Door handle

• US 10,207,633 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Koito Manufacturing Company Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Koito Manufacturing Company Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Haruhito, Kazaoka, Shigehiko, Tateishi, Masashi, Yoshino, Masaki, Ishikawa, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jong-Suk (James)
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eide, Eric T
• Application Number:
  US15/037,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20160297354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2669 on door or boot handles lighting devices for vehicle interior on door handles B60Q3/267
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/40 Welcome lights, i.e. specific or existing exterior lamps to assist leaving or approaching the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/10 Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 79/06 Mounting of handles, e.g. to the wing or to the lock
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/10 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/16 a longitudinal grip part being pivoted at one end about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip part

Abstract

A door handle includes a casing inside which an accommodation space is provided, and a lamp unit disposed in the accommodation space. The lamp unit includes a light member, and a light guide that guides light emitted from the light member in a first predetermined direction and emits the guided light from a light output surface. In the door handle, the light output surface is positioned inside an outer surface of the casing.

Claims

1. A door handle comprising:

a casing inside which an accommodation space is provided; and

a lamp unit disposed in the accommodation space, wherein;

the lamp unit includes a light member, and a light guide that guides light emitted from the light member in a first predetermined direction and emits the guided light from a light output surface;

the light output surface is positioned inside the casing, below an outermost surface of the casing in a direction opposite of the first predetermined direction, such that the light guide is recessed within the casing,

wherein the light guide has a shape extending in a second predetermined direction,

the casing includes a first panel and a second panel,

the light guide is held in the accommodation space defined between the first panel and the second panel in a direction perpendicular to the second predetermined direction,

a plurality of holding protrusions protruding toward the light guide are provided on each of the first panel and the second panel to be spaced apart from each other in the second predetermined direction; and

the light guide is held between the first panel and the second panel with the holding protrusions being pressed against the light guide,

the holding protrusions are provided on the first panel and the second panel such that the holding protrusions of the first panel and the holding protrusions of the second panel are positioned alternately in the second predetermined direction,

the direction defined between the first panel and the second panel in which the light guide is held in the accommodation space is a third predetermined direction perpendicular to the first predetermined direction and the second predetermined direction, and the light guide is directly sandwiched by and between the first panel and the second panel directly along a plane that extends in the third predetermined direction and that is perpendicular to the first predetermined direction, and

the plurality of holding protrusions protrude toward the light guide along an axis parallel to the third predetermined direction.

2. The door handle according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the casing is coated with a predetermined color, and at least a portion of an inner surface of the casing, which faces the light guide, is not coated.

3. The door handle according to claim 1, wherein the lamp unit further includes:

a first light guiding lens that guides the light emitted from the light member downward and emits the light from an emission surface; and

a second light guiding lens that guides the light to the first predetermined direction with a reflection surface.