Description:SCOOP TYPE OUTER DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY FOR C-PILLAR OF VEHICLE

Field of the invention

The present invention generally relates to a door handle of a vehicle and more particularly, to a scoop type outer door handle assembly for a C- pillar of the vehicle.

Background of the invention

A door handle is an attached object or mechanism used to manually open or close a door. The door handle generally refers to any fixed or lever-operated door device. The outer door handle is assembled with a door panel with the help of screws. The door is unlocked/unlatched with the help of a lever handle movement and this movement should be restricted while the vehicle having side impact or vehicle side impact crash test to avoid opening of the door.

The rear part of a vehicle body is known as C-pillar. For C-pillar of the vehicle, two kinds of handles are generally used namely, a flap type handle and a scoop type handle. However, presently available C-Pillar type outside handle only qualifies 70 G crash requirements if it is protected through an inertia catcher mechanism. As the inertia catcher mechanism includes a blocking lever, a pin and a spring, the number of parts and ultimately the part price increases.

Efforts are seen in the prior art to provide C-pillar type outside handle with inertia mechanism. Reference may be made to EP4060151A1 that discloses an apparatus for operating an automotive vehicle door. The apparatus includes a pivoting door handle, a stop located exterior to the door and engageable by the handle to limit pivoting of the handle, a moveable door latch having an open state and a closed state, and a cable secured to the handle for transmitting movement of the handle to the latch. However, this application does not include a lever mechanism to open the door and includes 5 axial movement to de-latch the door. Further, the apparatus includes three actuators and four dynamic parts movement in handle assembly to de-latch the door thereby making it a complex mechanism. Furthermore, the handle assembly operation to open the door is visible at the vehicle level and a bezel is moveable part of the mechanism that acts like a lever.

Accordingly, there exists a need to provide a scoop type outer door handle assembly for C- pillar of a vehicle that qualifies rollover crash test and vehicle side crash requirement up to 70 G and overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.

Objects of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a scoop type outer door handle assembly for a C- pillar of a vehicle that qualifies a rollover crash test and a vehicle side crash requirement up to 70 G.

Another object of the present invention is to achieve 70 G crash requirement without an inertia catcher assembly.

Summary of the invention

Accordingly, the present invention provides a scoop type outer door handle assembly (hereinafter, “assembly”) for a C- pillar of a vehicle. The assembly qualifies 70 G crash requirement. The assembly comprises a bracket, a bezel, a lever handle and a cable actuator. The bracket is locked with a door panel using nut inserts. The positive locking between the bracket and the bezel is achieved using self-taping screws. The bezel covers the lever handle and the bracket, and a glass door assembly of the vehicle. The lever handle includes a negative stopper integrated therein. The lever handle rotation axis is locked with the bracket using a pivot pin. The cable actuator receives a stroke from the lever handle and provides the stroke to a latch with the help of a cable. The cable actuator rotation axis is locked with a spring using an actuator pin. The lever handle and the cable actuator are brought back to a close position by the spring to lock the door. Specifically, the cable actuator is designed to be at a center of the lever handle to reduce the gap of the actuator pin to lever center of gravity point thereby generating less amount of inertia torque at the time of side crash.

In accordance with the present invention, as the lever handle and the cable actuator are having different axial rotations at different directions, at the time of a side and a rollover crash the lever handle tends to rotate in a Y direction (vehicle inside) and the cable actuator tends to rotate in a vehicle Z direction (vehicle outside) and therefore, the negative stopper restricts the cable actuator movement at the time of the side crash and the rollover crash at the Z direction.

Brief description of the drawings

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the disclosure is read in conjunction with the following figures, wherein
Figure 1 shows a scoop type outer door handle assembly for a C- pillar of a vehicle, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the scoop type outer door handle assembly, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a back view of the scoop type outer door handle assembly, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 4 shows an isometric view of the scoop type outer door handle assembly, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 5 shows rotational positions of a lever handle and a cable actuator of the scoop type outer door handle assembly, in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 6 shows a negative stopper of the scoop type outer door handle assembly, in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with the prior art, techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention as described below in the preferred embodiments.

The present invention provides a scoop type outer door handle assembly for a C- pillar of a vehicle. The scoop type outer door handle assembly includes a negative stopper integrated in a lever handle to restrict the movement of a cable actuator at the time of a side crash and a rollover crash test. The scoop type outer door handle assembly qualifies 70 G crash requirement without an inertia catcher assembly.

This present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. These reference numbers are shown in bracket in the following description and in table below.
Table:
Ref. No. Component name Ref. No. Component name
5 Self-taping screws 40 Cable actuator
10 Bracket 45 Actuator pin
15 Pivot pin 50 Scoop type outer door handle assembly
20 Bezel 60 C- pillar
25 Negative stopper 65 Nut inserts
30 Lever handle 70 Door panel
35 Spring 80 Glass door assembly

Referring to figures 1-6, a scoop type outer door handle assembly (50) (hereinafter, “the assembly (50)”) for a C- pillar (60) of a vehicle in accordance with the present invention is shown. The assembly (50) comprises a bracket (10), a bezel (20), a lever handle (30) and a cable actuator (40).

The bracket (10) is locked with a door panel (70) using nut inserts (65). Specifically, the door panels (70) are metal panels. However, it is understood here that the door panels (70) can be of any other suitable material in other alternative embodiments of the present invention. The bracket (10) is used to hold the lever handle (30) and the cable actuator (40) with the door panel (70) and the bezel (20). The positive locking between the bracket (10) and the bezel (20) is achieved using self-taping screws (5).

The bezel (20) covers the lever handle (30) and the bracket (30) and, also a glass door assembly (80) of the vehicle. The lever handle (30) rotation axis is locked with the bracket (10) using a pivot pin (15). The lever handle (30) includes a negative stopper (25) integrated therein. The negative stopper (25) restricts the movement of the cable actuator (40) at the time of a side crash and a rollover crash test. The lever handle (30) provides a stroke to the cable actuator (40) that in turn provides the stroke to latch with the help of a cable. The lever handle (30) and the cable actuator (40) are brought back to a close position by a spring (35) to lock the door. The cable actuator (40) rotation axis is locked with the spring (35) using an actuator pin (45). In accordance with the present invention, the cable actuator (40) is designed to be at a center of the lever handle (30) to reduce the gap of the actuator pin (45) to lever center of gravity point thereby generating less amount of inertia torque at the time of side crash.
In accordance with the present invention, the lever handle (30) and the cable actuator (40) are restricted through the spring (35) to lock the door. But the spring (35) has less amount of torque to restrict the movement of the cable actuator (40) at the time of 70 G crash. If the spring torque value increases and an operating effort also increase then the door will not be opened. As the lever handle (30) and the cable actuator (40) are having different axial rotations at different directions, at the time of the side and the rollover crash the lever handle (30) tends to rotate in a Y direction (vehicle inside) and the cable actuator (40) tends to rotate in a vehicle Z direction (vehicle outside). Therefore, the negative stopper (25) restricts the cable actuator movement at the time of the side crash and the rollover crash at the Z direction. The assembly (50) qualifies 70 G crash requirement.

Advantages of the invention

1. The assembly (50) qualifies 70 G crash requirement without an inertia catcher assembly.
2. As the assembly (50) does not include the inertia catcher assembly, the number of parts required and part cost associated therewith is reduced thereby making the assembly (50) cost effective.
3. The assembly (50) achieves a rollover crash requirement without further protection in the cable and the door latch.
4. The assembly (50) includes the negative stopper (25) design integrated in the lever handle (30) and does not include extra parts.
5. The assembly (50) reduces side crash test fail possibilities for the requirement up to 70 G.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omission and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the scope of the present invention. , Claims:We claim:

1. A scoop type outer door handle assembly (50) for a C- pillar (60) of a vehicle, the scoop type outer door handle assembly (50) comprising:
a bracket (10) locked with a door panel (70) using nut inserts (65);
a lever handle (30) having a negative stopper (25) integrated therein, the lever handle (30) rotation axis being locked with the bracket (10) using a pivot pin (15);
a bezel (20) for covering the lever handle (30) and the bracket (30), and a glass door assembly (80) of the vehicle;
a cable actuator (40) for receiving a stroke from the lever handle (30) and providing the stroke to a latch with the help of a cable, the cable actuator (40) rotation axis being locked with a spring (35) using an actuator pin (45), wherein the lever handle (30) and the cable actuator (40) are brought back to a close position by the spring (35) to lock the door,
wherein, as the lever handle (30) and the cable actuator (40) are having different axial rotations at different directions, at the time of a side and a rollover crash the lever handle (30) tends to rotate in a Y direction (vehicle inside) and the cable actuator (40) tends to rotate in a vehicle Z direction (vehicle outside) and therefore, the negative stopper (25) restricts the cable actuator movement at the time of the side crash and the rollover crash at the Z direction.

2. The scoop type outer door handle assembly (50) as claimed in claim 1, wherein positive locking between the bracket (10) and the bezel (20) is achieved using self-taping screws (5).

3. The scoop type outer door handle assembly (50) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable actuator (40) is designed to be at a center of the lever handle (30) to reduce the gap of the actuator pin (45) to lever center of gravity point thereby generating less amount of inertia torque at the time of side crash.

4. The scoop type outer door handle assembly (50) as claimed in claim 1 qualifies 70 G crash requirement.