Signal generator for a vehicle door

Abstract

A signal generator, in particular opening switch, for a vehicle door or flap, including an actuator, in particular an actuator which can be manually actuated and/or gripped by an operating person, furthermore including a plug housing (14) with a switch (22) which is received therein or arranged thereon and which has electrical contacts (20) which form part of a plug connection, and including an actuator housing (12) with the actuator (30), the actuator being mounted movably on the actuator housing (12) and acting on the switch (22), the actuator housing (12) and the plug housing (14) being positionally fixed relative to one another, wherein the electrical contacts (20) are electrically connected to the switch (22) by plugged-in conductors.

Claims

1. A signal generator, for a vehicle door or flap, comprising an actuator which is configured to be manually actuated and/or gripped by an operating person, furthermore comprising a plug housing with a switch which is received therein or arranged thereon and which has electrical contacts which form part of a plug connection, and comprising an actuator housing with the actuator, the actuator being mounted movably on the actuator housing and acting on the switch, wherein the actuator housing and the plug housing are positionally fixed relative to one another, and the electrical contacts are electrically connected to the switch by plugged-in conductors, wherein the actuator comprises a door lever which is mounted pivotably on the actuator housing and which acts on the switch.

2. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1, at least one of the contacts being in one piece and, at one side, forming the contact for the plug connection and, at the other side, being plugged onto the switch by being plugged onto an output contact pin or an output contact lug which projects out of a housing in which the switch is received as a module.

3. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switch has a clip structure as a connection point, and at least one of the electrical contacts is plugged into the clip structure.

4. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein a potting compound is introduced for sealing the switch in the plug housing.

5. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical contacts are portions of a lead frame.

6. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug housing is configured for direct connection to an electric drive.

7. A system composed of an electric drive and a signal generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric drive is connected directly to the plug housing.

8. The signal generator of claim 1, wherein the door lever is mounted within the actuator housing, wherein the plug housing and switch are located outside of the actuator housing, wherein the actuator housing includes a wall having an opening that aligns with the switch, wherein a portion of the door lever protrudes from the opening to act on the switch when the door lever is pivoted.

9. The signal generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug housing and the actuator housing are formed integrally on one another, and the switch is inserted with the electrical contacts into the plug housing.

10. The signal generator as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plug housing and the actuator housing are formed integrally on one another by injection molding.

11. The signal generator as claimed in claim 9, wherein firstly the actuator housing is produced and subsequently the plug housing is formed integrally onto the actuator housing, or wherein firstly the plug housing is produced and subsequently the actuator housing is formed integrally onto the plug housing.

12. The signal generator as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plug housing and the actuator housing are formed integrally on one another by means of joint production of plug housing and actuator housing as one piece.

13. A method for the production of an opening switch, for a vehicle door, the opening switch having a plug housing, with a switch which is received therein and which has electrical contacts which form part of a plug connection, and having an actuator housing, with an actuator which is mounted movably on the actuator housing and which acts on the switch, wherein the actuator is configured to be manually actuated and/or gripped by an operating person, wherein the actuator comprises a door lever which is mounted pivotably on the actuator housing and which acts on the switch, having the steps: attaching the plug housing and the actuator housing to one another, inserting the switch with the electrical contacts into or onto the plug housing; and electrically connecting the electrical contacts to the switch by plugging-in of conductors.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the door lever is mounted within the actuator housing, wherein the plug housing and switch are located outside of the actuator housing, wherein the actuator housing includes a wall having an opening that aligns with the switch, wherein a portion of the door lever protrudes from the opening to act on the switch when the door lever is pivoted.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, including introduction of a potting compound into the plug housing for sealing the switch in the plug housing.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the electrical contacts are portions of a lead frame, the lead frame being severed to form separate electrical contacts after the insertion of the lead frame into the plug housing.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the attachment of the plug housing and the actuator housing to one another is performed by integral formation of the plug housing and of the actuator housing on one another.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the plug housing and the actuator housing are integrally formed on one another by injection molding.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, including: production of the actuator housing and subsequent integral formation of the plug housing onto the actuator housing, or production of the plug housing and subsequent integral formation of the actuator housing on the plug housing.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, the plug housing and of the actuator housing are integrally formed on one another by means of joint production of the plug housing and the actuator housing as one piece by injection molding.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An embodiment of the invention will be discussed below on the basis of figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an actuator housing with a plug housing, formed integrally thereon, of a signal generator according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows the illustration from FIG. 1 in a view obliquely from above,

(4) FIG. 3 shows the view from FIG. 2 with a lead frame inserted into the plug housing,

(5) FIG. 4 shows the illustration from FIG. 3 with electrical contacts produced by severing of the lead frame,

(6) FIG. 5 shows the illustration from FIG. 4 with a switch inserted into the plug housing,

(7) FIG. 6 shows the illustration from FIG. 5 with a door lever inserted into the actuator housing,

(8) FIG. 7 shows the illustration from FIG. 6 with potting compound introduced into a receiving portion of the plug housing,

(9) FIG. 8 shows the illustration from FIG. 7 with a deflected door lever,

(10) FIG. 9 shows the illustration from FIG. 8 in another view, and

(11) FIG. 10 shows the illustration from FIG. 8 in a further view.

(12) Unless stated otherwise below, the same reference designations are used to denote the same objects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) FIG. 1 shows an actuator housing 12 with a plug housing 14, formed thereon, of a signal generator according to the invention. The plug housing 14 comprises a receiving portion 16, for receiving a switch 22 with electrical contacts 20, and comprises a connecting portion 18, into which the electrical contacts project for the connection to an electric drive, for example, as will be discussed in more detail further below. The plug housing 14 may be formed on the actuator housing 12 in particular in an injection molding process. Likewise, the actuator housing 12 may be formed on the plug housing 14. This may be performed after production of the actuator housing 12 and subsequent integral formation of the plug housing 14 or after production of the plug housing 14 and subsequent integral formation of the actuator housing 12, or by means of joint manufacture of the actuator housing 12 with the plug housing 14 as one piece, in particular by injection molding.

(14) The illustration in FIG. 2 likewise shows the unit, which can be seen in FIG. 1, composed of plug housing 14 and actuator housing 12, but only in certain portions and in a different plan view. The further production of the signal generator will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. In the present embodiment of the method, after the integral formation of the plug housing 14 and of the actuator housing 12 on one another, a lead frame 19 composed of metal is firstly inserted into the receiving portion 16 of the plug housing 14. The lead frame 19 has the two electrical contacts 20, which are however still connected to one another by transverse webs 21. The lead frame 19 is inserted into the receiving portion 16 of the plug housing 14 such that the electrical contacts 20 project into the connecting portion 18 (visible in FIG. 10). In a subsequent production step, which can be seen in FIG. 4, the transverse webs 21 are severed, and the separate electrical contacts 20 are thus produced.

(15) Subsequently, the switch 22 is inserted into the receiving portion 16 of the plug housing 14, as can be seen in FIG. 5. Here, the switch 22 projects in particular with a triggering element 24 out of the receiving portion 16. At least the electrical contacts 20 of the switch 22 are however received entirely in the plug housing 14, one part in the receiving portion 16 and the other part in the connecting portion 18. The electrical contacts 20 are electrically connected to the switch 22 by means of plugged-in conductors. The contacts 20 are in each case in one piece and, firstly, form the contact for the plug connection and, secondly, are plugged onto the switch 22 by being plugged in each case onto an output contact lug 23, which projects out of a housing in which the switch 22 is received as a module. The switch 22 has in each case one clip structure 23.1 at these connection points 23, and the electrical contacts 20 are plugged into the respective clip structure 23.1.

(16) Secondly, a door lever 30 as actuator is inserted into the actuator housing 12. The door lever 30 is mounted in the actuator housing 12 so as to be pivotable about an axis of rotation D, and acts on the switch 22 in a manner to be discussed in more detail further below. The door lever 30 can be clearly seen in particular in FIG. 9.

(17) Finally, the receiving portion 16 of the plug housing 14 is filled with a potting compound 26, as can be seen in FIG. 7. The contacts 20 of the switch 22 are thus fixed and sealed in the plug housing 14. In particular, the potting compound does not ingress here into the connecting portion 18. By means of such a potting compound, it is furthermore possible to omit a lid that closes off the receiving portion 16.

(18) In FIGS. 6 and 7, the door lever 30 is in a non-deflected state. An actuating portion 32 of the door lever 30 consequently does not actuate the switch 22. The switch 22 is thus situated in an open position. As a result of a pivoting of the door lever 30 about its axis of rotation D out of the plug housing 12, as can be seen in FIGS. 8 to 10, the actuating portion 32 of the door lever 30 is adjusted toward the switch 22 and thus pushes the triggering element 24 into the switch 22. In this way, the switch 22 is closed, and an electrical connection between electrical contacts 20 is produced.

(19) Owing to the integral formation according to the invention of the plug housing 14 and of the actuator housing 12 on one another and the subsequent insertion of the switch together with electrical contacts into the plug housing 14, the production of the signal generator is simplified in relation to known signal generators. Owing to the electrical contacts situated in the plug housing, it is furthermore easily possible for an electric drive that is to be connected to the signal generator to be directly mounted onto or inserted into the plug housing.

LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

(20) 12 Actuator housing 14 Plug housing 16 Receiving portion 18 Connecting portion 19 Lead frame 20 Electric contacts 21 Transverse webs 22 Switch 23 Output contact lugs 23.1 Clip structure 24 Triggering element 26 Potting compound 30 Door lever 32 Actuating portion