Vehicle door handle

• US 6,907,643 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koops, Roger L., Bingle, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/419,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 164/12, 164/13, 164/38, 169/03, 164/45, 16D/IG.41, 164/30, 161/101, 292/336.3, 292/347, 292/348, 292/76, 292/DIG.8, 292/DIG.30, 292/DIG.43, 292/DIG.65, 219/201, 219/202, 219/204, 219/227, 219/535, 219/547, 362/501, 362/511, 362/100, 362/399, 745/518, 745/519, 745/43
• US Class Current: 16/438
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 15/1635 of plastics materials springs E05B15/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0016 Defrosting, e.g. heating devices
• 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: Y10S 16/903 Handle with diverse art enhancement, e.g. illuminator, heater
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/85 Knob-attaching devices

Abstract

A vehicle door handle assembly for opening a door of a vehicle includes a base which is mountable at the door of the vehicle and a handle portion which is operable to open the door via movement of the handle portion relative to the base. The handle portion includes a first portion having a first material hardness and a second portion having a second material hardness. The first material hardness is greater than the second material hardness, such that the second portion provides a softer feel to a user of the door handle assembly when opening the door of the vehicle. The door handle assembly may further include an illumination source for illuminating the handle portion and/or a heating element for heating the handle portion.

Claims

1. A vehicle door handle assembly for opening a door of a vehicle comprising:

a base which is mountable at the door of the vehicle;

a handle portion which includes first and second portions, said handle portion being operable to open the door via movement of said handle portion relative to said base, said first portion of said handle portion comprising a first polymeric material having a first material hardness, said second portion of said handle portion comprising a second polymeric material having a second material hardness, said first material hardness being greater than said second material hardness, said second material being joined to said first material, said second material of said second portion providing a soft touch co a user of said handle assembly when the user operates said handle portion to open the door of the vehicle; and

an illumination source, said illumination source being operable to provide illumination to said handle portion in response to at least one of a touch of said handle portion, a movement of said handle portion relative to said base, actuation of a remote keyless entry module, and an insertion of a key into a key hole at said vehicle door handle assembly, said illumination source being automatically deactivated a period of time following activation of said illumination source.

2. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said second portion of said handle portion comprises an inward surface of said handle portion facing generally toward said base and the door, the user engaging said second portion and pulling said handle portion generally away from the door to operate said handle portion to open the door of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 2, wherein said first portion comprises an outward surface of said handle portion facing generally away from the door.

4. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said second portion is molded to said first portion.

5. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said second portion of said handle portion comprises an exterior surface of said handle portion and said first portion of said handle portion comprises a center portion of said handle portion, said exterior surface generally surrounding said center portion.

6. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 5, wherein said exterior surface is molded around said center portion.

7. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 5, wherein said exterior surface comprises a thin film, said center portion being molded inside said thin film to provide structural rigidity to said handle portion.

8. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said second material comprises a thermoplastic material.

9. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 8, wherein said second material comprises a polyolefin material.

10. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 9, wherein said second material comprises a Santoprene material.

11. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said first material comprises a the thermoplastic material.

12. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 11, wherein said first material comprises a thermoset material.

13. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 12, wherein said first material comprises a nylon material.

14. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said second material hardness is less than approximately 80 Shore A Durometer hardness.

15. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said second material hardness is less than approximately 70 Shore A Durometer hardness.

16. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said second material hardness is less than approximately 60 Shore A Durometer hardness.

17. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 14, wherein said first material hardness is greater than approximately 80 Shore A Durometer hardness.

18. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one illumination source is positioned at at least one of said base and said handle portion.

19. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said handle portion comprises a heating element which is operable to increase the temperature of at least said second material or said handle portion when said heating element is activated.

20. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 19, wherein said heating element is positioned within said handle portion.

21. The vehicle door handle assembly or claim 20, wherein said heating element is actuatable in response to said at least one of a touch of said handle portion, a movement of said handle portion relative to said base, actuation of a remote keyless entry module, a motion detection at the vehicle, and an insertion of a key into a key hole at said vehicle door handle assembly.

22. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 21, wherein said heating element deactuates a period of time following actuation of said heating element.

23. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one illumination source comprises one of a light emitting diode, an incandescent bulb, a fluorescent light, and an electro-luminescent light.

24. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination source provides ground illumination of the area by the vehicle when said illumination source is activated.

25. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said handle assembly comprises a strap door handle comprising an elongated handle portion.

26. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 25, wherein said elongated handle portion is pivotable about a generally vertical axis relative to said base.

27. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination source is actuatable in response to a touch of said handle portion by a user.

28. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination source is actuatable in response to a movement of said handle portion relative to said base.

29. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination source is actuatable in response to actuation of a remote keyless entry module.

30. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination source is actuatable in response to a motion detection at the vehicle.

31. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination source is actuatable in response to an insertion of a key into a key hole at said vehicle door handle assembly.

32. A vehicle door handle assembly for opening a door of a vehicle comprising:

a base which is mountable at the door of the vehicle;

a handle portion which includes first and second portions, said handle portion being operable to open the door via movement of said handle portion relative to said base, said first portion of said handle portion comprising a first polymeric material having a first material hardness, said second portion comprising a second polymeric material having a second material hardness, said first material hardness being greater than said second material hardness, said second material being joined to said first material, said second material of said second portion providing a soft touch to a user of said handle assembly when the user operates said handle portion to open the door of the vehicle; and

a heating element positioned within said handle portion and operable to increase a temperature of at least said second portion of said handle portion in response to at least one of a touch of said handle portion, a movement of said handle portion relative to said base, actuation of a remote keyless entry module, a motion detection at the vehicle, and an insertion of a key into a key hole at said door handle assembly wherein said heating element deactivates a period of time following actuation of said heating element.

33. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said second portion of said handle portion comprises an inward surface of said handle portion facing generally toward said base and the door, the user engaging said second portion and pulling said handle portion generally away from the door to operate said handle portion to open the door of the vehicle.

34. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 33, wherein said first portion comprises an outward surface of said handle portion facing generally away from the door.

35. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said second portion is molded to said first portion.

36. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said second portion of said handle portion comprises an exterior surface of said handle portion and said first portion of said handle portion comprises a center portion of said handle portion, said exterior surface generally surrounding said center portion.

38. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 36, wherein said exterior surface comprises a thin film, said center portion being molded inside said thin film to provide structural rigidity to said handle portion.

39. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said second material comprises a thermoplastic material.

40. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 39, wherein said second material comprises a polyolefin material.

41. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 40, wherein said second material comprises a Santoprene material.

42. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said first material comprises a thermoplastic material.

43. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 42, wherein said first material comprises a thermoset material.

44. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 43, wherein said first material comprises a nylon material.

45. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said second material hardness is less than approximately 80 Shore A Durometer hardness.

46. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said second material hardness is less than approximately 70 Shore A Durometer hardness.

47. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said second material hardness is less than approximately 60 Shore A Durometer hardness.

48. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 45, wherein said first material hardness is greater than approximately 80 Shore A Durometer hardness.

49. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, further including at least one illumination source at at least one of said base and said handle portion, said at least one illumination source being operable to provide illumination of said handle portion.

50. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 49, wherein said at least one illumination source comprises one of a light emitting diode, an incandescent bulb, a fluorescent light, and an electro-luminescent light.

51. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 49, wherein said illumination source is actuatable in response to said at least one of a touch or said handle portion, a movement of said handle portion relative to said base, actuation of a remote keyless entry module, a motion detection at the vehicle, and an insertion of a key into a key hole at said vehicle door handle assembly.

52. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 51, wherein said illumination source deactuates a period of time following actuation of said illumination source.

53. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said handle assembly comprises a strap door handle comprising an elongated handle portion.

54. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 53, wherein said elongated handle portion is pivotable about a generally vertical axis relative to said base.

55. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said heating element is actuatable in response to a touch of said handle portion by a user.

56. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said heating element is actuatable in response to a movement of said handle portion relative to said base.

57. The vehicle door assembly of claim 32, wherein said heating element is actuatable in response to actuation of a remote keyless entry module.

58. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said heating element is actuatable in response to a motion detection at the vehicle.

59. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim 32, wherein said heating element is actuatable in response to an insertion of a key into a key hole at said vehicle door handle assembly.

37. The vehicle door handle assembly of claim wherein said exterior surface is molded around said center portion.