Door handle assembly for a motor vehicle with handle guidance

Abstract

The invention relates to a door handle having a handle for a motor vehicle, which handle is arranged in a handle housing and which is displaceable from a rest position into an operating position by means of a rotation around a rotation axis, wherein a handle hook arranged on the free end of the rear side of the handle is kinematically coupled with a deflection lever, wherein the deflection lever directly or indirectly acts on a motor vehicle door lock when being displaced from the rest position into the operating position in order to effect a release of the lock and to enable opening the motor vehicle door, the handle hook comprising at least one guidance element by means of which the handle hook is guided in a corresponding profile of the handle housing, the guidance element performing a form-fit with the handle hook.

Claims

1. A door handle device for a motor vehicle, the door handle device having a handle, which is arranged in a handle housing and which is displaceable from a rest position into an operating position by means of rotation around a rotation axis, wherein a handle hook, arranged on a free end of a rear side of the handle, is kinematically coupled with a deflection lever, wherein the deflection lever, when being displaced from a rest position into an operating position, indirectly, acts on a motor vehicle door lock to effect a release of the motor vehicle door lock and to allow opening a motor vehicle door, wherein the handle hook comprises at least one guidance element by means of which the handle hook is guided in a corresponding profile of the handle housing, the at least one guidance element form-fittingly engaging with the handle hook, wherein the handle hook, on a free end thereof, comprises laterally protruding coupling pins, which are inserted into corresponding recesses on the deflection lever.

2. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guidance element at least partially form-fittingly engages around the coupling pins.

3. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guidance element is configured as a U-shaped profile engaged over the handle hook.

4. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guidance element comprises latching lugs, which engage into undercuts or recesses in the handle hook.

5. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guidance element comprises latching lugs, which engage into undercuts or recesses or breakthroughs in the at least one guidance element.

6. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guidance element comprises positive guidance profiles running longitudinally, which interact with negative guidance profiles in the corresponding profile of the handle housing so as to guide the handle hook.

7. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guidance element comprises negative guidance profiles running longitudinally, which interact with positive guidance profiles in the corresponding profile of the handle housing so as to guide the handle hook.

8. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the handle and the handle hook are formed in one piece.

9. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guidance element is made of a synthetic material.

10. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the handle and the handle hook are formed from fiber reinforced polyamide.

11. The door handle device for a motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the at least one guidance element is made from polyoxymethylene.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The figures show in:

(2) FIG. 1 a perspective view of a part of a motor vehicle door handle assembly in the rest position;

(3) FIG. 2 another perspective view of the assembly according to FIG. 1 in the rest position;

(4) FIG. 3 a perspective view of the assembly according to FIG. 1 with a handle displaced into the operating position

(5) FIG. 4 an enlarged detail of the handle hook with a guidance element plugged-on;

(6) FIG. 5 an enlarged detail of the coupling region of handle hook and deflection lever in a perspective view;

(7) FIG. 6A an enlarged detail of the coupling region of handle hook and deflection lever in a side view

(8) FIG. 6B the section VI-VI according to FIG. 6A;

(9) FIG. 7 an enlarged detail of the coupling region of handle hook and deflection lever before the handle hook is inserted in the receiving spaces on the deflection lever in a top view;

(10) FIG. 8A an enlarged detail of the coupling region of handle hook and deflection lever in perspective views before the handle hook is inserted into the receiving spaces on the deflection lever;

(11) FIG. 8B an enlarged detail of the coupling region of handle hook and deflection lever in perspective views during insertion of the handle hook in the receiving spaces on the deflection lever;

(12) FIG. 9 an enlarged detail of the coupling region of handle hook and deflection lever in a perspective view after insertion of the handle hook in the receiving spaces on the deflection lever.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) FIGS. 1 to 3 show a perspective view of a part of a motor vehicle door handle assembly for operating a motor vehicle door. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the assembly in the rest position, while FIG. 3 shows the assembly in the operating position, where the deflection lever 10 is displaced from the rest position according to FIGS. 1 and 2 into the operating position according to FIG. 3 by means of a rotation around its rotation axis 11. Said rotation of the deflection lever 10 into the operating position is effected by means of the displacement of the handle 20, which is kinematically coupled with the deflection lever 10, by means of a rotation around its rotation axis 23 into the operating position. In the operating position, the door lock is released by means of a coupling (not shown) of the deflection lever 10 with a motor vehicle door lock (not shown), provided that said door lock is not locked. As a result, the motor vehicle door (not shown) can be opened.

(14) The handle 20 comprises a handle hook 21 on the free end opposite the rotary bearing 23, which hook is shown in an enlarged detail in FIG. 4. Laterally protruding stub shafts 22 are arranged on the free end of the handle hook 21, which stubs shafts are inserted into corresponding receptacles 13 on the deflection lever 10, as can particularly be seen in the enlarged depiction according to FIG. 5.

(15) By means of the stub shafts 22 engaging into corresponding receptacles 13 on the deflection lever 10, the deflection lever 10 is kinematically coupled with the end of the handle hook 21 on the handle 20. This means that by a displacement of the handle 20 from the rest position according to FIGS. 1 and 2 into the operating position according to FIG. 3 at the same time the deflection lever 10 is displaced around its rotation axis 11 from the rest position according to FIGS. 1 and 2 into the operating position according to FIG. 3 by means of the kinematic coupling.

(16) The deflection lever 10 is coupled to a door lock (not shown) of a motor vehicle by means of a Bowden cable pull (not shown). When displacing the deflection lever 10 into the operating position according to FIG. 3 by means of a rotation around its rotation axis 11, with the lock of the motor vehicle unlocked, the release of the lock is effected, which enables opening the motor vehicle door (not shown).

(17) Per se, the handle 20 is supported in a handle housing (not shown) rotatable around its rotational axis 23. The rotation axis 23 thus forms a rotary bearing for the handle, which in a mounting situation on a motor vehicle is usually arranged to the front, while the free end of the handle 20 bearing the handle hook 21 is usually arranged to the rear in a mounting situation on a vehicle. However, the assembly within the vehicle is arbitrary.

(18) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an enlarged detail of the handle hook 21 on the free end of the handle 20. The guidance element 30 is put onto the handle hook 21, which guidance element provides optimized sliding properties and a guidance for the handle 20, resulting in a minimized tilting clearance of the handle 20.

(19) The guidance element 30 is configured U-shaped and engages around the handle hook 21 from three sides in a form-fit manner.

(20) At the upper end of the handle hook 21 are discernable the stub shafts 22, which serve for the coupling of the handle hook with the deflection lever 10 not shown in FIG. 4. This coupling is discernable in FIG. 5, which is a perspective view of an enlarged detail of the motor vehicle door handle assembly with the handle hook in the mounting situation engaged with the deflection lever 10.

(21) As can be seen in FIG. 4, the guidance element 30 in its contour comprises receiving spaces 33, which engage around the stub shafts 22 and thus form a sliding region for coupling with the deflection lever. The receiving spaces 33 on the guidance element 30 thus at the same time form bearing shells for stub shafts 22 of the handle hook 21. The guidance element 30 comprises longitudinal ribs 31 running along in the longitudinal direction on the side flanks. The guidance element 30 is configured symmetrically. Accordingly, the guidance element comprises a longitudinal rib 31 on its rear side which is not visible in the depiction. Here, the longitudinal direction is the direction which corresponds to the movement direction of the handle hook 21 when being displaced from the rest position into the operating position and vice versa.

(22) The invention further relates to a method for mounting such a motor vehicle door handle assembly. The procedure of mounting the guidance element 30 to the handle hook 21 will be explained by FIG. 4. First, the guidance element 30 is plugged over the stub shafts 22 with its bearing shells 33 as indicated by arrow 41. After that, the guidance element 30 is pivoted around the axis of the stub shafts 22 as indicated by arrow 42. When doing so, the guidance element 30 is pushed onto the handle hook 21 all the way until the latching lugs arranged in the handle hook 21 engage and latch with the recesses 32. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the guidance element 30 engages around the handle hook 21 in a form-fit manner and thus forms a sliding shoe. The guidance element 30 is fixed at the handle hook 21 in a form-fit manner. The latching lugs arranged on the handle hook are latched into the recesses 32 in the guidance element 30. Thus, the guidance element is latched with the handle hook 21.

(23) The guidance element 30 is made of a synthetic material which has optimized sliding properties. In the embodiment shown, the guidance element 30 is made of Polyoxymethylene POM. In contrast, the handle 20 and the handle hook 21 are made of a fiber-reinforced polyamide. Compared to this materialPolyamidethe guidance element 30 of Polyoxymethylene has improved sliding properties.

(24) An optimum guidance of the handle 20 is achieved by the ribs 31 arranged on the sides of the guidance element 30, if said handle 20 is displaced from the rest position according to FIGS. 1 and 2 into the operating position according to FIG. 3 and vice versa.

(25) As can be seen in FIG. 5, said rib 31 is guided and slides along on the handle support in a corresponding guidance profile in the housing of the motor vehicle door handle.

(26) Further, the mounting situation shown in FIG. 5 illustrates how the guidance element 30 with the partially-cylindrical receiving area 33 on the one hand engages around the stub shafts 22 of the handle hook 21 and at the same time forms a sliding surface in the receptacles 13 of the deflection lever 10. Further, FIG. 5 also depicts the recesses 32 in the guidance element 30, which are engaged by the latching lugs on the handle hook 21, thus securing the guidance element 30 on the handle hook.

(27) Thus, the guidance element 30 on the one hand provides a sliding element in the region of the coupling between stub shaft 22 and receptacles 13 in the kinematic coupling of handle hook 21 and deflection lever 10. Furthermore, the guidance element 30 forms a sliding shoe engaging around the handle hook 21. The guidance element 30 comprises lateral sliding ribs 31, which slide along in respective recesses in the guidance profile of the handle support 50.

(28) The receptacles 33 forming bearing shells for coupling with the deflection lever 10 and the sliding region with the sliding rib 31 of the guidance element 30 are altogether formed in one piece made of synthetic material.

(29) The fixing of the guidance element 30, which forms a sliding shoe for the handle hook 21, is effected in a form-fit manner, in that the bearing shells 33 on the upper end of the handle hook 21 engage around the stub shafts 22 and a clipping of the guidance element is effected on the lower end of the guidance element 30, in that corresponding latching lugs at the sides of the handle hook 21 engage into the recesses 32 in the guidance element 30.

(30) By arranging the guiding ribs 31 on the sides of the guidance element 30, an improved guidance of the handle 20 is produced, compensating the tilting clearance of the rotary bearing 23 of the handle 20.

(31) FIG. 6A shows an enlarged detail of the side view of the handle hook 21 coupled with the deflection lever 10. Discernable again is one of the bearing shells 33, which is arranged in region of the coupling between the stub shaft 22 on the handle hook 21 and the respective receiving space 13 on the deflection lever 10. Furthermore, the guidance element 30 engaging around the handle hook 21 is discernable in the side view according to FIG. 6A. FIG. 6B shows the section VI-VI according to FIG. 6A, particularly illustrating the interplay between outer ribs 31 and the respective profile in the handle housing 50.

(32) The mounting of the handle 20 with the handle hook 21 and the deflection lever 10 is explained by means of FIGS. 7 to 9.

(33) FIG. 7 shows an enlarged detail of a plan view onto the assembly prior to the insertion of the handle hook 21 with the stub shafts 22 along with the bearing shells 33 into the respective receptacles 13 of the deflection lever 10. To that end, according to FIG. 8A, the handle hook 21 with the pre-mounted guidance element 30 is pushed into the assembly from below, and then inserted in the receiving region 13 on the deflection lever according to FIG. 8B.

(34) FIG. 9 shows the mounting situation upon assembly, in which the stub shafts 22 surrounded by the bearing shells 33 are inserted in the receiving regions 13 of the deflection lever 10.

(35) As a result of the fact that the guidance element 30 is made of a material different from that of the handle 20 with the handle hook 21, a good sliding pair is formed, reliably preventing undesired noise upon actuation of the handle 20.

(36) In the example shown, a fiber-reinforced polyamide material is used for the handle 20 and the handle hook 21, such a glass-fiber reinforced material having insufficient sliding properties however. For this reason, the guidance element 30 is made of Polyoxymethylene, which offers better sliding properties than the glass-fiber reinforced polyamide material of the handle 20.

(37) Thus, a guidance relative to the deflection lever 10 is realized by means of the guidance element 30, in that the guidance element 30 with the bearing shells 33 engages around the stub shafts 22 of the handle hook 21 and is inserted in the receptacles 13 of the deflection lever 10. At the same time, the guidance element 30 forms a lateral guidance relative to the handle housing 50, hereby compensating the tilting clearance of the rotary bearing 23 of the handle 20. This provides the user with a more comfortable haptic impression.

(38) As a result of the fact that the guidance element 30 forms both the coupling region between stub shafts 22 and receptacle 13, i.e. the coupling region of the kinematic coupling between the handle hook 21 and deflection lever 10, and at the same time a guidance of the handle hook 21 relative to the handle housing 50, optimized sliding pairs are arranged on all points of kinematic couplings as well as in all guiding regions.