Signal generator for a vehicle door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11566455-B2
Application number	US-201917286836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2018
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A signal generator, in particular opening switch, for a vehicle door or flap, including an actuator, in particular an actuator which can be manually actuated and/or gripped by an operating person, furthermore including a plug housing (14) with a switch (22) which is received therein or arranged thereon and which has electrical contacts (20) which form part of a plug connection, and including an actuator housing (12) with the actuator (30), the actuator being mounted movably on the actuator housing (12) and acting on the switch (22), the actuator housing (12) and the plug housing (14) being positionally fixed relative to one another, wherein the electrical contacts (20) are electrically connected to the switch (22) by plugged-in conductors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A signal generator, for a vehicle door or flap, comprising an actuator which is configured to be manually actuated and/or gripped by an operating person, furthermore comprising a plug housing with a switch which is received therein or arranged thereon and which has electrical contacts which form part of a plug connection, and comprising an actuator housing with the actuator, the actuator being mounted movably on the actuator housing and acting on the switch, wherein the actuator housing and the plug housing are positionally fixed relative to one another, and the electrical contacts are electrically connected to the switch by plugged-in conductors, wherein the actuator comprises a door lever which is mounted pivotably on the actuator housing and which acts on the switch.

2. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1 , at least one of the contacts being in one piece and, at one side, forming the contact for the plug connection and, at the other side, being plugged onto the switch by being plugged onto an output contact pin or an output contact lug which projects out of a housing in which the switch is received as a module.

3. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the switch has a clip structure as a connection point, and at least one of the electrical contacts is plugged into the clip structure.

4. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a potting compound is introduced for sealing the switch in the plug housing.

5. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrical contacts are portions of a lead frame.

6. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plug housing is configured for direct connection to an electric drive.

7. A system composed of an electric drive and a signal generator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electric drive is connected directly to the plug housing.

8. The signal generator of claim 1 , wherein the door lever is mounted within the actuator housing, wherein the plug housing and switch are located outside of the actuator housing, wherein the actuator housing includes a wall having an opening that aligns with the switch, wherein a portion of the door lever protrudes from the opening to act on the switch when the door lever is pivoted.

9. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plug housing and the actuator housing are formed integrally on one another, and the switch is inserted with the electrical contacts into the plug housing.

10. The signal generator as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the plug housing and the actuator housing are formed integrally on one another by injection molding.

11. The signal generator as claimed in claim 9 , wherein firstly the actuator housing is produced and subsequently the plug housing is formed integrally onto the actuator housing, or wherein firstly the plug housing is produced and subsequently the actuator housing is formed integrally onto the plug housing.

12. The signal generator as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the plug housing and the actuator housing are formed integrally on one another by means of joint production of plug housing and actuator housing as one piece.

13. A method for the production of an opening switch, for a vehicle door, the opening switch having a plug housing, with a switch which is received therein and which has electrical contacts which form part of a plug connection, and having an actuator housing, with an actuator which is mounted movably on the actuator housing and which acts on the switch, wherein the actuator is configured to be manually actuated and/or gripped by an operating person, wherein the actuator comprises a door lever which is mounted pivotably on the actuator housing and which acts on the switch, having the steps:
attaching the plug housing and the actuator housing to one another,
inserting the switch with the electrical contacts into or onto the plug housing;

and
electrically connecting the electrical contacts to the switch by plugging-in of conductors.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the door lever is mounted within the actuator housing, wherein the plug housing and switch are located outside of the actuator housing, wherein the actuator housing includes a wall having an opening that aligns with the switch, wherein a portion of the door lever protrudes from the opening to act on the switch when the door lever is pivoted.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , including introduction of a potting compound into the plug housing for sealing the switch in the plug housing.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the electrical contacts are portions of a lead frame, the lead frame being severed to form separate electrical contacts after the insertion of the lead frame into the plug housing.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the attachment of the plug housing and the actuator housing to one another is performed by integral formation of the plug housing and of the actuator housing on one another.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the plug housing and the actuator housing are integrally formed on one another by injection molding.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 , including:
production of the actuator housing and subsequent integral formation of the plug housing onto the actuator housing, or
production of the plug housing and subsequent integral formation of the actuator housing on the plug housing.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17 , the plug housing and of the actuator housing are integrally formed on one another by means of joint production of the plug housing and the actuator housing as one piece by injection molding.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Oberst Joachim
• Zöller Stefan
• Fries Elmar
• Wilke Zsolt

Classifications

• H01H13/04

  Cases; Covers · CPC title

• E05B81/76 Primary

  Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles · CPC title

• H01H1/5866 Primary

  characterised by the use of a plug and socket connector · CPC title

• H01H2011/0081

  using double shot moulding, e.g. for forming elastomeric sealing elements on form stable casing · CPC title

• H01H1/5844

  making use of wire-gripping clips or springs · CPC title