JPH0529307Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an outer handle for an automobile door, and in particular to an outer handle structure in which the front opening of a bezel of an automobile door is covered by a handle and a flap. Regarding improvements.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, flat door handles have appeared on automobile doors due to their advantages in terms of appearance and the like. This is a conventional door handle with a flap attached to the lower part, and the conventional structure of this type of automobile door outer handle is as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 178075/1983, for example. A structure has been devised in which the front opening of the recess in the outer panel in which the handle is provided is covered flush with the outer panel by the handle and a flap biased by a spring.

However, in the conventional configuration, the flap is of a type that opens and closes all the time, and with such a structure, there is a risk of mischief by children (such as inserting pebbles or garbage, hanging from the flap, etc.). is large. That is, the flap is always in the closed position regardless of whether the door lock is on or off, but this is easy to tamper with because the flap can be operated in the open direction even when the door lock is on.

Therefore, the present applicant previously proposed a flap opening/closing device as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 61-56078, including this countermeasure.

This flap opening/closing device operates a door lock central operation switch 4 corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined doors 3 having a flap 2 at the bottom of an outer handle 1.
An actuator 6 for driving the drive arm 5 is provided, and a flap operation rod 7 is provided between the flap 2 and the drive arm 5 of the actuator 6 to interlock the operations of the flap 2 and the actuator 6. The driving arm 5 is connected by a connecting rod 10 to the interlocking arm 9 of the latch part 8, which is operated when the door 3 is locked or unlocked.
The interlocking arm 9
The operation of the arm 81 and rod 11 of the latch portion 8, which are connected to each other, and the operation of the key cylinder 12 are linked to perform a locking or unlocking operation.

Lever 1 attached to the rear end of key ring 12
One end of a rod 11 is pivotally connected to the free end of the latch 3, and the other end of the rod 11 is pivotally connected to the arm 81 of the latch 8.

As a result, the key cylinder 12 and a lock knob (not shown) provided on the side wall of the door 3 on the vehicle interior side are connected via the rod 11, and the key plate can be locked or unlocked and the lock knob can be locked or unlocked. When the lock operation is performed using the key plate, the lock knob becomes locked, and when the lock operation is performed using the lock knob, the key cylinder 1
2 is also locked. Further, when an unlocking operation is performed using the key plate, the lock knob becomes an unlocked state, and when an unlocking operation is performed using the lock knob, the key cylinder 12 also becomes an unlocked state.

Further, a triangular small plate 14 is provided protruding from the back side of one side of the flap 2, and this triangular small plate 14
The other end of the flap operating rod 7 is pivotally connected to the free end of the flap.

Note that 15 is a battery power supply, and 16 is a relay.

According to the flap opening/closing device described above, by linking the opening and closing of the flap 2 with the locking or unlocking operation from outside or inside the vehicle, the flap 2 is closed when the door is locked, and the flap 2 is opened when the door is unlocked. can do.

For example, when locking the vehicle from outside with a key plate, the key plate is inserted into the key cylinder 12 and rotated in a predetermined direction to lock the vehicle. This operation causes the lever 13 to be pulled up, and the rod 11 to be pulled up. Then, the arm 81 of the latch portion 8 rotates, and in conjunction with this, the interlocking arm 9 also rotates to pull up the connecting rod 10. As a result, the drive arm 5 of the actuator 6, which has stopped operating, rotates in the direction of arrow F. Then, the flap operating rod 7 is pushed up, and the flap 2 is brought into the closed state shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 and fixed.

When unlocking, the key plate is inserted into the key cylinder 12 and rotated in a predetermined direction opposite to that for locking. As a result, the flap 2 is unlocked, and the flap 2 is brought into the open state shown by the dashed line in FIG.

In this way, in a flat type door outer handle, when the key plate is operated in the door lock direction in conjunction with the key plate operation,
By creating a structure that prevents the flap from being operated in the opening direction, it is possible to prevent mischief by children.In addition, an actuator 6 that is operated by the door lock central operation switch 4 is provided, and the drive operation of the actuator 6 is controlled. Since the flaps 2 are opened and closed in conjunction with each other, a single switch operation can simultaneously perform a plurality of door locking or unlocking operations and the aforementioned opening and closing operations of the flaps 2.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the case of the above-mentioned type in which the flap is closed when locking on using a key plate or the like, the flap remains open when locking off, causing an aerodynamic problem. That is, in the unlocked state, the flap remains open, and therefore, when the vehicle is driving with the flap forgotten, a flat surface is not formed, which is not good for aerodynamics.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above points, and is designed so that the flap cannot be opened or closed when the flap is locked with a key plate, etc., and is configured so that the flap can be kept in a flat position even when the flap is unlocked, thereby preventing tampering. An object of the present invention is to provide an outer handle structure for an automobile door that can achieve both the above and the aerodynamic effects.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention is an outer handle structure of a flat type automobile door having a flap, which is switchable in accordance with the locking or unlocking operation of the door, and when the door is locked, the flap is prevented from opening in conjunction with the locking operation. switches to the first position,
The present invention is characterized by having a movable member that, when unlocking, switches the flap to a second position in conjunction with the unlocking operation while the flap is held in a flat position to release the blocked state of the flap.

[Effect]

With the above configuration, when the flap is locked, the flap cannot be operated in the opening direction, while when unlocked, the flap can be operated in the opening direction by hand, and there is no problem in operating the outer handle. Even if you forget to lock the flap while driving, you can still drive with the flap in a flat position.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the outer handle structure of an automobile door according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

Figures 1A and B show the handle portion in lock-on and lock-off states as seen from the inside of the door, and Figures 2 and 3 are schematic cross-sections taken along lines A- and -, respectively, in Figure 1. It is a diagram.
In the figure, the same parts as in Figures 4 and 5 are designated by the same reference numerals; 1 is the door outer handle, 2 is the flap, 11 is the rod, 12 is the key cylinder, and 13 is the lever. be.

As shown in FIG. 1, one end of a rod 11 is attached to the free end of the lever 13. The other end of the rod 11 is connected to a latch (not shown). This rod 11 is integrated with the rotation of the lever 13 in the locking direction (counterclockwise in the figure) as indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 1A from the state shown in Fig. 1B when the lock is turned on by the key plate or from inside the passenger compartment. When locking off with the key plate or from inside the vehicle, the lever 13 is moved from the state shown in FIG. Moves in unison with rotation. A plate 18 having a pin 17 is fixed in the middle of this rod 11, and on the other hand, a lock arm (lock plate) 19, which is rotated by the movement of this pin 17, is rotated by a shaft 20. Possibly supported. As shown in FIG. 1 A and FIG.
When the flap 2 is locked off, it is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 1B to release the blocked state. Note that the flap 2 is always urged in the closing direction by a spring (not shown).

A spring 22 is interposed between the substrate P and the lock arm 19 to hold the lock arm 19 in each of the states shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. As shown in FIG. 3, this spring 22 has one end fixed to the base plate 19 and the other end fixed to the lock arm 19.
Spring 2 with the line l connecting it to one end of the
The lock arm 19 is biased in a predetermined direction depending on which side the fixed end of the lock arm 19 is located, and in the state shown in FIG. 1A, the lock arm 19 is biased counterclockwise in the figure. In the state shown in FIG. B, on the contrary, it is biased clockwise in the figure and maintained.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be explained, taking as an example the case where the key plate is operated.

In the case of lock-on using the key plate, from the state where the lock arm 19, plate 18, and lever 13 are in the position shown in FIG. 1B (lock-off state), the lever 1
Rotate 3. When the pin 17 is rotated in this manner, the pin 17 is pulled up, and the lock arm 1 is accordingly pulled up.
9 rotates counterclockwise in the figure, and if the rotation exceeds a certain rotation range in the middle, the lock arm 19 is switched to the position shown in FIG. 1A by the force of the spring 22. At this lock-on time, the lever 13 is moved by the arrow C.
Return to the original position, rod 11, plate 1
8 and pin 17 respectively return to the state of FIG. 1A.

In this way, when the key plate is operated in the door lock direction, the pin 17 provided on the plate 18 fixed to the rod 11 via the lever 13 and the rod 11 moves upward, and the lock arm 19 is rotated counterclockwise in the figure. Since the flap 2 is in a position that obstructs the opening operation of the flap 2, the flap 2 cannot be opened when the flap is locked.

Therefore, in the locked state, it is possible to prevent mischief by children, and also to prevent theft (the flap
You can also check that the door is locked (if you press the flap 2 and it doesn't move, the door is locked).

Next, when locking off using the key plate,
From the state shown in FIG. 1A, the lever 13 may be rotated in the unlocking direction as indicated by the arrow b in the first section B. In this case, operate lock arm 1 in the opposite manner to the above.
9 returns to the state shown in FIG. 1B, and the lock arm 19
The blocking state of flap 2 due to
Further, since the lever 13 returns to its original position as indicated by the arrow d, the rod 11, plate 18 and pin 17 also return to the state shown in FIG. Moreover, in this case, unlike the configurations shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the flap 2 is not opened, so even if you forget to lock the flap while driving, the flap 2 will always remain flat unless operated by hand. Because of its location, the aerodynamic effect can be maintained, which has practical merits.

In addition, in the above explanation, when locking with a key plate, lever 13, rod 11, plate 1
8. Although we have taken as an example the case where the flap is immobilized by the lock arm 19 via the pin 17, the same applies to the case of locking and unlocking from the inside of the vehicle.
In addition, the present invention is based on the fourth application of the applicant's earlier application.
It may also be combined with the structure shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 5, that is, the structure of a central door lock in which each door is locked or unlocked at the same time. Further, the means for preventing and releasing the flap opening operation is not limited to the above-mentioned lock arm, but any switchable movable member may be used.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to the present invention, when the flap is locked with a key plate, etc., the flap cannot be opened or closed to prevent children from mischief, and it is also possible to prevent theft and confirm the lock. This has the effect of allowing the flap to maintain a flat position even when the flap is locked, so that it does not adversely affect aerodynamic performance.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1A and 1B are structural diagrams showing the lock-on and lock-off states of an embodiment of the outer handle structure of an automobile door according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. 1; and FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a flap opening/closing device according to an earlier application by the present applicant, and FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the same. 1...Outer handle, 2...Flap, 11
... Rod, 12 ... Key cylinder, 13 ... Lever, 17 ... Pin, 18 ... Plate, 19 ...
... Lock arm, 20 ... Axis, 21 ... Bezel,
22... Spring, P... Board.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In the outer handle structure of a flat type automobile door having a flap, the first position is switchable in response to locking or unlocking of the door, and prevents opening of the flap in conjunction with the locking operation when the door is locked. and a movable member that, when unlocking, switches to a second position in which the flap is held in a flat position and is linked to the unlocking operation to release the blocked state of the flap. Outer handle structure for automobile doors.