Vehicle door handle assembly
First Claim
1. A door handle assembly for a vehicle door that resists opening of a latch mechanism of the door under inertial forces, the door handle assembly comprising:
- a handle movable from a door latched position to a door unlatched position;
a bell crank operatively connected to the handle so that movement of the handle rotates the bell crank about a bell crank axis, the bell crank having a first lever arm adapted for attachment to the latch mechanism of the door, and a cam;
a counterweight mounted for pivoting about a counterweight axis space from the bell crank axis, the counterweight being positioned for engagement with the cam such that when the handle is pulled from the door latched position to the door unlatched position, the bell crank rotates and the cam pushes the counterweight in a first direction about the counterweight axis, but upon acceleration of the handle assembly tending to cause the handle to move by its own inertia from the door latched to the door unlatched position thereby urging the bell crank to rotate, the inertia of the counterweight urges it to pivot in a second direction about the counterweight axis opposite the first direction and bear against the cam for inhibiting rotation of the bell crank and movement of the handle to the door unlatched position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A door handle assembly which is compact in size for space-efficient packaging in a door of an automotive vehicle. The assembly includes a safety system for preventing inadvertent movement of the handle to an unlatched position during a side impact collision. A counterweight is mounted in the handle assembly which, during relative motions of parts induced by acceleration from a side impact, resists unlatching the handle. The counterweight is rotatably mounted on an axis different from an axis of the handle latch control mechanism, and is not fixedly attached to the handle mechanism.
58 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A door handle assembly for a vehicle door that resists opening of a latch mechanism of the door under inertial forces, the door handle assembly comprising:
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a handle movable from a door latched position to a door unlatched position;
a bell crank operatively connected to the handle so that movement of the handle rotates the bell crank about a bell crank axis, the bell crank having a first lever arm adapted for attachment to the latch mechanism of the door, and a cam;
a counterweight mounted for pivoting about a counterweight axis space from the bell crank axis, the counterweight being positioned for engagement with the cam such that when the handle is pulled from the door latched position to the door unlatched position, the bell crank rotates and the cam pushes the counterweight in a first direction about the counterweight axis, but upon acceleration of the handle assembly tending to cause the handle to move by its own inertia from the door latched to the door unlatched position thereby urging the bell crank to rotate, the inertia of the counterweight urges it to pivot in a second direction about the counterweight axis opposite the first direction and bear against the cam for inhibiting rotation of the bell crank and movement of the handle to the door unlatched position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18)
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13. A door handle assembly for a vehicle door that resists opening of a latch mechanism of the door under inertial forces, the door handle assembly comprising:
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a handle movable from a door latched position to a door unlatched position;
a latch control mechanism operatively connected to the handle so that movement of the handle moves the latch control mechanism;
a counterweight mounted for pivoting about a counterweight axis and free of fixed connection to the latch control mechanism, the counterweight being positioned for contact with the latch control mechanism such that when the handle is pulled from the door latched position to the door unlatched positions the latch control mechanism moves and pushes the counterweight in a first direction about the counterweight axis, but upon acceleration of the handle assembly tending to cause the handle to move by its own inertia from the door latched to the door unlatched position thereby urging the latch control mechanism to move, the inertia of the counterweight urges it to pivot in a second direction about the counterweight axis opposite the first direction and bear against the latch control mechanism for inhibiting rotation of the latch control mechanism and movement of the handle to the door unlatched position;
wherein the counterweight and latch control mechanism in the door latched position are contained in a volume less than or equal to about 150 cm3. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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19. A door handle assembly for a vehicle door that resists opening of a latch mechanism of the door under inertial forces, the door handle assembly comprising:
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a handle movable from a door latched position to a door unlatched position;
a latch control mechanism operatively connected to the handle so that movement of the handle moves the latch control mechanism;
a counterweight mounted for pivoting about a counterweight axis and free of fixed connection to the latch control mechanism, the counterweight being positioned for contact with the latch control mechanism such that when the handle is pulled from the door latched position to the door unlatched position, the latch control mechanism moves and pushes the counterweight in a first direction about the counterweight axis, but upon acceleration of the handle assembly tending to cause the handle to move by its own inertia from the door latched to the door unlatched position thereby urging the latch control mechanism to move, the inertia of the counterweight urges it to pivot in a second direction about the counterweight axis opposite the first direction and bear against the latch control mechanism for inhibiting rotation of the latch control mechanism and movement of the handle to the door unlatched position;
wherein the counterweight pivots about the counterweight axis less than 20 degrees between the door latch position and door unlatch position when the door handle is pulled.
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Specification