Door handle unit having a safety function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10072446-B2
Application number	US-201314421892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2013
Priority date	Aug 16, 2012
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates a door handle unit ( 10 ) for actuating a lock ( 101 ) of a movable part ( 100 ) of a motor vehicle, particularly a door, a flap or the like, with a door handle ( 11 ), which is movably mounted at the support element ( 12 ) for mechanically opening the movable part ( 100 ) by a user, wherein the door handle ( 11 ) comprises at least a rest position and a operative position, a mechanical coupling element ( 13 ), which is movably mounted at the support element ( 12 ) and by which a movement of the door handle ( 11 ) is transmitted to the lock ( 101 ) from the rest position to the operating position, wherein the door handle ( 11 ) and the coupling element ( 13 ) are mechanically cooperating and form a movable actuating mechanism ( 15 ), and at least a locking unit ( 16 ), which in a normal case enables a movement of the actuating mechanism ( 15 ) for actuating the lock ( 101 ) and only in a case of locking blocks a movement of the actuating mechanism ( 15 ) for actuating the lock ( 101 ).
According to the invention it is provided that the blocking unit ( 16 ) can be activated for a case of blocking (Ib) via a remarkable movement of the actuating mechanism ( 15 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A door handle unit for actuating a lock of a movable part of a motor vehicle, the door handle unit comprising:
door handle, the door handle being movably mounted at a support element for mechanically opening the movable part by a user, wherein the door handle comprises
at least a rest position in which the door handle is configured to hold the lock closed and the door handle comprising an operative position in which the door handle is configured to hold the lock open,
a mechanical coupling element, which is movably mounted at the support element, the mechanical coupling element coupled to the door handle, and the mechanical coupling element configured to be coupled to the lock such that a movement of the door handle from the rest position to the operating position is to be transmitted to the lock, wherein the door handle and the coupling element mechanically cooperate to form a movable actuating mechanism, and
at least one blocking unit, the at least one blocking unit configured in a first case to enable a movement of the actuating mechanism for actuating the lock in a normal operating condition and the at least one blocking unit in a second case configured to block the movement of the actuating mechanism for actuating the lock during a vehicle crash condition,
wherein the at least one blocking unit is activatable for blocking via a level of movement of the actuating mechanism relative to the support element, wherein the level of movement is indicative of deceleration due to a vehicle crash, said at least one blocking unit comprising at least one blocking latch pivotally mounted to the mechanical coupling element, said deceleration pivotally operating said at least one blocking latch to attain a blocking position, said at least one blocking latch being pivotally movable relative to the mechanical coupling element or relative to the actuating mechanism and said at least one blocking latch configured to positively block the actuating mechanism by abutting the support element.

2. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
each of said at least one blocking latch of the at least one blocking unit is configured to be movable between:
a release position for the first case; and
the blocking position, for the blocking case; wherein each of said at least one blocking latch can be traversed from the release position into the blocking position, and from the blocking position into the release position, and wherein the traversal from the locking position to the release position is in a releasing direction, the releasing direction provided for each latch by a respective releasing force, there being a variation between respective releasing forces.

3. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the at least one blocking latch is spring-loaded and mounted in a release position.

4. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the at least one blocking latch comprises a fixed pivot point from the at least one blocking unit and the at least one blocking latch is pivotable between a release position and the blocking position.

5. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the rotation of the blocking latch from a release position into the blocking position occurs in the case of blocking via the level of movement of the actuating mechanism, wherein the at least one blocking unit mechanically moves with the actuating mechanism.

6. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the at least one blocking latch of the at least one blocking unit mechanically connects via a locking connection in the blocking position during a change from the release position to the blocking position.

7. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the level of movement of the actuating mechanism depends on a sudden and/or fast movement.

8. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one blocking latch comprises a formfitting shave to provide said blocking of the actuating mechanism.

9. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the at least one blocking unit mechanically blocks, in the case of blocking, via the locking connection such that the actuating mechanism is permanently blocked by formfitting.

10. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the at least one blocking unit is directly attached to the actuating mechanism wherein the formfitting occurs in case of blocking by at least one blocking latch, which is arranged between the movable actuating mechanism and the support element or the movable part.

11. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the at least one blocking unit mechanically cooperates with the actuating mechanism indirectly via a transmission element wherein the blocking unit is assembled at the support element or the movable part.

12. The door unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the at least one blocking unit mechanically cooperates with the actuating mechanism via a transmission element.

13. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the at least one blocking unit comprises a modular composition wherein the whole locking unit can be mounted simply and completely at the door handle unit.

14. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
a counter balance weight element is provided for counterbalance weight of the actuating mechanism, which is stably assembled to the coupling element and wherein the at least one blocking unit can be directly assembled at the counter balance weight element.

15. The door handle unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
said at least one blocking latch can be transferred from the release position into the blocking position by a releasing force.

Assignees

• Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• MüLLER DIRK
• Bartels Markus
• Mathofer Reinhold
• Lennhoff Ralf
• Hoppe Timo
• Christensen Mario
• Beck Andreas

Classifications

• E05B77/06 Primary

  by means of inertial forces · CPC title

• Y10T292/57

  Operators with knobs or handles · CPC title

• E05B85/16

  a longitudinal grip part being pivoted at one end about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip part · CPC title

• E05B85/10 Primary

  Handles · CPC title