Draw-out handle of tailgate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9366061-B2
Application number	US-94444510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2010
Priority date	Aug 31, 2010
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A draw-out handle of a tailgate is a tailgate handle pushed by a user is drawn out by the operation of a motor and the tailgate is opened and closed using the drawn-out tailgate handle. For this purpose, a draw-out handle of a tailgate includes a slidably movable tailgate handle, a motor unit for moving the tailgate to be drawn out or returned, a handle operation detection unit for detecting the operation of the tailgate handle pushed by a user, and/or a body control module (BCM) for drawing out the tailgate handle and unlocking a latch unit when receiving a handle operation signal of the handle operation detection unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exterior draw-out handle assembly of a tailgate, comprising:
a slidably movable tailgate handle;
a motor unit moving the tailgate handle between a drawn out position extending outwardly from the tailgate and a returned position within the tailgate;
a handle operation detection unit detecting the operation of the tailgate handle pushed by a user and transmitting a handle operation signal to a body control module (BCM) controlling the motor unit for drawing out the tailgate handle to extend outwardly from the tailgate and, at the same time, unlocking a latch unit when receiving the handle operation signal of the handle operation detection unit; and
a housing into which the tailgate handle extends;
wherein the housing comprises an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing including a guide rail for guiding movement of the tailgate handle;
wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a handle gear rail provided at a bottom of the tailgate handle and having a rack cooperating with a motor gear of the motor unit;
wherein a handle groove having a concave shape is formed at a bottom of the tailgate handle such that a user grips the tailgate handle using the handle groove and raises the tailgate; and
wherein when the tailgate is lowered to be closed, the handle groove is configured to be inserted into the housing together with the tailgate handle, and when the tailgate handle is pushed, the BCM controls the motor unit to move the handle groove of the tailgate handle to extend out from the housing together with the tailgate handle; and
wherein when the tailgate is lowered to close and the BCM receives a closing signal of the tailgate transmitted from a contact point connected to the BCM, the BCM controls the motor unit to retract the handle groove of the tailgate handle into the housing together with the tailgate handle.

2. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a handle casing assembled to the housing and fixedly installed on an outside panel of the tailgate.

3. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the handle operation detection unit comprises a micro switch closed by the pushed tailgate handle and a wiring for transmitting the handle operation signal to the BCM when the micro switch is closed.

4. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a damper engaged with the gear rail for reducing the drawing-out and returning speed of the tailgate handle.

5. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a pair of gear guardrails provided at both lateral sides of the handle gear rail at the bottom of the tailgate handle to support the motor gear between the gear guardrails to be located on the handle gear rail.

6. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a logo portion integrally formed with a logo of a manufacturer on the front of tailgate handle.

7. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a logo portion monolithically formed with a logo of a manufacturer on the front of tailgate handle.

8. An exterior draw-out handle assembly of a tailgate, comprising:
a slidably movable tailgate handle;
a motor unit moving the tailgate handle between a drawn out position extending outwardly from the tailgate and a returned position within the tailgate;
a handle operation detection unit detecting the operation of the tailgate handle pushed by a user and transmitting a handle operation signal to a body control module (BCM) controlling the motor unit for drawing out the tailgate handle to extend outwardly from the tailgate and, at the same time, unlocking a latch unit when receiving the handle operation signal of the handle operation detection unit; and
a housing into which the tailgate handle extends;
wherein the housing comprises an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing including a guide rail for guiding movement of the tailgate handle;
wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a handle gear rail provided at a bottom of the tailgate handle and having a rack cooperating with a motor gear of the motor unit,
wherein a handle groove having a concave shape is formed at a bottom of the tailgate handle such that a user grips the tailgate handle using the handle groove and raises the tailgate,
wherein when the tailgate is lowered to be closed, the handle groove is configured to be inserted into the housing together with the tailgate handle, and when the tailgate handle is pushed, the BCM controls the motor unit to move the handle groove of the tailgate handle to extend out from the housing together with the tailgate handle, and
wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a pair of gear guardrails provided at both lateral sides of the handle gear rail at the bottom of the tailgate handle to support the motor gear between the gear guardrails to be located on the handle gear rail.

9. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 8 , wherein when the tailgate is lowered to close and the BCM receives a closing signal of the tailgate detected from a contact point connected to the BCM, the BCM controls the motor unit to retract the handle groove of the tailgate handle into the housing together with the tailgate handle.

10. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a handle casing assembled to the housing and fixedly installed on an outside panel of the tailgate.

11. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 8 , wherein the handle operation detection unit comprises a micro switch closed by the pushed tailgate handle and a wiring for transmitting the handle operation signal to the BCM when the micro switch is closed.

12. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 8 , wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a damper engaged with the gear rail for reducing the drawing-out and returning speed of the tailgate handle.

13. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 8 , wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a logo portion integrally formed with a logo of a manufacturer on the front of tailgate handle.

14. The draw-out handle assembly of claim 8 , wherein the tailgate handle further comprises a logo portion monolithically formed with a logo of a manufacturer on the front of tailgate handle.

Assignees

• Kwon Young Jin
• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Young Jin

Classifications

• E05B85/107 Primary

  Pop-out handles, e.g. sliding outwardly before rotation · CPC title

• E05B85/103

  creating a completely closed wing surface · CPC title

• E05B81/06

  using rotary motors · CPC title

• Y10T292/57

  Operators with knobs or handles · CPC title

• E05B81/76

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