Door handle apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9605452-B2
Application number	US-201314072005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2013
Priority date	Nov 12, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A door handle apparatus includes: a handle body; a driven member; and a driving mechanism configured such that in a state where the driven member is at a first driving position, the handle body is positioned at a first handle position, and rotated to a second handle position by the driven member driven to a second driving position, and in a state where the driven member is at the second driving position, the handle body is rotatable or unrotatable from the second handle position in a first direction when subjected to a force in the first direction, and rotatable from the second handle position to a second direction opposite to the first direction when subjected to a force in the second direction, and the handle body is urged in the direction of being restored to the second handle position when rotating from the second handle position by the external force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A door handle apparatus configured to be assembled to a door body of a vehicle comprising:
a door handle body configured to be supported so as to be capable of rotating by the door body;
a driven member configured to be supported by the door body and driven by an actuator;
a handle driving mechanism configured in such a manner that in a state in which the driven member is at a first driving position, the door handle body is positioned at a first handle position, and is rotated from the first handle position to a second handle position by the driven member being driven from the first driving position to a second driving position by an operation of the actuator, and in a state in which the driven member is at the second driving position, the door handle body is capable of or incapable of rotating from the second handle position in a first rotating direction when being subjected to an external force in the first rotating direction from the second handle position to the first handle position, and is capable of rotating from the second handle position to a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction when being subjected to an external force in the second rotating direction, and the door handle body is subjected to an urging force in the direction of being restored to the second handle position when rotating from the second handle position by being subjected to the external force;
a frame configured to be fixed to the door body;
wherein the door handle body is supported by the frame so as to be capable of rotating;
the driven member is a cam being supported by the frame so as to be capable of rotating with respect to the frame and having a cam surface on an outer periphery thereof;
the handle driving mechanism includes a lever supported by the frame so as to be capable of rotating with respect to the frame and engages the door handle body and the cam, a first urging member configured to urge the lever in a third rotating direction, which is a rotating direction of the lever, and a second urging member configured to urge the door handle body in the second rotating direction;
the lever includes a first engaging portion configured to engage the cam surface on a side surface of the lever facing in the third rotating direction;
the door handle body includes a second engaging portion configured to engage the side surface of the lever facing in the third rotating direction on a side surface of the door handle body facing in the second rotating direction;
the first engaging portion of the lever engages the cam surface by an urging force of the first urging member;
the second engaging portion of the door handle body engages the side surface of the lever facing in the third rotating direction by an urging force of the second urging member;
in a state in which the cam is at the first driving position, the lever is positioned at a first lever position by an engagement of the first engaging portion of the lever with the cam surface, the door handle body is positioned at the first handle position by an engagement of the second engaging portion of the door handle body with the side surface of the lever being positioned at the first lever position facing in the third rotating direction, the door handle body rotates from the first handle position to the second handle position while the second engaging portion of the door handle body engages the side surface of the lever facing in the third rotating direction by the rotation of the cam from the first driving position to the second driving position by an operation of the actuator; and
in a state in which the cam is at the second driving position, the second engaging portion of the door handle body moves away from the side surface of the lever facing in the third rotating direction when the door handle body is subjected to an external force in the first rotating direction and is capable of rotating in the first rotating direction from the second handle position against the urging force of the second urging member, and the door handle body is subjected to an urging force in the direction of being restored to the second handle position on the basis of the urging force of the second urging member when rotating from the second handle position in the first rotating direction when being subjected to the external force in the first rotating direction.

2. The door handle apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when the door handle body is subjected to the external force in the first rotating direction in the state in which the driven member is at the second driving position and the door handle body is positioned at the second handle position, a rotational movement of the lever in the third rotating direction is restricted by the driven member, and a rotational movement of the door handle body from the second handle position in the first rotating direction is restricted by the driven member via the lever.

3. The door handle apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the door handle body includes a third engaging portion configured to engage a side surface of the lever facing in a fourth rotating direction opposite to the third rotating direction on a side surface of the door handle body facing in the first rotating direction, the door handle body is positioned at the first handle position by an engagement of the third engaging portion of the door handle body with side surface facing in the fourth rotating direction,
the lever is rotated from the first lever position to a second lever position while the first engaging portion of the lever engages the cam surface by a rotational movement of the cam from the first driving position to the second driving position by an operation of the actuator,
the door handle body is rotated from the first handle position to the second handle position while the third engaging portion of the door handle body is pressed by the side surface of the lever facing in the fourth rotating direction by a rotational movement of the lever from the first lever position to the second lever position,
in the state in which the cam is at the second driving position, the door handle body is incapable of rotating from the second handle position in the first rotating direction due to an abutment of the third engaging portion of the door handle position with the side surface of the lever facing in the fourth rotating direction when being subjected to the external force in the first rotating direction, and an abutment of the first engaging portion of the lever with the cam surface.

4. The door handle apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
in a state in which the door handle body is at the first handle position, a side surface of the door handle body on the outside of a cabin is configured to be flush with a side surface of a door panel on the outside of the cabin.

5. The door handle apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
in a state in which the door handle body is at the first handle position, a side surface of the door handle body on the outside of a cabin is configured to be flush with a side surface of a door panel on the outside of the cabin.

6. The door handle apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
in a state in which the door handle body is at the first handle position, a side surface of the door handle body on the outside of a cabin is configured to be flush with a side surface of a door panel on the outside of the cabin.

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Yoshino Masaki
• Nagata Koichi
• Shimizu Tatsuya
• Nomura Masayuki

Classifications

• E05B5/006

  essentially defining a completely closed surface together with the wing · CPC title

• E05B83/10

  Rotary bars · CPC title

• E05B81/42

  Cams · CPC title

• E05B81/34

  of geared transmissions · CPC title

• E05B85/103 Primary

  creating a completely closed wing surface · CPC title