Vehicle door inside handle assembly

• US 7,204,530 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Kyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Glessner; Brian E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gluchowski; Kristina
• Application Number:
  US11/021,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20050230982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 292/336.3, 292/161, 292/158, 292/347, 292/DIG.23, 292/DIG.30, 292/DIG.65, 292/DIG.31, 292/DIG.62
• US Class Current: 292/336.3
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/12 Inner door handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/82 Knobs

Abstract

The present invention relates to a door inside handle assembly for vehicles, in which a door inside handle is mounted in a housing installed in a door trim in such a fashion as to be pivotally moved inwardly into the inner space of the housing by means of the pushing force of a driver or passenger, and a separate linkage mechanism for converting the pivotal force of the handle which is exerted toward the interior of the housing into the pulling force of the rod member is additionally installed between the handle and a rod member which is connected to a door locking latch and is positioned opposite to a door trim so as to allow a driver or passenger to simultaneously unlock and open the door while outwardly pushing the door inside handle, thereby improving convenience of manipulation.

Claims

1. A vehicle inside door handle assembly, comprising:

a housing securely fastened to a door inner panel positioned opposite to a door trim while being fit into a mounting aperture of the door trim, the housing having a hollow space defined therein;

a door inside handle installed so as to pull a rod member positioned opposite to the door trim such that a door latch is unlocked, wherein the handle is formed at one end with a hole for inserting a hinge pin thereto and an extended piece bent pointing to the inner space of the housing at a given angle with respect to the hinge pin, the extended piece having a connection pin formed at one end thereof, the handle being mounted in the housing to be pivotally moved inwardly into the inner space of the housing about the hinge pin to its unlatched position by means of a pushing force of a driver or passenger exerted toward the interior of the housing and to be returned to its latched position by means of a resilient restoration force of the spring when the pushing force is released; and

a linkage mechanism connected between one end of the handle and one end of the rod member via a through-hole of the housing, for converting the pivotal force of the handle exerted toward the interior of the housing into the pulling force of the rod member;

wherein the linkage mechanism includes;

a first linkage rod connected at one end to the extended piece of the handle, the first linkage rod being longitudinally formed at both ends thereof with opposite guide slots and at a central portion thereof with a first pin mounting hole for inserting a first hinge pin for fixedly mounting to the housing, so that the first hinge pin is fit into the first pin mounting hole of the first linkage rod to allow the first linkage rod to pivotally rotate about the first hinge pin while the first connection pin of the extended piece being slidably guided in a guide slot formed at one end of the first linkage rod; and

a second linkage rod connected at one end to the other end of the first linkage rod and connected at the other end to one end of the rod member, the second linkage rod being formed at the central portion thereof with a second pin mounting hole for inserting a second hinge pin for fixedly mounting to the housing and formed at one end with a second connection pin, so that the second hinge pin is fit into the second pin mounting hole of the second linkage rod to allow the second linkage rod to pivotally rotate about the second hinge pin while the second connection pin is slidably guided in a guide slot formed at the other end of the first linkage rod,

whereby when the handle is pivoted inwardly into the inner space of the housing to its unlatched position the first and second linkage rods are pivotally rotated about the first and second hinge pins, respectively, in an opposite direction to each other to thereby pull the rod member.

2. The vehicle inside door handle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the door inside handle is formed at the other end with a latching hook, and the housing a latching jaw formed at one end of an inner surface thereof that corresponds to the latching hook of the handle so that the latching hook is caught on the latching jaw toward the exterior of the housing.

3. The vehicle inside door handle assembly according to claim 1, wherein a corner portion of an inner surface of the housing forms a rotation-preventing step for preventing the handle from being pivoted excessively inwardly into the inner space of the housing while catching the latching hook of the handle after the unlocking movement of the door has been performed, so as to secure a free space defined between the inner surface of the handle and the inner surface of the housing in a state in which the handle has been maximally pivoted inwardly into the inner space of the housing.

4. The vehicle inside door handle assembly according to claim 2, wherein a corner portion of an inner surface of the housing forms a rotation-preventing step for preventing the handle from being pivoted excessively inwardly into the inner space of the housing while catching the latching hook of the handle after the unlocking movement of the door has been performed, so as to secure a free space defined between the inner surface of the handle and the inner surface of the housing in a state in which the handle has been maximally pivoted inwardly into the inner space of the housing.

5. A vehicle inside door handle assembly comprising:

a linkage mechanism having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to be coupled to a door latch;

a housing configured to be coupled to an inner door inner panel, the housing having a hollow space defined therein;

an inside door handle pivotally mounted within said hollow space, wherein said handle is coupled to said linkage mechanism so as to be pivotally moved inwardly into the hollow space of the housing to unlock the door latch via the linkage mechanism;

wherein the linkage mechanism includes;

a first linkage rod connected at one end to the extended piece of the handle, the first linkage rod being longitudinally formed at both ends thereof with opposite guide slots and at a central portion thereof with a first pin mounting hole for inserting a first hinge pin for fixedly mounting to the housing, so that the first hinge pin is fit into the first pin mounting hole of the first linkage rod to allow the first linkage rod to pivotally rotate about the first hinge pin while the first connection pin of the extended piece being slidably guided in a guide slot formed at one end of the first linkage rod; and

a second linkage rod connected at one end to the other end of the first linkage rod and connected at the other end to one end of the rod member, the second linkage rod being formed at the central portion thereof with a second pin mounting hole for inserting a second hinge pin for fixedly mounting to the housing, and formed at one end with a second connection pin, so that the second hinge pin is fit into the second pin mounting hole of the second linkage rod to allow the second linkage rod to pivotally rotate about the second hinge pin while the second connection pin being slidably guided in a guide slot formed at the other end of the first linkage rod,

whereby when the handle is pivoted inwardly into the inner space of the housing to its unlatched position the first and second linkage rods are pivotally rotated about the first and second hinge pins, respectively, in an opposite direction to each other to thereby pull the linking mechanism.

6. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 5, further comprising a resilient member for forcing said handle away from said housing.

7. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 5, further comprising a rod member coupled between said linking member and said door latch.

8. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 5, wherein said housing is fastened to a door inner panel positioned opposite to a door trim while being fit into a mounting aperture of the door trim.

9. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 5, wherein said handle forms a hole at one end for inserting a hinge pin therein.

10. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 8, wherein said handle includes an extended piece bent towards the inner space of the housing at a given angle with respect to the hinge pin.

11. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 9, wherein said extended piece has a connection pin formed at one end thereof.

12. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 10, wherein said handle is configured to be pivotally moved inwardly into the inner space of the housing about the hinge pin to its unlatched position by means of a pushing force of a person exerted toward the interior of the housing and returns to a latched position by means of a resilient restoration force of a spring when the pushing force is released.

13. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 10, wherein the linkage mechanism is connected between one end of the handle and one end of a rod member via a through-hole of the housing, for converting the pivotal force of the handle exerted toward an interior of the housing into the pulling force of the rod member.

14. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 5, wherein the door inside handle is formed at the other end with a latching hook, and one end of an inner surface of the housing forms a latching jaw correspondingly to the latching hook of the handle so that the latching hook is caught on the latching jaw toward the exterior of the housing.

15. The vehicle inside door handle assembly of claim 13, wherein a corner portion of an inner surface of the housing forms a rotation-preventing step for preventing the handle from being pivoted excessively inwardly into the inner space of the housing while catching the latching hook of the handle after the unlocking movement of the door has been performed, so as to secure a free space defined between the inner surface of the handle and the inner surface of the housing in a state in which the handle has been maximally pivoted inwardly into the inner space of the housing.