EP3162986B1 - Door handle assembly for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle door handle assembly. In particular, the invention relates to an outside door handle assembly with a fixed handle and a sensor device for detecting an actuation of the handle.

Exterior door handles have handles as part of the overall door handle assembly which can be gripped or gripped behind by a user. Thus, the user can exert force on the handle to open or close the door or to move it over its pivoting range. Vehicle door handles are provided with coupling means which allow the vehicle door handle to be mounted on the vehicle door.

Such vehicle door handles are known and available in different designs. However, the invention relates to the subgroup of vehicle door handles with so-called fixed handle. Such vehicle door handles are eg off WO 01/40607 A1 . DE 20 2009 009861 U1 or US 2014/0292004 A1 known. While in movable handle a user to be taken under or engaging behind handle part of the vehicle door handle assembly is pivoted or translationally moved by force, the handle is not pivotable or translationally movable with fixed door handles. In vehicle door handles with a fixed handle, the handle against the door is largely immobile. For door handles with fixed handles no continuous mechanical chain of action is formed by the door handle on a door lock for lack of a mechanical adjustment. Instead, the door lock is electrically energized in response to a detected actuation so that mechanical hardware can be reduced and cost and weight in the door handle assembly can be saved.

In combination with such fixed handles and vehicle door handle assemblies, electrically powered door locks are used. Such electrically controlled door locks are generally called "E-latch" known. Another example of such a door system is in the EP 0 584 499 A1 described.

How vehicle door handle assemblies with a fixed handle detect actuation of the handle has been solved differently in the prior art. Switches or capacitive sensors can be used on or in the vehicle door handle. The use of inductive sensors is possible and is also provided in the context of this invention.

Inductive sensors for this purpose are available on the market and usually act via a resonant circuit, which causes eddy currents in adjacent, electrically conductive materials. Depending on the position and movement of the electrically conductive material relative to the resonant circuit, the amplitude of the resonant circuit changes. This change in amplitude can be detected and detected for actuation detection. The market corresponding inductive sensors is correspondingly large. For example, sensors are also known which are particularly suitable for use in door handles due to their small size and low weight, for example, sensors from Texas Instrument with the series designation LDC.

The handle of a generic vehicle door handle is at least partially formed as a hollow body with a cavity. The cavity is bounded by the wall surfaces of the handle. In the cavity of an inductive sensor device is arranged to detect an actuation of the handle.

The object of the invention is to provide a particularly light, reliable and inexpensive to produce door handle assembly with a fixed handle.

This object is achieved by a vehicle door handle assembly having the features of claim 1.

Like the vehicle door handles described generically, the inventive door handle also has a handle which can be grasped or gripped behind by a user. The vehicle door handle has coupling means, which have an attachment of the vehicle door handle to the door. The coupling means can also directly on the handle be arranged. The handle is at least partially formed as a hollow body. The hollow body with the handle is completely surrounded by wall surfaces of the handle. An inductive sensor device is disposed in the cavity to detect actuation of the handle.

As described above, inductive sensor arrays are suitable for detecting movements or displacements or rotations of electrically conductive objects in their surroundings. It is important that a relative movement takes place between the detecting sensor device and the electrically conductive object, for example a metallic object. According to the invention, the detection is thereby improved and facilitated by arranging a carrier in the cavity in the handle. This carrier has at least a carrier attachment portion and a cantilever portion connected to this carrier attachment portion. The carrier attachment portion is fixed to the vehicle door handle. This means that the carrier attachment portion is fixed to any component of the entire vehicle door handle assembly, which also includes a fixation on the handle.

The cantilever portion of the carrier extends, held by the carrier mounting portion, at a distance from the wall surfaces in the cavity of the handle. This means that the cantilevered portion of the carrier is mechanically decoupled from the surrounding wall surfaces of the cavity, since it is held and fixed via the carrier mounting portion, but even at a distance from the wall surfaces. The cantilevered portion is therefore kept between the inner wall surfaces of the cavity. The cantilevered portion may be e.g. starting from the carrier mounting portion cantilevered into the cavity, it can also span between a plurality of carrier mounting portions a portion of the cavity.

In this cantilevered portion of the carrier, the inductive sensor device is held. In at least a portion of the wall surfaces of the cavity, which the Surrounded by a cantilevered section, a metallic material is arranged.

The sensor device is thus held on the cantilevered portion inside the cavity, at a distance from the wall surfaces. In or on the spaced wall surfaces or a portion thereof, the metallic material is detectable by means of the sensor device. By the mechanical decoupling of the cantilevered portion in the cavity, it becomes possible to detect a relative displacement of the metallic material in the surrounding wall surfaces. The displacement or deformation of the wall surfaces relative to the sensor device is particularly reliable and sensitive detectable, since there is a mechanical decoupling. This is achieved in that the carrier mounting portion, on which the cantilevered portion is held, is fixed in an area which is not or only slightly deformed or moved in an intended operation. If the handle of the door handle is actuated, for example by the door handle is pressed or pulled on the door handle, so the outer wall can move slightly relative to the self-supporting inside held portion with the inductive sensor device. The relative movement is sensitively detected by the inductive sensor device.

It is essential that the cantilever design of a section of the carrier and the cantilevered mounting of the sensor device result in improved decoupling between movements of the sensor device and the surrounding walls. For this purpose, the attachment portion of the carrier must be set as possible in a portion of the handle or generally the vehicle door handle assembly, which is much less affected during operation as the walls of the handle.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the handle is formed as an elongate body, wherein the cavity extends along the largest longitudinal extent of the handle in a central portion in the interior of the handle. The carrier attachment portion is in the direction of this Longitudinal extent determined offset relative to the central portion decentralized.

Thus, in this embodiment, with an elongate handle, the cantilevered portion is freely supported in the operative center portion, with the carrier mounting portion being defined adjacent to the center portion or in an end portion of the center portion. As a result, the sensor device hangs in the cantilevered portion in the central portion to be actuated, but the suspension is fixed laterally therefrom in an end portion of the handle or at least laterally of the central portion. If the central portion is deformed by an actuator, for example by a pull on the door handle, this deformation takes place around the sensor device and thus detectable. The point of the suspension, however, is hardly affected by the operation, since it is offset laterally offset from the operating area.

It is advantageous if the cantilevered portion of the carrier facing away from each other ends each carrier-mounting portions are arranged.

In this embodiment, a plurality of carrier mounting portions are provided, for example, at two opposite ends of a cantilevered portion. This support structure may provide attachment similar to a bridge with two lateral points, while the central part, the cantilevered portion, carries the sensor means spaced from the surrounding walls and spans a portion of the cavity.

In a further development of the invention, the carrier attachment portion for fixing to the vehicle door handle with the coupling means of the vehicle door handle is connected. In this configuration, the mounting points which serve to fix the entire door handle assembly on the vehicle are also used to fix the carrier. This results in a particularly stable and low-deformation suspension and attachment of the support structure in the door handle.

It is particularly preferred if the carrier attachment portions extend laterally from one in between arranged cantilevered portion extend in an angled or curved manner and are fixed in the interior of the handle at spaced points, so that the cantilevered portion between these points is clamped in the cavity and held cantilevered. By the support structure, the space between the mounting points is again spanned as in a bridge construction and while the Mitteilteil spaced to the surrounding walls and largely mechanically decoupled from these, the fixing points ensure a secure and stable mounting of the sensor device in the clamped cantilevered section. Bending or angulation may also contribute to further decoupling of handle deformations from the location of the cantilevered section.

It is preferable that as the metallic material, a metallic layer is disposed on a portion of the inside of the walls of the handle in the cavity.

The inner side of the handle is particularly close to the sensor device and, when the walls of the handle are deformed, detection can therefore take place in a particularly sensitive form. As a metallic layer, a coating, a foil coating or any other metallic layer material can be used.

It is particularly advantageous if the cantilevered portion has a trough-like structure in which the sensor device can be inserted. In such a trough-like receptacle, the sensor device, for example arranged and interconnected on a circuit board, is received and locked in a particularly secure manner. It is furthermore particularly advantageous if the sensor device is enclosed in the trough-like receptacle with a potting compound. In this way, a shift or wobble of the sensor device is prevented within the recording.

In a further development of the invention, connecting supporting contours are formed in the interior of the handle, between the walls of the handle in the region of the cavity. These support contours or support structures support wall sections from each other, which face each other in the cavity area. This causes a force application to one of the walls and a deformation of one of the walls by the support contours is transferred by force transfer to another wall. If, for example, a double-shell construction of the handle with a vehicle-side shell in the region of the vehicle sheet metal opposite side and a visible cover shell, so may cause a deformation of the visible side of the handle by this design with supporting contours a pull on the vehicle side of the handle , A pressure on the visible side of the handle exerts a deformation on the vehicle side of the handle on the support structures.

This can be used to advantage that only on one side of the inside of the handle, a metallic structure, for example, a metallic foil is arranged. Depending on whether a pulling force is exerted from one side of the handle or a pressure force is exerted on the handle from the other side, the metal foil is in any case moved by the force transmission of the support structures. Since the sensor arrangement is held cantilevered between the walls in the handle, once a movement of the metallic structure away from the sensor arrangement and once towards the sensor arrangement takes place. By a single arrangement of a metallic element and a single sensor arrangement can thus be detected by using the support structures both a pressurization on one side of the handle and a Zugbeaufschlagung on the other side of the handle.

• Figur 1a zeigt eine Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Türgriffanordnung in Ruhestellung;
• Figur 1b zeigt die Ausführungsform aus Figur 1a bei einer Zugbetätigung;
• Figur 1c zeigt die Ausführungsform aus Figur 1a bei einer Druckbetätigung.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• FIG. 1a shows an embodiment of the door handle assembly according to the invention in the rest position;
• FIG. 1b shows the embodiment FIG. 1a at a pulling operation;
• Figure 1c shows the embodiment FIG. 1a at a pressure operation.

In FIG. 1a a door handle assembly 1 is shown. The door handle assembly has a handle formed of two handles 2a, 2b. The handles 2a, 2b form an enclosed, elongated space. In FIG. 1a a section is shown parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle. The handle is arranged on a door, on the outside of a door panel 3. Lugs 4a, 4b protrude through the door panel 3 and represent coupling means for securing the door handle assembly to the vehicle. On the inside of the door panel 3 (top of the drawing 1a), an inner support 5 of the door handle assembly is applied to which the fastening means 4a and 4b engage, for example by a screw or locking means.

Between the door panel 3 and the outwardly curved shell 2b of the handle, an engagement space 6 is formed. In this engagement space, the hand of a user can dip and exert a pulling force on the inside of the handle. In the interior of the shells 2a, 2b of the handle, a cavity 7 is formed. Through the cavity 7 extend support structures 8a, 8b, which are formed integrally with the shell 2a in this embodiment. The support structures 8a and 8b extend through the cavity 7 to the opposite inner side of the shell 2b and are supported there. In this way, deformation of one of the shells 2a or 2b in the central portion is transmitted to the other shell by force transmission through the support structures 8a and 8b.

Furthermore, a carrier 10 extends through the cavity 7 in the longitudinal direction. The carrier 10 has carrier attachment sections 11a, 11b on both end sides. These carrier attachment portions are fixed to the attachment means 4a and 4b. Between the carrier mounting portions 11a, 11b, a cantilevered portion 12 is formed in the form of a trough, in which the sensor assembly 13 is received. The cantilevered portion 12 is held in the manner of a bridge between the carrier fixing portions 11a and 11b, and is spaced and decoupled from the central portion of the shells 2a and 2b.

Along the longitudinal axis of the handle assembly, approximately in the middle, therefore, the sensor assembly 13 rests in the cantilevered portion 12, mechanically decoupled from the shells 2a and 2b. On the shell 2b, a metal foil 15 is glued on the inside of the shell 2b in the area corresponding to the central portion. The metal foil 15 lies opposite to the sensor arrangement 13, but is separated from it by an air space. The inductive sensors of the sensor arrangement 13 detect the distance of the metal foil 15. A change in the position of the metal foil 15 relative to the sensor arrangement 13 leads to a signal change. With the sensor assembly 13 leads and signal lines are still connected, which are not shown here for reasons of clarity.

In the dormant state of FIG. 1 is the distance between the metal foil 15 and the sensor assembly 13 by the distance d in FIG. 1a characterized. This distance defines a rest position and a corresponding rest signal is supplied by the inductive sensors of the sensor arrangement 13.

FIG. 1b shows an actuation of the door handle assembly. For this purpose, a user intervenes in the intermediate space 6 and deforms the shell 2b in the region in which the metal foil 15 is applied by a tensile force (indicated by the arrow 20). The deformation is exaggerated here to make the mode of action clear. Since there is a mechanical largely decoupling of the sensor device 13 in the cantilevered support section 12 from the shell 2b, the sensor arrangement does not move, but the metal foil 15 approaches the sensor arrangement 13. This is recognizable because in FIG. 1b Furthermore, the rest distance d is shown by broken lines, wherein it can be seen here that this rest distance is exceeded. Accordingly, the inductive sensors detect the approach of metal foil 15 to the sensor assembly 13. The deformation of the handle 2b hardly affects the position of the carrier 10, since this is fixed offset to the central portion, in this embodiment, on the attachment means 4a, 4b , which fasten the entire handle to the door panel 3.

In Figure 1c the operation case is shown, is pressed in the outside of the handle. This can be done, for example, to confirm a closing request of the user. Again, the rest distance is d in Figure 1c represented by broken lines.

In this example, the effect of the support structures 8a and 8b is particularly evident. The pressure on the outer surface first deforms the shell 2a. Force is introduced into the shell 2b through the support structures 8a and 8b, since the support structures 8a and 8b are supported on this shell. As a result, the shell 2b is deformed in the direction of the arrow 21 and the metal foil 15 moves away from the sensor device 13. Again, the deformation does not affect the support 10, since it is mechanically decoupled from its deformed areas with its cantilevered section 12. The carrier is in particular also completely decoupled from the support structures 8a and 8b, these may run past the carrier 10 or pass through openings in the carrier without mechanical contact.

By this design, it is possible with a single sensor assembly 13 both the train on the door handle according to FIG. 1b , as well as a pressure on the door handle according to Figure 1c capture. The deformations are in reality much smaller than the deformations of the Figures 1b and 1c However, to illustrate the invention, these are exaggerated.

In modifications of the invention may instead of a metal foil and a chromium plating of the door handle act as a metallic element. Alternatively, the material of the handles can also be equipped with metallic particles or regions in order to influence the inductive sensors of the sensor arrangement 13.

Claims (10)

1. Vehicle door handle (1) for arrangement on a vehicle door, wherein the vehicle door handle has a handle (2a, 2b), which can be engaged by a user, wherein the vehicle door handle has coupling means (4a, 4b) for mounting the vehicle door handle on the door,
   wherein in at least some sections the handle (2a, 2b) is designed as a hollow body with a cavity (7), wherein the cavity is bounded by the wall surfaces of the handle,
   wherein at least one inductive sensor device (13) is arranged in the cavity to detect an activation of the handle,
   characterized in that
   a carrier (10) is arranged in the cavity (7), wherein said carrier has at least one carrier mounting section (11a, 11b) and a cantilevered section (12) connected thereto, wherein the at least one carrier mounting section (11a, 11b) is fixed to the vehicle door handle and wherein the cantilevered section (13) of the carrier extends inside the cavity at a distance from the wall surfaces of the handle (2a, 2b), so that the cantilevered section (13) of the carrier is mechanically decoupled from the wall surfaces of the handle (2a, 2b),
   wherein the inductive sensor device (13) is held in the cantilevered section (12) of the carrier,
   wherein a metallic material (15) is arranged in at least one section of the wall surfaces of the handle (2a, 2b), which surround the cantilevered section (12).
2. Vehicle door handle according to Claim 1, wherein the handle (2a, 2b) is designed as an elongated body and the cavity (7) extends along the largest longitudinal extension in a central section inside the handle, wherein the carrier mounting section (11a, 11b) is fixed in the direction of the longitudinal extension, positioned off-centre with respect to the central section.
3. Vehicle door handle according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein carrier mounting sections (11a, 11b) are arranged on the cantilevered section (12) of the carrier, at opposite ends from each other.
4. Vehicle door handle according to Claim 3, wherein in order to be fixed to the vehicle door handle, the carrier mounting section (11a, 11b) is connected to the coupling means (4a, 4b) of the vehicle door handle.
5. Vehicle door handle according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the carrier mounting sections (11a, 11b) extend laterally in an angled or curved manner from the cantilevered section (12) arranged between them and are fixed at points spaced apart in the inside of the handle (2a, 2b), so that the cantilevered section is clamped between these points in the cavity and supported in a cantilevered manner.
6. Vehicle door handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein as the metallic material, a metallic layer (15) is arranged in the cavity on a section of the inner side of the handle (2a, 2b).
7. Vehicle door handle according to Claim 6, wherein the metallic layer (15) is a metal foil.
8. Vehicle door handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cantilevered section (12) of the carrier has a dish-shaped receptacle, in which the inductive sensor device is accommodated.
9. Vehicle door handle according to Claim 8, wherein the inductive sensor device in the dish-shaped receptacle is encapsulated with a casting compound.
10. Vehicle door handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein between the walls of the handle (2a, 2b) in the area of the cavity (7), connecting support contours (8a, 8b) are formed, which brace opposite facing areas of the handle (2a, 2b) against one another, so that a deformation of the handle is directed into an opposite region of the handle by force transmission via the support contours.

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