INTEGRATED OUTSIDE HANDLE SWITCH ASSEMBLY FOR A TAIL GATE

Abstract

An integrated outside handle switch assembly for a rear trunk lid or tail gate is mounted in the rear trunk lid or tail gate and is operated at the time of opening the tail gate. The outside handle switch assembly may include: an upper housing configured to be mounted on the tail gate; a lower housing configured to be assembled to the upper housing below the upper housing; a substrate configured to be fixed at a lower portion of the upper housing; a switch configured to be operated at the time of opening the tail gate and mounted on the substrate; and a lamp configured to illuminate a license plate attached to the tail gate and be mounted on the substrate.

Claims

1. An integrated outside handle switch assembly for a tail gate, which is mounted in a tail gate to be opened and closed at a rear of a vehicle and operated at the time of opening the tail gate, the handle switch assembly comprising: an upper housing configured to be mounted on the tail gate; a lower housing configured to be assembled to the upper housing below the upper housing; a substrate configured to be fixed at a lower portion of the upper housing; a switch configured to be operated at the time of opening the tail gate and mounted on the substrate; and a lamp configured to illuminate a license plate attached to the tail gate and mounted on the substrate.

2. The handle switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein a rear-view camera is mounted on the upper housing, and wherein the substrates are installed on left and right sides of the camera, respectively.

3. The handle switch assembly according to claim 2, wherein the substrates are electrically connected to each other.

4. The handle switch assembly according to claim 3, wherein the substrates are connected to each other by a cable.

5. The handle switch assembly according to claim 2, wherein an actuator transferring to the switch an operating force input to the lower housing is mounted between the lower housing and the substrate.

6. The handle switch assembly according to claim 5, wherein the actuator is provided with a body in contact with the lower housing, and supports that extend upward from both ends of the body to the switch, respectively.

7. The handle switch assembly according to claim 6, wherein the actuator is provided with an extension portion extending in a cantilever form from the body to one side, and wherein the lower housing houses the extension portion and is provided with a guide that guides, lifts, and lowers the extension portion at the time of operating the actuator.

8. The handle switch assembly according to claim 7, wherein the extension portion extends toward the rear of the vehicle.

9. The handle switch assembly according to claim 7, wherein the extension portions are formed at the both ends of the body, respectively, and wherein the guides are formed in the lower housing so as to be spaced apart from each other.

10. The handle switch assembly according to claim 2, wherein the camera is installed at a center of the upper housing in a width direction of the vehicle.

11. The handle switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper housing is mounted above the license plate in the tail gate.

12. An integrated outside handle switch assembly for mounting to a rear tail gate or trunk lid of a vehicle, the handle switch assembly comprising: an upper housing configured to be mounted on the tail gate; a lower housing assembled to the upper housing below the upper housing; a substrate fixed at a lower portion of the upper housing; a switch mounted on the substrate and configured to be operated at the time of opening the tail gate for releasing the tail gate; and a lamp mounted on the substrate and configured to illuminate a license plate attached to the tail gate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a state in which an outside handle and a license plate lamp of the related art are separately installed at a rear of a vehicle.

[0026] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an outside handle for a tail gate according to the related art.

[0027] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing an integrated type outside handle switch assembly for a tail gate according to the present disclosure.

[0028] FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views showing a state in which an actuator is not operated and is operated, respectively, in the integrated type outside handle switch assembly for a tail gate according to the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main portion of the integrated type outside handle switch assembly for a tail gate according to the present disclosure in a state in which a lower housing and the actuator are assembled to each other.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Hereinafter, an integrated type outside handle switch assembly for a tail gate according to the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, an integrated type outside handle switch assembly for a tail gate according to the present disclosure is mounted on a tail gate 2, which is opened and closed rearward of a vehicle 1 and is operated at the time of opening the tail gate 2. The assembly includes an upper housing 11 mounted in the tail gate 2, a lower housing 12 assembled to the upper housing 11 below the upper housing 11, substrates 13 fixed at a lower portion of the upper housing 11, switches 14 operated at the time of opening the tail gate 2 and mounted on the substrates 13, and lamps 18 illuminating a license plate 3 attached to the tail gate 2 and mounted on the substrates 13.

[0032] The upper housing 11 is assembled to the tail gate 2 of the vehicle. The substrates 13 and a camera 17 (which are described below) are mounted in the upper housing 11. The upper housing 11 may be injection molded using a synthetic resin material. The upper housing 11 is mounted in the middle of the tail gate 2 of the vehicle, such as above the license plate 3.

[0033] The lower housing 12 is coupled to a lower portion of the upper housing 11.

[0034] In one example, the lower housing 12 is formed of a rubber a material. Since the lower housing 12 is formed of a rubber material, which is elastically deformable, even if a user presses one side of the lower housing 12 to open the tail gate 2, it may be returned to an original state after the operation is performed.

[0035] The upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12 are coupled to each other to form an appearance of the integrated type outside handle switch assembly 10 for a tail gate according to the present disclosure. The constituting elements (which are described below) are mounted between the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12.

[0036] The camera 17 is installed in the upper housing 11 and provides a view to the rear of the vehicle. In one example, the camera 17 is installed in the middle of the upper housing 11, such as at the center of the upper housing 11 in a width direction of the vehicle. By positioning the camera 17 at the center of the vehicle, the camera 17 may provide a uniform view to the rear of the vehicle.

[0037] The substrates 13 are mounted below the upper housing 11. Since the camera 17 is installed in the middle of the upper housing 11, the substrates 13 are installed while avoiding the camera 17. In one example, the substrates 13 are installed at both sides, respectively, of the camera 17 in the upper housing 11. In one example, as described below, the lamps 18 for illuminating the license plate are mounted on the substrates 13 so that the substrates 13 are installed at both sides, respectively, of the camera 17 in the upper housing 11 so as to be symmetrical to each other.

[0038] The switch 14, operated by a user at the time of operating the outside handle switch assembly 10 in order for the user to open the tail gate 2, and the lamp 18, for illuminating the license plate attached to the tail gate 2, are mounted on the substrate 13.

[0039] The switch 14 and the lamp 18 are mounted together on one substrate 13, Thus, the substrate 13 may be shared with each other. In addition, all of the switch 14, the camera 17, and the lamp 18 are provided in the outside handle switch assembly 10 by mounting the lamp 18 on the substrate 13 instead of mounting separately the lamp 18 at both sides of the outside handle switch assembly 10. Thus, the respective license plate lamps separately installed on both sides of the outside handle may be provided in one package.

[0040] If there is a press operation, the switch 14 may be a tact switch outputting a signal by sensing the press operation.

[0041] The lamp 18 may be a light emitting diode (LED) lamp.

[0042] The substrates 13 are electrically connected to each other. The substrates are spaced apart from each other with the camera 17 interposed therebetween. The substrates may be electrically connected to each other through a cable 15. The substrates 13 are installed at both sides, respectively, of the camera 17 around the camera 17 so that the substrates 13 are connected to each other by using the cable 15. When the spaced substrates 13 are connected to each other by using the cable 15, the camera 17 is positioned in the middle of the upper housing. Thus, the cable 15 may be provided having a U shape by avoiding the camera 17.

[0043] One of the substrates 13 is connected to a connector for controlling an operation of the outside handle switch assembly 10 or for supplying power. Since the substrates 13 are connected to each other by the cables 15, only one substrate 13 may be connected to the connector.

[0044] When an operating force of the user is input through the lower housing 12, the actuator 16 transfers the operating force to the switch 14.

[0045] The actuator 16 includes a body 16a in contact with the lower housing 12 and a support 16b extending upward from the body 16a toward the switch 14.

[0046] The body 16a is formed in a predetermined area so that the user may easily press the body 16a. A bottom surface of the body 16a is in contact with the lower housing 12 or spaced apart from the lower housing by a gap. When the user presses one side of the lower housing 12, the actuator 16 transfers the operation to the body 16a.

[0047] The support 16b is formed to extend from an end portion of the body 16a toward the switch 14 so as to transfer to the switch 14 the operating force of the user input to the body 16a. The substrates 13 are mounted in two and are spaces apart from each other and the supports 16b extend upward from both ends of the body 16a, respectively. An upper end of the support 16b is in contact with the switch 14 and when the actuator 16 is operated by the user, the support 16b presses the switch 14. An elastic body, such as a rubber damper (no reference numerals given), which acts as a buffer, may be provided between the upper end of the support 16b and the switch 14. Therefore, when the actuator 16 is lifted through the lower housing 12 (refer to FIG. 4B), the elastic body acts as a buffer between the switch 14 and the upper end of the support 16b.

[0048] Meanwhile, when the actuator 16 is operated through the lower housing 12, in order to guide lifting and lowering of the actuator 16, an extension portion 16c is formed to extend to one side of the actuator 16 and the lower housing 12 is provided with a guide 12a that houses the extension portion 16c (refer to FIG. 5). The extension portion 16c extends in a cantilever form from the body 16a to the rear of the vehicle. The guide 12a is formed along a lifting and lowering direction of the actuator 16. An inner portion of the guide 12a is a slot 12b, which supports both surfaces of the extension portion 16c. The extension portions 16c may be formed at both ends of the body 16a, respectively. Correspondingly, the guides 12a may be formed in the lower housing 12 so as to be spaced apart from each other. Thus, the extension portion 16c is positioned at the inner portion of the slot 12b formed in respective guides 12a. The extension portion 16c is positioned at the inner portion of the slot 12b, and thus the extension portion 16c is lifted along the guide 12a. Further, operation directions of the actuator 16 and the support 16b are different from each other, so that the actuator 16 can rotate and it is possible for the actuator 16 to be prevented from rotating by the extension portion 16c and the guide 12a.