Back door handle device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10794564-B2
Application number	US-201916694855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2019
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A back door handle device is provided above a license plate of a back door of a vehicle and serves as both a license lamp and a handle switch. The back door handle device includes a light emitting element, a switch that outputs a signal for unlocking or locking the back door, a housing that houses the light emitting element and the switch, and an outer cover that covers the housing and includes an integrally molded article. The integrally molded article includes a transparent portion formed of a material that transmits light emitted from the light emitting element, and an elastic portion covering an outer side of the transparent portion. The transparent portion includes a lens portion that extracts light emitted from the light emitting element. The elastic portion includes a switch cover portion that is applied with a pushing force from an outside for outputting the signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A back door handle device configured to be provided above a license plate of a back door of a vehicle and serve as both a license lamp configured to illuminate the license plate and a handle switch configured to unlock or lock the back door, the back door handle device comprising:
a light emitting element that is configured to serve as a light source of the license lamp;
a switch that is configured to output a signal for unlocking or locking the back door;
a housing that houses the light emitting element and the switch; and
an outer cover that covers an outer side of the housing and includes an integrally molded article including:
a transparent portion formed of a material that transmits light emitted from the light emitting element; and
an elastic portion formed of a material having elasticity and covering an outer side of the transparent portion,

wherein the transparent portion includes a lens portion configured to extract light emitted from the light emitting element, and
wherein the elastic portion includes a switch cover portion that is a portion configured to be applied with a pushing force from an outside for outputting the signal from the switch.

2. The back door handle device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a surface of the outer cover that is in contact with the back door is configured by the elastic portion.

3. The back door handle device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer cover includes the integrally molded article including the transparent portion, the elastic portion and a metal collar fitted into an attachment hole for fixing the outer cover with a bolt.

4. The back door handle device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer cover includes the integrally molded article including the transparent portion and the elastic portion.

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukui Hirotaka
• Tatematsu Koji
• Obata Atsushi
• Nemoto Kakeru

Classifications

• F21S43/19

  Attachment of light sources or lamp holders · CPC title

• F21S43/27

  Attachment thereof · CPC title

• F21S43/26 Primary

  Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255 · CPC title

• F21S43/2605 Primary

  Refractors · CPC title

• B60Q1/56 Primary

  for illuminating registrations or the like {, e.g. for licence plates} · CPC title