Mechanism for opening a vehicle door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11649659-B2
Application number	US-201816771536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2017
Publication date	May 16, 2023
Grant date	May 16, 2023

Abstract

A mechanism for opening a vehicle door, comprising: a door opening component for opening the vehicle door, a cover plate, and a first fixed rotational axle. The door opening component is disposed in an operating cavity. The cover plate covers the operating cavity such that the cover plate is concealed in the door. The first fixed rotational axle is mounted adjacent to the operating cavity. A side edge of the cover plate is mounted on the first fixed rotational axle such that when an external force is applied to the cover plate, the cover plate is rotatable about the first fixed rotational axle to enter the operating cavity such that the door opening component is accessible to an operator via the operating cavity to open the vehicle door.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mechanism for opening a vehicle door, comprising:
an operating component including an actuator, the operating component being disposed in an operating cavity adjacent to a first side of the operating cavity;
a cover plate arranged along an opening of the operating cavity; and
a transmission mechanism arranged in the operating cavity,
wherein a side edge of the cover plate is mounted on a first fixed rotational axle arranged adjacent to a second side of the operating cavity, opposite the first side, such that the cover plate is rotatable between a first position, in which an exterior surface of the cover plate is aligned with an exterior surface of the vehicle door, and a second position, in which the cover plate is within the operating cavity,
wherein the operating component is rotatably mounted on a second fixed rotational axle arranged adjacent to the first side of the operating cavity such that second fixed rotational axle is disposed at a distance from the first fixed rotational axle,
wherein the transmission mechanism is mounted on the first fixed rotational axle and the second fixed rotational axle, the transmission mechanism being configured to be driven by rotation of the cover plate between the first and second positions, and
wherein, when an external force is applied to the exterior surface of the cover plate in the first position, the cover plate rotates about the first fixed rotational axle from the first position to the second position such that the operating component is actuated and accessible to an operator via the operating cavity to open the vehicle door.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein, when the cover plate rotates along the first fixed rotational axle from the first position to the second position, with the cover plate being at least at a predetermined angle relative to the first position, the cover plate drives the transmission mechanism such that the transmission mechanism causes the actuator to rotate from a first actuator position to a second actuator position, in which the actuator actuates the operating component for opening the vehicle door.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the transmission mechanism includes a connecting rod, the connecting rod including a first rod connected to the cover plate and that is rotatable along the first fixed rotational axle, a second rod connected to the first rod by a first moving axle, and a third rod that is connected to the second rod by a second moving axle and that is rotatable along the second fixed rotational axle, and
wherein the actuator is connected to the third rod such that the transmission mechanism causes the actuator to rotate to the second actuator position and actuate the operating component for opening the vehicle door.

4. The mechanism of claim 3 further comprising:
a connecting rod limiter configured to limit a range of movement of the second moving axle.

5. The mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the connecting rod limiter includes a limiting plate that defines a limiting slot, and
wherein the second moving axle is inserted into the limiting slot.

6. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the operating component further includes a handle operating portion connected to the actuator,
wherein the operating component is actuated when the actuator is rotated from a first actuator position to a second actuator position, and
wherein when an operator applies a force to the handle operating portion, the operating component rotates from a first position, in which the actuator is in the second actuator position, to a second position, in which the actuator rotates to a third actuator position and causes a vehicle door lock of the vehicle door to be opened.

7. The mechanism of claim 6 , wherein the operating component is an L-shaped plate including a first plate and a second plate connected to the first plate, the first plate including the handle operating portion, and the second plate including the actuator, and
wherein the second fixed rotational axle is mounted at a junction of the first plate and the second plate such that the L-shaped plate is rotatable about the second fixed rotational axle.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 further comprising:
a rocker arm rotatably mounted on a third fixed rotational axle, the rocker arm having an actuated portion and an execution portion,
wherein, when the actuator rotates to the third actuator position, the actuator drives the actuated portion of the rocker arm and the rocker arm rotates along the third fixed rotational axle such that the execution portion of the rocker arm opens the vehicle door lock.

9. The mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the third fixed rotational axle is arranged adjacent to a third side of the operating cavity that is adjacent to the first and second sides of the operating cavity.

10. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first fixed rotational axle includes first and second sections connected to the side edge of the cover plate and that are coaxially aligned.

11. The mechanism of claim 1 further comprising:
a cover plate resetter configured to bias the cover plate toward the first position.

12. A mechanism for opening a vehicle door, comprising:
a vehicle door opening means, the vehicle door opening means being disposed in an operating cavity;
a cover plate covering an opening of the operating cavity such that an exterior surface of the cover plate is aligned with an exterior surface of the door; and
a first fixed rotational axle mounted within the operating cavity, a side edge of the cover plate being mounted on the first fixed rotational axle such that when an external force is applied to the cover plate, the cover plate is rotatable along the first fixed rotational axle to enter into the operating cavity such that an operator hand can extend into the operating cavity to operate the vehicle door opening means,
wherein the vehicle door opening means includes:
an operating component rotatably mounted on a second fixed rotational axle, the operating component including an actuator; and
a rocker arm rotatably mounted on a third fixed rotational axle, the rocker arm having an actuated portion and an execution portion, and

wherein rotation of the actuator of the operating component drives the actuated portion of the rocker arm to cause the rocker arm to rotate about the third fixed rotational axle such that the execution portion of the rocker arm opens a vehicle door lock.

13. The mechanism for opening a vehicle door of claim 12 further comprising:
a transmission mechanism disposed in the operating cavity, the transmission mechanism being driven by rotation of the cover plate and being configured to drive the actuator of the operating component,
wherein when the cover plate rotates toward an interior of the operating cavity along the first fixed rotational axle by more than a predetermined angle, the cover plate drives the transmission mechanism such that the transmission mechanism drives the actuator of the operating component.

14. The mechanism for opening a vehicle door of claim 13 , wherein the transmission mechanism includes a connecting rod, the connecting rod including a first rod connected to the cover plate and rotatable about the first fixed rotational axle, a second rod connected to the first rod by a first moving axle, and a third rod, the second and third rods being connected by a second moving axle, and
wherein the third rod is connected to the actuator of the operating component such that the transmission mechanism causes the actuator to rotate.

15. The mechanism for opening a vehicle door of claim 14 further c

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Chen Bin
• Sha Wenquan

Classifications

• E05B85/10

  Handles · CPC title

• E05B85/103 Primary

  creating a completely closed wing surface · CPC title

• E05B85/14

  Handles pivoted about an axis parallel to the wing · CPC title

• E05Y2900/531

  Doors · CPC title

• E05B79/22 Primary

  Operative connections between handles, sill buttons or lock knobs and the lock unit (mounting of non-movable base elements of a handle to a lock E05B79/06) · CPC title