Auto flush door handle assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12595692-B2
Application number	US-202318520832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2023
Priority date	Jul 11, 2023
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

An auto flush door handle assembly includes a housing with an opening formed on one side of the housing, and a handle cover disposed inside the housing. In particular, the handle cover opens or closes the opening. The flush door handle assembly further includes a first rotation link having an upper end link-connected to the housing and a lower end link-connected to the handle cover, and a second rotation link positioned apart from the first rotation link and having an upper end link-connected to the housing and a lower end link-connected to the handle cover. The flush door handle assembly includes a release link operated by the first rotation link and configured to release a door latch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An auto flush door handle assembly for a vehicle, the auto flush door handle assembly comprising:
a housing with an opening formed on one side thereof; a handle cover disposed inside the housing and configured to open and close the opening; a first rotation link including: an upper end link-connected to the housing, and a lower end link-connected to the handle cover; a second rotation link positioned apart from the first rotation link and including: an upper end link-connected to the housing, and a lower end link-connected to the handle cover; and a release link operated by the first rotation link and configured to release a door latch, wherein the second rotation link is link-connected to the housing and the handle cover at a position being higher than the first rotation link by a predetermined height.

2 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein an operating protrusion, which is moved up due to a rotation of the first rotation link and operates the release link while being moved up, is formed on one side of the first rotation link.

3 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 2 , wherein:
the release link is rotatably installed on one side of the housing and including a contact surface and a latch connecting hole; when the operating protrusion is moved up, the contact surface is in contact with the operating protrusion; the latch connecting hole is connected to the door latch; and when the operating protrusion being moved up pushes the contact surface to rotate the release link, the door latch is released.

4 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 2 , wherein a guide slot through which the operating protrusion passes is formed on a side surface of the housing along a trajectory of the operating protrusion.

5 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second link shaft configured to link-connect an upper end of the second rotation link to the housing, wherein the second link shaft is positioned directly above a first link shaft configured to link-connect an upper end of the first rotation link to the housing; and a fourth link shaft configured to link-connect a lower end of the second rotation link to the handle cover, wherein the fourth link shaft is positioned directly above a third link shaft configured to link-connect a lower end of the first rotation link to the handle cover.

6 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 5 , wherein, when the first rotation link and the second rotation link are rotated, the handle cover maintains a state in which the fourth link shaft is positioned directly above the third link shaft.

7 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 5 , wherein, when the handle cover closes the opening, the third link shaft and the fourth link shaft are positioned on an outer side of the vehicle than the first link shaft and the second link shaft.

8 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
an actuator configured to operate the first rotation link.

9 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
an operating link rotated by the actuator to rotate the first rotation link between the actuator and the first rotation link.

10 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 9 , wherein, when the operating link is operated by the actuator, the operating protrusion is moved up.

11 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
a rod is installed on the actuator to be movable in a straight line; and when the rod extends and rotates the operating link, the operating link moves the operating protrusion upward, and the operating protrusion rotates the release link.

12 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 11 , wherein an input portion in contact with the rod is formed at a lower end of the operating link, and an operating portion configured to rotate the operating protrusion is formed at an upper end of the operating link.

13 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first rotation link and the second rotation link are formed to be concave inward the vehicle.

14 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a release switch configured to be manipulated by a user to open a door when the handle cover is accommodated inside the housing.

15 . An auto flush door handle assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing with an opening formed on one side thereof; a handle cover disposed inside the housing and configured to open and close the opening; a first rotation link including an upper end link-connected to the housing and a lower end link-connected to the handle cover; a second rotation link positioned apart from the first rotation link and including an upper end link-connected to the housing and a lower end link-connected to the handle cover; an actuator configured to operate the first rotation link; and a release link rotatably installed on one side of the housing and configured to be operated by the first rotation link to release a door latch, wherein the second rotation link is link-connected to the housing and the handle cover at a position being higher than the first rotation link by a predetermined height.

16 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:
an operating link rotated by the actuator to rotate the first rotation link between the actuator and the first rotation link.

17 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 16 , wherein an operating protrusion is formed on one side of the first rotation link, and the operating protrusion is configured to move up according to a rotation of the first rotation link and configured to operate the release link while being moved up.

18 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 17 , wherein a rod is installed on the actuator to be movable in a straight line; and when the rod extends and rotates the operating link, the operating link is configured to move the operating protrusion upward, and the operating protrusion rotates the release link.

19 . The auto flush door handle assembly of claim 18 , wherein a guide slot through which the operating protrusion passes is formed on a side surface of the housing along a trajectory of the operating protrusion.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Company
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Jun-Tae
• Han Jung-Ho
• Son Han-Gi

Classifications

• E05B85/18

  a longitudinal grip part being pivoted about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the grip part · CPC title

• E05B81/90

  Manual override in case of power failure · CPC title

• E05B85/14

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

• E05B85/103 Primary

  creating a completely closed wing surface · CPC title

• E05B81/76

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