Opening control device with an inertial safety blocking
11692377 · 2023-07-04
Assignee
Inventors
- Javier Casal Gomez (Vigo, ES)
- Alberto Diez Estevez (Pontevedra, ES)
- Delmiro Javier COUTO MAQUIEIRA (Pontevedra, ES)
Cpc classification
Y10S292/22
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
E05B81/76
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
International classification
E05B77/04
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E05B81/76
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
Abstract
An opening control device including a base, a handle lever configured to be pivotally mounted on the base about a handle axis, a kinematic chain configured to transmit a movement from the handle lever toward a latch of the opening control device to unlock the door leaf, the chain including at least one active branch of the handle lever, an inertial safety member including a main body forming an inertial mass and a blocking element linked to the body and configured to prevent by wedging the transmission of movement by the kinematic chain. According to the invention, the inertial member is kinematically coupled to the secondary branch of the handle lever and extends on the side of the secondary branch with respect to the handle axis opposite to a gripping main branch.
Claims
1. An opening control device for a door leaf of a motor vehicle comprising: a base, a handle lever configured to be pivotally mounted on the base about a handle axis, comprising a main gripping branch and a secondary branch for extending the main branch each located on either side of the handle axis and a center of gravity located on the side of the main branch, one of the two branches forming an actuation branch, a set of elements, comprising movable element, forming a kinematic chain configured to transmit a movement from the handle lever to a latch of the opening control device to unlock the door leaf, the kinematic chain comprising at least the actuation branch of the handle lever, an inertial safety member, distinct from the movable elements from the set of elements and the handle lever, comprising a main body forming an inertial mass and a blocking element connected to the body and configured to block by inertial effect the transmission of movement by the kinematic chain, wherein the inertial safety member is kinematically coupled to the secondary branch of the handle lever and extends on the side of the secondary branch with respect to the handle axis, and wherein the inertial safety member is movably mounted on a free end of the secondary branch such that the blocking element extends in a longitudinal direction of the secondary branch and the main body extends freely opposite a front end face of the secondary branch.
2. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the inertial safety member comprising a pivot axis so as to be pivotally mounted on the secondary branch, the pivot axis extends transversely to the predefined direction in an intermediate region located between the main body and the blocking element.
3. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the inertial safety member is movably mounted directly on the secondary branch.
4. The opening control device according to claim 3 wherein the inertial safety member has a rest configuration folded back against a lower surface of the secondary branch and an active configuration deployed by inertial effect to project outwardly from the secondary branch.
5. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the inertial safety member comprises a first means for rotatably coupling with a complementary second rotational coupling means secured to the secondary branch.
6. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the inertial safety member delimits a lower profile which forms an obtuse angle such that the blocking element extends in a direction oblique with respect to the main body.
7. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the inertial safety member has a longitudinal section according to the direction of extension of the blocking element configured in an L- or V-shape with an obtuse apex angle.
8. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the blocking element is formed as a blocking tooth having a rectangular or oval general shape configured to be wedged against a relief only during the displacement of the inertial safety member by inertial effect.
9. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the blocking element comprises a blocking lug extending transversely and configured to abut against a relief only during the displacement of the inertial safety member by inertial effect and to circumvent the relief otherwise.
10. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a housing for guiding in rotation a pivot shaft, the guide housing consists of at least one half-bearing provided with a semi-cylindrical recess.
11. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary branch terminates in a lateral cheek and a pivot shaft extending transversely to the lateral cheek about which the inertial safety member can pivot.
12. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary branch terminates in two flanges supporting a rod about which the inertial safety member can pivot.
13. The opening control device according to claim 1, comprising an elastic leaf forming a spring which can be biased along its longitudinal axis by buckling during the displacement of the inertial safety member, the inertial safety member and the elastic leaf being provided with first and second complementary hooking means.
14. The opening control device according to claim 13, wherein the first and second hooking means comprise a protrusion and a notch for receiving the protrusion, the protrusion being adapted to engage into the notch during the pivoting of the inertial safety member so as to retain the inertial safety member.
15. The opening control device according to claim 1, comprising an elastic return member exerting a force on the inertial safety member, the latter being adapted to overcome the force exerted by the elastic return member by inertial effect.
16. The opening control device according to claim 1, wherein the inertial safety member is of the mono-stable type comprising a rest stable position, bi-stable and irreversible comprising two rest and active stable positions, the active position being irreversible, bi-stable and reversible comprising two rest and active stable positions, the active position being reversible.
Description
(1) Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in light of the following description, made with reference to the appended drawings in which:
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(24) There is schematically represented in
(25) The opening control device 10 is configured to be mounted on a body external panel (not represented) of a door leaf which is for example a vehicle side door. The opening control device 10 mainly includes a fixed handle support 12, also referred to as fastening base or bracket depending on the type of design of the handle, and a handle system 14 in accordance with the invention.
(26) In service, the support 12 is configured to be fastened to the door leaf. In the illustrated example, the support 12 comprises a case 16. For example, the case 16 has a parallelepiped general shape and is adapted to be housed within a cutout or a recess of the external panel of the door leaf such that its external face 16A is flush with the surface of the external panel of the door leaf. Moreover, the case 16 is open on the side of its external face 16A and closed by a bottom surface 16B on the internal side in order to delimit a housing 18 configured to house the handle system 14.
(27) The handle system 14 comprises a handle lever 20 configured to be pivotally mounted about a pivot axis X1 on the base 12 of the opening control device 10. In the described example, the handle lever 20 is hingedly mounted relative to the panel, about the handle geometric axis X1, on the support 12. The handle axis X1 is herein substantially vertical and parallel to the general plane of the external panel.
(28) In the described example, the handle system 14 is of the «flush» type, that is to say that the support 12 on which the handle system 14 is movably mounted forms a cavity (not represented) adapted to completely receive the handle system 14 in the retracted configuration. In this configuration, the external surface of the handle lever 20 is flush with the external surface of the external wall of the door leaf. In the emerged or deployed configuration, the handle lever 20 emerges at least partially from the cavity of the support 12 to be able to be grasped by a user of the vehicle in order to open the door. For this purpose, the user can displace the handle lever 20 further toward the outside in order to control the latch of the door to open it.
(29) Nonetheless, it should be understood that other movable mountings might be considered, such as in particular by pivoting about an axis located at another position or else by translation along a direction essentially perpendicular to the general plane of the door. It should also be noted that the movable mounting of the handle relative to the support is known per se to those skilled in the art.
(30) In particular, the lever 20 is configured for gripping by a user. To this end, the lever 20 has an outer portion 20.1, or main gripping branch, that the user can grasp. Opposite to the outer portion 20.1, the lever 20 has an inner portion 20.2 which forms a secondary inner branch 20.2 for extending the main branch 20.1, which is preferably configured to extend in an invisible manner from outside the body. Conventionally, on the outer portion 20.1, the lever 20 includes a gripping paddle 22, which has a generally flat and elongate shape.
(31) The main branch 20.1 and the secondary branch 20.2 are located on either side of the handle axis X1 of the lever 20. Furthermore, the lever 20 comprises a center of gravity G1 located on the side of the main branch 20.1. Preferably, as shown in
(32) As shown in
(33) This opening control device 10 is configured to cooperate with a latch (not represented) of the door leaf of the motor vehicle likely to adopt a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration. Conventionally, the pivoting of the lever 20 of the handle system 14 about its hinge axis X1 actuates the latch in either one of its locked or unlocked configurations via a drive kinematic chain (not represented in the figures).
(34) In a manner known per se, the kinematic chain 100 is configured to transmit a movement from the handle lever 20 toward a latch of the opening control device to unlock the door leaf. More specifically, said chain 100 comprises at least one actuation branch or active branch of the handle lever 20. This actuation branch forms an active portion of the handle lever 20 which will drive by its movement the other elements of the chain 100 up to the latch mechanism of the opening control device 10.
(35) Indeed, conventionally, the handle lever 20 is configured to actuate the drive kinematic chain 100 to unlock the door leaf. In this first embodiment, the actuation branch or active branch is formed by the secondary branch 20.2 of the handle lever 20 which is kinematically coupled to a transmission lever (not represented) forming another element of the kinematic chain. In this example, although not illustrated in
(36) Thus, when a user actuates the handle lever 20 by gripping the main branch 20.1, that is to say by making it pivot about its handle axis X1 in the direction F1 (
(37) In accordance with the invention, the opening control device 10 further comprises an inertial safety member 30. This inertial safety member 30, hereinafter referred to as inertial member 30, is movable between a rest position in which the inertial member 30 does not block the kinematic chain 100 and an active position in which the inertial member 30 blocks the kinematic chain.
(38) Preferably, the inertial member 30 has a rest configuration folded back against a lower surface of the secondary branch 20.2 (
(39) There is represented in detail in
(40) Preferably, the center of gravity G2 of the inertial member 30 is located at the level of the main body 32. In the example illustrated in
(41) The inertial member 30 extends according to a longitudinal main direction from the inertial mass 32 toward the blocking element 34. The inertial member 30 further delimits an upper front face 30A configured to be turned toward the end of the secondary branch 20.2 and an opposite lower back face 30B turned outwardly.
(42) Preferably, the inertial member 30 delimits a lower profile 30A which forms an obtuse angle such that the blocking element 34 extends in a direction oblique with respect to the main body 32. Preferably, the inertial member 30 has a longitudinal section according to the direction of extension of the blocking element 34 configured in an L- or V-shape with an obtuse apex angle.
(43) On the back face 30B side, the blocking element 34 and the main body 32 join together according to an L- or V-shaped back profile forming an obtuse angle, for example rounded or acute along a transverse edge.
(44) On the front face 30A side, the blocking element 34 and the main body 32 join together according to an L- or V-shaped profile marked by a transverse incidence cut-edge separating the main body 32 from the extension of the blocking element 34.
(45) For example, the material of the blocker 34 may comprise an alloy adapted for pressure casting, such as a zinc, aluminum, magnesium alloy.
(46) In the illustrated example, the blocking element 34 includes a blocking lug 34E formed by a transverse projection 34E and configured to abut against a relief 60 of the base 12 only during the displacement of the member 30 by inertial effect and to circumvent the relief otherwise.
(47) More particularly, the inertial member 30 is kinematically coupled to the secondary branch 20.2 of the handle lever and extends on the side of the secondary branch 20.2 with respect to the handle axis X1. In the context of the present invention, by kinematic coupling of the inertial member 30, it should be understood that it is movably secured to the secondary branch 20.2 by being directly or indirectly linked to the secondary branch 20.2. Indeed, in this first embodiment illustrated by
(48) Nonetheless, in another embodiment which is not illustrated in the figures of the present description, the inertial member may be mechanically linked to another element of the kinematic chain while remaining kinematically coupled to the secondary branch of the handle lever. In this case, the secondary branch forms the active portion of the handle lever enabling the actuation of the kinematic chain. For example, the inertial member may be mounted on the transmission lever.
(49) Moreover, the inertial member 30 is preferably mounted movable in rotation on a free end of the secondary branch 20.2. To this end, preferably, the inertial member 30 and the secondary branch 20.2 comprise respectively first 36 and second 38 complementary rotational coupling means. The inertial member 30 is configured to be hingedly mounted on the secondary branch 20.2 thanks to these coupling means 36 and 38.
(50) Furthermore, preferably, the inertial member 30 comprising a pivot axis X2 (
(51) In the illustrated example, the secondary branch 20.2 terminates in a lateral cheek 44 from which the pivot shaft 42 extends to laterally receive the inertial member 30. Preferably, the hub body 40 is mounted to freely pivot about the pivot shaft 42 carried by the free end of the secondary branch 20.2. In order to hold the hub body 40, the inertial member 30 has on its inner face 30B a set of stiffening ribs 48.
(52) Preferably, the inertial member 30 is mounted on a free end of the secondary branch 20.2 such that the blocking element 34 extends in a longitudinal direction of the secondary branch 20.2 and the main body 32 extends freely opposite a front-end face of the secondary branch 20.2.
(53) Referring to
(54) Furthermore, preferably, the opening control device 10 comprises an elastic return member exerting a force on the inertial member 30, the latter being adapted to overcome the force exerted by the elastic return member (not shown in the figures) so as to pass from the rest position into the active position immobilizing the drive kinematic chain. In this example, the return member comprises a helical torsion spring shaped to be received coaxially around the hub body 40 of the inertial member 30.
(55) In this first embodiment, the bottom of the base 12 further comprises a projecting relief 60 or a boss 60 shaped so as to cooperate with the blocking element 34 of the inertial member 30 by contact, in particular in this example, by contact of the lug 34E of the blocking element 34 against an apex of the relief 60 in the projecting deployed configuration of the blocking element 34.
(56) When an impact occurs, as is the case in
(57) In order to avoid that, in a normal operation of the opening control device 10 illustrated for example by
(58) In this normal operation, the blocking element 34 of the inertial member 30 is positioned against the lower face of the secondary branch 20.2 such that the blocking element 34 cannot hinder the pivoting of the lever and consequently the driving of the kinematic chain 100 (
(59) There is represented in
(60) As illustrated in
(61) To this end, in this example, the transmission lever 102 comprises a rotary cage 104 delimiting an inner cavity with a cylindrical general shape inside which a hub body 106 extends in a central manner. The transmission lever 102 also comprises a baseplate 108 extending at the periphery of the cage and comprising means for connecting the transmission lever to drive elements of the latch (not represented) such as for example linkage elements or a Bowden cable.
(62) In the described example, the base 12 also comprises a rotational drive shaft 110 of the transmission lever 102. This shaft 110 is configured to be received inside the hub body 106 according to a shaft-hub type connection. For example, the hub body 106 and the shaft 110 comprise corrugated type complementary connecting regions.
(63) Furthermore, the opening control device 10 also comprises an elastic return member 112 mounted inside the cage 104 of the transmission lever 102 so as to return the transmission lever 102 in the unlocked latch rest position. For example, the return member 112 comprises a helical torsion spring of the transmission lever 102.
(64) Conventionally, in normal operation, the handle lever 20 being hinged on the base 12 comprises an active portion formed by the secondary branch 20.2, urging in rotation the transmission lever 102 also hinged on the base 12 which, in turn, will cause the displacement of the latch and the unlocking of the door leaf.
(65) In order to transmit the rotation of the handle lever 20 to the transmission lever 102, the rotation shaft of the transmission lever 110 comprises in this example a longitudinal extension rod about which the main axis provided with a fin 114 projecting so as to extend radially is configured to cooperate with a middle region 116 of the lower face of the secondary branch 20.2 of the handle lever 20 in normal operation (
(66) Moreover, in this second embodiment, the blocking element 34 is represented according to a variant of the blocking element 34 described in connection with the first embodiment. Elements similar to the two variants are referred to by identical references.
(67) In this variant, the inertial member 30 comprises a surface 34E for wedging or stopping the kinematic chain 100 by wedging or stopping the inertial member 30 with an element of the kinematic chain 100, herein the transmission lever 102. In this example, the element 34 is formed as a rectangular blocking tooth provided at the end of the wedge surface.
(68) For example, the blocking element 34 is formed as a blocking tooth 34E with a rectangular or oval general shape configured to wedge against a relief, herein the transmission lever 102 only during the displacement of the member 30 by inertial effect.
(69) During an impact, illustrated in
(70) In
(71) The main body 32 has a general shape in form of a prism with a triangular base and the blocking element 34 extends transversally from the center of one of the longitudinal faces of the main body 32.
(72) The blocking element 34 comprises an orifice 52 extended by a hollow sleeve 54 delimiting cylindrical bore for receiving a pivot rod 56. Furthermore, in this variant, the secondary branch 20.2 is provided at its end with two flanges 58 supporting the pivot rod 56 about which the inertial member 30 is hinged by engagement of the rod 56 inside of the cylindrical bore. For example, the elastic return member 50 also comprises a helical torsion spring shaped to be mounted around the peripheral outer surface of the hollow sleeve 54.
(73) Furthermore, in order to guide the rotation of the inertial member 30 about the pivot rod 56, the main body 32 further comprises a housing 60 for guiding in rotation a pivot shaft, the guide housing 60 consists of at least one half-bearing provided with a semi-cylindrical recess.
(74) A second variant is illustrated by
(75) Thus, the secondary branch 20.2 comprises at its free end an elastic leaf 62 forming a spring leaf which can be biased along its longitudinal axis by buckling during the pivoting of the inertial member 30. In this example, this elastic leaf 62 extends axially at the end of the secondary branch 20.2. For example, the elastic leaf 62 is fastened with an anchoring pin 64 on the secondary branch 20.2. For example, the elastic leaf 62 is made of a material such as steel.
(76) Furthermore, the inertial member 30 and the elastic leaf 62 are provided with complementary hooking means 66 and 68. The complementary hooking means 66 and 68 are adapted to cooperate by pivoting of the inertial member 30 against the action of its elastic return member. In particular, the complementary hooking means comprise for example a projecting lug 66 or protrusion on the inertial member 30 and a notch 68 formed at the end of the spring leaf 62.
(77) We will now describe the main aspects of operation of a handle system according to the two embodiments previously described with reference to the block diagrams of
(78) In
(79) In the rest configuration illustrated in
(80) When a user makes the handle lever 20 pivots in normal operation illustrated in
(81) During an impact, as illustrated in
(82)
(83) In this embodiment, the inertial member 30 is mounted at the end of the secondary branch 20.2 such that it is brought to cooperate by wedging on the transmission arm 102 in case of impact (
(84) The invention is not limited to the previously described embodiments. Other embodiments within the reach of those skilled in the art may also be considered without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the claims hereinafter. Thus, in particular, modifying the detail shapes of the handle or of its active branch would not depart us from the scope of the invention.
(85) Furthermore, the inertial member may be movably mounted on a movable element other than a transmission lever or a handle lever. The invention is not limited to an inertial member pivotally mounted on a movable element of the opening control device. The inertial member may be slidably mounted on a movable element of the opening control device, for example on the transmission lever, on the secondary branch or else on another movable lever of the kinematic chain.