Vehicle door outer handle structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637954-B2
Application number	US-201414899986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2014
Priority date	Jun 21, 2013
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A door opening prevention mechanism includes a lever member rotatable relative to a base member and swingable in a vehicle inside-and-outside direction, and an urging member to bias the lever member toward a set position. The lever member is held in the set position when an outer handle is located in a door closing position when a given inertial force does not act in a vehicle outside direction during a vehicle collision, and swings in the vehicle outside direction from the set position to be moved to a locked position against an urging force of the urging member when the inertial force acts. When the lever member is in the set position, movement of a connection lever in a door opening direction is allowed. When the lever member is located in the locked position, movement of the connection lever in the door opening direction is restricted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door outer handle structure for a vehicle, comprising:
a base member adapted to be fixed to a door of said vehicle;
an outer handle provided to said base member so as to be swingable in a vehicle inside-and-outside direction and operable between a door closing position and a door opening position being away from said door closing position in a vehicle outside direction;
a link mechanism adapted to be capable of transmitting a door opening operation of said outer handle as an unlatching operation of a door latch mechanism; and
a door opening prevention mechanism configured to restrict actuation of a component of said link mechanism in a door opening direction due to a given first inertial force acting in said vehicle outside direction for said door in an event of collision of said vehicle, wherein:
said link mechanism comprises:
a bell crank comprising an input arm portion and an output arm portion each being rotatably assembled to said base member so as to be swingable, said bell crank being engaged with a swinging portion of said outer handle at said input arm portion;
a spring interposed between said bell crank and said base member, said spring being configured to bias said bell crank toward said door closing position; and
a connection lever rotatably assembled to said output arm portion through intermediation of a connection shaft extending in a front-and-rear direction of said vehicle so as to be swingable under a state in which said door is closed, said connection lever being configured to enable an unlatching operation of said door latch mechanism through movement in said door opening direction;

said door opening prevention mechanism comprises:
a lever member rotatably assembled to said base member so as to be swingable in said vehicle inside-and-outside direction; and
an urging member configured to urge said lever member toward a set position;

said lever member is set to be held in said set position when said outer handle is located in said door closing position under a state in which said first inertial force does not act, and to swing in said vehicle outside direction from said set position to be moved to a locked position against an urging force of said urging member when said first inertial force acts;
an extended portion of said connection shaft is set to be movable relative to said lever member to allow said movement of said connection lever in said door opening direction when said lever member is located in said set position; and
said extended portion of said connection shaft is set to come into contact with said lever member so that said relative movement of said extended portion is restricted when said lever member is located in said locked position, to thereby restrict said movement of said connection lever in said door opening direction,
wherein, when said outer handle is operated between said door closing position and said door opening position under a state in which said first inertial force does not act, said lever member is set to come into slidable engagement with said extended portion of said connection shaft to be turned against said urging member, to thereby rotate by a predetermined amount with respect to said base member.

2. A door outer handle structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
said lever member is set to swing in said vehicle inside direction from said set position to be moved to a second locked position against said urging force of said urging member when a second inertial force which has said same degree as said first inertial force acts in an direction opposite to a direction of said first inertial force; and
said extended portion of said connection shaft is set to come into contact with said lever member so that said relative movement of said extended portion is restricted when said lever member is located in said second locked position, to thereby restrict said movement of said connection lever in said door opening direction.

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Nagata Koichi
• Araki Nobukazu

Classifications

• E05C1/085

  With means for assisting depression of the latch bolt during latching · CPC title

• E05B77/06 Primary

  by means of inertial forces · CPC title

• E05B1/003

  Handles pivoted about an axis perpendicular to the wing (E05B3/00, E05B5/00, E05B13/106 take precedence) · CPC title

• E05C1/10

  with operating handle or equivalent member rigid with the latch · 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