Door handle assembly for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574381-B2
Application number	US-201414303367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2014
Priority date	Jun 13, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A door handle assembly for a motor vehicle includes an operating handle, a mechanical coupling device, and a locking device attached to a handle mounting. An acceleration force can block an actuation of the closing assembly via the operating handle and/or the coupling device so that an unintended unlatching of the door closure during a vehicle accident is prevented. The locking device has a locking element, which is movably coupled to the mechanical coupling device by a connecting element, such that, a pivotal movement of the mechanical coupling device will rotate the locking element about a rotational axis. The locking element includes at least one locking member which is designed to block the rotational movement of the locking element when a predetermined displacement speed of the operating handle has been exceeded.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door handle assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a frame-like handle mounting,
an operating handle, which is moveably supported on the handle mounting for the opening of a door or a hatch on the motor vehicle by a user,
a mechanical coupling device, by means of which a movement of the operating handle can be transferred to a vehicle-side closing assembly,
a locking device serving as a mass locking device, which is attached to the handle mounting and is designed such that, when subjected to the effects of an acceleration force, it can block an actuation of the closing assembly by means of the operating handle and/or by means of the coupling device,
wherein the locking device has a locking element, which is moveably coupled to the mechanical coupling device by means of a connecting element such that the locking element can rotate about a rotational axis by means of a pivotal movement of the mechanical coupling device, wherein the locking element has at least one locking member attached to it, which is designed to block the rotational movement of the locking element when a predetermined displacement speed for the operating handle has been exceeded;
wherein the at least one locking member is designed in the manner of a lever and is supported at one of its two ends, radially offset to the rotational axis of the locking element at a point of rotation moving together with the locking element, such that it can rotate between a normal operating position, releasing a rotational movement of the locking element, and a blocking position, blocking a rotational movement of the locking element;
wherein an elastic spring element exerts a force pushing the at least one locking member into the normal operating position, wherein the at least one locking member is designed such that it can move, radially away from the rotational axis and to a blocking contour, against the force of the elastic spring element when the predetermined displacement speed for the operating handle has been exceeded, into its blocking position; and
wherein a spring-type return element exerts a return force pushing the locking element back to a starting position, in which the operating handle is not displaced, wherein the return force of the return element is greater than the force of the elastic spring element.

2. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a first longitudinal end of the connecting element engages with the rotational axis of the locking element, and the other, second longitudinal end of the connecting element is attached to the mechanical coupling device at a spacing to its pivotal axis.

3. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic spring element is a leg spring supported on the locking element and on the locking member, which exerts a force pushing the at least one locking member into the normal operating position, and which is disposed offset to the point of rotation of the locking member.

4. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the locking device has a housing shell attached to the handle mounting, in which the locking element is rotationally supported, wherein the blocking contour is designed as at least one convexity protruding radially outward and disposed outside of the movement path of the locking element on the encasing wall of the housing shell.

5. The door handle assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the locking element is designed in the manner of a lever, having two locking members lying radially opposite one another.

6. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a return contour is provided, which guides the at least one locking member out of the blocking position into the normal operating position when the locking element is returned to its starting position.

7. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a Bowden cable device that actuates the vehicle-side closing assembly is functionally connected to either the locking element or the mechanical coupling device.

8. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined displacement speed of the operating handle is at least 2 m/sec.

9. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational axis is substantially aligned transverse to the pivotal axis of the mechanical coupling device.

Assignees

• Beck Andreas
• Muller Dirk
• Bresser Christian
• Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Beck Andreas
• Muller Dirk
• Bresser Christian

Classifications

• E05B77/06 Primary

  by means of inertial forces · CPC title

• Y10T292/57

  Operators with knobs or handles · CPC title

• E05B85/10

  Handles · CPC title

• E05B79/20

  using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables · CPC title

• E05B85/14 Primary

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