Vehicle grab handle

• US 7,407,209 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kobrossy, Rabih, Stolarczyk, Darryl
• Primary Examiner(s): LYJAK, LORI LYNN
• Application Number:
  US11/362,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20070200380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 296/1.02, 296/214, 224/927
• US Class Current: 296/1.02
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/026 characterised by the fixing means B60N3/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/927 Carrier for clothes hanger

Abstract

An interior handle assembly includes a vehicle structural member, a handle and a mounting fastener. The handle has a grip portion and a first base mounting portion. The mounting fastener extends between the first base mounting portion and the vehicle structural member fixedly attaching the handle to the vehicle structural member. One of the handle and the vehicle structural member has a selective sliding movement arrangement to provide relative movement of the handle during an impact.

Claims

1. A vehicle interior handle assembly comprising:

a vehicle structural member;

a handle having a grip portion and a first base mounting portion; and

a mounting fastener extending between the first base mounting portion and the vehicle structural member fixedly attaching the handle to the vehicle structural member with one of the handle and the vehicle structural member having a selective sliding movement arrangement configured to provide relative movement of the handle in a direction parallel to the vehicle structural member during an impact.

2. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the selective sliding movement arrangement includes an elongated slot formed in the first base mounting portion of the handle with the mounting fastener extending through the elongated slot.

4. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the grip portion is a generally elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction;

and

the elongated slot has an elongated width extending generally parallel to the first direction.

5. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the vehicle structural member has a mounting aperture with the fastener being fixed therein.

6. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein

the fastener is approximately centered in the elongated slot with the handle in a mounting orientation.

7. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the first base mounting portion includes an installation locator pin;

and

the vehicle structural member includes a corresponding locator pin aperture with the installation locator pin disposed therein.

8. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein

the installation locator pin is arranged and configured with a shear strength that is less than a shear strength of the mounting fastener.

10. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the mounting fastener includes a threaded portion and a head portion.

11. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 10, wherein

the head portion of the mounting fastener is disposed within the mounting portion of the handle.

12. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the handle further includes a second base mounting portion with the grip portion extending between the first and second base mounting portions.

13. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 12, wherein

the grip portion and the first and second base mounting portions are formed unitarily as a single member.

14. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the grip portion is a generally elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction;

and

the selective sliding movement arrangement provides relative movement of the handle along the first direction.

15. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the grip portion is a generally elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction;

and

the selective sliding movement arrangement provides relative movement of the handle along a second direction that is angularly offset from the first direction.

19. The vehicle interior handle as set forth in claim 6, further comprising

a second base mounting portion coupled to the grip portion such that the grip portion is an elongated member with the first base mounting portion and the second first base mounting portion formed at opposite ends.

3. A vehicle interior handle assembly comprising:

a vehicle structural member;

a handle having a grip portion and a first base mounting portion; and

a mounting fastener extending between the first base mounting portion and the vehicle structural member fixedly attaching the handle to the vehicle structural member with one of the handle and the vehicle structural member having a selective sliding movement arrangement to provide relative movement of the handle during an impact, the selective sliding movement arrangement includes an elongated slot formed in the first base mounting portion of the handle with the mounting fastener extending through the elongated slot,

the grip portion being a generally elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction; and

the elongated slot having an elongated width extending in a second direction that is angularly offset from the first direction.

9. A vehicle interior handle assembly comprising:

a vehicle structural member;

a handle having a grip portion and a first base mounting portion; and

a mounting fastener extending between the first base mounting portion and the vehicle structural member fixedly attaching the handle to the vehicle structural member with one of the handle and the vehicle structural member having a selective sliding movement arrangement to provide relative movement of the handle during an impact, the vehicle structural member being a vehicle pillar.

21. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the selective sliding movement arrangement includes an elongated slot formed in the first base mounting portion of the handle with the mounting fastener extending through the elongated slot.

22. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 21, wherein

the grip portion is a generally elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction;

and

the elongated slot has an elongated width extending in a second direction that is angularly offset from the first direction.

23. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 21, wherein

the grip portion is a generally elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction;

and

the elongated slot has an elongated width extending generally parallel to the first direction.

24. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the first base mounting portion includes an installation locator pin;

and

the vehicle structural member includes a corresponding locator pin aperture with the installation locator pin disposed therein.

25. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 24, wherein

the installation locator pin is arranged and configured with a shear strength that is less than a shear strength of the mounting fastener.

26. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the handle further includes a second base mounting portion with the grip portion extending between the first and second base mounting portions.

27. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 26, wherein

the grip portion and the first and second base mounting portions are formed unitarily as a single member.

16. A vehicle interior handle comprising:

a grip portion; and

a first base mounting portion coupled to the grip portion with an elongated mounting slot formed in the first base mounting portion, the elongated mounting slot configured and arranged to provide selective sliding movement of the first base mounting portion,

the grip portion being a generally elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction; and

the elongated mounting slot having an elongated width extending in a second direction that is angularly offset from the first direction.

17. The vehicle interior handle as set forth in claim 16, wherein

the first base mounting portion includes an installation locator pin adjacent to the elongated mounting slot.

18. The vehicle interior handle as set forth in claim 17, wherein

the installation locator pin is configured with a shear strength that is less than a shear strength of a mounting fastener.

20. A vehicle interior handle comprising:

a grip portion;

a first base mounting portion coupled to the grip portion with an elongated mounting slot formed in the first base mounting portion, the elongated mounting slot configured and arranged to provide selective sliding movement of the first base mounting portion; and

a second base mounting portion coupled to the grip portion such that the grip portion is an elongated member with the first base mounting portion and the second first base mounting portion formed at opposite ends, the grip portion and the first and second base mounting portions being formed unitarily as a single member.

28. A vehicle interior handle assembly comprising:

a vehicle structural member;

a handle having a grip portion and a first base mounting portion, the first base mounting portion having a selective sliding movement arrangement and a cover configured to cover the selective sliding movement arrangement; and

a mounting fastener extending between the selective sliding movement arrangement and the vehicle structural member fixedly attaching the handle to the vehicle structural member, the selective sliding movement arrangement configured to provide relative movement of at least the first base mounting portion and the cover of the handle relative to the vehicle structural member during an impact.

29. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 28, wherein

the selective sliding movement arrangement includes an elongated slot formed in the first base mounting portion of the handle with the mounting fastener extending through the elongated slot.

30. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 29, wherein

the grip portion is a generally elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction;

and

the elongated slot has an elongated width extending in a second direction that is angularly offset from the first direction.

31. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 29, wherein

the grip portion is a generally elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction;

and

the elongated slot has an elongated width extending generally parallel to the first direction.

32. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 28, wherein

the first base mounting portion includes an installation locator pin;

and

the vehicle structural member includes a corresponding locator pin aperture with the installation locator pin disposed therein.

33. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 32, wherein

the installation locator pin is arranged and configured with a shear strength that is less than a shear strength of the mounting fastener.

34. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 28, wherein

the handle further includes a second base mounting portion with the grip portion extending between the first and second base mounting portions.

35. The vehicle interior handle assembly as set forth in claim 34, wherein

the grip portion and the first and second base mounting portions are formed unitarily as a single member.