Door handle device for vehicles

• US 20040222649A1
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Honda Lock Manufacturing Company Limited (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Honda Lock Manufacturing Company Limited (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwaki, Makoto, Kawano, Hitoshi, Nitawaki, Masakatsu, Ito, Hidehiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,226,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/336.3
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 1/0053 Handles or handle attachments facilitating operation, e.g. by children or burdened persons foot-operation E05B53/001
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 7/00 Handles pivoted about an axis parallel to the wing E05B5/00, E05B85/14 take precedence; combined with bolt movement E05C1/00, E05C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/14 Handles pivoted about an axis parallel to the wing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/23 Vehicle door latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/31 Lever operator, flush
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles

Abstract

A door handle device for vehicles includes a handle body positioned on an outer surface of a vehicle door and lifted to be pulled back when the vehicle door is opened. The handle body is provided with a finger rest which extends to at least three directions of four directions including up, down, right and left directions.

Claims

1. A door handle device for vehicles comprising:

a handle body positioned on an outer surface of a vehicle door and lifted to be pulled back when the vehicle door is opened,

wherein the handle body is provided with a finger rest which extends to at least three directions of four directions including up, down, right and left directions.

2. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein with a finger rest space the handle body is accommodated in a handle accommodating recess formed in the vehicle door.

3. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the finger rest of the handle body has an arcuate profile.

4. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the finger rest of the handle body has a polygonal profile.

5. A door handle device for vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising:

a handle base for supporting the handle body;

a support arm extending from a reverse surface of the handle body and pivotally supported by the handle base; and

a reinforcement rib positioned between the handle body and the support arm.

6. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the handle body has a cover extending along a contour of the finger rest.

7. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein a periphery of the handle body curves inward.

8. A door handle device for vehicles comprising:

a handle body positioned on an outer surface of a vehicle door and lifted to disengage from a door catch device when the vehicle door is opened;

a finger rest provided at the handle body for lifting the handle body;

a handle base pivotally supporting the handle body through a rotating shaft such that the handle body turns around the rotating shaft;

a connecting lever pivotally supported by the handle base through a pivot shaft and having an input portion that is engaged with the handle body and an output portion that is engaged with the door catch device; and

an engagement portion provided at the handle body and engaged with the input portion of the connecting lever,

wherein the pivot shaft is positioned intermediate between the finger rest and the rotating shaft.

9. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 8, wherein the engagement portion slidably engages with the input portion of the connecting lever.

10. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the connecting lever is positioned such that a distance between the output portion and the pivot shaft becomes greater than a distance between the input portion and the pivot shaft.

11. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the input portion of the connecting lever and the engagement portion of the handle body is provided with an elastic member at its engagement surface.

12. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 8 wherein at least one of the input portion of the connecting lever and the engagement portion of the handle body is provided with a low friction member at its engagement surface.

13. A door handle device for vehicles comprising:

a handle case including a case main body which abuts on an outer surface of a door panel at a periphery of an opening provided in the door panel, and a pair of supporting arms integral with the case main body and extending through the opening toward an interior of a vehicle, the handle case being fixed to the door panel; and

a door handle including a handle positioned outside of the vehicle and being pivotally supported by the supporting arms of the handle case through a support shaft,

wherein the opening is substantially rectangular in shape having a first side and a second side which are substantially parallel to an axis of the support shaft with the first side sandwiched between the support shaft and the second side, wherein a reinforcement plate made of metal with a sufficient stiffness includes a sandwiched portion for being sandwiched between the door panel and the supporting arms at an outer side of the first side, and a mounting plate portion for sandwiching the door panel against the case main body at an outer side of the second side, and wherein the reinforcement plate abuts on an inner surface of the door panel at the periphery of the opening and is threadedly engaged with the case main body by a screw member inserted through the mounting plate portion and the door panel.

14. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 13, wherein the reinforcement plate includes an arm support portion which abuts on the supporting arms from an opposite side of the door panel at a position adjacent to the support shaft.

15. A door handle device for vehicles according to claim 13 or claims 14, wherein the case main body includes positioning projections for being inserted into corresponding positioning holes provided in the door panel and the mounting plate portion at a position outside the second side.