Low profile door handle assembly

• US 20070069531A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Gentry, Garvin, Herbert, Russell
• Granted Patent: US 7,543,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/336.300
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/107 Pop-out handles, e.g. sliding outwardly before rotation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/20 Window fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/31 Lever operator, flush
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles

Abstract

A door handle assembly is provided for a door of a vehicle. The door handle assembly includes a mount adapted for attachment to the vehicle, an input member supported for movement relative to the mount, and a handle supported for movement relative to the mount. The handle can move from a low profile position to an extended position. The handle is adjacent the mount in the low profile position, and the handle is spaced from the mount in the extended position. The handle moves from the low profile position to the extended position due to an input provided to the input member. The handle can be further moved from the extended position to an operative position to unlatch the door of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A door handle assembly for unlatching a door of a vehicle, said door handle assembly comprising:

a mount adapted for attachment to the door of the vehicle;

an input member supported for movement relative to said mount; and

a handle supported for movement relative to said mount from a low profile position, wherein said handle is adjacent said mount, to an extended position, wherein said handle is spaced from said mount, due to an input provided to said input member, and wherein said handle can be further moved from the extended position to an operative position to unlatch the door of the vehicle.

2. A door handle assembly as set forth in claim 1 including a pivot mechanism to allow said handle to pivot away from said mount when moving to at least one of the extended position and the operative position.

3. A door handle assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said mount defines a top side and wherein said handle pivots away from said top side of said mount when moving to at least one of the extended position and the operative position.

4. A door handle assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cam member, wherein an input provided to said input member causes said cam member to cam said handle from the low profile position to the extended position.

5. A door handle assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said handle includes a notch, wherein an input provided to said input member causes said cam member to lodge in said notch, thereby retaining said handle in the extended position.

6. A door handle assembly as set forth in claim 5 including a pivot rod to dislodge said cam member from said notch when said handle is moved from the extended position to the operative position such that said handle is free to return to the low profile position.

7. A door handle assembly as set forth in claim 6 including a biasing member to urge said handle toward the low profile position such that said handle automatically returns to the low profile position when the cam member dislodges from said notch.

8. A door handle assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said input member is a button supported for movement relative to said mount, and wherein movement of said button from a first position to an operative position causes movement of said handle from the low profile position to the extended position.

9. A door handle assembly as set forth in claim 8 including a biasing member to urge said button away from the operative position and toward the first position.

10. A door assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a door;

a latch assembly attached to a body of the vehicle and configurable in a latched configuration and an unlatched configuration to latch and unlatch said door;

an input member supported for movement relative to said door; and

a handle supported for movement relative to said door from a low profile position, wherein said handle is adjacent said door, to an extended position, wherein said handle is spaced from said door, due to an input provided to said input member, and wherein said handle can be further moved from the extended position to an operative position to thereby change the configuration of the latch assembly from the latched configuration to the unlatched configuration.

11. A door assembly as set forth in claim 10 including a pivot mechanism to pivot said handle away from said door when moving to at least one of the extended position and the operative position.

12. A door assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said door has a top side and wherein said handle pivots away from said top side of said door when moving to at least one of the extended position and the operative position.

13. A door assembly as set forth in claim 10 further comprising a cam member, wherein an input provided to said input member causes said cam member to cam said handle from the low profile position to the extended position.

14. A door assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said handle includes a notch, wherein an input provided to said input member causes said cam member to lodge in said notch, thereby retaining said handle in the extended position.

15. A door assembly as set forth in claim 14 including a pivot rod to dislodge said cam member from said notch when said handle is moved from the extended position to the operative position such that said handle is free to return to the low profile position.

16. A door assembly as set forth in claim 15 including a biasing member to urge said handle toward the low profile position such that said handle automatically returns to the low profile position when said cam member dislodges from said notch.

17. A door assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said input member is a button supported for movement relative to said door panel, and wherein movement of said button from a first position to an operative position causes movement of said handle from the low profile position to the extended position.

18. A door assembly as set forth in claim 17 including a biasing member to urge said button away from the operative position and toward the first position.

19. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body having an opening;

a door mounted on the vehicle body for movement between a closed position and an open position relative to said opening;

a latch assembly supported by said vehicle body and configurable in a latched configuration for retaining said door in the closed position, and an unlatched configuration, in which the door can be moved from the closed position to the open position;

a handle supported for pivotal movement relative to said vehicle body to thereby change the configuration of said latch assembly, said handle including a notch; and

a cam operable to cam said handle from a low profile position to an extended position, wherein said handle pivots away from said vehicle body during movement from the low profile position toward the extended position, wherein said cam lodges in said notch when said handle is in the extended position such that said cam retains said handle in the extended position, and wherein said latch assembly can remain in the latched configuration when said handle pivots from the low profile position to the extended position; and

wherein said handle can be further pivoted away from the extended position and away from said vehicle body toward an operative position to change said latch assembly from the latched configuration to the unlatched configuration.

20. A vehicle as set forth in claim 19 including an input member, and wherein an input provided to said input member causes said cam member to cam said handle from the low profile position to the extended position.