EP3404177B1 - Flush handle control mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mechanism for controlling a movable door handle between a rest position in which the handle is flush with the door and a working position in which the handle is projecting from the door and is associated with a lock. door by a door lock actuator.

We know, especially in the automotive field, doors equipped with flush handles. Such a handle is for example known from DE 40 02 963 C1 , which discloses a mechanism for controlling a handle according to the preamble of claim 1. For the transition from the rest position to the working position, it is known to use either a pivoting mechanism or a mechanism control by translation.

Translational control mechanisms have the reputation of being able to withstand high loads, but of great bulk.

An object of the invention is to provide a translation control mechanism having a small footprint.

With a view to achieving this object, it is proposed according to the invention a mechanism for controlling a movable door handle between a rest position in which the handle is flush with the door and a working position in which the handle is projecting. relative to the door and is associated with a door lock by a door lock actuator, the control mechanism comprising a housing provided with means for attachment to the door, the handle being mounted to slide in an opening of the door door, wherein the control mechanism comprises: a first lever mounted to pivot about a first axis carried by the handle; a second lever mounted to pivot about a second axis carried by the handle parallel to the first axis away from the first axis in a longitudinal direction of the handle; a link having ends connected to the first lever and the second lever in articulated connections, at least one of which has a play in a longitudinal direction of the link, the first lever, the second lever, the link and the handle forming a quadrilateral deformable folded for the rest position, and whose deployment causes a displacement in translation of the handle.

Thus, in the rest position the mechanism occupies a small volume in the housing, and the deployment of the mechanism is to the outside of the housing so that even in the deployed position the mechanism occupies a small volume in the housing.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first lever comprises an operating arm which, in the working position of the handle, is opposite a operating element of the door lock operating member, and said arm of actuation relies on said door lock operation member when traction is exerted on the handle from the working position of the handle.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the mechanism comprises two links arranged on either side of a median plane extending in a longitudinal direction of the handle, and each having ends connected to the first lever and the second lever according to articulated links, at least one of which has a play in a longitudinal direction of the link. Thus the forces transmitted by the links are exerted in a balanced way on both the first lever and the second lever so that the risk of jamming is minimized. Preferably, the two links are identical. Manufacturing series are therefore more important, which allows to lower the manufacturing cost of the mechanism.

According to other advantageous embodiments of the invention that can be implemented individually or in combination: The mechanism comprises a member for deploying the handle from the rest position to the working position, arranged to bear on the first lever or second lever; the deployment member comprises a cam mounted eccentrically on an axis of an electric motor; said first lever and said second lever are generally Y-shaped; the handle is hollow and at least one of said first lever and said second lever is arched towards the inside of the handle; said deformable quadrilateral is configured so that the translation movement of the handle from the rest position to the working position is reversible; the mechanism comprises elastic return means of the handle to the rest position; said door lock is associated with a door lock lock, and said door lock lock comprises a cylinder mounted obliquely in the housing, and opening facing an inner face of the handle; the mechanism comprises a tilt compensation member between said cylinder and an operating member of said lock.

• La figure 1 est une vue en perspective schématique du mécanisme de commande d'une poignée de porte selon l'invention,
• La figure 2 est une vue de dessus le schématique du mécanisme de commande représenté en dehors de son boîtier pour une position de repos de la poignée,
• La figure 3 est une vue analogue à celle de la figure 2 pour une position de travail de la poignée,
• La figure 4 est une vue analogue à celle de la figure 2 lors d'un actionnement de la poignée dans un sens d'ouverture de la porte,
• La figure 5 est une vue en perspective schématique d'un mode de réalisation du premier levier et du second levier,
• La figure 6 est une vue en perspective partielle schématique depuis l'intérieur du boîtier,
• La figure 7 est une vue en perspective du dispositif de déverrouillage de la serrure de porte selon un premier mode de réalisation des moyens d'accouplement du cylindre et du levier de verrou,
• La figure 8 est une vue en perspective schématique d'un second mode de réalisation du dispositif de déverrouillage.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the attached figures among which:

• The figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the control mechanism of a door handle according to the invention,
• The figure 2 is a top view of the schematic of the control mechanism shown outside its housing for a rest position of the handle,
• The figure 3 is a view similar to that of the figure 2 for a working position of the handle,
• The figure 4 is a view similar to that of the figure 2 when the handle is actuated in a direction of opening of the door,
• The figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the first lever and the second lever,
• The figure 6 is a schematic partial perspective view from inside the housing,
• The figure 7 is a perspective view of the unlocking device of the door lock according to a first embodiment of the coupling means of the cylinder and the lock lever,
• The figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the unlocking device.

Referring to the figures, the invention relates to a mechanism for controlling the handle 1 of a door 2. The handle 1 is movable between a rest position in which the handle is flush with the door, and a working position in which the handle is protruding from the door as shown in the figure 1 . The control mechanism comprises a housing 3 equipped with bosses 4 for fixing the housing to the door. The handle 1 is mounted to slide in an opening 5 of the door.

In the illustrated embodiment, the handle 1 is hollow. The operating mechanism of the handle comprises a first lever 6 having a generally Y-shape comprising a shank 7 arched towards the inside of the handle and mounted in an articulated manner on an axis 8 carried by the handle, and two symmetrical branches 9 by relative to a median plane extending in a longitudinal direction of the handle, and each having an end connected to a hinge 54 at one end of a rod 10 whose opposite end is hingedly connected to a second lever 11 to means of a hinge comprising an axis 12 carried by the second lever 11 and engaged in an oblong slot 13 formed in the rod and extending in the longitudinal direction of the link. The axis 12 and the light 13 thus achieve for each link a play in a longitudinal direction of the link.

At the opposite end to the articulation with the link 10, the second lever 11 is hingedly mounted on an axis 14 carried by the handle. The axis 14 extends parallel to the axis 8, at a distance from it in a longitudinal direction of the handle.

The first lever 6, the second lever 11 and the rod 10 and realize with the handle 1 a deformable quadrilateral whose deformation causes a displacement in translation of the handle.

Furthermore, the mechanism comprises a door lock operating member comprising a plate 15 mounted for pivoting about an axis 16 carried by the housing 3 and biased by a spring 17 to a position for which an edge of the plate 15 is pressed against the inner face of the housing 3. The plate 15 further comprises a slot in which is engaged a head 18 of a cable 19 whose opposite end is connected to the door lock 20 (see figure 6 ). At the rest position of the handle 1 corresponds a closing state of the lock 20.

The first lever 6 also comprises a maneuvering arm 21 whose end extends opposite an edge of the plate 15. At the lower end of this edge, the plate 15 comprises a maneuvering pin 22 whose function will be described below.

Opposite one end of the lever 11 opposite to the pivot axis 14 of the second lever 11 relative to the handle 1, the mechanism comprises a deployment member, here a cam 23 mounted eccentrically on an axis 24 carried by a motor 25 fixed in the housing and connected to a control unit 26 adapted to receive deployment control signals from a remote control 27.

Furthermore, the lock 20 comprises a lock locking element made active when the handle is in the rest position.

The operation of the mechanism according to the invention is as follows: springs 28 are suitably arranged between the levers and the housing so that, in association with the return spring 17, the support of the operating arm 21 on the edge of the plate 15 and the support of the end of the lever 11 on the deployment member 23, the assembly is held in a stable position for which the handle 1 is flush with the opening 5, as shown in FIG. figure 2 .

When a deployment control signal is sent to the electric motor 25 per control unit 26, the deployment member 23 is rotated as illustrated by the arrow 29 on the figure 3 so that the levers 6 and 11 are tilted as indicated by the arrows 30 and 31 on the figure 3 . In this movement the handle 1 moves in translation as indicated by the arrows 32, until the operating arm 21 bears against the operating pin 22. Simultaneously an unlocking signal is sent to an unlocking member electrical 34 associated with the lock 20. From this position, a traction performed on the handle as indicated by the arrow 33 on the figure 4 tilts the plate 15 as indicated by arrow 34 on the figure 4 so that a pull is exerted on the cable 19 which opens the lock 20 of the door.

In the case where the electrical operation is faulty, a manual support on the handle in line with the axis 14 causes a slight tilting of the lever 6, sufficient to engage the hand in the handle and exert a traction on it.

Simultaneously it is necessary to ensure unlocking of the lock.

For this purpose, the mechanism according to the invention comprises an unlocking device comprising a cylinder 37 carried by a support directly or indirectly fixed to the door, here a ring 40 fixed in the housing and in which the cylinder 37 is held blocked by a screw 41 screwed into the ring 40 and whose end is supported in a groove 39 of the cylinder 37. The screw 41 is preferably arranged to be accessible from the rabbet of the door, by passing a screwdriver in a tube 51 which opens into the rebate of the door. The cylinder 37 has an opening 38 for the introduction of a key 55. The cylinder 37 is connected to the unlocking element 35 of the lock via an operating member, here a latch lever 42 mounted for pivoting on a shaft 43 carried by the housing and connected to the unlocking member 36 by a cable 44.

In the embodiment of the figure 7 the lock lever 42 is connected to the cylinder 37 by a coupling member comprising a male bevel gear 45 carried by the cylinder 37, and a female bevel gear 46 carried by the lock lever 42.

The coupling member thus has an input axis 52 and an output axis 53 which extend in two different directions. By an appropriate choice of the direction of the output axis can be adapted to the coupling arrangement of the various elements contained in the housing.

In the embodiment of the figure 8 , the female gear 46 is carried by a plate 47 connected to the lock lever 42 by a universal joint comprising a lever 48 carrying at each of its ends a ball 49 engaged in a ball-and-socket support 50.

Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and is capable of variants that will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

In particular, although the invention has been described in relation to levers 6 and 11 Y-shaped, each of the branches of a lever is connected to one of the corresponding branches of the other lever by rods arranged on the side and other than a median plane extending in a longitudinal direction of the handle, the invention can be achieved with levers connected by a single link.

Claims (12)

1. A mechanism for controlling a door handle (1) movable between a rest position in which the handle is flush with the door and a working position in which the handle is projecting with respect to the door and is associated with a door latch (20) by a door latch maneuvering member, the control mechanism comprising a case equipped with a means for fastening to the door, the handle being mounted so as to slide in an opening (5) of the door, the control mechanism comprising: a first lever (6) mounted so as to pivot about a first axis (8) carried by the handle; a second lever (11) mounted so as to pivot about a second axis (14) carried by the handle parallel to the first axis at a distance from the first axis in a longitudinal direction of the handle; a connecting rod (10) having ends connected to the first lever and to the second lever according to hinged connections, the first lever, the second lever, the connecting rod and the handle forming a deformable quadrilateral whose deformation causes a translational displacement of the handle, characterized in that at least one of the hinged connections of connecting rod link has a clearance (13) in a longitudinal direction of the connecting rod.
2. The mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the first lever (6) includes a maneuvering arm (21) which, in the working position of the handle, is opposite an element (22) for maneuvering the door latch maneuvering member, and in that said maneuvering arm bears on said door latch maneuvering element when a tension is exerted on the handle from the working position of the handle.
3. The mechanism according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it comprises two connecting rods (10) disposed on either side of a midplane extending in a longitudinal direction of the handle, and having each of the ends connected to the first lever and to the second lever according to hinged connections (13, 54), at least one of which has a clearance in a longitudinal direction of the connecting rod.
4. The mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that the two connecting rods (10) are identical.
5. The mechanism according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that it includes a member (23) for deploying the handle from the rest position to the working position, disposed so as to bear on the first lever or the second lever.
6. The mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that the deployment member comprises a cam (23) eccentrically mounted on an axis of an electric motor.
7. The mechanism according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said first lever (6) and said second lever (11) is generally Y-shaped.
8. The mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle is hollow and in that at least one of said first lever (6) and said second lever (11) is cambered towards the inside of the handle.
9. The mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said deformable quadrilateral (1, 6, 10, 11) is configured so that the translational movement of the handle from the rest position to the working position is reversible.
10. The mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes means (17,28) for elastically biasing the handle towards the rest position.
11. The mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said door latch (20) is associated with a door latch lock, and in that said door latch lock includes a cylinder (37) obliquely mounted in the case, and opening opposite an inner face of the handle.
12. The mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a tilt compensation member (45, 46; 48) between said cylinder and a member (42) for maneuvering said lock.

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