EP1449993A1 - Vehicle door handle comprising locking means of an external element. - Google Patents

Abstract

The handle has an external unit with a fixing shank and is engaged transversally in a handle support. A shank locking unit is mounted slidingly in the support between locking and unlocking positions. A control screw (96) has a threaded section screwed in the support and a front free end cooperating with the portion of the locking unit surface. An elastically deformable unit (84) is inserted between the end and the portion. A snug is received in a complementary housing of the shank in the locking position.

Description

The invention relates to a handle for a vehicle leaf automobile comprising improved means for blocking a external element.

The invention relates more particularly to a handle opening of a motor vehicle, of the type in which the opening has an internal space delimited by two panels, interior and exterior, of the type in which the handle has a support handle which is arranged in the interior space of the opening, of the type in which an external element of the handle is provided with a heel which is engaged transversely inward through a hole in the exterior panel for be secured to the handle support and thus ensure the fixing of the external element, and of the type in which the handle includes a heel blocking member, the blocking being slidably mounted in the support according to a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transverse direction of engagement of the external element, between a position of unlocking and a locking position, and comprising at least one lug which in the locked position is received in a housing complementary to the heel of the external element to prevent the external element cannot be extracted transversely towards exterior, and of the type comprising a control screw for displacements of the blocking member whose axis is parallel to the sliding direction of the locking member, and one of which threaded section is screwed into a wall of the support, and one of which front free end cooperates with a facing surface portion of the blocking member to cause blocking by tightening the screw.

A motor vehicle handle may include different types of element arranged outside the panel body. In the case of a particularly simple handle, it can thus be a simple fixed gripping bar by which the user can move the sash between a position open and a closed position.

It can also be a body intended to receive a lock for locking a door lock, this body comprising an external part which allows access to the lock on the one hand, for the introduction of a key, and which also ensures integration aesthetics of the lock.

Furthermore, the external element can also be an element which participates in the fixing of the handle on the opening.

For aesthetic reasons, it is desirable that the means of fixing this external element are not visible from outside the vehicle. However, the mounting bracket of the handle is generally arranged in a place that is not easily accessible from the opening, especially once the complete assembly of the sash is finished and that the interior trim of against the door. Indeed, the fixing support is generally arranged inside a closed casing of the opening delimited in particular by the interior and exterior panels.

When you want to fix the external element only last moment of the opening assembly, or when wish to dismantle this element for example to perform a repair of the exterior body panel, it is then desirable to have easy access to the fixing means of the external element.

We know, in particular from document EP-A-1,026,351, means for fixing the external element which are susceptible to be operated through an opening in the opening edge panel. The fixing means have a member for blocking the external element which is slidably mounted on the handle support between a position of release and a blocking position of the external element. The sliding of the locking member is in particular controlled by tightening a control screw, a threaded section of which is screwed into the handle holder.

The element is locked by tightening the screw in the support must be carried out with sufficient force so that the locking body is not likely to be torn off.

However, when the handle support is made of material plastic, tightening the screw in the handle holder can create constraints such that the support risks being damaged or even cracked during initial tightening. he can also remain too great stresses after tightening which lead to fatigue by creep of the material.

In order to solve this problem, the invention proposes a sash handle of the type described above, characterized in that means are provided to limit the tightening force of the screw in the handle holder which are interposed between the end free before the control screw and said surface portion.

• les moyens pour limiter l'effort comportent un organe déformable élastiquement en compression, selon la direction de coulissement de l'organe de blocage, qui est interposé entre l'extrémité libre avant de la vis de commande et ladite portion de surface de l'organe de blocage ;
• l'organe élastique est porté par l'organe de blocage ;
• l'organe élastique est une lame élastique dont deux bords transversaux sont en appui longitudinal sur deux portions de surface arrière de l'organe de blocage, l'extrémité avant de la vis de commande coopérant avec le tronçon central de la face arrière de la lame qui se comporte comme une poutre fléchissante lors du serrage ;
• le corps de l'organe de blocage comporte une fente débouchante transversalement pour la mise en place de la lame élastique ;
• l'organe de blocage comporte deux traverses latérales avant dont les faces arrière forment lesdites portions de surface, la face avant de l'organe de blocage délimitée par les deux traverses étant évidée ;
• l'organe de blocage comporte un ergot au droit de chaque traverse ;
• la lame élastique comporte une fenêtre horizontale destinée à coopérer avec une patte de retenue du talon selon la direction longitudinale ;
• le support de poignée est réalisé en matière plastique ;
• le support de poignée comporte une bague taraudée rapportée destinée à recevoir le corps fileté de la vis de commande.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

• the means for limiting the force comprise an elastically deformable member in compression, in the sliding direction of the blocking member, which is interposed between the free front end of the control screw and said surface portion of the member blocking;
• the elastic member is carried by the blocking member;
• the elastic member is an elastic blade, two transverse edges of which are longitudinally supported on two rear surface portions of the locking member, the front end of the control screw cooperating with the central section of the rear face of the blade which behaves like a flexing beam during tightening;
• the body of the blocking member has a transversely opening slot for the establishment of the elastic blade;
• the blocking member comprises two front lateral crosspieces, the rear faces of which form said surface portions, the front face of the blocking member delimited by the two crosspieces being hollowed out;
• the blocking member comprises a lug to the right of each cross member;
• the elastic blade has a horizontal window intended to cooperate with a heel retaining tab in the longitudinal direction;
• the handle support is made of plastic;
• the handle support comprises an attached threaded ring intended to receive the threaded body of the control screw.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective éclatée d'une poignée d'ouvrant selon l'invention comportant un support agencé du côté interne d'un panneau de carrosserie, un organe de préhension agencé du côté externe du panneau, et un corps de verrouillage agencé de façon adjacente à l'organe de préhension ;
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique en perspective éclatée à plus grande échelle qui représente les moyens de fixation du corps de verrouillage sur le support de poignée qui comportent notamment un organe de blocage du corps de verrouillage ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en section selon un plan de coupe longitudinal vertical qui représente les moyens de fixation dans une position de déblocage du corps de verrouillage ;
• la figure 4 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 3 qui représente les moyens de fixation dans une position intermédiaire de blocage ;
• la figure 5 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 3 qui représente les moyens de fixation dans une position maximale de blocage.

Other characteristics and advantages will appear during the reading of the detailed description which will follow for the understanding of which one will refer to the appended drawings among which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a door handle according to the invention comprising a support arranged on the internal side of a body panel, a gripping member arranged on the external side of the panel, and a body of locking arranged adjacent to the gripping member;
• Figure 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view on a larger scale which shows the means for fixing the locking body on the handle support which include in particular a blocking member of the locking body;
• Figure 3 is a sectional view along a vertical longitudinal sectional plane which shows the fixing means in an unlocked position of the locking body;
• Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 which shows the fixing means in an intermediate locking position;
• Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 which shows the fixing means in a maximum locking position.

In the following description, we will not use limiting a longitudinal, vertical and transverse orientation according to the traditional orientation used for vehicles automobiles, indicated by the trihedron L, V, T in the figures. Through convention, the transverse direction T extends from the inside opening it to the outside of the motor vehicle.

FIG. 1 illustrates a handle 10 intended to be mounted on an exterior body panel 12 of an opening of motor vehicle. The handle 10 essentially comprises a handle support 14, which is intended to be fixed on the side internal of the panel 12, and a gripping lever 16 which is intended to be arranged on the external side of the panel 12, while being fixed on the support 14.

The support 14 is advantageously made of material plastic or resin, rather than metal, especially for lighten the mass of the vehicle.

In the exemplary embodiment which is illustrated in FIG. 1, the gripping lever 16 is in the form of a bar which extends in a longitudinal direction, horizontal by compared to a conventional orientation of the motor vehicle, and it is articulated on the support 14 by its front end 18, around a vertical axis A1, that is to say substantially parallel to the plane of the body panel 12 and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lever 16.

For its articulation on the support 14, the front end 18 of the lever 16 comprises a hinge element 20 which extends transversely inward, through a front opening 22 arranged in panel 12, and which cooperates with a hinge element of the support 14. At its rear end 24, the gripping lever 16 comprises a control element 26 which is intended to extend transversely inward at through a rear opening 28 arranged in the panel 12, so that you can order a linkage associated with a lock to cause the opening of the door when the user manipulates the gripping lever 16 by pushing it aside relative to the plane of the panel 12.

Of course, the angular travel of the gripping lever 16 around the axis A1 is limited by means not shown.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention which is illustrated, the handle support 14 is intended to be mounted on the panel body 12 according to a bayonet type mounting and the handle 10 has a locking body 38 which is intended to be engaged transversely from outside to inside at across the exterior body panel 12 so a heel 42 for fixing the locking body 38 is fixed on the support 14.

We can see in Figure 1 that the support 14 has a front bearing surface 30 and a rear bearing surface 32 which are each intended to come into transverse support towards the exterior against the internal face of the body panel 12. At each of these two bearing surfaces, the support 14 has hooking lugs 36 which extend transversely outward.

In the example illustrated, the support 14 has two legs attachment 36 at its front bearing surface 30 and two other legs 36 at its rear bearing surface 32.

The mounting of such a support 14 on the panel 12 is described in detail in document EP-A-1,026,351.

As will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 5, the handle 10 has locking means complementary.

To this end, the handle 10 comprises a body of lock 38 having an external part 40 and a heel of attachment 42 which extends transversely inward to be received through the rear opening 28 of the outer panel 12 of bodywork of the sash and to be guided in sliding in the transverse direction in a complementary cavity 44 fitted in the handle support 14.

The complementary cavity 44 is delimited longitudinally by a rear vertical wall 46 and by a vertical face before 48. It is delimited vertically by two horizontal walls 50, 52.

The rear of the cavity 44 has a recess 54 intended to receive in longitudinal sliding a blocking member 56 of the locking body 38 in the mounted position. This recess 54 includes in particular a longitudinal vertical bottom 58 located in the plane of the rear support face 32 of the handle support 14.

The cavity 44 has two transverse grooves 60 parallels located opposite each other carried each by one of the horizontal walls 50, 52. The grooves 60 are sized to receive the locking member 56.

The external part 40 of the locking body 38 has a bearing face 45 facing the external face 34 of the panel 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the heel 42 of the body of locking device 38 includes guide means 62 in transverse sliding by form cooperation with the cavity 44 of the handle support 14.

The heel 42 has two housings 64 intended for cooperate with lugs 66 of the locking member 56.

FIG. 2 shows the blocking member 56 of the heel 42 which is made in accordance with the teachings of the invention.

It has a vertical transverse front frame 68 comprising two transverse lateral crosspieces 70 and two vertical uprights 72. The cross members 70 of the frame 68 carry each lug 66 for blocking the heel 42 which extends longitudinally forward.

The locking member 56 also includes a rear part 74, one front face of which forms the bottom 76 of the front frame 68.

The body of the blocking member 56 has a slot transverse 78 opening vertically located longitudinally between the bottom of the frame 76 and the frame 68.

The rear part 74 of the locking member 56 comprises a transverse notch 80 which extends from one face external longitudinal vertical 82 of the locking member 56. The notch 80 crosses longitudinally the entire thickness of the rear part 74 of the locking member 56.

The slot 78 of the locking member 56 is intended to receive an elastic blade 84 of generally vertical orientation and cross. The transverse width of the blade 84 is less to the internal transverse width of the frame 68, and the length blade vertical 84 is greater than the internal vertical length of the frame 68. Thus, the transverse edges of the blade 84 are likely to be supported on the side rails 70.

The blade 84 has a vertical window 85 intended to cooperate with a protruding tab 87 of the heel 42 which extends longitudinally forward.

The protruding tab 87 of the heel 42 is received in the window 85 of the blade 84 when the locking member 56 is in the position of release. To this end, when the heel 42 is engaged in the cavity 44, the projection slides against a rear face of the blade 84, by longitudinally deforming the latter. When the projection 87 reaches window 85, blade 84 regains its shape substantially flat, and the heel 42 is held in the engaged position in the cavity 44 by cooperation between the projection 87 and the window 85. The heel is thus maintained with play in the recess 54 without the blocking member 56 is in the blocking position.

The rear vertical wall 46 of the cavity 44 of the support handle 14 has a hole 86 intended to receive a ring 88 threaded metal. The threaded ring 88 has mainly a cylindrical body 90 with a longitudinal axis, and a front collar 92 intended to abut against the front face of the rear vertical wall 46. The cylindrical body 90 here has a length which is substantially equal to the longitudinal thickness of the rear vertical wall 46.

The threaded ring 88 is intended to cooperate with a threaded intermediate section 94 of a locking screw 96 of axis longitudinal which has a rear head 98, and an end free before 100 comprising a groove 102 intended to cooperate with the notch 80 of the locking member 56.

When mounting the locking body 38, several operations must be performed. Refer to Figures 3 to 5 to describe the assembly.

First, the threaded ring 88 is positioned at the interior of the cavity 44 opposite the hole 86 along the axis longitudinal. It is then inserted longitudinally from front to back in hole 86, so that collar 92 is resting against the front face of the rear vertical wall 46.

Control screw 96 is then threaded longitudinally in the threaded ring 88 from the rear towards forward. As illustrated in Figure 4, the screw 96 can be tightened in the threaded ring 88 until the rear head 98 is in abutment against the rear end of the cylindrical body 90 of the threaded ring 88. The free front end 100 of the screw 96 is then substantially at the longitudinal level of the grooves 60 insertion of the blocking member 56, for the establishment of the last.

The cylindrical body 90 of the threaded ring 88 forms also spacer which prevents the wall when tightening vertical back 46 is pinched between the collar 92 of the ring tapped 88 and screw head 98. Such pinching would indeed be likely to damage the support 14.

The elastic blade 84 is then inserted vertically in the transverse slot 78 of the locking member 56. The blade 84 is thus interposed between the front frame 68 and the rear part of the body of the locking member 56. The elastic blade 84 masks thus the notch 80.

The transverse edges 104 of the blade 84 are in abutment on a rear face of the lateral crosspieces 70 of the frame 68.

The elastic blade 84 is here held in position in the locking member 56 by friction between the blade 84 and the bottom 76, and between the blade 84 and the crosspieces 70.

The module formed by the locking member 56 and the blade elastic 84 is then slid across from the inside outwards in the recess 54 provided for this purpose in the support.

Notch 80 in the shape of a jumper overlaps the free end 100 of the screw 96. The notch 80 comprises a rear shoulder 106 which is intended to cooperate with the groove 102 of the screw 96. The groove 102 has a thickness greater than that of the shoulder 106. The longitudinal clearance between the groove 102 and the shoulder 106 is thus such that the free end 100 of the screw 96 is likely to push longitudinally on the blade 84 and deform it without the front face of the groove 102 being in abutment against the rear face of the shoulder 106.

The screw 96 controls, by screwing or unscrewing, the longitudinal movement of the locking member 56 in the rear recess 54 of the cavity 44. In order to facilitate the longitudinal movement of the locking member 56, means guide 62 by complementary shapes are provided between the guide member and the cavity 44.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the control screw 96 which was tightened, is then loosened so that the locking member 56 is pulled into abutment against the rear vertical wall 46 of the support 14 by contact between the rear face 108 of the groove of the screw 102 and the front face 110 of the shoulder 106. In this position retracted from unlocking, the locking member 56 is maintained transversely in position by vertical legs 112 of the support 14. The blocking member 56 is thus secured to the support handle 14.

This operation is particularly intended to free up space necessary for the introduction of the heel 42 of the locking body 38 in cavity 44.

The operations described above are likely to be performed before the handle support 14 is mounted on the exterior panel 12.

The heel 42 of the locking body 38 is then engaged transversely inwards into the cavity 44 of the support 14, from the outside of the opening, so that the body of lock 38 is then immobilized relative to the support 14 in all directions except the transverse direction.

The screw 96 is then tightened so as to move the locking member 56 in the advanced locking position. this is illustrated in Figure 4. When screw 96 is tight, the free end 100 of screw 96 presses against the rear face of the elastic blade 84 whose transverse edges 104 press on the crosspieces 70, which causes the displacement of the blocking member 56 towards forward. The elasticity of the blade 84 is such that, during this displacement, the blade 84 is slightly deformed. The pushing effort longitudinal resulting from the tightening of screw 96 is thus substantially entirely transmitted to the blocking member 56.

In the blocking position, the pins 66 of the blocking 56 are engaged in the corresponding housings 64 heel 42 so as to transversely block heel 42 by relation to the blocking member 56.

Advantageously, the pins 66 and the housings 64 are provided with complementary inclined faces which, when the organ blocking device 56 is brought to its advanced locking position, cooperate so that they cause displacement of the locking body 38 transversely inward, which ensures a clamping of the bearing face of the body against the outer face 34 of the outer panel 12. Advantageously, a gasket is arranged between the bearing face and the panel 12.

The assembly formed by the heel 42 and the blocking member 56 is thus blocked transversely with respect to the support, side by the bearing face of the body against the external panel 12, and on the other side by the notch 80 against the groove of the screw 102.

The control screw 96 is tightened with force in the support, for example with a determined torque of 4 to 5 Nm, of so that the screw 96 is held in the stop position against the support 14 by friction between the thread and the internal thread, and so that it does not unscrew, for example because of engine vibrations.

As illustrated in Figure 5, it is therefore necessary to continue to tighten the screw 96 after the locking member 56 is reaches its advanced blocking position, so that its head 98 either in abutment against the threaded ring 88. When tightening additional, the blocking member 56 abuts against the heel 42 which is itself in abutment against the front vertical face 48 from cavity 44.

According to the teachings of the invention, when screwing additional of screw 96, free end 100 of screw 96 presses on the rear face of the elastic blade 84 which presses itself on the side rails 70. The side rails 70 being immobilized, the elastic blade 84 deforms in the way of a bending beam. The center of the blade 84 is curved by the screw 96 which advances longitudinally in the hollow center of the box 68.

The elasticity of the elastic blade 84 which acts as force limiter, is such that the longitudinal reaction on the wall vertical back of the support 14 does not cause deformations likely to damage the handle support 14.

Thus, thanks to the teachings of the invention, it is it is possible to tighten the screw 96 with force without the tightening of the screw 96 does not “lift” the rear vertical wall longitudinally of the cavity 44 in the manner of a jack.

Claims (10)

Handle (10) of a motor vehicle sash, of the type in which the sash has an internal space delimited by two panels, interior and exterior (12), of the type in which the handle (10) comprises a handle support (14 ) which is arranged in the interior space of the opening, of the type in which an external element (38) of the handle (10) is provided with a fixing heel (42) which is engaged transversely inwards at through an orifice (28) arranged in the outer panel (12) to be made integral with the handle support (14) and thus ensure the fixing of the external element (38), and of the type in which the handle (10 ) comprises a blocking member (56) of the fixing heel (42), the blocking member (56) being slidably mounted in the support (14) in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transverse direction of engagement of the external element (36), between an unlocking position and a locking position, and com carrying at least one lug (66) which in the locked position is received in a complementary housing (64) of the heel (42) of the external element (36) to prevent the external element (36) from being able to be extracted transversely outwards,
and of the type comprising a control screw (96) for displacements of the blocking member (56) whose axis is parallel to the sliding direction of the blocking member (56), and of which a threaded section (94 ) is screwed into a wall (46) of the support (14), and a free front end (100) of which cooperates with a surface portion (70) opposite the locking member (56) to cause locking by tightening the screw (96),
characterized in that means (84) are provided for limiting the tightening force of the screw (96) in the handle support (14) which are interposed between the free front end (100) of the screw control (96) and said surface portion (70). Handle according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the means for limiting the force comprise a member (84) elastically deformable in compression in the direction of sliding of the locking member (56) which is interposed between the free front end ( 100) of the control screw (96) and said surface portion (70). Handle according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the elastic member (84) is carried by the locking member (56). Handle according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the elastic member (84) is an elastic blade of which two transverse edges (104) are in longitudinal support on two rear surface portions (70) of the locking member (56) , the front end (100) of the control screw (96) cooperating with the central section of the rear face of the blade (84) which behaves like a flexing beam during tightening. Handle according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the body of the locking member (56) has a slot (78) opening transversely for the establishment of the elastic blade (84). Handle according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the blocking member (56) comprises two front lateral crosspieces (70), the rear faces of which form said surface portions, the front face of the blocking member (56) delimited by the two crosspieces (70) being hollowed out. Handle according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the locking member (56) comprises a lug (62) in line with each crosspiece (70). Handle according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the elastic blade (84) has a vertical window (85) intended to cooperate with a retaining tab (87) of the heel (42) in the longitudinal direction. Handle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle support (14) is made of plastic. Handle according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the handle support (14) comprises a threaded ring (88) attached intended to receive the threaded body (94) of the control screw (96).

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