Outside Door Handle

The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to the door handle assembly, especially adapted for use on automotive vehicles. The handle of such door handle assembly is connected mechanically through a rather long rod with the door latch operating mechanism in such a way that when the door handle is raised manually upwards against spring action, the door latch is released, as is well known among those skilled in the art. When the operator releases his hand from the door handle, the handle is returned from the upper raised position to the lower regular one automatically by spring action.

The handle proper is provided rigidly with a pair of finger like projections which are connected in turn with a bracket made of a thin metal sheet having a channel-shaped overall configuration. This bracket has a pair of arms constituting the two limbs or chords which are connected at their tip ends with the said finger projections, respectively, at intermediate points thereof. This bracket is rigidly connected with the door panel. For release of the door latch, the handle proper or -arm is raised manually, as is very well known, against spring action and relative to the bracket and door panel, so as to pull up a lengthy operating rod which is pivotably connected at its upper end with one of the said finger projections substantially at its free end.

Upon release of the operator's hand from the door handle arm, the latter is automatically returned to its off-service normal position.

The operator will pull strongly the outside door handle arm towards him for operating the door upon release of the door latch in the above mentioned way and the bracket will liably receive a severe mechanical distorsion at the limbs or chords which may be subjected to permanent distorsion.

It is therefore to provide an improved outside door handle assembly in which the bracket is guarded from the subjection of permanent mechanical distorsion which gives rise to functional failure of the door handle return spring, as will be later more fully described.

This and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when the description progresses with reference to the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the door handle assembly, however, without showing the door latch-operating rod to be pivotably attached thereto.

FIG. 2 is a rear side view of the door handle assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a handle arm-latch operating rod connection.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken along a section line IV--IV' in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a detail front view of one of the handle arm projections which is adapted for receiving the top end of the latch operating rod.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section taken along the section line VI--VI' shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section taken along the section line VII--VII' shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the door latch-operating rod.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bracket.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a subcombination of the outside door handle arm with the bracket pivotably connected with each other, the door panel being omitted from showing.

FIG. 11 is a cross-section taken along a section line XI--XI' shown in FIG. 10.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings, substantially a preferred embodiment will be described in detail.

Numeral 1 represents a somewhat elongated door handle arm proper having a thickened edge 1a acting as a finger stop for easy manipulation of the door handle.

Symbols 2 and 3 are a pair of projecting arms or fingers which are made integral with the handle arm proper 1, somewhat different configurations from each other.

The handle arm proper-and-projecting arm combination is pivotable at 4 and 5 relative to a bracket 6 rigidly connected at 7 and 8 with a housing piece 9 and a conventional automotive door panel which is not shown for avoiding possible confusion of the drawn parts and on account of its very popularity so far as FIGS. 1 and 2 are concerned. However, the door panel is shown at 17 in FIG. 4 and the like.

The housing piece 9 is formed with a hole 10 adapted for receiving a conventional cylinder lock, not shown.

The arm projection 3 is provided at its free end with the pivot pin 5 made rigid therewith by press job, as an example, said pin carrying thereon the body part of a return coil spring 11 having first extension 11a abutting against a shoulder 3a formed on the arm projection 3. The spring 11 has another extension 11b which abuts on a projection 12 extending rigidly from the bracket 6 (refer specifically to FIG. 2). The pivot pin 5 is formed at its inner end with an enlarged head 5a for the prevention of unintentional slip-out of the coil spring.

The free end of arm projection 3 is formed into two arm elements 3b and 3c so as to provide an idle space 13 therebetween for allowing a turning movement of the end bend 14a of latch-operating rod 14 when assemblying.

Inner arm element 3b is formed with a round opening 15 adapted for receiving the said rod end 14a. Outer arm element 3c has a hook shape so as to provide an introduction recess 16 which is adapted for introducing the rod end 14a, as will be later more fully described.

In assemblying of the outside door handle assembly, the sub-assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is assembled as conventionally. For attaching the door latch operating rod 14 thereto, the workman grips it by his hand substantially at the middle thereof, directing however its L-shaped end 14a substantially downwards, and introduces such rod end into the open groove 16 of the arm element 3c by sliding the L-arm portion along the side walls of the groove, until the L abuts on the bottom 16a of the latter, as hinted by an arrow 100 shown in FIG. 9. At this stage, the L-arm 14a points toward the hole 15 and is brought into registration therewith. Then, the operator exerts a light hand pressure onto the rod end 14a in the direction perpendicular and as shown by a further arrow 101 in FIG. 5, the L-arm of the rod 15 is inserted through the rod-receiving opening 15 and the body of rod 14 is brought into registration with idle space 13 between the both arm elements 3b and 3c. This position is schematically shown in chain-dotted lines 14' in FIG. 3. Finally, the rod 14 is turned, say alpha, 220 degrees in FIG. 3 around the rod's L-arm or the axis of opening 15, so as to bring the rod into its regular service position shown in FIG. 3 in full lines at 14. Naturally, the said rod-turning angle alpha, 220 degrees may be modified according to design.

Thus, the rod 14 can be set in a push-in and turning mode without execution of any additional afterfabrication. Therefore, according to this, the assembly job of the outside door handle with the latch operating rod can be highly simplified and economized.

The operational mode of the present outside door handle assembly is just same as conventional. By raising manually the handle arm 1 upwards against the action of return coil spring 11, motion is transmitted therefrom through the rod 14 towards the latch operating mechanism, not shown, for release of the door latch, again not shown.

As most clearly be seen from FIGS. 10 and 11, the finger projections 2 and 3 integral with the handle arm 1, is formed with inclined grooves 20 and 21 generally opening towards the bracket limbs, respectively. These grooves are so directed and arranged that the handle arm is raised from its normal off-service position to its service position as above mentioned, the end portions of limbs or chords 6a and 6b of bracket 6 are brought into engagement with these grooves 20 and 21, respectively, and thus the said limbs are effectively prevented from torsional deflection or deformation. By release of the operator's hand from the outside door handle, the latter is brought to its off-service position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.