VEHICLE DOOR HAVING AN EXTENDABLE DOOR HANDLE

Abstract

A motor vehicle door has a shell and a door handle that can be moved laterally in relation to a vehicle longitudinal axis between a retracted and an extended position. In the retracted position the door handle is in a recess adjusted to the contour of the door handle, the recess being arranged in the shell of the vehicle door with a door handle surface substantially flush with the shell. In the extended position, the door handle is moved laterally outwards so that it is actuatable from outside for opening the vehicle door. In the extended position, the door handle is firstly in active connection with a switch, which is coupled to the electrical unlocking device of a door lock, and secondly is mechanically coupled to the door lock, such that an actuation of the door handle with a minimal actuation path effectuates the switch and an electrical unlocking device of the door lock and an actuation of the door handle with a greater actuation path effectuates a mechanical unlocking of the door lock.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A vehicle door for a motor vehicle, the vehicle door comprising: a shell; and a door handle that is movable laterally in relation to a vehicle longitudinal axis between a retracted and an extended position, wherein, in the retracted position the door handle is in a recess conforming to a contour of the door handle, wherein the recess is in the shell of the vehicle door, wherein in the retracted position a door handle surface of the door handle is flush with the shell, wherein in the extended position, the door handle is moved laterally outwards so that the door handle is actuatable from outside for opening the vehicle door, and wherein, in the extended position, the door handle is first in active connection with a switch, which is coupled to an electrical unlocking device of a door lock of the vehicle door, and second is mechanically coupled to the door lock such that an actuation of the door handle with an initial actuation path actuates the switch and an electrical unlocking device of the door lock, and an actuation of the door handle with a greater actuation path than the initial actuation path actuates a mechanical unlocking of the door lock.

11. The vehicle door of claim 10, further comprising: an adjustment device coupled to the door handle in order to move the door handle out of the retracted position into the extended position and vice-versa.

12. The vehicle door of claim 11, wherein the adjustment device comprises a fixing unit that fixes the door handle in the retracted position.

13. The vehicle door of claim 11, wherein the adjustment device is coupled to a control unit, which comprises a signal input for a door handle release signal and, upon receipt of such a signal, the adjustment device is configured to move the door handle out of the retracted position into the extended position.

14. The vehicle door of claim 10, wherein the door handle is L-shaped and is rotatable around a lateral rotational axis.

15. The vehicle door of claim 12, wherein the switch is coupled to a motoric door drive device, wherein the switch is configured to motorically open the vehicle door after unlocking the door lock.

16. The vehicle door of claim 15, the adjustment device comprises a signal input for a crash signal and is configured to actuate the adjustment device upon obtaining a crash signal, to move the door handle into the retracted position and to put the fixing unit in a fixed state.

17. The vehicle door of claim 16, wherein the adjustment device is configured to put the fixing unit in an unfixed state after a predetermined period of time of 5 to 10 seconds after obtaining a crash signal and to actuate the adjustment device to move the door handle into the extended position.

18. A motor vehicle, comprising: a vehicle door, which comprises a shell; and a door handle that is movable laterally in relation to a vehicle longitudinal axis between a retracted and an extended position, wherein, in the retracted position the door handle is in a recess conforming to a contour of the door handle, wherein the recess is in the shell of the vehicle door, wherein in the retracted position a door handle surface of the door handle is flush with the shell, wherein in the extended position, the door handle is moved laterally outwards so that the door handle is actuatable from outside for opening the vehicle door, and wherein, in the extended position, the door handle is first in active connection with a switch, which is coupled to an electrical unlocking device of a door lock of the vehicle door, and second is mechanically coupled to the door lock such that an actuation of the door handle with an initial actuation path actuates the switch and an electrical unlocking device of the door lock, and an actuation of the door handle with a greater actuation path than the initial actuation path actuates a mechanical unlocking of the door lock.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0017] Here are shown:

[0018] FIG. 1: a schematic partial sectional depiction of a vehicle door on a horizontal sectional plane with a door handle in a retracted position;

[0019] FIG. 2: a schematic partial sectional depiction of the vehicle door from FIG. 1 with the door handle in an extended position,

[0020] FIG. 3: a schematic top view of a section of the vehicle door with the door handle in the retracted or countersunk position, and

[0021] FIG. 4: a schematic top view of a section of the vehicle door with the door handle in an extended and two actuated positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic partial sectional depiction of a vehicle door 10 on a horizontal plane with a door handle 12 in a retracted position, in which it lies in a recess or hollow 14, which is molded into the shell of the vehicle door 10. The outside of the door handle 12 is molded in such a way that, in the retracted position, it is arranged flushly with the shell of the vehicle door 10, wherein only a narrow gap 17 of c. 1 mm remains between the door handle 12 and an edge 15 of the indentation or hollow 14.

[0023] The door handle 12 has a substantial L-shape with a shaft 16 extending laterally inwards, the shaft being coupled to a door handle adjustment device 18, which can shift the shaft 16 and thus the L-shaped door handle 12 in the lateral direction between the retracted position depicted in FIG. 1 and an extended position shown in FIG. 2. The door handle adjustment device 18 further preferably comprises a fixing device 20, which is formed to fix the shaft 16 in the retracted position and thus to prevent the door handle 12 being able to be moved out of the retracted position, in particular as a result of forceful loads.

[0024] A switch 22 is on the shaft 16, which switch can be formed as a button, microswitch, sensory key, pivot point, push-pull button, or sensor and records a rotational movement of the shaft 16.

[0025] When the door handle adjustment device 18 moves the shaft 16 and thus the door handle 12 out of the retracted position shown in FIG. 1 into the extended position shown in FIG. 2, a gripping chamber 24 of sufficient size in order to be able to ergonomically favorably grip the door handle 12 is formed between the hollow 14 and the door handle 12.

[0026] If the door handle 12 is in the extended position shown in FIG. 2, this can—as depicted in FIG. 4—be pushed downwards rotatably around the rotational axis formed by the shaft 16, similar to a room door handle. If, after rotation in a direction labeled with A, the door handle has reached the position 12a characterized by drawn through lines, the switch 22 triggers and emits a signal to a control unit, which unlocks a door lock. In addition, a motoric door drive device can be controlled, which opens the vehicle door, for example, a narrow amount.

[0027] If the door handle 12 is moved further by the arcuate distance B (FIG. 4), then a mechanical coupling, not depicted, to the door lock becomes effective, whereby the door lock is mechanically unlocked.

[0028] Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in more detail by preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived from this by the person skilled in the art without leaving the protective scope of the invention. It is thus clear that there is a plurality of variation possibilities. It is also clear that embodiments mentioned by way of example really only constitute examples which cannot be interpreted in any other way as limiting the protective scope, for example, the application possibilities or the configuration of the invention. Instead, the description above and the description of the figures put the person skilled in the art in the position to concretely implement the exemplary embodiments, wherein the person skilled in the art, with the knowledge of the inventive thought disclosed, can undertake various changes, for example in terms of the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without leaving the scope of protection, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as extensive explanations in the description, for example.