Abstract
An example door handle system, includes a handle, an actuation lever, a first spring, and an unlocking lever. The handle includes a first mounting section and a second mounting section. The first mounting section is opposite the second mounting section. The actuation lever is pivotably connected to the first mounting section. The first spring is engaged with the actuation lever and the first mounting section to urge the handle to pivot in a first rotational direction relative to the actuation lever. The unlocking lever is pivotably connected to the second mounting section.
Claims
1. A door handle system, comprising: a handle including a first mounting section and a second mounting section, the first mounting section being opposite the second mounting section; an actuation lever pivotably connected to the first mounting section; a first spring engaged with the actuation lever and the first mounting section to urge the handle to pivot in a first rotational direction relative to the actuation lever; an unlocking lever pivotably connected to the second mounting section; and a drive lever having a first end section and a second end section, wherein the drive lever pivots between a ready position and a deployed position, wherein the first end section selectively contacts the first mounting section to drive the handle from a closed position to an actuated position, and wherein the unlocking lever selectively contacts the second end section to return the drive lever from the deployed position to the ready position.
2. The door handle system of claim 1, wherein the actuation lever is configured to pivot in the first rotational direction about a spindle.
3. The door handle system of claim 2, wherein: the handle is translatable between a closed position and an actuated position, the handle is pivotable between an open position and the actuated position, and the first spring returns the door handle from the open position to the actuated position.
4. The door handle system of claim 1, wherein the unlocking lever is configured to slidably engage a guide.
5. The door handle system of claim 1, wherein the handle includes a guide section configured to slidably engage a guide.
6. The door handle system of claim 5, wherein the guide is slotted.
7. The door handle system of claim 5, wherein: the handle is pivotable between an open position and the actuated position, the guide includes a lateral protuberance, the actuation lever abuts a stop in the actuated position, and when the door handle pivots to the actuated position, the guide section pivots into the lateral protuberance.
8. The door handle system of claim 5, wherein: the handle is pivotable between an emergency position and a closed position, the guide includes a lateral protuberance, and when the door handle pivots to the emergency position, the guide section pivots into the lateral protuberance.
9. The door handle system of claim 1, wherein: the actuation lever and the unlocking lever control the handle to move the first mounting section and the second mounting section uniformly in parallel between the closed position and the actuated position.
10. The door handle system of claim 1, further comprising a spring engaged with the drive lever to urge the drive lever from the ready position to the deployed position.
11. The door handle system of claim 1, wherein the drive lever includes a plunger configured to engage a push-push kinematic receiver to selectively release the drive lever from the ready position.
12. The door handle system of claim 1, further comprising a linear actuator, wherein: the handle is translatable between a closed position and an actuated position, the linear actuator selectively contacts the actuator lever to drive the handle from the closed position to the actuated position.
13. The door handle system of claim 12, wherein: the actuation lever includes a ramp, and the linear actuator selectively contacts the actuator lever via the ramp.
14. The door handle system of claim 12, wherein: the linear actuator includes a roller, and the linear actuator selectively contacts the actuator lever via the roller.
15. A door handle system, comprising: a handle including a first mounting section and a second mounting section, the first mounting section being opposite the second mounting section; an actuation lever pivotably connected to the first mounting section; an unlocking lever pivotably connected to the second mounting section; a drive part slidably engaged with the actuation lever; a thrust rod pivotably connected to the drive part; a blocking element slidably and pivotably connected to the thrust rod to selectively contact the unlocking lever; and a drive lever having a first end section and a second end section, wherein the drive lever pivots between a ready position and a deployed position, wherein the first end section selectively contacts the first mounting section to drive the handle from a closed position to an actuated position, and wherein the unlocking lever selectively contacts the second end section to return the drive lever from the deployed position to the ready position.
16. The door handle system of claim 15, wherein: the thrust rod defines a slot, and the blocking element is slidably and pivotably connected to the thrust rod via the slot.
17. The door handle system of claim 15, wherein: the handle is pivotable in a first rotational direction relative to the actuation lever to return from an open position to the actuated position, and the blocking element blocks the handle from pivoting in the first rotational direction beyond the actuated position.
18. A door handle system, comprising: a handle having a first end and a second end opposite the first end; a plurality of levers pivotably connected to the handle, including a drive lever having a first end section and a second end section, wherein the drive lever pivots between a ready position and a deployed position, and the first end section selectively contacts the first end to drive the handle from a closed position to an actuated position; an unlocking lever pivotably connected to the second mounting section, wherein the unlocking lever selectively contacts the second end section to return the drive lever from the deployed position to the ready position; and a spring connected to the plurality of levers, wherein: the plurality of levers and the spring control the handle to translate the first end and the second end uniformly in parallel between the closed position and the actuated position, and pivot between the actuated position and an open position.
19. The door handle system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of springs urge the handle to return from the open position to the closed position.
20. A system, comprising: a door handle, which can be mounted in movable fashion in or on an automobile; and an actuation device for the door handle, wherein: the door handle has a handle section and two mounting sections arranged in the region of opposite ends of the handle section, the actuation device comprises an actuation lever which, by one end thereof, is pivotably connected to a first of the mounting sections and, by the other end thereof, is mounted on a housing section so as to be pivotable between a rest position and an actuated position, when the actuation lever is in the rest position, the door handle assumes a closed position, when the actuation lever is in the actuated position, the door handle assumes an actuated position from which the door handle can be pulled manually into an open position in order to unlock a door lock, the actuation device comprises drive means for the movement of the actuation lever from the rest position into the actuated position, the actuation device furthermore comprises at least one slotted guide in which, at least during a movement of the actuation lever between the rest position and the actuated position, the first mounting section or the second mounting section is guided by way of at least one guide section such that the door handle is moved in substantially translational fashion between its closed position and its actuated position, the first mounting section is guided by way of at least one guide section in the at least one slotted guide, at least during a movement of the actuation lever between the rest position and the actuated position, the second mounting section is guided by way of at least one guide section in at least one second slotted guide, or in that the second mounting section is guided by way of at least one guide section in the at least one slotted guide, and at least during a movement of the actuation lever between the rest position and the actuated position, the first mounting section is guided by way of at least one guide section in at least one second slotted guide.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of figures in which, in each case schematically:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a system according to the invention according to a first exemplary embodiment, in a partially sectional side view and in a first operating state,
(3) FIG. 2 shows the system from FIG. 1 in a second operating state,
(4) FIG. 3 shows the system from FIG. 1 in a third operating state,
(5) FIG. 4 shows the system from FIG. 1 in a fourth operating state,
(6) FIG. 5 shows a system according to the invention according to a second exemplary embodiment, in a partially sectional side view and in a first operating state,
(7) FIG. 6 shows the system from FIG. 5 in a second operating state,
(8) FIG. 7 shows the system from FIG. 5 in a third operating state,
(9) FIG. 8 shows the system from FIG. 5 in a fourth operating state,
(10) FIG. 9 shows the system from FIG. 5 in a fifth operating state,
(11) FIG. 10 shows a system according to the invention according to a third exemplary embodiment, in a partially sectional side view and in a first operating state,
(12) FIG. 11 shows the system from FIG. 10 in a second operating state, and
(13) FIG. 12 shows the system from FIG. 10 in a third operating state.
DESCRIPTION
(14) Unless stated otherwise, the same reference signs are used to denote identical objects in the figures. The system according to the invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises a door handle 10, in the illustrated example an exterior door handle 10 of an automobile, which in the closed position of the door handle as shown in FIG. 1 terminates flush with a surrounding exterior surface, indicated by the reference sign 12, of the automobile door. The door handle 10 has an elongate handle section 14, on the first end of which a first mounting section 16 is formed and on the second end of which a second mounting section 18 is formed. An actuation device for the door handle 10 comprises an actuation lever 20 which is composed of two lever arms which are connected to one another at an angle, for example at a right angle. The free end of one lever arm is mounted, so as to be pivotable about a pivot spindle 22 running perpendicularly into the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1, on a housing section of the system which is arranged fixedly on the automobile door. The free end of the other lever arm is connected to the first mounting section 16 so as to be pivotable about a pivot spindle 24 likewise running perpendicularly into the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1.
(15) The actuation device furthermore comprises a slotted guide 26 which is arranged on a housing section of the system which is arranged fixedly on the automobile door. A guide section 28 of the first mounting section 16 is guided in the slotted guide 26. The guide section 28 may be formed by an end of a, for example, cylindrical guide bar. It is also possible for both ends of a guide bar of said type to form guide sections, wherein then two slotted guides may also be provided which are arranged on opposite sides of the first mounting section 16. In the example shown, spring means are provided which preload the actuation lever 20 clockwise about the pivot spindle 22 into the rest position of the actuation lever 20 as shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, in the example shown, spring means are provided which preload the door handle 10 clockwise about the pivot spindle 24 into the closed position of the door handle 10 as shown in FIG. 1.
(16) On the second mounting section 18 there is arranged an unlocking lever 32 which is pivotable about a pivot spindle 30 running perpendicularly into the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1. At its free end, the unlocking lever 32 likewise has at least one guide section 34, which in the present case is guided in a second slotted guide 36. The second slotted guide 36 is in turn arranged on a housing section which is arranged fixedly on the automobile door. The guide section 34 is connected to a Bowden cable 38 which acts on the door lock of the automobile door, as will be explained in more detail below. Again, it is also possible for two guide sections on the second mounting section, and if appropriate two second slotted guides, to be provided.
(17) It can furthermore be seen in FIG. 1 that the actuation lever 20 has a ramp 40 which forms an oblique plane. The reference 42 denotes an electric motor of an electric linear drive which, via a drive part 44, drives a roller 46 which runs in rotatable fashion on the ramp 40. The roller 46 interacts with an abutment guide 48 running in the direction of movement of the drive part 44. If the roller 46 is driven by the electric motor 42 in the direction of the ramp 40, that is to say to the left in FIG. 1, this leads to the actuation lever 20 being pivoted about the pivot spindle 22. The pivoting movement of the actuation lever 20 is limited by a stop 50.
(18) Whereas FIG. 1 shows the rest position of the actuation lever 20 and the closed position of the door handle 10, FIG. 2 illustrates an actuated position of the actuation lever 20 and of the door handle 10. To attain the actuated position, the electric motor 42 has been actuated such that, as explained above, the actuation lever 20 has been pivoted about the pivot spindle 22 counter to the preload of the spring means until it has reached the stop 50. As can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2, the guide section 28 on the right has, in the process, been guided along the curved path of the slotted guide 26. Owing to the configuration of the curved path defined by the slotted guide 26, the door handle 10 has, in the process, been moved in translational fashion from the closed position shown in FIG. 1 into the actuated position shown in FIG. 2. With regard to FIGS. 1 and 2, the mounting sections 16, 18 have thus been moved uniformly in parallel. In the process, the unlocking lever 32 coupled to the second mounting section 18 by way of the pivot spindle 30 has also been moved downward in the second slotted guide 36 by a first distance. In this position, unlocking of the door lock has not yet taken place. For this purpose, the door handle 10 is pulled manually from the actuated position shown in FIG. 2 into the open position shown in FIG. 3. In the process, the door handle 10 pivots, counter to the preload of the spring means, about the pivot spindle 24 relative to the actuation lever 20, which is held against the stop 50. The guide section 28 passes into a lateral protuberance 52 of the slotted guide 26. The guide section 34 is pulled further along the second slotted guide 36 as far as the bottom end 54, as shown in FIG. 3. In the process, unlocking of the door lock is performed via the Bowden cable 38, and the Bowden cable 38 is tensioned. In the example shown, the unlocking lever 32, by way of its guide section 34, actuates the Bowden cable 38 directly. It is however also possible, for example, for the unlocking lever 32 to actuate further levers in order to permit a transmission of forces and travels or in order to permit other outgoing directions for the Bowden cable.
(19) As can be seen in FIG. 3, when the door handle 10 is in the open position, the roller 46 is no longer in contact with the ramp 40 of the actuation lever 20. Rather, the drive part 44 has been moved by the drive motor 42 back into the initial position shown in FIG. 1, such that the roller 46 has been removed from the ramp 40. If the door handle 10 is released from the open position shown in FIG. 3, the spring means provided in the region of the pivot spindles 22, 24 act, owing to their preload, so as to generate a pivoting movement of the actuation lever 20 and of the door handle 10 clockwise. As a result, the actuation lever 20 moves back into the rest position shown in FIG. 1, and the door handle 10 moves back into the closed position, likewise shown in FIG. 1. In the process, owing to the tension generated in the Bowden cable 38 during the course of the movement into the open position, the door lock is also locked again. The movement cycle of the door handle 10 is thus completed.
(20) FIG. 4 illustrates an emergency unlocking position of the door handle in the event that, for example, the electric motor 42 of the linear drive is defective. In this case, the door handle 10 can, by manual exertion of pressure on the first mounting section, be pivoted counterclockwise about the pivot spindle 24 slightly, such that the door handle 10 projects out of the exterior surface 12 of the automobile door in the region of the second mounting section 18. In this emergency unlocking position, the guide section 28 is received in a second lateral protuberance 55 of the slotted guide 26. From the emergency unlocking position, the door handle 10 can be pivoted up manually about the pivot spindle 24 into an emergency open position, such that the door lock is unlocked by way of the Bowden cable 38.
(21) A second exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail on the basis of FIGS. 5 to 9. Said second exemplary embodiment substantially corresponds to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. Said second exemplary embodiment differs from the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 with regard to the drive means for the actuation of the door handle 10. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 9, no electric motor 42 is provided. It is pointed out that the ramp 40 and the abutment guide 48 are illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 9. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 9, said ramp and abutment guide are however without function and are not required. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 9, the drive means for moving the actuation lever 20 from the rest position into the actuated position, and thus for moving the door handle 10 from the closed position into the actuated position, comprise a drive lever 58 which is mounted, so as to be pivotable about a pivot spindle 56 running perpendicularly into the plane of the drawing in FIG. 5, on a housing section provided fixedly on the automobile door. The drive lever 58 interacts, by way of one end section 60 thereof (see FIG. 8), with the guide section 28 of the door handle 10. The drive lever 58 interacts, by way of its other end section 62, with the guide section 34 of the door handle 10. On the drive lever 58 there is formed a plunger 64, shown in particular in FIG. 7, of a push-push kinematic arrangement. A housing of the push-push kinematic arrangement is shown at reference sign 66. A control ring (not illustrated in any more detail) is mounted in axially fixed and rotatable fashion in the housing 66. The control ring has, on its inner side, at least one control projection which interacts in at least one control cam, formed on the outer side of the plunger 64, in order to realize a push-push function. The configuration of the control cam and the interaction of control ring with control cam may be configured, in a manner known per se, as described in DE 10 2008 057 933 B4.
(22) In the closed position of the door handle 10 as shown in FIG. 5, the plunger 64 is situated in the housing 66 of the push-push kinematic arrangement. In particular, the plunger 64 is locked on the control ring of the push-push kinematic arrangement. The drive lever 58 is preloaded clockwise about the pivot spindle 56 by a suitable spring means. In the closed position shown in FIG. 5, owing to the locking of the push-push kinematic arrangement, the preload however cannot act on the drive lever 58 so as to rotate it clockwise. For unlocking, the door handle 10 is manually pushed inward into the unlocking position shown in FIG. 6. This results in unlocking of the plunger 64 from the control ring arranged in the housing 66 of the push-push kinematic arrangement. As a result, the spring means which preloads the drive lever 58 clockwise about the pivot spindle 56 can pivot the drive lever 58 clockwise into the position shown in FIG. 7. Here, the spring means which preload the drive lever 58 exhibit a more intense preload than the spring means which preload the actuation lever 20 clockwise about the pivot spindle 22. In this way, the drive lever 58 can push the guide section 28 downward along the slotted guide 26, with a pivoting movement of the actuation lever 20 counterclockwise about the pivot spindle 22 and with a translational movement of the door handle 10 into the actuated position shown in FIG. 7.
(23) From the actuated position shown in FIG. 7, the door handle 10 can be pivoted up manually into the open position shown in FIG. 8 in the manner described above, with the door lock being unlocked. Owing to the interaction of the guide section 34 of the second mounting section 18 with the second end section 62 of the drive lever 58, the drive lever 58 is, during the course of the movement of the guide section 34 in the second slotted guide 36, pivoted back counterclockwise about the pivot spindle 56, counter to the preload of the drive lever 58. The plunger 64, which has previously emerged from the housing 66, moves into the housing 66 of the push-push kinematic arrangement again, and the plunger 64 locks on the control ring of the push-push kinematic arrangement again. In the open position shown in FIG. 8, the spring means which preload the drive lever 58 can correspondingly no longer impart an action. As a result, the door handle 10, after being released from the open position shown in FIG. 8, can automatically move back into the closed position shown in FIG. 5, in the manner described above with regard to the first exemplary embodiment, by being driven by the spring means which act clockwise on the pivot spindles 22, 24, without the spring means of the drive lever 58 exerting an opposing spring force.
(24) FIG. 9 in turn shows an emergency unlocking position. This corresponds substantially to the emergency unlocking position explained above with regard to FIG. 4. As the first mounting section 16 is pushed inward, the second mounting section 18 of the door handle 10 pivots outward, such that the door handle 10 can subsequently be manually pivoted up into the emergency open position in order to unlock the door lock.
(25) FIGS. 10 to 12 show a third exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention. Said exemplary embodiment in turn substantially corresponds to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. For clarity, some parts of the system are not illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 12. This relates for example to the connection to the door lock for example by means of a Bowden cable, as has been basically explained with regard to the exemplary embodiments above. As in the case of the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, it is the case in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 10 to 12 that the first mounting section 16 is guided by way of a schematically illustrated guide section 28 in a slotted guide 26. In FIGS. 11 and 12, the reference sign 26 denotes the curved path along which the first mounting section is guided by way of its guide section 28 which projects into the plane of the drawing in FIGS. 11 and 12. It may be ensured, for example by means of a curved path situated opposite the curved path shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, or in some other way, that the guide section 28 is guided along the curved path, as has basically also been shown in the preceding exemplary embodiments. The configuration of the slotted guide 26 and of the guide section 28 and also the guidance by the slotted guide 26 may thus basically be implemented as explained with regard to the exemplary embodiments above. The second mounting section 18 is, via the unlocking lever 32, guided by way of the guide section 34 in a second slotted guide 36, which is formed on a housing section arranged fixedly on the automobile door. By contrast to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 4, it is the case in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 10 to 12 that the drive part 44 of the electric motor 42 acts directly on the ramp 40 formed on the actuation lever 20. It would however also be possible for a roller to be provided as explained with regard to the exemplary embodiments above. Furthermore, a first end 70 of a thrust rod 72 is mounted on the free end of the drive part 44. On its opposite, second end 74, said thrust rod 72 has a slot 76 in which a blocking section 78, in the form of a blocking projection, of a blocking element 80, in the form of a pawl, is guided. The blocking element 80 is, by means of a mounting 82, mounted pivotably on the housing section provided fixedly on the automobile door. A spring 84 preloads the blocking element 80 into the release position shown in FIG. 10.
(26) The function of the third exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention as shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 shall be explained below. FIG. 10 shows the initial operating state in which the door handle is situated in its closed position, in which, in particular, it terminates flush with the exterior surface 12 of the automobile door. To attain the actuated position of the door handle 10 as shown in FIG. 11, the drive part 44 is extended, to the left in FIGS. 10 to 12, by the electric motor 42, wherein the drive part 44 is guided on the ramp 40 and thus leads to a pivoting movement of the actuation lever 20 counterclockwise about the pivot spindle 22, as explained above.
(27) At the same time, the drive part 44 moves the thrust rod 72 to the left in FIGS. 10 to 12. Here, the blocking section 78 initially runs in the slot 76 without the blocking element 80 being actuated, in particular pivoted, about the pivot spindle 82. Only when the blocking section 78 reaches the right-hand end of the slot 76 in FIGS. 10 to 12 does the further axial movement of the thrust rod 72 lead to a pivoting movement of the blocking element 80 clockwise about the pivot spindle 82 and counter to the spring force of the spring 84. In the process, the free end 86 of the blocking element 80 comes into blocking engagement with that end of the unlocking lever 32 which has the guide section 34, as shown in FIG. 11. For as long as the electric motor 42 holds the drive part 44 in the extended position, the door handle 10 cannot be pushed inward from the actuated position shown in FIG. 11. Any pressure forces are reliably absorbed by the blocking element 80, without the possibility of damage to components of the system, in particular the thrust rod 72 or the drive components. The slotted guide 26 is in turn designed such that the movement, predefined by it, of the door handle 10 from the closed position shown in FIG. 10 into the actuated position shown in FIG. 11 (and back again) takes place in substantially translational fashion. Here, the mounting sections 16, 18 thus move substantially uniformly in parallel.
(28) From the actuated position shown in FIG. 11, the door handle 10 can then be pivoted into the open position shown in FIG. 12 in the manner explained above with regard to the preceding exemplary embodiments. In the process, that end of the unlocking lever 32 which has the guide section 34 passes out of engagement with the free end 86 of the blocking element 80. If the drive part 44 is then retracted by the electric motor 42, the door handle 10 can, in the manner explained above, be moved back into the closed position shown in FIG. 10, if appropriate under the action of the preload spring means explained with regard to the exemplary embodiments above.
