Vehicle handle assembly with antenna

• US 20030063037A1
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: March, Philip A., Boezwinkle, William K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,977,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/711
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3241 particular used in keyless entry systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3283 side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material

Abstract

A door handle assembly for a vehicle includes a handle portion and an antenna positioned within the handle portion. The handle portion is movable or actuatable to open the door of the vehicle. The antenna receives a signal from a remote signaling device and communicates a signal to an accessory or system of the vehicle, such as a door locking/unlocking system of the vehicle, a lighting system of the vehicle, an ignition system of the vehicle, and/or the like. The antenna may function to receive the signal and automatically communicate a signal to the accessory or system of the vehicle in response to a remote signaling device approaching the door handle assembly. The antenna is preferably positioned within a cavity of the door handle portion and, more preferably, the handle portion is molded at least substantially around the antenna.

Claims

1. A door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle, the vehicle door having a latch mechanism, the vehicle including a door locking system, said door handle assembly comprising:

a base portion adapted to mount to the door of the vehicle;

a handle portion, said handle portion being movably mounted to said base portion and adapted to couple to the latch mechanism of the door, such that movement of said handle portion actuates the latch mechanism; and

an antenna, said handle portion being molded at least partially around said antenna, said antenna being adapted to receive a signal from a remote signaling device and communicating the signal to the door locking system of the vehicle.

2. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said antenna includes at least one wire extending therefrom, said handle portion being molded at least partially around said antenna and said at least one wire such that an end of said at least one wire extends from said molded handle portion.

3. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said handle portion comprises an inner core portion and an outer skin portion, said outer skin portion being molded over said inner core portion.

4. The door handle assembly of claim 3, wherein said antenna is positioned within said inner core portion of said handle portion, said outer skin portion being molded over said antenna and said inner core portion.

5. The door handle assembly of claim 4, wherein said antenna is positioned within a cavity formed within said inner core portion of said handle portion.

6. The door handle assembly of claim 4, wherein said inner core portion is molded at least partially around said antenna.

7. The door handle assembly of claim 6, wherein said antenna includes at least one wire extending therefrom, said core portion being molded at least partially around said antenna and said at least one wire such that an end of said at least one wire extends from said molded core portion.

8. The door handle assembly of claim 3, wherein said core portion and said handle portion comprise one of a mineral filled nylon material and a glass filled nylon material.

9. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said handle portion is integrally molded at least partially around said antenna.

10. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system via a wire connection between the locking system and said antenna.

11. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system via a wireless signal.

12. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system via at least one of a vehicle bus or multiplex system.

13. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system in response to a signal from a remote signaling device.

14. The door handle assembly of claim 13, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system automatically in response to the remote signaling device approaching said door handle assembly.

15. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to at least one other vehicle accessory.

16. The door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein said at least one other vehicle accessory comprises at least one of a vehicle lighting system, an interior light, a security light and a vehicle ignition.

17. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said handle portion comprises an elongated strap handle portion pivotable about a generally vertical axis at said base portion.

18. A door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle, the vehicle door having a latch mechanism, the vehicle including a door locking system, said door handle assembly comprising:

a base portion adapted to mount to the door of the vehicle; and

a handle portion, said handle portion being movably mounted to said base portion and adapted to couple to the latch mechanism of the door, such that movement of said handle portion actuates the latch mechanism, said handle portion comprising a molded shell portion and an antenna within said shell portion, said shell portion being molded at least partially around said antenna, said antenna receiving a signal from a remote signaling device and communicating the signal to the door locking system of the vehicle.

19. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said handle portion comprises an inner core portion and said shell portion, said shell portion being molded over said inner core portion.

20. The door handle assembly of claim 19, wherein said antenna is positioned within said inner core portion of said handle portion, said shell portion being molded over said antenna and said inner core portion.

21. The door handle assembly of claim 20, wherein said antenna is positioned within a cavity formed within said inner core portion of said handle portion.

22. The door handle assembly of claim 20, wherein said inner core portion is molded at least partially around said antenna.

23. The door handle assembly of claim 22, wherein said antenna includes at least one wire extending therefrom, said inner core portion being molded at least partially around said antenna and said at least one wire such that an end of said at least one wire extends from said molded core portion.

24. The door handle assembly of claim 19, wherein said core portion and said shell portion comprise one of a mineral filled nylon material and a glass filled nylon material.

25. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said handle portion is integrally molded at least partially around said antenna.

26. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said antenna is encased within a molded core portion of said handle portion, said handle portion including an outer layer molded at least partially around said core portion.

27. The door handle assembly of claim 26, wherein said antenna includes a wire extending from said core portion and said outer layer of said handle portion.

28. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system via at least one of a wire connection and a wireless signal.

29. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system via a wire connection between the locking system and said antenna.

30. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system via a wireless signal.

31. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system via at least one of a vehicle bus or multiplex system.

32. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to the door locking system automatically in response to a remote signaling device approaching said door handle assembly.

33. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said antenna communicates the signal to at least one other vehicle accessory.

34. The door handle assembly of claim 33, wherein said at least one other vehicle accessory comprises at least one of a vehicle lighting system, an interior light, a security light and a vehicle ignition.

35. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said antenna is positioned within a cavity formed within said handle portion.

36. The door handle assembly of claim 18, wherein said handle portion comprises an elongated strap handle portion pivotable about a generally vertical axis at said base portion.

37. A method for molding a door handle portion of a vehicle door handle comprising:

providing a handle mold for a door handle portion;

positioning an antenna within a mold cavity of said handle mold;

providing handle material within said mold cavity and at least partially around said antenna to form said door handle portion; and

removing said door handle portion and antenna from said handle mold.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein prior to providing handle material within said mold cavity, the method comprises:

providing core material within a mold cavity of a core mold to form a core portion; and

positioning said core portion and said antenna within said mold cavity of said handle mold.

39. The method of claim 38 including positioning said antenna in a cavity of said core portion prior to providing handle material to said mold cavity of said handle mold.

40. The method of claim 38 including positioning said antenna in said mold cavity of said core mold prior to providing core material to said mold cavity, wherein providing core material comprises providing core material within said mold cavity of said core mold at least partially around said antenna to form a unitary core portion and antenna assembly.

41. The method of claim 40 including providing an electrical connector to said antenna and positioning said electrical connector within said mold cavity of said core mold such that an end of said electrical connector extends from said core portion after said core portion is removed from said core mold.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein providing core material into said mold cavity comprises injecting core material into said mold cavity via a gate positioned at or near one end of said core mold, said antenna being positioned at or near the other end of said core mold.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein said core portion comprises a core handle portion and at least one mounting portion integrally molded with said core handle portion.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein providing handle material comprises providing handle material substantially around said core handle portion of said core portion.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said handle material provides a class A type finish to said handle portion.

46. The method of claim 38, wherein said core material and said handle material comprise substantially the same material.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said core material and said handle material comprise one of a mineral filled nylon material and a glass filled nylon material.

48. The method of claim 38, wherein said core material comprises a different material from said handle material.

49. The method of claim 38, wherein said core material comprises one of a urethane material, a thermoplastic elastomer, a polyvinylchloride (PVC), a thermoplastic olefin (TPO), a nylon material and a reground nylon material.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said handle material comprises one of a thermoplastic material and a thermoset material.

51. The method of claim 38, wherein providing core material comprises providing porous core material.

52. The method of claim 38, wherein said core mold cavity and said handle mold cavity are within a single mold, said core portion and said handle portion being molded via a two shot molding process.

53. The method of claim 37, wherein said handle material comprises a substantially rigid and strong polymeric material.

54. The method of claim 37, wherein said handle material comprises one of a thermoplastic material and a thermoset material.

55. The method of claim 37, wherein providing handle material comprises injecting handle material into said mold cavity.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein injecting handle material into said mold cavity comprises injecting handle material into said mold cavity via a gate positioned at or near one end of said handle mold, said antenna being positioned at or near the other end of said handle mold.

57. The method of claim 37 including providing an electrical connector to said antenna and positioning said electrical connector within said mold cavity such that an end of said electrical connector extends from said door handle portion after said door handle portion is removed from said mold.