Actuating element, in particular a handle element, of an inner door handle arrangement of a vehicle and method for producing such an actuating element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12129692-B2
Application number	US-202117328156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2021
Priority date	May 29, 2020
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

An actuating member ( 14 ), in particular a handle element, an interior door handle arrangement of a vehicle, wherein the actuating member ( 14 ) includes a carrier substrate ( 20 ) preferably made of plastic and a decorative layer ( 21 ) covering the surface of the carrier substrate ( 20 ). The decorative layer ( 21 ) includes a visible area ( 22 ) that in particular in the intended installed state, and in particular in the non-actuated state of the actuating member ( 14 ) forms a visible side of the actuating member ( 14 ), at least one gate region ( 2 ) in particular formed in a gate lip or gate tab ( 4 ), and at least one edge region or arcuate region ( 25, 26 ) by which the gate region ( 2 ) is preferably continuously connected to the visible area ( 22 ) of the decorative layer ( 21 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuating member, wherein the actuating member comprises a carrier substrate made of plastic and a decorative layer at least regionally covering the surface of the carrier substrate, wherein a rear surface of the actuating member is formed by the carrier substrate and a front surface of the actuating member is formed by the decorative layer, the front surface being opposite the rear surface, wherein the decorative layer comprises:
a visible area, on the front surface, which, in the intended installed state of the actuating member and further in the non-actuated state of the actuating member, forms a visible side of the actuating member;
a lip or tab portion; and
at least one edge region or arcuate region by which the lip or tab portion is continuously connected to the visible area of the decorative layer;
wherein a surface visible boundary line is formed by peripheral portions of the decorative layer adjacent to surface visible portions of the substrate;
wherein, as seen in a top view onto the lip or tab portion, the lip or tab portion has two surface visible boundary line sections diverging in relation to each other towards the at least one edge region or arcuate region and adjacent to the carrier substrate that converge in a direction toward a distal end of the lip or tab portion in a continuous manner and over at least two curved regions with constant curvature, such that an end part of the lip or tab portion is defined by a curved boundary region of the surface visible boundary line.

2. The actuating member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lip or tab portion is formed in an end region of the actuating member, and in a converging region of the actuating member.

3. The actuating member according to claim 1 ,
wherein an angle α is spanned between the surface visible boundary line sections in the direction of the at least one edge region or arcuate region, wherein 90°>a>10° applies.

4. The actuating member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one edge region or arcuate region is located between the lip or tab portion and the visible area of the decorative layer such that the decorative layer extends continuously from the lip or tab portion to the visible area over an angle β of at least 35°.

5. The actuating member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lip or tab portion is formed in an area of the decorative layer that is continuously connected to the visible area of the decorative layer by a single edge region or arcuate region, wherein the decorative layer is redirected from the lip or tab portion to the visible area by the single edge region or arcuate region by an angle β of at least 35° and no more than 155°.

6. The actuating member according to claim 5 ,
wherein the area of the decorative layer, in which the lip or tab portion is formed, at least at the edge region or arcuate region has a first average layer thickness B, and wherein the area of the decorative layer, in which the visible area is formed, at least at the edge region or arcuate region has a second average layer thickness A, wherein the first average layer thickness B is less than the second average layer thickness A, wherein the second average layer thickness A is 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm, and wherein the first average layer thickness B is 0.4 mm to 3.3 mm.

7. The actuating member of claim 5 ,
wherein the lip or tab portion transitions over an intermediate area into the visible area of the decorative layer, wherein the single edge region or arcuate region is arranged between the intermediate area and the visible area, wherein the decorative layer has an average layer thickness B in the area of the lip or tab portion and in the intermediate area, wherein the average layer thickness B is 0.4 to 3.3 mm.

8. The actuating member according to claim 7 ,
wherein the intermediate area has an average length D that is greater than the average layer thickness A of the decorative layer in the visible area, wherein the decorative layer has an average layer thickness in the visible area of 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm.

9. The actuating member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lip or tab portion is formed in an area of the decorative layer that is connected by a first edge region or arcuate region to an intermediate area of the decorative layer, wherein the intermediate area of the decorative layer is continuously connected to the visible area of the decorative layer by a second edge region or arcuate region, wherein in the first edge region or arcuate region, the decorative layer is redirected by an angle γ of at least 45°, and wherein in the second edge region or arcuate region of the decorative layer, the decorative layer is redirected by an angle β of at least 35° and not to exceed 155°.

10. The actuating member according to claim 9 ,
wherein the intermediate area of the decorative layer has an average layer thickness B, and wherein the visible area of the decorative layer at least at the edge region or arcuate region has an average layer thickness A, wherein the average layer thickness B of the intermediate area of the decorative layer is less than the average layer thickness A of the visible area of the decorative layer, wherein the average layer thickness B of the intermediate area of the decorative layer at least in the edge region or the arcuate region is in a range between 0.3 mm to 3.5 mm, and wherein the average layer thickness A of the visible area of the decorative layer at least in the edge region or the arcuate region is in a range between 0.4 mm to 3.7 mm.

11. The actuating member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the decorative layer is formed from a plastic material having pigments embedded therein.

12. A method for manufacturing an actuation member
according to claim 1 , with a multi-component injection molding process,
wherein the method comprises the following method steps:
A) manufacturing the carrier substrate from a first plastic in a first injection molding shot using a first mold half and a second mold half defining a first cavity, resulting in a first molded part; and
B) manufacturing the decorative layer in a second injection molding shot onto the first molded part onto an outer surface of the first molded part after a change of the second mold half to define a second cavity, resulting in a second molded part while the first molded part remains in the first mold half until the second molded part has been shot onto the first molded part,
or wherein the method comprises the following method steps:
A) manufacturing the decorative layer from a first plastic in a first injection molding shot using a first mold half and a second mold half defining a first cavity, resulting in a first molded part; and
B) manufacturing the carrier substrate in a second injection molding shot onto the first molded part onto an outer surface of the first molded part after a change of the second mold half to define a second cavity, resulting in a second molded part while the first molded part remains in the first mold half until the second molded part has been shot onto the first molded part,
wherein in the second injection molding shot, the heated injection molding compound of the second plastic is initially injected into a homogenization region in the mold cavity defined by the first molded part and the second mold half, wherein said homogenization region is selected such that a homogenization of the melt occurs and the volumetric flow of the melt is smoothed.

13. The actuating member of claim 1 , wherein an end surface interconnects the front surface and the rear surface, wherein lip or tab portion begins on the end surface and extends, via the edge region or th

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Fries Elmar
• Henninger Klaus

Classifications

• B29C45/0046

  Details relating to the filling pattern or flow paths or flow characteristics of moulding material in the mould cavity · CPC title

• B29C45/1675

  using exchangeable mould halves · CPC title

• E05B17/0004

  Lock assembling or manufacturing (making locksmith's goods of sheet metal B21D53/38; assembling in general B23P21/00) · CPC title

• B29L2031/3029

  Handgrips (grips in general B29L2031/463) · CPC title

• B29C45/1615

  The materials being injected at different moulding stations · CPC title