US2862753A - Outside door handle assembly - Google Patents

Description

Dec 2 1953 B. D.vPRlE"s1'l\a/M\1V ETAL *2,852,753

nuTsIDE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY. H

" Filed sept. 25, 1954 'INVENTORS United States Patent C OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY BeWley D. Priestman, Livonia, Mich., and John G. Hertlein, Trenton, N. J., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 23, 1954, Serial No. 457,871

z claims. (c1. 29z-336.3)

This invention relates to a door handle assembly, and more particularly to a push-button door-handle assembly for an automobile.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved push-button door-handle assembly; another feature of the invention is that it provides a novel andimproved means for retaining an actuating rod and push button in the door handle; a further feature of the invention is that it provides improved means for holding the handle assembly together in a chamber which is elliptical in transverse section; still another feature of the invention is that it provides improved means for releasably locking a stop member in the assembly to a retainer member; and yet a further feature of the invention is that it provides improved means for holding the retainer member in the chamber opening.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an automobile door handle embodying the invention, parts of the handle being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view looking along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, the view having been turned end for end; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, the rod 28 being shown in elevation.

Most automobile door handles currently in use are xedly mounted on the door, having a stationary gripping portion and a butt portion with a chamber in which a push button is mounted. In these handles there is an inside opening into the chamber for inserting the push button, actuating rod and push-button spring, and this opening generally is circular so that the push button, the actuating rod, and the push-button spring can be retained inside the chamber by means of a conventional snap ring seated in a circumferential groove in the wall of the chamber. In order to improve the appearance of the handle and blend it better into the overall streamlined appearance of the automobile, it is sometimes desirable to make the butt portion of the handle elliptical rather than circular in section, with the result that the chamber which houses the push button, actuating rod, and spring is elliptical in transverse section. With this construction a conventional type of snap ring is not suitable, and this invention relates primarily to improved means for releasably retaining the push-button assembly in the chamber in the handle butt where an elliptical or other non-circular or elongated (in transverse section) chamber is used.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, represents a door handle which is mounted by means of screws 12 on the outer panel 14 of an automobile door. The handle includes a gripping portion 16 and a butt portion 18 which is elliptical in transverse section as i shown best in Figure 2. A continuation 20 of the handle portion may overlie the butt as shown in Figure 3.

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Shims 21 and 22 are mounted between the handle and the door.

The elliptical butt portion of the handle has an e1- liptical chamber 24 which houses a push button 26, an actuating rod 28, and a push-button spring 30. As shown in Figures l and 3 the push button projects outwardly from the chamber ,24 through an opening 32, and the inner end of the push button in the chamber is ilanged at 26a to prevent the push button from being removed from the chamber. Flange 26a normally seats against a sealing ring 34 in the chamber. The actuating rod 28 projects inwardly from the chamber through an opening 36 and is adapted to operate the door latch through an actuator shown at 38 in Figure 1. The spring 30 urges the push button outwardly to the position shown in Figures l and 3.

An elliptical stop member 40 in the opening 36 seats the end of the compression spring 30. p In conventionally used constructions, where the opening 36 is circular the stop member 40 may be retained by an ordinary snap ring seated in a circumferential groove in the wall of the chamber 24. However, since the opening 36 is elliptical, such a snap ring is Anot suitable and a new and improved retaining means is provided.

The stop member 40 has a central hub 42 with a bore 44 through which the push rod 28 projects. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, opposite radially extending detents 46 are formed on the stop member 40. An elongated retainer 50 is slidable on the hub 42, this retainer having radial slots 52 for receiving the detents 46 when the parts are assembled to lock the stop member 40 and the retainer 50 against relative rotation.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, circumferential slots 54 are formed around the opposite sides between the vertices of the elliptical chamber 24. These slots are formed by shelf members 55 which extend along portions of each side between the vertices of the ellipse, and a circumferential cut-away portion which extends around the chamber and forms a shoulder 56 for seating the stop member 40. The retainer 50 has two opposite at sides 50a and 5017 and two arcuate ends 50c and 50d. The Width of the retainer between the sides 50a and 50b is less than the width (measured along the conjugate axis) of the chamber 24, and the length of the retainer is such that its ends enter the slots 54 and project under the shelves 55 when the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 2. When the parts are assembled, the stop member 40 is slid over the end of the push rod 28 and is pushed into the chamber 24 against the force of spring 30. The retainer 50 is mounted on the hub 42 of the stop member and is inserted into the opening 36 in a rotative position 90 degrees from the position shown in the drawings so that its arcuate ends are adjacent the vertices of the lelliptical opening. With the parts in this position and with the retainer located in the plane of the circumferential slots 54, the retainer is rotated through an are of degrees. During this rotation the retainer will ride on the detents 46 on the stop member, and the arcuate ends 50c and 50d will enter the slots 54 to hold the parts assembled. When the retainer is rotated to the position shown in the drawings, the detents 46 will snap into the radial slots 52 to releasably lock the stop member 40 and the retainer 50 against relative rotation.

If it is desired to take the assembly apart for any reason, it is merely necessary to push in on the end of the hub 42, moving the detents 46 out of the radial slots 52. With the parts held separated in this manner, the retainer 50 may be rotated through an arc of 90 degrees so that the arcuate ends 50c and 50d move out of the slots 54, permitting removal of the retainer and stop member from the chamber 24. The retainer is provided with two holes 58 for the insertion of a tool to facilitate its rotation.

While We have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a door handle assembly comprising a door handle having a gripping portion and a butt portion, a chamber in said butt portion having an elliptical opening at one end thereof, an actuating rod in said chamber, and a spring in said chamber urging said rod in one direction, apparatus for mounting the spring in the chamber comprising an elongated stop member movably and nonrotatably received Within said opening for seating said spring, said member having a central hub with a bore therethrough for receiving said rod, a pair of oppositely located grooves in the Wall of said chamber at the minor axis of said opening, an elongated retainer member rotatably mounted on said hub and being freely receivable within said opening along the major axis thereof, said retainer being rotatable about said hub to a position along the minor axis of said opening in engagement Within said grooves to limit movement of said stop member against the action of the spring and inter-engaging means on said stop member and retainer member to lock said retainer member against rotation.

2. In a door handle assembly comprising a door handle having a gripping portion and a butt portion, a chamber in said butt portion having an elliptical opening at one end thereof, an actuating rod in said chamber, and a spring in said chamber urging said rod in one direction, apparatus for mounting said spring in the chamber comprising an elongated stop member movably and nonrotatably received Within said opening for seating Said spring, said member having a hub with a bore therethrough for receiving said rod and a pair of detents adjacent said hub along the minor axis thereof, a pair of oppositely located grooves in the Wall of said chamber at the minor axis of said opening, an elongated retainer member having a pair of slots along the major axis thereof and being freely receivable Within said opening along the major axis thereof for rotation about said hub, said retainer member being rotatable within said opening to a position along the minor axis thereof in engagement within said grooves to register said slots With said detents and thereby lock said retainer member in place against rotation whereby said member limits movement of said stop member against' the action of said spring.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 531,603 Tomlinson Dec. 25, 1894 1,038,933 Miller Sept. 17, 1912 2,606,783 Roethel Aug. 12, 1952

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