Door handle assembly for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637956-B2
Application number	US-201414307065-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 assembly for a motor vehicle includes an operating handle, a coupling device, and a locking device which is moveably retained on a handle mounting. An acceleration force can move the assembly from a resting position in which an actuation of the operating handle is possible, in a first blocking direction in which an actuation of the assembly by the operating handle and/or the coupling device is blocked. The locking device can move from the resting position in a second blocking direction when acted on by an acceleration force, in which an actuation of the assembly via the operating handle and/or the coupling device is blocked, wherein the second blocking direction is in the opposite direction from the first blocking direction. Movement of the assembly is blocked by the operating handle, or the coupling device, even with alternating acceleration forces resulting from a crash.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door handle assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a handle mounting,
a manually actuatable operating handle, which is moveably supported on the handle mounting for the opening of a door or a hatch on motor vehicle by a user,
a coupling device pivotally mounted on the handle mounting, by means of which a movement of the operating handle can be transferred to a vehicle-side closing assembly, and
a locking device serving as a mass locking device, which is moveably retained on the handle mounting and is designed such that, with the effects of an acceleration force which is acting in a first direction, due to the inertia of its mass, it can be moved from a resting position, in which an actuation of the operating handle is possible, in a first blocking direction, in which an actuation of the closing assembly by the coupling device is blocked,
wherein the locking device is designed such that, with the effects of an acceleration force which is acting in a second direction, it can be moved from a resting position in a second blocking direction, due to the inertia of its mass, in which an actuation of the closing assembly by the coupling device is blocked, wherein the second blocking direction is in the opposite direction of the first blocking direction
wherein the locking device includes a disk-shaped body and is rotatably supported on the handle mounting such that it rotates around a rotational axis, and wherein the movement of the locking device in the first and second blocking directions is a rotational movement.

2. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the locking device, can be rotated from the resting position, when acted on by an acceleration force, over a maximum possible angle of ±270° about the rotational axis.

3. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a pivotal movement of the coupling device resulting from a manual actuation of the operating handle causes a movement of the locking device in one of the two blocking directions, without blocking the coupling device.

4. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling device has a lever element, the lever element being adapted to pivot together with the coupling device about a pivotal axis, the lever element having an angled projection, which is inserted in a slit-shaped cavity in the locking device when the coupling device is pivoted as a result of a manual actuation of the operating handle, wherein the angled projection pushes against the walls of the slit-shaped cavity, when the operating handle is actuated and displaced to a further extent, and pushes the locking device in one of the two blocking directions thereby.

5. The door handle assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the slit-shaped cavity is designed in the disk-shaped blocking body in the form of a cut running radially outward, into which the angled projection of the coupling device can pivot.

6. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling device is supported on the handle mounting such that it can pivot about a pivotal axis, wherein the rotational axis of the locking device is oriented substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of the coupling device.

7. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a mechanical return element is provided, which exerts a force pushing the locking element into the resting position.

8. The door handle assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the mechanical return element comprises an elastic spring element, which is supported on both a stationary projection on the handle mounting as well as on a supporting element that moves together with the locking element, wherein, when the locking element moves in the first or second blocking direction, the supporting element moves in relation to the projection against the force of the elastic spring element.

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Niegeloh Andreas
• Bartels Markus

Classifications

• E05B85/10

  Handles · CPC title

• Y10T292/57

  Operators with knobs or handles · CPC title

• E05B77/02

  for accident situations · CPC title

• E05B77/06 Primary

  by means of inertial forces · CPC title

• E05B85/16 Primary

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