this penetration
33
is aligned with a lock cylinder, not illustrated in detail, which is mounted in a cylinder receptacle
46
of the carrier
40
, illustrated in FIG.
3
.
This lock cylinder
46
, mounted in the carrier
40
, covers areas of the bearing arm
42
positioned in the area of the coupling receptacle
43
so that manipulations in the area of the bearing arm
42
from the narrow side of the carrier
40
, as illustrated by the arrow
47
in
FIG. 3
, are not possible. Manipulations in an area illustrated by the arrow
48
in
FIG. 3
are, however, possible when the bearing arm
42
on the carrier is in a special mounting position which is illustrated particularly in
FIG. 5
where it is illustrated by an auxiliary line
42
.
1
. This manipulation
48
is carried out, as illustrated in
FIGS. 4 and 6
, by means of a tool penetrating through a hole
15
in the door folding
14
of the outer door panel
13
. When the mounting position
42
.
1
of FIG.
5
is present, as illustrated in the sectional view of
FIG. 6
, the actuation end
34
of an adjusting screw
35
is accessible which has to fulfill several functions to be described in the following.
The first function of the adjusting screw
35
is to secure the aforementioned mounting position
42
.
1
of the bearing arm
42
according to
FIGS. 5 and 6
. The bearing
41
of the bearing arm
42
is defined by a bearing bolt
16
shown in FIG.
3
. As already mentioned, a spring force
45
, illustrated in
FIG. 5
, acts on the bearing arm
42
which usually has the tendency to transfer the bearing arm into the already mentioned rest position which is illustrated by a corresponding auxiliary line
42
.
0
in FIG.
9
. The adjusting screw
35
has a first screw section
36
which cooperates with a stationary projection
26
, illustrated best in
FIG. 6
, which belongs to the carrier
40
. This situation can be seen also in the plan view of
FIG. 4
wherein elements which would interfere with viewing the parts in question have been omitted. The projection
26
is comprised of an undercut head
27
of a hook
28
which is attached to the carrier
40
. In the mounting position
42
.
1
of the bearing arm
42
the screw section
36
is thus positioned springily on the undercut
26
of the hook head
27
.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show that the handle
20
has a shaft
22
at one handle end
24
which extends in the pivot movement direction. The other, oppositely arranged handle end
25
, as illustrated particularly well in
FIG. 2
, is connected by an extension arm
29
to the already mentioned second bearing
32
which is positioned on the backside of the recessed shell
30
. This provides the connection between the handle
20
and the recessed shell
30
of the modular unit
10
. As can be seen in
FIG. 2
, the shaft
22
penetrates a cutout in the cover
31
of the recessed shell and projects from the backside of the recessed shell
30
. When mounting the handle
20
, the entire modular unit
10
is manipulated in a way that will be explained in more detail in the following in connection with
FIGS. 5 through 10
.
While the second bearing
32
for the handle
20
is already present in the modular unit
10
, in the initial situation according to
FIG. 3
the first bearing
41
for the handle
20
is initially inactive because it is integrated into the carrier
40
in the present embodiment. This first bearing
41
will become activate in connection with the handle
20
by a coupling action whose initial phase is illustrated in
FIGS. 5 and 6
. For this purpose, the modular unit
10
is manipulated such that the shaft
22
of the handle
20
is inserted through a hole
18
in the carrier
40
in the direction of an insertion movement illustrated by the arrow
17
of FIG.
5
. When this insertion movement
17
is carried out, the end
23
of the shaft
22
moves into the interior of the coupling receptacle
43
of the bearing arm
42
of the carrier. The shaft end
23
thus functions as a “coupling plug” which is provided at its tip with suitable insertion slants
19
.
During this insertion movement
17
, the coupling plug
23
cooperates with a locking member
50
. The locking member
50
is moveably arranged within the bearing arm
42
and loaded by a spring
53
. The locking member
50
has the tendency, as a result of the spring load
53
, to penetrate with its active locking location
51
into the coupling receptacle
43
on the bearing arm
42
. The locking member
50
is comprised in the present case of a slide
50
which is longitudinally movable in the direction indicated by the arrow
55
in
FIG. 6
in a guide
54
that extend in the direction of the bearing arm
42
. The spring load is provided by a coiled pressure spring
53
which is secured with one end on a moveable shoulder
56
and with the other end on a stationary shoulder
57
on the bearing arm
42
. The maximum insertion position of the locking location
51
in the coupling receptacle
43
is determined by a stop
58
which is moveable the slide
50
which, in this case, rests against a stationary counter stop
59
on the bearing arm
42
.
FIGS. 7 and 8
show the coupling position between the coupling receptacle
43
on the arm and the coupling plug
23
on the shaft
22
. The coupling position is determined in that the locking location
51
on the slide engages the counter locking location
52
on the shaft. In the present case, the locking location
51
is a locking projection and the counter locking location
52
is a locking recess. During the aforementioned coupling action
17
, the locking projection
51
passes across the raised portion in front of the locking recess
52
in the shaft so that the slide
50
carries out the described longitudinal movement
55
in its guide
54
. However, this is possible only, as illustrated in
FIG. 8
, because the second screw section
37
of the adjusting screw
35
is positioned outside of the movement path
55
of a stepped slide end
39
. The adjusting screw
35
is received in a threaded receptacle
38
of the bearing arm
42
. The adjusting screw
35
is adjustable between two end positions. The first end position, illustrated in
FIG. 8
by means of the auxiliary line
37
.
1
, is present during coupling
17
or counter coupling of the handle
20
and will be referred to in the following for reasons which will become clear later as the “release position”. This release position
35
.
1
determines at the same time the aforementioned mounting position
42
.
1
of the bearing arm
42
. The latter results because of the already described engagement of the first screw section
36
on the stationary projection
26
.
After completed coupling of the coupling plug
23
of the shaft in the coupling receptacle
43
of the arm according to
FIGS. 7 and 8
, the mounting position
42
.
1
is canceled. This is realized by the measures illustrated in
FIGS. 9 and 10
. These measures include, as already described, a tool which, based on the mounting position
42
.
1
of
FIG. 7 and 8
, is inserted through the hole
15
in the door folding
14
of
FIG. 4
in the direction of arrow
48
and impacts on the actuation end
34
of the adjusting screw
35
. By means of the tool the adjusting screw
35
can then be moved into the second position illustrated in
FIG. 10
by the auxiliary line
35
.
2
. The screw section
36
is then removed so far that the adjusting screw
35
no longer engages the undercut
26
of the hook
28
. The bearing arm
42
is free and is thus transferred as a result of the spring load
45
acting on it into the rest position of
FIG. 9
illustrated by the aforementioned auxiliary line
42
.
0
. The handle
20
is then inserted to the maximum extent and is secured by end stops in this rest position. The recessed shell
30
of the modular unit
10
belonging to the handle
20
is now in its final position where it can be secured by fastening means at the locations
61
and
62
illustrated in
FIG. 2
on the carrier
40
. Now the final attachment position of the modular unit
10
on the exterior side
11
of the door is present. The handle
20
is then not only pivotable on the bearing
32
at the recessed shell of
FIG. 2
but also by means of the bearing arm
42
on the bearing
41
of the carrier.
Both bearings
32
,
41
determine the pivot axis of the handle
20
. The handle
20
can then be manipulated relative to the stationary recessed shell
30
and the carrier
40
in the actuation direction of arrow
60
of FIG.
9
. When carrying out this actuation
60
, the bearing arm
42
coupled with the handle
20
is pivoted into a working position, not illustrated in detail. This pivot movement of the bearing arm
42
is transmitted via a lever onto a linkage which engages a location identified at
63
in
FIGS. 3 and 4
. The linkage in the present case is a Bowden cable connected to the location
63
which leads to lock members not illustrated in detail. These lock members are released upon actuation (arrow
60
), and the door can be opened.
In the rest position
42
.
0
of the bearing arm
42
the actuation end
34
of the adjusting screw
35
is no longer accessible without problems through the aforementioned hole
15
in the door folding
14
. Moreover, the adjusting screw
35
is then in the position
35
.
2
and has the additional function of locking the coupling engagement of the plug
43
in the receptacle
43
on the arm. Therefore, this position
35
.
2
of the adjusting screw
35
is referred to as the “arresting position”. This is realized in that the screw section
37
at the head, according to
FIG. 10
, projects into the movement path of the slide
50
illustrated by the dotted arrow
55
. This is realized in that the screw head of the stepped upper slide end
39
is engaged. The slide
50
is locked and, accordingly, the engagement of the locking projection
51
in the locking recess
52
is secured.
Inasmuch as the rest position
42
.
0
of the actuation end
34
of the adjusting screw
35
should be accessible from the hole
15
in the door folding, this is of interest for initiating a simple demounting of the handle
20
. It is then possible, based on the rest position
42
.
0
illustrated in
FIG. 10
, to already adjust the adjusting screw
35
such that it moves from its arresting position
35
.
2
of
FIG. 10
into the release position
35
.
1
illustrated in FIG.
8
. The screw section
36
is then again in the extended position illustrated in
FIGS. 6 and 8
, but engages in this rest position
42
.
0
of
FIGS. 9 and 10
not yet the afore described hook head
27
shown in FIG.
4
. The screw section
36
also illustrated in
FIG. 4
is still above the hook head
27
. This hook head
27
is provided with a slanted portion
64
and the corresponding shaft of the hook
28
is elastic and springy. When the handle
20
is pulled slightly in the actuation direction of arrow
60
of
FIG. 9
, the projecting screw section
36
in
FIG. 4
moves across the slanted portion
64
of the hook head
27
, snaps into place behind the undercut
26
of the hook, and reaches the position illustrated in FIG.
4
. This is again the mounting position
42
.
1
of the bearing arm according to
FIGS. 7 and 5
. A decoupling of the coupling plug
23
of the shaft from the coupling receptacle
43
on the arm in the direction of arrow
17
′ of
FIG. 7
is possible. This is made possible again by the free longitudinal movability
55
of the slide
50
. The screw head
37
, which in FIGS,
9
and
10
still presents an obstacle, is again in the release position
35
.
1
of FIG.
8
. This position
35
.
1
is defined by the contact of the screw head
37
on the bottom of the slide guide
54
. The stepped slide end
39
is released.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
Claims
- 1. A kit for an external door handle for vehicles, the kit comprised of:a carrier configured to be fastened at an inner side of a door on an outer door panel; a handle configured to be mounted on the carrier from an exterior side of the door, wherein the handle, after mounting on the carrier, is pivotably supported and has one handle end provided with a shaft configured to be inserted through a cutout provided in the exterior door panel; wherein the carrier has a pivotable bearing arm with a coupling receptacle for supporting the handle; wherein the shaft end of the handle has a coupling plug configured for engaging the coupling receptacle of the bearing arm during mounting of the handle; a locking device arranged in a coupling area of the coupling plug and the coupling receptacle, wherein the locking device is accessible through a hole in a door folding of the exterior door panel and is configured to secure in a locking position the coupling plug and the coupling receptacle in a coupling engagement for coupling the handle and the bearing arm; wherein the bearing arm has a movable locking member which is spring-loaded and has a locking location; wherein the coupling plug has a counter locking location for the locking location of the locking member provided on the shaft end of the handle; wherein the locking device is comprised of an adjustable obstacle which in the locking position of the locking device projects into the restoring path of the locking member and locks the locking member in locking engagement with the counter locking member of the coupling plug.
- 2. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the locking member is a longitudinally movable slide and wherein the bearing arm has a guide for the longitudinally movable slide.
- 3. The kit according to claim 2, wherein the guide extends in a longitudinal direction of the bearing arm.
- 4. The kit according to claim 2, wherein the slide has a shoulder movable with the slide and the bearing arm has a stationary shoulder, wherein a spring member is arranged between the shoulder on the slide and the shoulder on the bearing arm and wherein the spring member exerts a locking force onto the slide acting in a direction effecting the locking engagement.
- 5. The kit according to claim 4, wherein the slide comprises a stop movable with the slide, wherein the stop, as a result of being loaded by the spring member, cooperates with a counter stop of the bearing arm and determines a maximum insertion position of the locking location of the slide in the coupling receptacle.
- 6. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle is located on the bearing arm and is arranged at a spacing from the coupling receptacle.
- 7. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle additionally secures the bearing arm in a defined pivot position which is a mounting position of the bearing arm, wherein the mounting position optimizes at least one of the actions of mounting of the handle relative to the carrier, demounting of the handle relative to the carrier, and accessing the obstacle via the hole in the door folding.
- 8. The kit according to claim 7, wherein the obstacle is adjustable between an arresting position, in which the locking engagement and the coupling engagement are secured but the bearing arm is released to perform a pivot movement, and a release position, in which the locking engagement is not secured and coupling and decoupling of the handle is possible but the mounting position of the bearing arm on the carrier is fixed.
- 9. The kit according to claim 8, wherein the obstacle is an adjusting screw and wherein the bearing arm has a threaded receptacle for receiving the adjusting screw, wherein a first end of the adjusting screw is configured for screw actuation of the adjusting screw and is accessible in the mounting position via the hole in the door folding.
- 10. The kit according to claim 9, wherein the adjusting screw has a first screw section which cooperates in a first screw position, defining a release position of the locking device, with a projection of the carrier to determine the mounting position of the bearing arm, wherein the adjusting screw has a second screw section which in a second screw position, determining the locking position of the locking device, projects into the movement path of the locking member and secures the coupling engagement of the handle and the bearing arm.
- 11. The kit according to claim 10, wherein the bearing arm is force-loaded in a direction of a folding movement of the handle against the exterior door panel, wherein the projection is comprised of a hook head which is undercut in a counter direction to the folding movement, wherein the first screw section in the first screw position engages the undercut and determines the mounting position of the bearing arm.
- 12. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the adjusting screw is accessible only in the mounting position of the bearing arm through the hole in the door folding.
- 13. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the handle has correlated therewith a recessed shell in a manipulation area of the handle, wherein the recessed shell, in a mounted state on the exterior side of the door panel, rests on the exterior side and is anchored on the carrier, wherein the handle forms with the recessed shell a pre-mounted modular unit but is movable relative to the recessed shell anchored on the carrier, wherein in the modular unit the handle has a bearing on the recessed shell, and wherein the bearing on the recessed shell and the bearing arm are located on opposed ends of the handle.
- 14. The kit according to claim 12, wherein the shell has a cover for a lock cylinder received in the carrier.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
101 26 045 |
May 2001 |
DE |
|
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DE |
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DE |
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Feb 1996 |
DE |
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Oct 1998 |
DE |
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Feb 2001 |
DE |
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Apr 2001 |
DE |