Door handle assembly for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9765552-B2
Application number	US-201414295405-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2014
Priority date	Jun 5, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A door handle assembly for a motor vehicle includes an operating handle moveably supported on a handle mounting, a mechanical coupling device and a locking device. An acceleration force can move the locking device from a normal operating position, in which an actuation of the operating handle is possible, in a first blocking direction, in which an actuation of the closing assembly via the operating handle and/or the coupling device, is blocked. The locking device also blocks the door handle assembly when long lasting or strongly pronounced oscillations occur as a result of a crash. In that event, the locking device can move from the normal operating position in a second blocking direction, in which an actuation of the closing assembly via the operating handle and/or the coupling device is blocked, wherein the second blocking direction is oriented opposite the first blocking direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door handle assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a handle mounting,
an operating handle, which is moveably supported on the handle mounting for the opening of a door or hatch of 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, and
a locking device serving as a mass locking device, which is moveably retained on the handle mounting and is designed such that it can be moved, with the effects of an acceleration force which is acting in a first direction, from a normal operating 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 it can move, with the effects of an acceleration force which is acting in a second direction, from a normal operating position, in a second blocking direction, in which an actuation of the closing assembly by the coupling device, is blocked, wherein the second blocking direction is opposite the first blocking direction,
wherein the coupling device includes at least one movement projection that acts together with the locking device, and
wherein the locking device includes a movement cavity, into which the movement projection of the coupling device can at least be moved, for actuating the operating handle, when the locking device is disposed in the normal operating position.

2. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the locking device is designed at least in part as a hollow cylinder, wherein the movement cavity is formed such that it runs in the longitudinal direction of the hollow cylinder, starting at the open front end thereof.

3. The door handle assembly according to claim 2 , wherein, in the normal operating position of the locking device, the movement projection extends into the open front end of the hollow cylinder, when the operating handle is not actuated, and when the operating handle is actuated, the actuating projection is designed such that it passes through the movement cavity and out of the hollow cylinder, moving away from the locking device.

4. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the locking device is designed, at least in part, as a disk element, on one lateral surface of which the movement cavity of the locking device is designed as a guide channel that is open on one side, which extends, offset to the center of the disk element, on the lateral surface thereof.

5. The door handle assembly according to claim 4 , wherein in the normal operating position of the locking device, the movement projection is disposed outside of the guide channel when the operating handle is not actuated, and when the operating handle is actuated, the actuating projection is designed such that is moves into the guide channel.

6. The door handle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the locking device is rotatably supported on the handle mounting by means of a pivot axle, and in that the movement of the locking device in the first or second blocking direction is a rotational movement.

7. The door handle assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the pivot axle of the locking device is rotatably supported at its midpoint.

8. The door handle assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the locking device, with the effects of an acceleration force, can be rotated at least ±90°, about the pivot axle, out of the normal operating position.

9. The door handle assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the locking device has a mass weight, which is disposed on the locking device, offset to the pivot axle.

10. The door handle assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the coupling device is rotatably supported on the handle mounting such that it can rotate about a point of rotation, wherein the pivot axle of the locking device is oriented substantially transverse to the point of rotation of the coupling device.

11. The door handle assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the coupling device is rotatably supported on the handle mounting such that it can rotate about a point of rotation, wherein the pivot axle of the locking device is oriented substantially parallel to the point of rotation of the coupling device.

12. A door handle assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a handle mounting,
an operating handle, which is moveably supported on the handle mounting for the opening of a door or hatch of 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, and
a locking device serving as a mass locking device, which is moveably retained on the handle mounting and is designed such that it can be moved, with the effects of an acceleration force which is acting in a first direction, from a normal operating 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 means of the coupling device, is blocked,
wherein the locking device is designed such that it can move, with the effects of an acceleration force which is acting in a second direction, from a normal operating position, in a second blocking direction, in which an actuation of the closing assembly by the coupling device, is blocked, wherein the second blocking direction is opposite the first blocking direction,
wherein a mechanical return element is provided, which exerts a force that forces the locking device into the normal operating position, and
wherein the mechanical return element comprises an elastic spring element, which is supported on both a projection of the handle mounting, which is fixed in position, as well as on a contact surface that moves together with the locking element, wherein, with the movement of the locking device in the first or second blocking direction, the contact surface moves in relation to the projection against the force of the elastic spring element.

13. The door handle assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the mechanical return element is configured such that it retains the locking device in the normal operating position, until an acceleration force of at least 7 g has been applied.

Assignees

• Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Beck Andreas
• Lennhoff Ralf
• Christensen Mario

Classifications

• E05B77/06 Primary

  by means of inertial forces · CPC title

• E05B85/10

  Handles · CPC title

• Y10S292/22

  Inertia operated · CPC title

• E05B77/02

  for accident situations · CPC title

• Y10T292/57

  Operators with knobs or handles · CPC title