Door handle arrangement for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637949-B2
Application number	US-201414306962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2014
Priority date	Jun 25, 2013
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A door handle arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a handle support, a handle, a coupling device, a locking device and a retaining element. When an accelerating force is applied in a first direction, as a result of a motor vehicle accident, the retaining element moves from a basic position in which it is possible to actuate the handle into a direction of blockage in which an actuation of the locking system by the handle and/or the coupling device is blocked. The locking device reliably and securely blocks the handle or the coupling device in the event of a collision. This is achieved in that the retaining element is designed to move from the basic position into the particular direction of blockage when an accelerating force resulting from a motor vehicle accident is applied in a second direction that is opposite of the first direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door handle arrangement for a motor vehicle, the door handle arrangement comprising:
a frame-like handle support,
a manually actuated handle which is pivotally mounted at the handle support so that a user is able to open a door or flap of the motor vehicle,
a swivel-mounted coupling device, by means of which a movement of the handle is transferred to an on-board locking system in order to release the door or flap for opening, and
a locking device with a retaining element wherein the locking device is used as a mass lock and is movably attached to the handle support, the retaining element being pivotally mounted to the handle support on a rotational axis,
wherein, when an accelerating force is applied in a first direction as a result of a motor vehicle accident, the retaining element is designed to pivotally move around the rotational axis from a basic position, in which it is possible to actuate the handle, into a blockage direction in which an actuation of the locking system by the handle and/or the coupling device is blocked by the retaining element, and
wherein the retaining element is designed to pivotally move around the rotational axis from the basic position into the blockage direction when as a result of the motor vehicle accident an accelerating force is applied in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, wherein the blockage direction is the same regardless of whether the accelerating force is applied in the first direction or the second direction.

2. A door handle arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a swivel movement of the coupling device resulting from a manual actuation of the handle causes a movement of the retaining element in the blockage direction without blocking the handle and/or the coupling device.

3. A door handle arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the locking device comprises a first lever-arm-shaped mass element which because of the inertia of its mass can be moved from a basic position in a deflection direction when an accelerating force is applied in the first direction, and a second lever-arm-shaped mass element which because of the inertia of its mass can be moved from a basic position in the same deflection direction as the first mass element when an accelerating force is applied in the second direction.

4. A door handle arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the retaining element has a disc-shaped design, wherein each of the two lateral surfaces of the retaining element has at least one projection, and the projections are arranged diametrically, and wherein a respective projection is attached to a respective mass element, which is designed and attached in such a way that it presses during movement in deflection direction against the attached projection and pushes together with the retaining element in the particular direction of blockage.

5. A door handle arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the first mass element and the second mass element are attached in the respective basic position to a movement limitation surface which blocks a movement of the first and second mass element in a direction that is opposite to the deflection direction.

6. A door handle arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein a respective first longitudinal end of the lever-arm-shaped mass elements is pivotally mounted on a rotational axis, wherein the retaining element is pivotally mounted by means of the rotational axis at the handle support and on the rotational axis between the first mass element and the second mass element.

7. A door handle arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling device is provided with a motion projection which moves down into a slot-shaped recess of the retaining element when the coupling device is pivoted as a result of a manual actuation of the handle, wherein upon further deflecting actuation of the handle the motion projection is pressed against the wall of the slot-shaped recess and pushes the retaining element into the particular direction of blockage.

8. A door handle arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein the slot-shaped recess formed in the retaining element is designed as a radially extending groove into which the motion projection of the coupling device is able to pivot.

9. A door handle arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the retaining element has at least one radially extending groove, preferably two grooves arranged in diametrical fashion.

10. A door handle arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a mechanical resetting element is provided which has a force that can push the retaining element into the basic position.

11. A door handle arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining element is disc-shaped.

Assignees

• Niegeloh Andreas
• Bartels Markus
• Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Niegeloh Andreas
• Bartels Markus

Classifications

• E05B77/06 Primary

  by means of inertial forces · CPC title

• Y10T292/57

  Operators with knobs or handles · CPC title

• E05B85/16

  a longitudinal grip part being pivoted at one end about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip part · CPC title

• E05B7/00 Primary

  Handles pivoted about an axis parallel to the wing (E05B5/00, {E05B85/14} take precedence; {combined with bolt movement E05C1/00, E05C3/00}) · CPC title