Flush-mounted door handle for vehicles

• US 9,957,737 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Patel, Rajesh K., Papanikolaou, Kosta
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/608,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20140000165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 49 31
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/76 Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
• 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: E05B 85/10 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

An electronic door latch includes a sensor mounted inside of an outer surface of the door. The sensor may be a proximity sensor, a touch sensor or other suitable sensor configured to determine if a user'"'"'s hand is present. The door latch release system further includes a powered latch that selectively retains the door latch in a closed position. The system may include a handle formed by a flange or other structure extending across a portion of a recess or pocket in the door. The system may include a receiver that utilizes a signal from a security transmitter (e.g. keyless entry fob).

Claims

1. A flush handle system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle door defining inner and outer sides, the outer side having an outwardly facing flat outer surface, the outwardly facing flat outer surface defining an edge that extends around an opening in the flat outer surface;

a pocket formed in the vehicle door, wherein the pocket is connected to the opening;

an integrally formed handle that is immovable relative to the outer side of the vehicle door and extends over a portion of the pocket whereby a user can insert fingers through the opening into the pocket and pull outwardly to open the vehicle door without moving the handle portion relative to the vehicle door, and wherein the handle does not protrude outwardly beyond the flat outer surface of the outer side of the door;

an unlatch sensor mounted to the vehicle door and to generate a predefined signal in response to detect a hand of the user in the pocket at a predefined range of the unlatch sensor, wherein the unlatch sensor is selected from the group consisting of proximity sensors and touch sensors;

a proximity lock sensor selected from the group consisting of proximity sensors and touch sensors and to allow the user to lock the vehicle door without using a specific key fob by moving the user'"'"'s hand into a predetermined range of the proximity lock sensor;

a powered latch defining locked and unlocked states and latched and unlatched configurations, wherein the powered latch retains the vehicle door in a closed position when the powered latch is in the latched configuration, and permits opening of the door when the powered latch is in the unlatched configuration; and

a low frequency (LF) antenna to detect the specific key fob of the user when the user is within a predefined distance of the vehicle to authenticate the user to move the powered latch into the unlocked state;

wherein the powered latch unlatches by shifting from the latched configuration to the unlatched configuration in response to the unlatch sensor generating the predefined signal and if the powered latch is in the unlocked state;

wherein the powered latch shifts from the unlocked state to the locked state in response to an actuation of the proximity lock sensor when the vehicle door is closed; and

wherein the locked and unlocked states of the powered latch correspond to manual door locks.

2. The flush handle system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the predefined range of the unlatch sensor and the predetermined range of the proximity lock sensor is about 6-8 mm.

3. The flush handle system of claim 1, wherein:

a visual indicator comprises the pocket formed in the outer surface of the vehicle door, wherein the visual indicator illuminates when at least one of the unlatch sensor and the proximity lock sensor determines that the user has actuated the at least one of the unlatch sensor and the proximity lock sensor.

4. The flush handle system of claim 1, wherein:

the powered latch includes a rotatable catch to engage a striker and retain the vehicle door in a closed position, and a movable pawl that selectively engages the rotatable catch and prevents rotation of the rotatable catch when the pawl is in an engaged position such that the latch is in the latched configuration, and wherein the pawl permits rotation of the rotatable catch when the pawl is in a disengaged position such that the powered latch is in the unlatched configuration, the powered latch further including an electrically-powered actuator that moves the movable pawl upon actuation of the electrically-powered actuator to latch and/or unlatch the powered latch.

5. A flush handle system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle door defining inner and outer sides, the outer side having a flat outer surface;

a handle comprising an opening in the flat outer surface that leads to a pocket formed in the vehicle and extends over a portion of the pocket whereby a user can insert fingers into the pocket and pull outwardly to open the vehicle door without moving the handle relative to the vehicle door, wherein said handle is disposed inside of the flat outer surface of the outer side of the vehicle door;

an unlatch sensor mounted to the door adjacent the pocket at a location that is inside of the portion of the outer surface defining a surface contour and to generate a predefined signal in response to detect a hand of the user in the pocket at a predefined range of the unlatch sensor, wherein the unlatch sensor is selected from the group consisting of proximity sensors and touch sensors;

a proximity lock sensor selected from the group consisting of proximity sensors and touch sensors and to allow the user to lock the vehicle door without using a specific key fob by moving the user'"'"'s hand into a predetermined range of the proximity lock sensor;

a powered latch defining locked and unlocked states and latched and unlatched configurations, wherein the powered latch retains the vehicle door in a closed position when the powered latch is in the latched configuration, and permits opening of the vehicle door when the powered latch is in the unlatched configuration; and

a low frequency (LF) antenna to detect the specific key fob of the user when the use is within a predefined distance of the vehicle to authenticate the user to move the powered latch into the unlocked state;

wherein the powered latch unlatches by shifting from the latched configuration to the unlatched configuration in response to the unlatch sensor generating the predefined signal and if the powered latch is in the unlocked state;

wherein the powered latch shifts from the unlocked state to the locked state in response to actuation of the proximity lock sensor when the vehicle door is closed;

wherein the locked and unlocked states of the powered latch correspond to manual door locks;

wherein the door includes a lower portion, a window above the lower portion, and beltline between the window and the lower portion of the door, and wherein the door includes an upright structure extending vertically along a side edge of the window; and

wherein the upright structure includes an outwardly facing outer side surface and an outwardly opening pocket, the upright structure further including a flange extending along at least one side of the pocket, the flange having an inner surface that faces generally opposite the outer side surface to form a handle, wherein the flange is rigidly fixed to the upright structure.

6. The flush handle system of claim 5, wherein:

a surface contour of the outer side surface of the upright structure over the flange is substantially identical to a surface contour of the outer side surface immediately adjacent the flange such that the appearance of the outer side surface of the upright structure over the flange is substantially the same as the appearance of the outer side surface immediately adjacent the flange.

7. The flush handle system of claim 6, including:

a visual indicator adjacent the handle that illuminates when at least one of the unlatch sensor and the proximity lock sensor determines that the user has actuated the at least one of the unlatch sensor and the proximity lock sensor.

8. The flush handle system of claim 7, wherein:

the vehicle door includes a thin layer of material having a generally planar portion covering the unlatch sensor.

9. The flush handle system of claim 8, wherein:

the thin layer of material extends over the flange and includes an edge extending along the distal edge of the flange.

10. The flush handle system of claim 8, wherein:

the visual indicator comprises a plurality of parallel lines on the thin layer of material directly over the unlatch sensor.

11. The flush handle system of claim 7, wherein:

the pocket has an oblong shape having a vertical dimension that is substantially greater than a horizontal dimension;

the flange extends horizontally over a portion of the pocket and terminates at an elongated vertically extending distal edge.

12. The flush handle system of claim 11, wherein:

the vertically extending distal edge is substantially linear, and wherein an opposite edge surface of the pocket has a concave curved shape whereby the pocket defines an elongated opening having opposite upper and lower ends.