JP4595547B2 - Vehicle door handle device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle door handle device.

  In building a smart entry system, a sensor that detects the driver's approach (contact) to the vehicle and an antenna that communicates with the driver's electronic key are placed in the vehicle's door handle. Is described in Patent Document 1 described later (see FIG. 10).

  The door handle 1 is formed long in the vehicle front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 10), and includes a handle body 1a and a cover 1b. The handle body 1a is provided with a concave groove (not shown) that opens in the door panel direction (downward in FIG. 10). The sensor 4 having the detection electrode 2 and the antenna 3 are accommodated in the concave groove of the handle body 1a. The concave groove of the handle body 1a in which these components are accommodated is closed by a cover 1b.

In this example, when a driver with an electronic key approaches the vehicle and his hand approaches or contacts the door handle 1 to open the door, a change in the capacitance of the detection electrode 2 is detected by the sensor 4, A detection signal is input to a control unit (not shown). In response to this, communication is performed between the driver's electronic key and the antenna 3, and when it is confirmed that the ID of the electronic key matches that of the vehicle, the door lock device (shown in the figure) is in a locked state. None) is unlocked.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-221947 (see FIG. 2)

  By the way, in the door handle 1 mentioned above, the detection electrode 2 is arrange | positioned over the full length of the handle main body 1a, and is fastened together with the handle main body 1a with the cover 1b with the volt | bolt 5. In this case, the detection electrode 2 is fixed to the handle main body 1 a by using the bolt 5. That is, in order to fix the detection electrode 2 to the handle body 1a, a separate part is required.

  In recent years, the automation of the assembly has progressed, and the door handle 1 has been required to have a structure in which electrical components such as the sensor 4 having the detection electrode 2 and the antenna 3 can be assembled more easily.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve the ease of assembling electric parts to the door handle.

In order to solve the above problems, the technical means taken in the present invention is a vehicle door handle device that is provided on a door of a vehicle and is operated to open and close the door as described in claim 1. And a handle body extending in one direction so as to face the recess of the outer panel of the door through a space, and the handle body so as to cover the storage portion. A cover, an antenna housed in the housing portion, and a sensor housed on the outer panel side of the antenna in the housing portion, and a capacitance between the sensor and the door the hand as in the variation vehicle door handle device for detecting a human body proximity to the space, the housing portion, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the handle body, to polymerize to the sensor Extending along the longitudinal direction of the body, than hand the sensor in the housing portion is disposed on the outer panel side, is that was further comprises Ru constituting the conductor plate for holding the antenna and the sensor.
Preferably, according to a second aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a separator disposed between the antenna and the sensor in the housing portion, and the sensor is cooperated with the separator and the conductor plate. It should be held.

  Preferably, as described in claim 3, the conductor plate has an opposing surface, and the antenna and the sensor are held between the opposing surfaces.

  Preferably, as described in claim 4, further comprising: an engaging portion provided in advance on the facing surface; and an engaged portion provided in advance on the antenna and fitted into the engaging portion. The antenna may be directly fixed to the conductor plate by fitting the engaged portion to the engaging portion.

  Preferably, as described in claim 5, a gap may be provided between the engaging portion and the engaged portion in the longitudinal direction of the handle body.

  Preferably, as described in claim 6, further comprising: a switch accommodated in the accommodating portion; and a signal line provided in the switch and extending in the accommodating portion, between the opposing surfaces. The signal line is preferably held.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the sensor and the antenna integrated by the conductor plate are accommodated in the accommodating portion of the handle body. In this structure, since the antenna and the sensor are assembled to the door handle at a time, the assembling property of these electric parts is improved.
In addition, since the conductor plate is disposed between the sensor and the door, the dielectric constant between the sensor and the door is increased. Thereby, the sensitivity for detecting the change in capacitance by the sensor increases, and the proximity of the human body is detected with higher accuracy.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the antenna and the sensor are held between the opposing surfaces provided on the conductor plate. In this structure, since the movement of the antenna and the sensor with respect to the conductor plate is restricted by the facing surface, the antenna and the sensor are securely held.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the engaged portion provided in advance on the antenna is fitted into the engaging portion provided in advance on the opposing surface of the conductor plate, whereby the antenna is provided on the opposing surface of the conductor plate. Directly fixed. In this structure, it is not necessary to separately provide parts for fixing these parts, and the number of parts in the door handle is reduced.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the gap is provided in the longitudinal direction of the handle body between the engaging portion of the opposing surface of the conductive plate and the engaged portion of the antenna. In this structure, the engaging portion of the opposing surface and the engaged portion of the antenna can be relatively moved by the gap. Therefore, even when a force acts so as to move with respect to the engaged portion of the antenna at the engaging portion of the opposing surface, the engaging portion of the opposing surface is not easily separated from the engaged portion of the antenna. The antenna is securely held between the opposing surfaces of the conductive plate.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the signal line provided in the switch is held between the opposing surfaces of the conductor plate. In this structure, the movement of the signal line relative to the conductor plate is restricted by the facing surface, so that the signal line of the switch is securely held.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door 8 of a vehicle. In the present embodiment, the door 8 will be described as a side door of the vehicle. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be a back door of the vehicle. An outer handle 9 (vehicle door handle device) is disposed on the outer panel 9 (door) forming the door 8. The outside handle 10 is operated to open and close the door 8.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram (a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1) showing the structure of the outside handle 10 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the outside handle 10 is disposed on the outer panel 9 of the door 8.

  The outside handle 10 includes a handle body 20 and a handle cover 30.

  The handle body 20 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (the left-right direction and the longitudinal direction in FIG. 2) and has a long shape. The handle body 20 is provided with a support arm 21, an operation arm 22, and a storage portion 23.

  The support arm 21 is formed on one side (left side in FIG. 2) of the handle body 20 in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 2). The support arm 21 extends into the door 8 through the opening 9 a of the outer panel 9 and is supported by the frame member 11 fixed to the back surface 9 c of the outer panel 9. With this support, the support arm 21 of the outside handle 10 is connected to the door 8. The support arm 21 is tiltable with respect to the frame member 11.

  The operating arm 22 is formed on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the handle body 20 (the right side in FIG. 2). The operating arm 22 extends into the door 8 through the opening 9 b of the outer panel 9, and is supported by the frame member 11 in the same manner as the support arm 21. With this support, the operating arm 22 of the outside handle 10 is connected to the door 8. Further, the operating arm 22 is engaged with the bell crank arm 24 at the tip thereof. The bell crank arm 24 is connected to a door lock device (not shown) disposed in the door 8 via a rod or the like (not shown).

  The accommodating portion 23 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the handle body 20. The accommodating part 23 opens in the vehicle exterior direction (upward direction in FIG. 2, one direction) and has a concave shape in the vehicle width direction (upward and downward direction in FIG. 2). The accommodating portion 23 is disposed so as to overlap the concave portion 9d of the outer panel 9 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the handle body 20. The accommodating part 23 and the recessed part 9d are separated by the space 7 in the width direction of the vehicle. That is, the handle main body 20 is opposed to the concave portion 9 d of the outer panel 9 forming the door 8 through the space 7 in the housing portion 23.

  Further, the electrical component unit 40 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 23. The electrical component unit 40 is for confirming the door unlocking and locking intention of the user of the vehicle. The electric component unit 40 will be described later.

  Similar to the handle body 20, the handle cover 30 (cover) extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and has a long shape. The handle cover 30 has a connecting portion 31 on one side (left side in FIG. 2) in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 2) and a connecting portion 32 on the other side in the longitudinal direction (right side in FIG. 2). The handle body 20 is connected to each other. With this structure, the accommodating portion 23 of the handle body 20 is covered with the handle cover 30. The connecting portion 31 is disposed in the accommodating portion 23 of the handle body 20 in a state where the handle body 20 and the handle cover 30 are connected.

  Next, the electrical component unit 40 described above will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the electrical component unit 40, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing each component (electrical component) of the electrical component unit 40.

  The electrical component unit 40 includes an antenna 41, a switch 42, a sensor 43, a separator 44, and a sensor plate 50. The antenna 41, the switch 42, the sensor 43, the separator 44, and the sensor plate 50 are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction in the electric component unit 40. In the state where the electrical component unit 40 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 23 of the handle body 20, the front-rear direction of the electrical component unit 40 corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the handle body 20 (front-rear direction in FIG. 2). Similarly, the vertical direction of the electrical component unit 40 corresponds to the width direction of the vehicle (the vertical direction shown in FIG. 2).

  The antenna 41 is for communicating with an electronic key held by a user of the vehicle. The antenna 41 is provided with a magnetic core 41a and a signal line 41b. The magnetic core 41a is formed by winding a ribbon-shaped magnetic material 41c around a resin bobbin 41d, and has an elongated thin plate shape. The signal line 41b is a general-purpose one made up of a core wire obtained by twisting copper wires and an insulating covering material that covers the core wire coaxially, and is wound around the magnetic core 41a in a coil shape. A protrusion 41e is provided on the bobbin 41d of the magnetic core 41a. The protrusions 41e (engaged portions) are respectively arranged at a total of four locations on the left and right sides of each side of the bobbin 41d where the signal wire 41b is wound in the front-rear direction.

  The switch 42 is for confirming the intention of the vehicle user to lock the door. The switch 42 is provided with a main body 42a and a signal line 42b. The main body 42a is linked to an operation button 33 (see FIG. 2) provided on the handle cover 30. The main body portion 42a operates when the operation button 33 is pressed. The signal line 42b is led out from the main body 42a. The signal line 42 b is the same as the signal line 41 b used for the antenna 41.

  The sensor 43 is for confirming the intention of the vehicle user to unlock the door, and is a capacitance type proximity sensor. Specifically, the proximity of the user to the space 7 (see FIG. 2) formed between the outside handle 10 and the outer panel 9 due to the change in capacitance between the sensor 43 and the outer panel 9 described above. Is detected. The sensor 43 is formed by bending a plurality of signal lines 43a and has a thin plate shape as a whole. The signal line 43a is the same as the signal line 41b used for the antenna 41.

  The separator 44 is for electrically separating the antenna 41 and the sensor 43 and is formed of a resin material (insulator). The separator 44 has an elongated thin plate shape, and is disposed between the antenna 41 and the sensor 43 in the vertical direction of the electrical component unit 40. The separator 44 is provided with a locking portion 44a. The locking portions 44a are arranged at a total of four locations on both the left and right sides of each end portion of the separator 44 in the front-rear direction.

  The sensor plate 50 (conductor plate) is made of metal (for example, SUS material) and has an elongated thin plate shape. The antenna 41, the switch 42, the sensor 43, and the separator 44 described above are assembled to the sensor plate 50, and these assembled components are held by the sensor plate 50. Hereinafter, the structure of the sensor plate 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  5A is a front view of the sensor plate 50, FIG. 5B is a top view of the sensor plate 50, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 5B. is there.

  The sensor plate 50 is integrally provided with a base 51, opposing surfaces 52 and 53, a claw portion 54, and a guide portion 55.

  The base 51 has an elongated thin plate shape and functions as a base in the structure of the sensor plate 50.

  The opposing surfaces 52 and 53 are in the shape of a thin plate extending upward from the base 51, and each of them forms a pair. The opposing surfaces 52 and 53 are disposed on the respective sides of the base 51 with the center portion sandwiched in the front-rear direction, and face each other in the left-right direction. Holes 52a and 53a are formed in the opposing surfaces 52 and 53, respectively. The holes 52a and 53a (engagement portions) penetrate the opposing surfaces 52 and 53, respectively. The protrusions 41e provided on the bobbin 41d of the antenna 41 described above are fitted into the holes 52a and 53a. When the projection 41e of the bobbin 41d is fitted into the holes 52a and 53a, a gap is provided between these portions in the front-rear direction (that is, the longitudinal direction of the handle body 20).

  The claw portion 54 is formed by bending a thin plate, and extends upward from the base 51. The claw portions 54 are respectively arranged at a total of four locations on both the left and right sides of each end portion of the base 51 in the front-rear direction. The claw portion 54 is fitted with the locking portion 44a of the separator 44 described above. In addition, when the latching | locking part 44a of the separator 44 is fitted by the nail | claw part 54, it has a structure where a clearance gap is provided between these parts regarding the front-back direction (namely, longitudinal direction of the handle body 20).

  The guide portion 55 has a shape in which the groove is divided into two, and is provided at the front end portion of the base 51. The guide portion 55 accommodates the signal lines 41b, 42b, and 43a described above.

  Next, a procedure for assembling the antenna 41, the switch 42, the sensor 43, and the separator 44 described above to the sensor plate 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 6A to 6C are views showing an aspect of a procedure for assembling these components to the sensor plate 50. FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the sensor 43 is assembled to the sensor plate 50. At this time, the sensor 43 is placed on the base 51 so as to be disposed between the opposing surfaces 52 and 53, and the lead-out side of the signal line 43 a forming the sensor 43 is accommodated in the bifurcated guide portion 55.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6B, the separator 44 and the switch 42 are assembled to the sensor plate 50 in this order. At this time, the separator 44 is disposed between the opposing surfaces 52 and 53, and the engaging portion 44a is fitted to the claw portion 54 of the sensor plate 50 (see FIGS. 4 and 5A). . Regarding the switch 42, the signal line 42 b is disposed between the opposing surfaces 52 and 53, and the lead-out side of the signal line 42 b is accommodated in the guide portion 55.

  Then, the antenna 41 is assembled to the sensor plate 50 as shown in FIG. At this time, the antenna 41 is disposed between the opposing surfaces 52 and 53, and the protrusion 41e is fitted into holes 52a and 53a formed in the corresponding opposing surfaces 52 and 53, respectively (FIGS. 4 and 5). 5 (a)). Then, the lead-out side of the signal line 41 b of the antenna 41 is accommodated in the guide portion 55.

  Through the above procedure, the antenna 41, the switch 42, the sensor 43, and the separator 44 are assembled to the sensor plate 50, and the electrical component unit 40 (see FIG. 3) in which these electrical components are integrated is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the electrical component unit 40 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 23 of the handle body 20 from the lower side (the sensor plate 50 side). In this structure, the sensor plate 50 is disposed closer to the outer panel 9 (see FIG. 2) than the sensor 43 in the housing portion 23.

  And after accommodating the electrical component unit 40 in the accommodating part 23, the handle cover 30 is attached to the handle main body 20 by connecting the handle main body 20 and the handle cover 30 with the connection parts 31 and 32 (refer FIG. 2). It is done. A grommet 34 and a leaf spring 35 made of an elastic body are sandwiched between the electric component unit 40 and the handle cover 30. The grommet 34 and the leaf spring 35 prevent rattling in the housing portion 23 of the electrical component unit 40.

  In a state where the handle cover 30 is attached to the handle body 20, the signal lines 41b, 42b, and 43a of the electric component unit 40 are brought into the accommodating portion 23 by the guide portion 55 of the sensor plate 50 as shown in FIG. Then, it is guided so as to avoid the connecting portion 31. Thereby, when the handle cover 30 is attached to the handle body 20, interference between the connecting portion 31 between these members and the signal lines 41b, 42b, and 43a of the electric component unit 40 is prevented.

  For the guidance of the signal lines 41b, 42b, and 43a, for example, a ring-shaped guide member 60 as shown in FIG. 9 can be used. In this structure, the signal lines 41 b, 42 b, and 43 a are inserted into the passage 61 provided in the guide member 60, so that these signal lines are guided so as to avoid the connecting portion 31.

  Here, the operation of the outside handle 10 will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

  When a user with an electronic key approaches the vehicle and brings his hand close to the space 7 between the outside handle 10 and the outer panel 9 to open the locked door 8, the sensor 43 and the outer panel 9 of the electric component unit 40 The capacitance during the change. When this change is detected, communication is performed between the user's electronic key and the antenna 41 of the electrical component unit 40. When it is confirmed by this communication that the ID of the electronic key matches that of the vehicle, the door lock device in the locked state is switched to the unlocked state, and the door 8 is unlocked.

  When the outside handle 10 is gripped and pulled outward (upward in FIG. 2), the outside handle 10 tilts outward with respect to the frame member 11 with the support arm 21 as a fulcrum. Accordingly, the operating arm 32 of the support arm 31 is moved in the same direction, and the bell crank arm 24 engaged with the operating arm 22 is operated. As a result, the latch mechanism (not shown) of the door lock device operates, and the user can open the door 8.

  On the other hand, when the user leaves the vehicle, when the operation button 33 of the outside handle 10 is pressed after the door 8 is closed, the switch 42 of the electrical component 40 is activated. Thereby, the door lock device in the unlocked state is switched to the locked state, and the door 8 is locked.

  As described above, according to the outside handle 10 of the present invention, the antenna 41, the switch 42, the sensor 43, and the separator 44 integrated by the sensor plate 50 are accommodated in the accommodating portion 23 of the handle body 20. . In this structure, since the antenna 41, the switch 42, the sensor 43, and the separator 44 are assembled to the outside handle 10 at a time, the assembling property of these electrical components is improved.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the metal sensor plate 50 is disposed between the sensor 43 and the outer panel 9, the dielectric constant between the sensor 43 and the outer panel 9 is increased. As a result, the sensitivity of detecting the change in capacitance by the sensor 43 increases, and the proximity of the user who intends to unlock the door 8 to the outside handle 10 is detected with higher accuracy.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, the antenna 41, the sensor 43, and the separator 44 are held between the opposing surfaces 52 and 53 provided on the sensor plate 50. In this structure, the movement of the antenna 41, the sensor 43, and the separator 44 relative to the sensor plate 50 is restricted by the opposing surfaces 52, 53, so that the antenna 41, the sensor 43, and the separator 44 are securely held.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, the protrusion 41 e provided in advance on the magnetic core 41 a of the antenna 41 is fitted into the holes 52 a and 53 a provided in advance on the opposing surfaces 52 and 53 of the sensor plate 50, whereby the sensor plate 50. The antenna 41 is directly fixed to the opposing surfaces 52 and 53. In this structure, it is not necessary to separately provide parts for fixing these parts, and the number of parts in the outside handle 10 is reduced.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, a gap is provided between the holes 52 a and 53 a of the opposing surfaces 52 and 53 of the sensor plate 50 and the protrusion 41 e of the antenna 41 in the longitudinal direction of the handle body 20. Similarly, a gap is provided between the claw portion 54 of the sensor plate 50 and the locking portion 44 a of the separator 44 in the longitudinal direction of the handle body 20. In this structure, the holes 52a and 53a of the opposing surfaces 52 and 53 and the protrusion 41e of the antenna 41 can be relatively moved by the gap. Similarly, the claw portion 54 of the sensor plate 50 and the engaging portion 44a of the separator 44 can be moved relative to each other by the gap. Therefore, in the outside handle 10, even when the deflection in the longitudinal direction of the handle main body 20 occurs due to the operation related to the opening and closing of the door 8, the holes 52 a and 53 a of the facing surfaces 52 and 53 are formed as protrusions of the antenna 41. The antenna 41 is securely held between the opposing surfaces 52 and 53 of the sensor plate 50, unlikely to be detached from the portion 41e. Similarly, the claw portion 54 of the sensor plate 50 is not easily detached from the engaging portion 44 a of the separator 44, and the separator 44 is reliably held between the claw portions 54 of the sensor plate 50.

  Further, according to the present invention, the signal line 42 a provided in the switch 42 is held between the opposing surfaces 52 and 53 of the sensor plate 50. In this structure, the movement of the signal line 42a relative to the sensor plate 50 is restricted by the opposing surfaces 52 and 53, so that the signal line 42a of the switch 42 is securely held.

The perspective view which shows the door 8 of a vehicle. The figure which shows the structure of the outside handle 10 which concerns on this invention (sectional drawing which follows the AA line in FIG. 1). The perspective view which shows the electrical component unit 40. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing each component of the electrical component unit 40. The figure which shows the structure of the sensor plate 50. FIG. The figure which shows the aspect of the assembly | attachment procedure to the sensor plate 50 of the antenna 41, the switch 42, the sensor 43, and the separator 44. FIG. The figure which shows the electrical component unit 40 accommodated in the accommodating part 23. FIG. The figure which shows the electrical component unit 40 accommodated in the accommodating part 23. FIG. The figure which shows the guide member 60. FIG. The figure which shows the structure of a well-known door handle.

Explanation of symbols

7 space
8 door 9 Autapane Lumpur
9d Recess 10 Outside handle (vehicle door handle device)
20 Handle body 23 Housing part 30 Handle cover (cover)
41 Antenna 41e Projection (engaged part)
42 switch 42a signal line 43 sensor
44 Separator 50 Sensor plate (conductor plate)
52, 53 Opposing surfaces 52a, 53a Hole (engagement part)

Claims (6)

A vehicle door handle device provided on a door of a vehicle and operated to open and close the door,
A handle body that includes a housing portion that opens in one direction, and extends so as to face the concave portion of the outer panel of the door through the space in the housing portion;
A cover attached to the handle body so as to cover the accommodating portion;
An antenna housed in the housing section;
A sensor housed on the outer panel side of the antenna in the housing portion,
In a vehicle door handle device that detects the proximity of a human body to the space by a change in capacitance between the sensor and the door,
The storage portion extends along the longitudinal direction of the handle body,
Extending along a longitudinal direction of said handle body so as to polymerize the sensor, than the hand the sensor in the housing portion is disposed on the outer panel side, further comprising that Ru a conductor plate holding the antenna and the sensor A vehicle door handle device. A separator disposed between the antenna and the sensor in the housing;
The vehicle door handle device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is held by cooperation of the separator and the conductor plate . The conductor plate has a facing surface;
The vehicle door handle device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said antenna and said sensor are retained in between the opposing surfaces. An engagement portion provided in advance on the facing surface;
An engagement portion provided in advance on the antenna and fitted into the engagement portion;
4. The vehicle door handle device according to claim 3, wherein the antenna is directly fixed to the conductor plate by fitting the engaged portion to the engaging portion.   The vehicle door handle device according to claim 4, wherein a gap is provided between the engaging portion and the engaged portion in the longitudinal direction of the handle main body. A switch accommodated in the accommodating portion;
A signal line provided in the switch and extending in the accommodating portion;
The vehicle door handle device according to claim 5, wherein the signal line is held between the facing surfaces.

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