Vehicle door handle assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10907388-B2
Application number	US-201715692607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle door handle assembly includes a base member, a handle member and a seal member. The base member installs along an interior surface of a vehicle door. The handle member installs along an exterior surface of the vehicle door. The handle member is pivotally connected to the base member for movement between an at rest position and a door opening position. The seal member is attached to the base member with a first surface of the seal member overlaying a portion of the exterior surface of the vehicle door and a second surface opposite the first surface faces a section of the handle member, The first surface has at least one projection extending therefrom engaged with the base member. The second surface has at least one bumper extending therefrom toward the handle member. The at rest position the section of the handle member contacts the at least one bumper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle door handle assembly, comprising:
a base member configured to install along an interior surface of a vehicle door;
a handle member configured to install along an exterior surface of the vehicle door, the handle member further being pivotally connected to the base member for movement between an at rest position and a door opening position; and
a seal member including a main body and a molded portion fixed to the main body, the main body having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and at least one projections extending from the first surface, the first surface of the seal member being configured to overlay a portion of the exterior surface of the vehicle door with the second surface facing a section of the handle member, the at least one projection being shaped and configured to extend from the first surface through an opening in the vehicle door and attach to the base member, at least a portion of the molded portion extending along the second surface and having at least one bumper extending therefrom toward the handle member such that in the at rest position the section of the handle member contacts the at least one bumper, the main body being formed of a first material and the molded portion being made of a second material that is more flexible and more compressible that the first material.

2. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the main body includes a plurality of openings along one edge thereof, the molded portion being formed to the main body such that sections of the molded portion extend through the plurality of openings in main body.

3. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the molded portion includes an air dam that extends from the second surface in a direction away from the second surface of the main body.

4. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the main body of the seal member includes an outer peripheral lip that extends from the second surface in a direction away from the first surface such that the outer peripheral lip extends along two surfaces of the handle member with the handle member in the at rest position.

5. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one bumper is made of a resilient and compressible material that dampens noise and vibration when the handle member is moved from the door opening position to the at rest position.

6. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the second surface of the main body includes a first surface area and a second surface area, the molded portion extending along the first surface area, the second surface area being inclined relative to the first surface area such that the main body has a first thickness along a first end of the second surface area and the main body has a second thickness along a second end of the second surface area, the second end of the second surface area being adjacent to the first surface area.

7. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 6 , wherein
the main body of the seal member includes an outer peripheral lip that extends from the second surface in a direction away from the first surface such that the outer peripheral lip surrounds the second surface area and extends along opposite sides of the first surface area.

8. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 7 , wherein
the outer peripheral lip further extends along two surfaces of the handle member with the handle member in the at rest position.

9. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the seal member includes an outer peripheral lip that extends from the second surface in a direction away from the first surface such that the outer peripheral lip extends along two surfaces of the handle member with the handle member in the at rest position.

10. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the seal member includes an air dam that extends from the second surface in a direction away from the second surface of the main body.

11. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 10 , wherein
the air dam is covered by the handle member with the handle member in the at rest position.

12. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the handle member is spring biased to the at rest position.

13. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 12 , wherein
the at least one bumper is made of a resilient and compressible material that dampens noise and vibration when the handle member is moved from the door opening position to the at rest position.

14. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 12 , wherein
the at least one bumper includes a first bumper and a second bumper spaced apart from the first bumper.

15. A vehicle door handle assembly, comprising:
a base member configured to install along an interior surface of a vehicle door;
a handle member configured to install along an exterior surface of the vehicle door, the handle member further being pivotally connected to the base member for movement between an at rest position and a door opening position; and
a seal member having a main body that includes a pair of snap-fitting projections proximate a first end of the main body, the pair of snap-fitting projections being configured and dimensioned to extend through an opening in the vehicle door and attach to the base member with the first surface of the seal member overlaying a portion of the exterior surface of the vehicle door, and the second surface having at least one bumper extending therefrom, the at least one bumper being located proximate a second end of the main body and being spaced apart from the pair of snap-fitting projections such that in the at rest position the section of the handle member contacts the at least one bumper wherein the seal member includes a molded portion fixed to the main body with the at least one bumper being part of the molded portion, where the main body is molded from a first material and the molded portion is made of a second material that is more flexible and more compressible than the first material inserted.

16. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 15 , wherein
the main body of the seal member further includes another pair of snap-fitting projections proximate the second end of the main body, the another pair of snap-fitting projections being configured and dimensioned to extend through the opening in the vehicle door and attach to the base member, the another pair of snap-fitting projections being spaced apart from the pair of snap-fitting projections and spaced apart from the at least one bumper.

17. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 15 , wherein
the main body of the seal member further includes another pair of snap-fitting projections proximate the second end of the main body, the another pair of snap-fitting projections being configured and dimensioned to extend through the opening in the vehicle door and attach to the base member, the another pair of snap-fitting projections being spaced apart from the pair of snap-fitting projections and spaced apart from the at least one bumper.

18. The vehicle door handle assembly according to claim 15 , wherein
the main body of the seal member further includes a flat projection proximate the second end of the main body and extending from the first surface of the main body parallel with the pair of snap-fitting projections and perpendicular to the main body.

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Miller Adam

Classifications

• E05B77/34

  Protection against weather or dirt, e.g. against water ingress (closures or guards for keyholes E05B17/14) · CPC title

• E05B77/38

  Cushion elements, elastic guiding elements or holding elements, e.g. for cushioning or damping the impact of the bolt against the striker during closing of the wing · CPC title

• E05B79/06

  Mounting of handles, e.g. to the wing or to the lock · CPC title

• E05B85/16 Primary

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