EP4108869B1

EP4108869B1 - Vehicle door handle assembly

Info

Publication number: EP4108869B1
Application number: EP21315117.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Christophe Perrin; Thomas LANNO
Original assignee: Minebea AccessSolutions France SAS
Current assignee: Minebea AccessSolutions France SAS
Priority date: 2021-06-24
Filing date: 2021-06-24
Publication date: 2024-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 2041-06-24
Also published as: WO2022268631A1; EP4108869A1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of vehicle door handles to control the opening of vehicle doors and in particular to vehicle door handle assemblies comprising a bowl configured to be fastened to the door panel and automatic door latches that are controlled via electric means to lock or release vehicle door panels in an automated fashion. Automated door latches, under normal circumstances, do not require bulging handle levers on the exterior surface of the vehicle. The air drag of the vehicle can consequently be reduced, while the visual aspect of the vehicle can be streamlined.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the vehicle door handles of the state of the art, a bowl is disposed in an opening of a door panel and the bowl is fastened to the door panel, for example via a bracket and a slider positioned inside the door panel. The bowl provides a recess and the automatic door latch may be disposed within the recess of the bowl. Thus, to actuate the automatic door latch, the user puts his fingers within the recess to reach the latch. Document FR2592909 discloses a door handle with a bowl that flushes with the door body.
Furthermore, in order to provide a smooth and streamlined appearance, the outer and upper part of the bowl may be covered by a strip hiding the interface between the upper part of the bowl and the door panel. Such strip is fastened to the bowl, for example by clips. However, if the bowl is not positioned accurately with respect to the door panel and the strip is not positioned accurately with respect to the bowl, there can be a misalignment between the strip and the opening of the door panel leading to a poor aesthetic perception for the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a goal of the present invention to overcome at least partially the previous drawbacks of the state of the art and to provide a solution to avoid a misalignment between the strip and the door panel without complicating the assembly of the vehicle door handle and without making the door handle more expensive.
Thus, the present invention refers to a vehicle door handle assembly comprising:

a bowl configured to be mounted in use in an opening of a door panel,
a strip configured to be fastened to an upper part of the bowl,

According to a further aspect of the invention, the height of the pins corresponds to the height of the apertures to prevent a displacement of the pins in the apertures in the vertical direction when the door handle is assembled to the vehicle.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the extremity of the pins configured to be positioned in the respective apertures has a rectangular or squared section.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the strip extends in a horizontal direction and the pins are disposed toward the ends of the strip.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the pins comprise a proximate part having a hook shape configured to be slid in a complementary slot of the bowl to ensure the vertical positioning of the strip with respect to the bowl.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the hook shape of the pins and the complementary slots are directed in the horizontal direction.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the strip and the bowl also comprise clipping means to block the horizontal displacement of the strip with respect to the bowl when the door handle is assembled to the vehicle.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the extremity of the pins is chamfered to ease the insertion of the pins in the apertures of the door panel.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the vehicle door handle assembly also comprises a bracket attached to the inner side of the door panel and a slider configured for linking the bracket and the bowl in order to ensure the fastening of the bowl on the door panel.
The present invention also refers to a method for assembling a vehicle door handle assembly on a door panel, the door panel comprising an opening configured for receiving the vehicle door handle and the vehicle door handle comprising a bowl, a peripheral gasket and a strip comprising two pins configured to extend through holes made in the bowl and to protrude in two respective apertures of the door panel to ensure the positioning of the strip with respect to the door panel in the vertical direction when the door handle is assembled to the vehicle, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

the peripheral gasket is positioned on the bowl,
the bowl is positioned in the opening of the door panel, the peripheral gasket being sandwiched between the door panel and the bowl,
the strip is fastened to the bowl, the pins of the strip extending through holes made in the bowl and protruding in two respective apertures of the door panel in the fastening position.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the step of fastening the strip to the bowl also comprises the clipping of the strip to the bowl.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the vehicle door handle also comprises a bracket and a slider and wherein the method also comprises a preliminary step of fastening the bracket to an inner side of the door panel and an additional step of positioning the slider in a slot of the bowl and in a slot of the bracket to ensure the fastening of the bowl to the bracket and the compression of the peripheral gasket between the bowl and the door panel.
The use of pins positioned on the strip that extend through holes made in the bowl and that protrude in apertures of the door panel makes impossible the misalignment of the strip when the set comprising the strip and the bowl is assembled to the door panel by a bracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG.1 is a perspective view of a vehicle door handle according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG.2 is a an exploded view of the vehicle door handle of Fig.1;
FIG.3 is a perspective view of a strip according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG.4 is an enlarged view of an end of the strip comprising a pin;
FIG.5 is a diagram representing an inner side of a door panel with pins of a strip protruding in apertures of the door panel;
FIG.6 is a flowchart of the different steps of the assembling method according to the present invention;
FIG.7 is a perspective view of a bowl and a slider according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG.8 is a perspective view of a bowl, a bracket and a slider according to an embodiment of the present invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following achievements are examples. Although, the specification refers to one or several embodiments, it does not imply that each reference refers to the same embodiment or that the features apply only to a single embodiment. Simple features of different embodiments can also be combined to provide other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In the following of the description, the terms up, upper, low, lower, vertical, horizontal refers to relative positions or directions when the door handle is assembled to a vehicle.
Fig.1 represents the outer side of a vehicle door handle 1 when it is assembled on a door panel 3 and Fig.2 represents an exploded view of different parts of the vehicle door handle 1. The vehicle door handle assembly 1 comprises a bowl 5 defining a recess 6 in which a switch (not represented) is arranged. The recess 6 is configured to receive the fingers of a user who wants to activate the switch. The bowl 5 is configured to be positioned in an opening 7 of the door panel 3. The vehicle door handle assembly 1 also comprises a peripheral gasket 9 arranged between the bowl 5 and the opening 7 of the door panel 3 in order to ensure waterproofness of the assembly 1. The vehicle door handle 1 also comprises a strip 11 configured to be positioned on the top part of the outer side of the bowl 5 in order to hide the interface between the bowl 5 and the door panel 3. The strip 11 is configured to be fastened to the bowl 5. The bowl 5 and the strip 11 may be made of plastics and may be painted. Furthermore, the strip 11 comprises two pins 112 configured to extend through holes 52 made in the bowl 5 and to protrude in two respective apertures 32 of the door panel 3 to ensure the positioning of the strip 11 with respect to the door panel 3 in the vertical direction when the door handle 1 is assembled to the vehicle. The pins 112 may be made in one piece with the strip 11. In order to allow the pins 112 to protrude to the apertures 32 of the door panel 3, the peripheral gasket 9 may be cut. In the present example, the peripheral gasket 9 comprises two cut-outs 92 located at the position of the pins 112 when the vehicle door handle 1 is assembled. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pins 112 comprise a proximate part having a hook shape and forming a hook 110 of the strip 11 configured for fastening the strip 11 to the bowl 5. Fig.4 represents an enlarged view of a pin 112 comprising a hook 110. The pin 112 is positioned at the end of the hook 110 and extends perpendicularly to the plane of the strip 11. As shown in Fig.3, the strip 11 comprises a plurality of hooks 110 to ensure the fastening of the strip 11 to the bowl 5. In the present case, the strip 11 comprises five hooks 110 but a different number of hooks 110 may also be used. However, a high number of hooks 110 enables a good positioning of the strip 11 with respect to the bowl 5. The hooks 110 are configured to be introduced in slots 50 formed between a wall of the bowl 5 and the door panel 3 (or the peripheral gasket 9) by openings arranged in the bowl 5. The hooks 110 are distributed along the strip 11. The hooks 110 are oriented in the longitudinal direction of the strip 11 corresponding to a horizontal direction when assembled on the vehicle. The different hooks 110 are all directed in the same direction Thus, for the assembly of the strip 11 on the bowl 5, the hooks 110 are introduced in the openings associated with the slots 50 and the strip 11 is slid horizontally so that the extremity of the hooks 110 be positioned behind a wall of the bowl 5 forming the slot 50. These hooks 110 ensure the vertical positioning of the strip 11 with respect to the bowl 5. The pins 112 are arranged on two of the hooks 110, preferably on the two hooks 110 located closed to the ends of the strip 11. Alternatively a higher number of pins 112 may be used and the pins 112 may be located at a different location and can be distant from the hooks 110. The pins 112 are configured to protrude into apertures 32 made in the door panel 3 as represented in fig.5. The pins 112 and the apertures 32 have a complementary height so that the pins 112 enable to set the vertical position of the strip 11 with respect to the door panel 3. The apertures 32 may have a larger width to allow the pin 112 to be translated horizontally within the aperture 32. The aperture 32 may also be used for the fastening of a bracket 23 (visible in Fig.8). The pins 112 have for example a rectangular or squared cross section with an upper flat part configured to come into contact with the upper side of the aperture 32 and a lower flat section configured to come into contact with the lower side of the aperture 32. In the present case, the cross-section has a U shape with both legs of the U shape corresponding to the upper and lower flat parts and configured to extend horizontally when the vehicle is assembled but other shapes may be chosen for the cross-section of the pins 112. The height of the pins 112 matches the height of an aperture 32 and the extremity of the pins 112 may be chamfered to ease the insertion of the pin 112 in the aperture 32 of the door panel 3.
The bowl 5 and the strip 11 also comprise clipping means to block the horizontal displacement of the strip 11 when the hooks 110 and the pins 112 get in the right position (respectively within the slots 50 and within the apertures 32). In the present case, these clipping means are achieved by a lever (not represented), for example a flexible lever, arranged on the bowl 5 and a stop 111 arranged on the strip 11, the stop 111 being configured to block the translation of the strip 11 in the horizontal direction when assembled on the vehicle. The lever may be made in one piece with the bowl 5 and the stop 111 may be made in one piece with the strip 11. Alternatively, the lever could also be arranged on the strip 11 and the stop could be arranged on the bowl 5 and other configurations of clipping means may also be used. The stop 111 is positioned at an end of the strip 11 but other positions of the stop 111 may also be chosen. The pins 112 enables therefore positioning the strip 11 with respect to the door panel 3 and therefore aligning the strip to the door panel 3, especially in the vertical direction. Furthermore, such solution does not require additional parts or additional assembling steps.
The present invention also refers to a method for assembling the vehicle door handle 1 on the door panel 3.
Fig.6 is flowchart of the different steps of the method according to the invention.
The first step 101 refers to the fastening of a bracket 23 (visible in Fig.8) on the inner side of the door panel 3. The inner side corresponds to the side facing the interior of the vehicle when the vehicle is assembled.
The second step 102 refers to the fastening of the strip 11 on the bowl 5. The hooks 110 of the strip 11 are introduced within the slots 50 of the bowl 5. the strip 11 is then translated laterally to-be clipped to the bowl 5.
The third step 103 refers to the positioning of the peripheral gasket 9 on the bowl 5. A footprint may be designed on the bowl 5 to ease the positioning of the peripheral gasket 9 on the bowl 5.
According to an alternate solution corresponding to step 103', the peripheral gasket 9 may be positioned on the outer side of the door panel 3 around the opening, 7. The peripheral gasket 9 may comprise bumps and the door panel 3 may comprise complementary holes configured to receive the bumps to ensure the correct positioning of the peripheral gasket 9.
The fourth step 104 refers to the positioning of the set comprising the bowl 5 and the strip 11 in the opening 7 of the door panel 3, the peripheral gasket 9 being sandwiched between the bowl 5 and the outer side of the door panel 3 and the pins 112 being introduced within the apertures 32.
The fifth step 105 refers to the positioning of a slider 17 (visible in Fig.7 and 8) in a first slot of the bowl 5 and in a second slot of the bracket 23 to ensure the fastening of the bowl 5 to the bracket 23 and the compression of the peripheral gasket 9 between the bowl 5 and the door panel 3. Fig.7 represents an embodiment of the slider 17 positioned on the bowl 5. The slider 17 comprises a first hook 17a and a second hook 17b configured to be introduced in a first slot 5a and a second slot 5b of the bowl 5. Fig.8 represents the bowl 5 of Fig.7 and the bracket 23, the bowl 5 being fastened to the bracket 23 by the slider 17. The bracket 23 comprises hooks 230 forming a slot configured for receiving the slider 17 in order to ensure the fastening of the slider 17 on the bracket 23. Thus, during the assembly, the slider 17 is positioned in both the slots 5a, 5b of the bowl 5 and the hooks 230 of the bracket 23 in order to ensure the fastening of the bowl 5 on the bracket 23. Such fastening of the bowl 5 on the bracket 23 via the slider 17 also ensures the compression of the gasket 9 between the bowl 5 and the door panel 3. Other types of fastening of the bowl 5 to the bracket 23 may also be used.
The different steps of the method may be achieved in a different order.

Claims

Vehicle door handle assembly (1) comprising:
- a bowl (5) configured to be mounted in use in an opening (7) of a door panel (3), characterized in that the vehicle door handle assembly (1) also comprises:

- a strip (11) configured to be fastened to an upper part of the bowl (5),
wherein the strip (11) comprises two pins (112) configured to extend through holes (52) made in the bowl (5) and to protrude in two respective apertures (32) of the door panel (3) to ensure the positioning of the strip (11) with respect to the door panel (3) in the vertical direction when the door handle (1) is assembled to the vehicle.
Vehicle door handle assembly (1) in accordance with claim 1 wherein the height of the pins (112) corresponds to the height of the apertures (32) to prevent a displacement of the pins (112) in the apertures (32) in the vertical direction when the door handle (3) is assembled to the vehicle.
Vehicle door handle assembly (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the extremity of the pins (112) configured to be positioned in the respective apertures (32) has a rectangular or squared section.
Vehicle door handle assembly (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the strip (11) extends in a horizontal direction and the pins (112) are disposed toward the ends of the strip (11).
Vehicle door handle assembly (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the pins (112) comprise a proximate part having a hook shape configured to be slid in a complementary slot (50) of the bowl (5) to ensure the vertical positioning of the strip (11) with respect to the bowl (5).
Vehicle door handle assembly (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the hook shape of the pins (112) and the complementary slots (50) are directed in the horizontal direction.
Vehicle door handle assembly (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the strip (11) and the bowl (5) also comprise clipping means to block the horizontal displacement of the strip (11) with respect to the bowl (5) when the door handle (1) is assembled to the vehicle.
Vehicle door handle assembly (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the extremity of the pins (112) is chamfered to ease the insertion of the pins in the apertures of the door panel (3).
Vehicle door handle assembly (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims also comprising a bracket (23) attached to the inner side of the door panel (3) and a slider configured for linking the bracket (23) and the bowl (5) in order to ensure the fastening of the bowl (5) on the door panel (3).
Method for assembling a vehicle door handle assembly (1) on a door panel (3), the door panel (3) comprising an opening (7) configured for receiving the vehicle door handle assembly (1) and the vehicle door handle assembly (1) comprising a bowl (5) and a peripheral gasket (9) characterized in that the vehicle door handle assembly also comprises a strip comprising two pins (112) configured to extend through holes (52) made in the bowl (5) and to protrude in two respective apertures (32) of the door panel (3) to ensure the positioning of the strip (11) with respect to the door panel (3) in the vertical direction when the door handle (1) is assembled to the vehicle, wherein the method comprises the following
steps:
- the peripheral gasket (9) is positioned on the bowl (5), (102)

- the bowl (5) is positioned in the opening (7) of the door panel (3), the peripheral gasket (9) being sandwiched between the door panel (3) and the bowl (5), (103)

- the strip (11) is fastened to the bowl (5), the pins (112) of the strip (11) extending through holes made in the bowl (5) and protruding in two respective apertures (32) of the door panel (3) in the fastening position.
Method for assembling a vehicle door handle assembly (1) on a door panel (3) in accordance with the previous claim wherein the step (105) of fastening the strip to the bowl (5) also comprises the clipping of the strip (11) to the bowl (5).
Method for assembling a vehicle door handle assembly (1) on a door panel (3) in accordance with claim 10 or 11 wherein the vehicle door handle assembly (1) also comprises a bracket (23) and a slider (17) and wherein the method also comprises a preliminary step (101) of fastening the bracket to an inner side of the door panel (3) and an additional step (104) of positioning the slider (17) in a slot (5a, 5b) of the bowl (5) and in a slot (230) of the bracket (23) to ensure the fastening of the bowl (5) to the bracket (23) and the compression of the peripheral gasket (9) between the bowl (5) and the door panel (3).