Motor Vehicle Door Handle

• US 20080018127A1
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Schumacher, Helmut, Schindler, Mirko, Klein, Helmut
• Granted Patent: US 7,422,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/1.02
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14639 for obtaining an insulating effect, e.g. for electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1671 with an insert
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0004 Lock assembling or manufacturing making locksmith's goods of sheet metal B21D53/38; assembling in general B23P21/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation

Abstract

A motor vehicle door handle includes a grip area and an electronics module arranged inside the grip area. A plastic injection moulded carrier core extends inside the motor vehicle door handle. The electronics module is arranged in a recess of the carrier core. A covering layer, which is made of plastic and which forms an outer wall of the motor vehicle door handle, is injected around the carrier core and the electronics module. Preferably, the carrier core is an injection moulded part having a foam structure, produced according to a MuCell method.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A motor vehicle door handle comprising:

a grip region;

an electronic assembly disposed in an interior of the grip region;

an injection moulded plastic support core extending within the interior of the motor vehicle door handle;

the electronic assembly being disposed in a recess in the injection moulded plastic support core,

wherein a cover layer of plastic material forming an outer wall of the motor vehicle door handle is injection moulded around the injection moulded plastic support core and the electronic assembly.

20. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 19, wherein the injection moulded plastic support core is an injection moulded component having a foam structure.

21. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 20, wherein the injection moulded plastic support core is an injection moulded component made by the MuCell process.

22. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 19, wherein the cover layer is at no point thicker than 15 mm.

23. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 22, wherein the cover layer is less than 5 mm thick.

24. The motor vehicle door of claim 19, the electronic assembly comprising comprising connecting leads which, starting from the recess in the support core, pass through a region of the support core engaging a door wall in the interior of the support core and pass out of the motor vehicle door handle at a position, which is disposed behind the door wall, in the installed state.

25. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 24, wherein the connecting leads comprise cables, which cables pass through a passage starting from the recess.

26. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 25, wherein the cables passing through the passage are firmly connected to the electronic assembly.

27. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 24, wherein the connecting leads comprise leads introduced into the support core, the leads introduced into the support core being connected to contacts in the interior of the recess, the contacts in the interior of the recess being in engagement with corresponding contacts of the electronic assembly.

28. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 19, wherein the electronic assembly comprises a plurality of sub-assemblies, each of the sub-assemblies being inserted into respective component recesses in the support core.

29. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 19, wherein the electronic assembly disposed in the recess is covered by a lid extending over the recess, the cover layer being injection moulded around the support core with the electronic assembly and lid.

30. The motor vehicle door handle of claim 19, wherein the electronic assembly is pre-mounted on a plastic carrier and so inserted into the recess that the plastic carrier constitutes a cover for the recess.

31. A method of manufacturing a motor vehicle door handle, the method comprising the steps of:

a) producing a plastic support core in an injection moulding process, the plastic support core having a support core grip section, and forming a recess in the support core grip section;

b) inserting an electronic assembly into the recess; and

c) injection moulding a cover layer of plastic material around the plastic support core and the inserted electronic assembly so that the cover layer constitutes an outer wall of the motor vehicle door handle and that the support core grip section constitutes a grip region of the motor vehicle door handle.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein in step a) the plastic support core is produced in an injection moulding process, in which an injection moulded component with a foam structure is formed.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the plastic support core is produced with a MuCell process.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the recess is produced during the production of the plastic support core by injection moulding.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the plastic support core is produced with a supply lead passage starting from the recess, and supply leads of the electronic assembly being passed through the supply lead passage as the electronic assembly being inserted into the recess.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein after the insertion of the electronic assembly and before injection moulding the cover layer, the recess containing the electronic assembly is covered with a lid.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the electronic assembly is premounted on a plastic plate and so inserted into the recess that the plastic plate covers the recess with the electronic assembly.