Structure for connecting door latch cable to retractable outside door handle assembly for vehicle

Abstract

A structure can be used for connecting a door latch cable to a retractable outside door handle assembly for a vehicle. A mounting housing is inserted into a case of the retractable outside door handle assembly in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and hanged by and mounted at the case in a height direction of the vehicle. A door latch cable is movably installed at the mounting housing.

Claims

1. A structure for connecting a door latch cable to a retractable outside door handle assembly for a vehicle, the structure comprising: a mounting housing inserted into a case of the retractable outside door handle assembly in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and hanged by and mounted at the case in a height direction of the vehicle, wherein the mounting housing comprises a housing body in which a guide groove is formed; a door latch cable movably installed at the mounting housing; and a first mounting flange and a second mounting flange provided at a front surface and a rear surface of the housing body in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the case is provided with a catch housing into which the first mounting flange is inserted to be hanged and a hanging flange into which the second mounting flange is hanged in the height direction of the vehicle and seated thereon.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein a cable end portion, which is inserted into and is movable along the guide groove, is mounted at one end portion of the door latch cable.

3. The structure of claim 2, wherein the housing body comprises side walls defining the guide groove.

4. The structure of claim 3, the cable end portion is supported by the side walls.

5. The structure of claim 2, wherein the retractable outside door handle assembly for the vehicle is provided with a link pin, which is configured to pull and move the cable end portion according to operation of an outside door handle.

6. The structure of claim 1, wherein a side surface of the second mounting flange is provided with a seating jaw seated on the hanging flange when the second mounting flange is hanged at the hanging flange so that the second mounting flange does not fall from the hanging flange downwards in the height direction of the vehicle.

7. The structure claim 2, wherein the case is provided with an extension surface, the cable end portion being seated on and supported by the extension surface of the case.

8. A vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; a vehicle door attached to the vehicle body, the vehicle door having a retractable outside door handle assembly; a mounting housing inserted into a case of the retractable outside door handle assembly in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and hanged by and mounted at the case in a height direction of the vehicle body, wherein the mounting housing comprises a housing body in which a guide groove is formed; a door latch cable movably installed at the mounting housing, wherein a cable end portion, which is inserted into and is movable along the guide groove, is mounted at one end portion of the door latch cable; and a first mounting flange and a second mounting flange provided at a front surface and a rear surface of the housing body in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein the case is provided with a catch housing into which the first mounting flange is inserted to be hanged and a hanging flange into which the second mounting flange is hanged in the height direction of the vehicle body and seated thereon.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the housing body comprises side walls defining the guide groove and the cable end portion is supported by the side walls.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the retractable outside door handle assembly is provided with a link pin, which is configured to pull and move the cable end portion according to operation of an outside door handle of the retractable outside door handle assembly.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein a side surface of the second mounting flange is provided with a seating jaw seated on the hanging flange when the second mounting flange is hanged at the hanging flange so that the second mounting flange does not fall from the hanging flange downwards in the height direction of the vehicle body.

12. The vehicle claim 8, wherein the case is provided with an extension surface, the cable end portion being seated on and supported by the extension surface of the case.

13. A vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; a vehicle door attached to the vehicle body, the vehicle door having a retractable outside door handle assembly; a mounting housing inserted into a case of the retractable outside door handle assembly in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and hanged by and mounted at the case in a height direction of the vehicle body, wherein the mounting housing comprises a housing body in which a guide groove is formed; a door latch cable movably installed at the mounting housing, wherein a cable end portion, which is inserted into and is movable along the guide groove, is mounted at one end portion of the door latch cable; and a first mounting flange and a second mounting flange provided at a front surface and a rear surface of the housing body in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein the case is provided with a catch housing into which the first mounting flange is inserted to be hanged and a hanging flange into which the second mounting flange is hanged in the height direction of the vehicle body and seated thereon; wherein the housing body comprises side walls defining the guide groove and the cable end portion is supported by the side walls; and wherein the retractable outside door handle assembly is provided with a link pin.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the link pin is configured to pull and move the cable end portion according to operation of an outside door handle of the retractable outside door handle assembly.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein a side surface of the second mounting flange is provided with a seating jaw seated on the hanging flange when the second mounting flange is hanged at the hanging flange so that the second mounting flange does not fall from the hanging flange downwards in the height direction of the vehicle body.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the case is provided with an extension surface, the cable end portion being seated on and supported by the extension surface of the case.

17. The structure of claim 3, wherein the housing body comprises side walls defining the guide groove.

18. The structure of claim 3, wherein the retractable outside door handle assembly for the vehicle is provided with a link pin, which is configured to pull and move the cable end portion according to operation of an outside door handle.

19. The structure of claim 3, wherein a side surface of the second mounting flange is provided with a seating jaw seated on the hanging flange when the second mounting flange is hanged at the hanging flange so that the second mounting flange does not fall from the hanging flange downwards in the height direction of the vehicle.

20. The structure claim 3, wherein the case is provided with an extension surface, the cable end portion being seated on and supported by the extension surface of the case.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a drawing explaining an operation of a retractable outside door handle assembly for a vehicle to which an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied.

(2) FIG. 2 is a drawing explaining the operation of a door latch cable by the operation of an outside door handle in a structure for connecting a door latch cable to a retractable outside door handle assembly for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a structure for connecting a door latch cable to a retractable outside door handle assembly for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is an explaining drawing of mounting of a structure for connecting a door latch cable to a retractable outside door handle assembly for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of mounting state where a door latch cable is connected to the retractable outside door handle assembly for the vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(6) The following reference symbols can be used in conjunction with the drawings: 10: cable end portion 11: door latch cable 12: mounting housing 13: guide groove 14: housing body 15: side wall 16, 17: flange 18: seating jaw 20: outside door handle 30: case 31: catch housing 32: hanging flange 33: extension surface

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

(7) Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(8) Referring to FIG. 1, in a retractable outside door handle assembly for a vehicle to which an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied, as shown in FIG. 6 of an application number KR 10-2018-0103491 of the present applicant (which is incorporated herein by reference), a connecting link 44 of a link mechanism is moved rearwards in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle by an operation of an actuator 50, so that a front link 42 and a rear link 45 are deployed outwardly in a width direction of the vehicle to protrude an outside door handle 20 outward in the vehicle width direction and the outside door handle 20 is protrude further outward than a door outer panel in the width direction of the vehicle. Thus, a passenger inserts the hand into a holding hole of the outside door handle 20 and pulls the outside door handle 20 so that a door latch cable is pulled in conjunction with the movement of the outside door handle 20 to release a door latch, and it is possible to open a door.

(9) In this process, a link pin 43 connecting the connecting link 44 and the rear link 45 moves rearwards along the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, and the door latch cable is pulled by the link pin 43 to release the door latch.

(10) That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the link pin 43, in conjunction with the movement of the outside door handle 20, pulls the cable end portion 10 of the door latch cable as it moves rearwards along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so that the door latch connected to the door latch cable can be released.

(11) Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, a structure for connecting a door latch cable to a retractable outside door handle assembly for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include, a mounting housing 12 of a door latch cable which a door latch cable 11 is movably inserted into and mounted at a case 30 of the retractable outside door handle assembly for the vehicle.

(12) The cable end portion 10 can be fixedly assembled to one end portion of the door latch cable 11.

(13) The other end portion of the door latch cable 11 may be connected with a door latch (not shown) so that the door latch can be released when the door latch cable 11 is pulled through the cable end portion 10.

(14) The mounting housing 12 my include a housing body 14 having a guide groove 13 of channel shape, and the guide groove 13 may be partitioned by opposite side walls 15 which are spaced apart from each other.

(15) The cable end portion 10 may be inserted into the guide groove 13 to move along the guide groove 13, and the guide groove 13 can prevent the cable end portion 10 and the door latch cable 11 from being detached from the mounting housing 12.

(16) The front and rear surfaces of the housing body 14 in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle may be respectively formed with a first and second mounting flange 16 and 17 to protrude along the longitudinal direction of a vehicle.

(17) The case 30 may be provided with a catch housing 31 which the first mounting flange 16 is inserted into and caught by and a hanging flange 32 which the second mounting flange 17 is hanged at in a height direction of a vehicle and seated on.

(18) The first mounting flange 16 is inserted into the catch housing 31 to be coupled thereto and the second mounting flange 17 is moved from the top to bottom in the height direction of a vehicle and coupled to the hanging flange 32 in a mounting process so that it cannot separated from the hanging flange 32 in the height direction of the vehicle.

(19) A side surface of the second mounting flange 17 may be formed with a seating jaw 18 seated on the hanging flange 32 in order that the second mounting flange 17 cannot be separated from the hanging flange 32 downwardly in the height direction of the vehicle when the second mounting flange 17 is hanged at the hanging flange 32.

(20) Explaining the process of mounting the door latch cable to the case 30 with reference to FIG. 4, in the assemble line of a vehicle, when, for example, the operator inserts the first mounting flange 16 into the catch housing 31 and then presses the second mounting flange 17 downwardly in the vehicle height direction, the second mounting flange 17 and the hanging flange 32 are slightly elastically deformed and then returned, and the seating jaw 18 is seated on the hanging flange 32 so that the second mounting flange 17 is coupled to the hanging flange 32.

(21) Since the first mounting flange 16 is inserted into and coupled to the catch housing 31 by such a flange coupling, the mounting housing 12 does not move in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and not separate from the case 30 in a state of being coupled to the case 30.

(22) Further, since the second mounting flange 17 is hanged at and coupled to the hanging flange 32 in the height direction of the vehicle, the mounting housing 12 does not move in the height direction of the vehicle and not separate from the case 30.

(23) On the other hand, in a state where the mounting housing 12 of the door latch cable is completely mounted on the case 30, the cable end portion 10 is seated on an extension surface 33 of the case 30o extending toward the inside of a passenger compartment so that the cable end portion 10 cannot fall downwards in the height direction of the vehicle.

(24) While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.