Door handle apparatus for vehicle

• US 9,108,591 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ieda, Kiyokazu, Mushiake, Eiji, Inaba, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGDORF, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US11/898,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20080061933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,898 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.72
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/34 Protection against weather or dirt, e.g. against water ingress closures or guards for keyholes E05B17/14
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/65 using means for sensing the user's hand
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A door handle apparatus for a vehicle includes a door handle adapted to be provided at a vehicle exterior of a vehicle door and operated in order to open/close the vehicle door, a sensing electrode provided inside of an upper-outer surface of the door handle, a sensor for detecting a user approaching the sensing electrode on the basis of a variation of an electric capacitance generated by the sensing electrode, controlling device for controlling the vehicle door so as to be locked/unlocked on the basis of information detected by the sensor and water-removing device provided on the upper-outer surface of the door handle in order to remove water retained in the vicinity of the sensing electrode.

Claims

1. A door handle apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a door handle adapted to be provided at a vehicle exterior of a vehicle door and operated in order to open/close the vehicle door;

a sensing electrode provided inside of an upper-outer surface of the door handle;

a sensor for detecting a user approaching the sensing electrode on the basis of a variation of an electric capacitance generated by the sensing electrode;

controlling means for controlling the vehicle door so as to be locked/unlocked on the basis of information detected by the sensor;

water-removing means provided on the upper-outer surface of the door handle in order to remove water retained in the vicinity of the sensing electrode;

wherein the upper-outer surface includes a tapered surface, and the water-removing means includes a projecting portion formed so as to extend along a tapered direction of the tapered surface; and

wherein the projecting portion is formed so as to be narrower toward a lower portion of the tapered surface, and a plurality of the projecting portions is provided in a manner where a space therebetween is formed so as to be wider toward the lower portion of the tapered surface.

2. The door handle apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the water-removing means extends over an entire area in which a detecting surface of the sensing electrode is located.

3. The door handle apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the water-removing means is provided at each of the upper-outer surface and a lower-outer surface of the door handle so that the door handle is symmetrical relative to a center line extending in a longitudinal direction of the door handle.

4. A door handle apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a door handle adapted to be provided at a vehicle exterior of a vehicle door and operated in order to open/close the vehicle door;

a sensing electrode provided inside of an upper-outer surface of the door handle;

a sensor for detecting a user approaching the sensing electrode on the basis of a variation of an electric capacitance generated by the sensing electrode;

controlling means for controlling the vehicle door so as to be locked/unlocked on the basis of information detected by the sensor;

water-removing means provided on the upper-outer surface of the door handle in order to remove water retained in the vicinity of the sensing electrode; and

wherein the water-removing means includes a projecting portion and a recessed portion, which extend in the taper direction of the tapered surface.

5. The door handle apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the projecting portion is formed so as to be narrower toward a lower portion of the tapered surface, and a plurality of the projecting portions is provided in a manner where a space therebetween is formed so as to be wider toward the lower portion of the tapered surface.

6. The door handle apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the projecting portions is provided so as to form plural rows, with each row including a plurality of the projecting portions.

7. A door handle apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a door handle configured to be mounted at an exterior of a vehicle door and operated to open/close the vehicle door, the door handle possessing an upper surface facing upwardly when the door handle is mounted on the vehicle door;

a sensing electrode located inside the door handle;

a sensor for detecting a user approaching the sensing electrode based on a variation of an electric capacitance generated by the sensing electrode;

controlling means for controlling the vehicle door to be locked/unlocked based on information detected by the sensor;

a plurality of spaced apart projecting portions on the upper surface of the door handle and upstanding from the upper surface of the door handle to remove water retained in the vicinity of the sensing electrode; and

wherein each of the spaced apart and adjacently positioned projecting portions possesses oppositely located first and second ends, each of the adjacently positioned projecting portions is narrower at the first end relative to the second end.

8. The door handle apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of spaced apart projecting portions directly overlies the sensing electrode which is inside the door handle upper-outer surface so that the projecting portions facilitate removal of water on the upper surface of the door handle which is directly overlying the sensing electrode.

9. The door handle apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of projecting portions includes two rows of projecting portions, with each row including a plurality of the spaced apart projecting portions.

10. A door handle apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a door handle configured to be mounted at an exterior of a vehicle door and operated to open/close the vehicle door, the door handle possessing an upper surface facing upwardly when the door handle is mounted on the vehicle door;

a sensing electrode located inside the door handle;

a sensor for detecting a user approaching the sensing electrode based on a variation of an electric capacitance generated by the sensing electrode;

controlling means for controlling the vehicle door to be locked/unlocked based on information detected by the sensor;

a plurality of spaced apart projecting portions on the upper surface of the door handle and upstanding from the upper surface of the door handle to remove water retained in the vicinity of the sensing electrode;

wherein the plurality of projecting portions includes two rows of projecting portions, with each row including a plurality of the spaced apart projecting portions; and

wherein each of the spaced apart projecting portions possesses oppositely located first and second ends, and each of the projecting portions in one row is narrower at the first end relative to the second end.

11. A door handle apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a door handle configured to be mounted at an exterior of a vehicle door and operated to open/close the vehicle door, the door handle possessing an upper surface facing upwardly when the door handle is mounted on the vehicle door;

a sensing electrode located inside the door handle;

a sensor for detecting a user approaching the sensing electrode based on a variation of an electric capacitance generated by the sensing electrode;

controlling means for controlling the vehicle door to be locked/unlocked based on information detected by the sensor; and

water-removing means for removing water on the upper surface of the door handle, the water-removing means directly overlying the sensing electrode inside the door handle upper-outer surface; and

wherein the water-removing means comprises at least three spaced-apart projecting portions which project away from the upper surface of the door handle, with adjacent pairs of projecting portions separated by a respective space having a shape with widens towards one end of the respective space.

12. The door handle apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the water-removing means comprises at least four spaced-apart projecting portions which project away from the upper surface of the door handle.