Vehicle door handle controls

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle door handle control device capable of suppressing production costs and improving the opening and closing operability of a side door. The door handle control device comprises a rod (20) capable of protruding or retracting outward in the vehicle width direction from a storage position aligned with a surface of an outer door panel (11), a position switch (70a) for detecting the movement position of the rod (20), a locking mechanism (14) having a lock capable of engaging with a lock catch in conjunction with the rod (20), a locking switch (14a) for detecting whether the lock is in a fully locked state, a driving device (40) capable of changing the position of the rod (20) between the storage position and the gripping position, and a CPU (80) capable of controlling the driving device (40). The CPU (80) forcibly changes the position of the rod (20) to the gripping position via a motor (42) when the lock is in a semi-locked state and the rod (20) is in the storage position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a door handle control device for a vehicle, and in particular to a door handle control device for a vehicle, which has a handle rod that can protrude or retract outward in the vehicle width direction from a storage position that is on the same side as the surface of a door panel, and a position changing module that can change the active position of the handle rod from the storage position. Background Art

[0002] A technology has been proposed to enhance the design of vehicle side doors and reduce air resistance during driving by designing the outer surface of the door panel and the outer surface of the handle lever to be flush (a flush surface design). The handle lever of this flush surface door can be positioned, as required, between a stowed position focused on design, where it is housed in a recessed portion formed inwardly of the door panel to flush with the outer surface of the exterior door panel, and a gripping position focused on operability, where it protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from this stowed position and can be manually opened by the occupant.

[0003] Generally speaking, a vehicle locking mechanism includes a striker mounted at the rear of a door opening on the vehicle body side and a latch that engages with the striker. The latch in this locking mechanism can be in one of three states: an unlocked state in which the striker and latch are completely disengaged; a partially locked state in which the striker and latch are slightly engaged; and a fully locked state in which the striker and latch are fully engaged.

[0004] When a passenger gets off the vehicle, depending on the force with which the passenger closes the side door, the locking mechanism may sometimes be in a semi-locked state in which it is half-engaged with the lock catch, i.e., the side door is in a half-open state.

[0005] There is a high risk of theft when the vehicle's doors are half-open, and there is also a risk of damage due to the open side doors coming into contact with the parking equipment when the vehicle is circulated in the multi-story parking lot.

[0006] The notification device of patent document 1 includes an interior light whose part of the emitted light can pass through the side door window, a detection unit for detecting the open state, closed state and half-open state of the side door, and a control unit that controls the interior light based on the detection result of the detection unit, wherein the control unit changes the lighting form of the interior light according to the detected open state, closed state and half-open state.

[0007] Prior art literature

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-002027. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0011] The notification device disclosed in Patent Document 1 notifies passengers of the side door's open / closed state (locked / engaged) by transmitting light through the vehicle window when the passenger closes the door and leaves the vehicle. Furthermore, the emitted light allows passengers to visually identify the side door's open / closed state upon exiting the vehicle. However, the notification device disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a change in the lighting pattern of the interior lights, necessitating a dedicated lighting mechanism for notifying passengers of a partially opened door. This complicates the overall structure of the device and increases production costs.

[0012] In order to prevent mischief, flush surface type doors have an automatic door closing mechanism that automatically returns the handle lever from the gripping position to the storage position after the door is opened or closed.

[0013] When an automatic door closing mechanism is used, sometimes the locking mechanism is still in a semi-locked state (a half-open door state) even though the handle lever is in the retracted position.

[0014] In order to change the locking mechanism from a semi-locked state to a fully locked state where the lock and the lock are completely engaged, the passenger needs to press the request switch on the side door again to change the handle rod from the storage position to the holding position, and then manually open and close the door again. The process of closing the door again may be complicated.

[0015] That is, it is not easy to improve the opening and closing operability of the side door while suppressing the production cost.

[0016] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle door handle control device and the like that can reduce production costs and improve the opening and closing operability of a side door.

[0017] Technical means to solve technical problems

[0018] The door handle control device of a vehicle involved in the first embodiment of the present application includes: a handle rod that can protrude or retract toward the outside in the vehicle width direction from a storage position that is flush with the surface of the vehicle door panel; a handle rod position detection module that detects the movement position of the handle rod; a locking mechanism having a lock that can be engaged with a lock provided on the vehicle body in conjunction with the handle rod; a locking state detection module that detects whether the lock is in a fully locked state; a position changing module that can change the position of the handle rod between the storage position and the position where the engagement between the lock and the lock can be released; a control module that can control the position changing module; wherein, when the handle rod is not in the fully locked state and is in the storage position, the control module causes the handle rod to protrude from the surface of the vehicle door panel through the position changing module, so that its position is changed to a gripping position that can be gripped by a passenger.

[0019] This vehicle door handle control device includes a handle lever that can protrude or retract outward in the vehicle width direction from a stowed position flush with the door panel surface, thereby enhancing the design of the side door. When the handle lever is not in the fully locked state and is in the stowed position, the control module, via the position change module, causes the handle lever to protrude from the door panel surface, changing its position to a gripping position suitable for a vehicle occupant. This eliminates the need for a dedicated notification mechanism, allowing passengers who have exited the vehicle to visually recognize that the locking mechanism is in a partially locked state.

[0020] The door handle control device of the vehicle involved in the second embodiment of the present invention has a request switch, which is arranged on the door panel and is operated by the passenger when opening the closed door panel; wherein, in the fully locked state and when the handle rod is in the storage position, the control module changes the position of the handle rod to the holding position through the position change module based on the operation of the request switch.

[0021] This proposal achieves a balance between exterior design (flat surface) and ease of opening and closing of the side doors, while allowing the existing mechanism to be reused.

[0022] In the vehicle door handle control device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the control module changes the position of the handle bar to the gripping position via the position changing module and then changes the position of the handle bar to the storage position after a certain time has passed.

[0023] According to this solution, the operation of the handle bar under certain conditions can be restricted, which can play an anti-theft role.

[0024] In the vehicle door handle control device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, when the handle lever position detection module detects that the handle lever is in the gripping position, the control module stops the position changing module from moving the handle lever.

[0025] According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress excessive load applied to the position changing module and avoid damage to the position changing module.

[0026] Effects of the Invention

[0027] According to the vehicle door handle control device of the present invention, when the door is not in the fully locked state where the lock and the striker are fully engaged, the handle lever is forcibly moved to the gripping position, thereby reducing production costs and improving the operability of the side door. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 A side view of a vehicle having the vehicle door handle control device according to Example 1;

[0029] Figure 2 is a side view of a side door with a rod in a stowed position;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The III-III line cross-sectional view;

[0031] Figure 4 is a top view of the driving device;

[0032] Figure 5 is an oblique view showing the relationship between the door handle structure and the locking mechanism;

[0033] Figure 6 For a device having a rod in a gripping position Figure 3 Correspondence diagram;

[0034] Figure 7 For a device having a lever in an open position Figure 3 Corresponding diagram;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a control block diagram of the door handle control device;

[0036] Figure 9 Flowchart of the door handle control processing steps. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of application or use of the present invention.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] The following is based on Figures 1 to 9 Example 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle V includes a hinge pillar 1 extending in the up-down direction of the vehicle body at the front of the cabin, a side sill 2 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body at the lower part of the vehicle body, a front pillar 3 extending obliquely toward the rear and upward from the upper end of the hinge pillar 1, a roof side sill 4 extending continuously from the rear end of the front pillar 3 toward the rear of the vehicle body, and a rear pillar 5 connecting the roof side sill 4 and the side sill 2 in the approximately up-down direction of the vehicle body.

[0041] In the figure, the direction of arrow F indicates the front, the direction of arrow OUT indicates the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the direction of arrow U indicates the upper side.

[0042] A portion surrounded by the hinge pillar 1 , the side sill 2 , the front pillar 3 , the roof sill 4 , and the rear pillar 5 forms a door opening 6 .

[0043] The side door 8 is openably and closably mounted on the hinge pillar 1 via a pair of upper and lower door hinges 7 , 7 , and is used to open and close the door opening 6 .

[0044] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, the side door 8 has a door body 9 and a door window glass 10 as a door window member. The door body 9 includes an outer door panel 11, an inner door panel (not shown), and a reinforcement member 12 provided on the inner side and rear side of the outer door panel 11 in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. Figure 3 ).

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the door handle structure for opening and closing the side door 8 includes a door handle rod 20 (hereinafter referred to as the rod) that can protrude or retract in the vehicle width direction from an opening 13 of an outer door panel 11 serving as an outer door panel, a hinge arm 30 having a curved swan-neck structure having the rod 20, and a drive device 40 that transmits power to the hinge arm 30 to cause the rod 20 to protrude from the outer door panel 11.

[0046] Furthermore, the vehicle includes a metal bracket 16 that accommodates the rod 20 and is fixed to the reinforcement 12 provided on the door panel.

[0047] Rod 20 includes Figure 3 The outer cover 21 and the inner cover 22 are shown, and the peripheral edges of the outer cover 21 and the inner cover 22 are fitted with concave and convex parts and are joined and fixed.

[0048] Furthermore, the rod 20 and the opening 13 of the outer door panel 11 have an elliptical shape that is long in the front-rear direction in a side view.

[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, an opening 23 is formed on the front side of the inner cover 22 for inserting the hinge arm 30 during assembly.

[0050] The hinge arm 30 has the rod 20 at one end (rear end) and a hinge pin 31 at the other end (front end) that serves as a pivot axis for rotating the rod 20 protruding outward in the vehicle width direction from the outer door panel 11. The hinge pin 31 is fixed to the bracket 16 and extends in the vertical direction.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the hinge arm 30 integrally includes a hinge portion 32 that hinges the hinge pin 31, a rod support portion 34 that extends rearward from the hinge portion 32 through a gooseneck-shaped neck portion 33, and a protruding portion 35 that extends forward from the hinge portion 32, opposite to the neck portion 33. The rod support portion 34 is disposed inside the rod 20, which includes the outer cover 21 and the inner cover 22.

[0052] like Figure 3 , Figure 4As shown, a motor base 41 for assembling a driving device 40 is mounted on the protruding portion 35 of the hinge arm 30 .

[0053] A crank plate 50 is provided coaxially with the hinge pin 31. A longitudinal wall 51 is provided on the rear side of the crank plate 50 and on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The longitudinal wall 51 is provided when the lever 20 and the hinge arm 30 are rotated to the gripping position (see FIG. Figure 6 ) is near the hinge arm 30 and is locked with the neck 33 of the hinge arm 30.

[0054] like Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, a wire 52 is fixed to the inner end of the crank plate 50 in the vehicle width direction. The wire 52 can unlock a rotatable lock (not shown) provided in the lock mechanism 14 from a lock buckle (not shown) provided on the vehicle body.

[0055] The crank plate 50 is constantly biased in the anti-separation direction by the coil spring 37 having a large spring force.

[0056] The locking mechanism 14 is disposed inside the rear side of the door body 9 .

[0057] The locking mechanism 14 includes a lock switch 14a (lock state detection module) that detects whether the lock is in the fully locked state. The lock switch 14a determines the engagement state of the lock with the striker based on the lock's rotational position. Specifically, the lock switch 14a detects the fully locked state, the partially locked state, and the unlocked state.

[0058] And as Figure 4 As shown, a torsion spring 36 serving as a biasing module is wound around the hinge pin 31. One end 36a of the torsion spring 36 is locked to the crank plate 50, and the other end (not shown) of the torsion spring 36 is locked to the extension 35 of the hinge arm 30. Thus, the torsion spring 36 always biases the rod 20 in the retracting direction. Compared to the coil spring 37 (see FIG. 1 ), which biases the crank plate 50 in the anti-detachment direction, Figure 5 ) of the spring force, the spring force of the torsion spring 36 is set to be smaller.

[0059] Next, refer to Figure 4 The structure of the drive device 40 that transmits power to the other end of the hinge arm 30 will be described. The drive device 40 includes a sector gear G1 coaxially fixed to the hinge pin 31. This sector gear G1 is engaged with the hinge pin 31 and mounted on the bracket 16 in a fixed position. In other words, this sector gear G1 does not rotate.

[0060] A motor 42 (position change module), a reversible motor, is mounted on a motor base 41. An output gear G2 is engaged with a rotating shaft 43 of the motor 42. An intermediate gear G4, including a pinion G3, is mounted on a shaft 44 provided on the motor base 41. Furthermore, a driven gear G6, including a pinion G5, is mounted on another shaft 45 provided on the motor base 41.

[0061] like Figure 4 As shown, the output gear G2 is meshed with the intermediate gear G4. The pinion G3 is meshed with the driven gear G6. The pinion G5 is meshed with the sector gear G1. As a result, the motor 42 is driven in the protruding direction of the rod 20 (forward rotation drive), and its rotating shaft 43 and the output gear G2 are moved in the same direction. Figure 4 After the counterclockwise rotation, the pinion G5 is rotated to Figure 7 counterclockwise rotation.

[0062] Small gear G5 Figure 4 After the counterclockwise rotation, since the position of the sector gear G1 remains unchanged, the gear train 46, motor 42, and motor base 41 composed of the elements G2 to G6 move the rod 20 in the protruding direction along the sector shape of the sector gear G1, and protrude the rod 20 through the hinge arm 30.

[0063] The rod 20 can be in the storage position (refer to Figure 3 ), holding position (pop-up position), open position ( Figure 7 Reference), wherein: the storage position is a position where the outer cover 21 and the vehicle exterior door panel 11 are on the same surface; the holding position (pop-up position) is a position where the driving device 40 causes the entire design surface of the rod 20 at the storage position to protrude (pop up) from the vehicle exterior door panel 11 so that a passenger can hold it; the open position is a position that protrudes further outward in the vehicle width direction than the holding position.

[0064] In this embodiment, the gripping position corresponds to a position where the engagement between the buckle and the latch can be released.

[0065] The drive device 40 can rotate the rod 20 from the storage position to the holding position. Figure 3 Arrival at the indicated storage position Figure 6 Between the gripping positions shown, the crank plate 50 does not rotate about the hinge pin 31 and is urged in the anti-separation direction by the highly springy coil spring 37 .

[0066] exist Figure 6 In the gripping position shown, the lever 20 protrudes a certain amount outward from the vehicle outer door panel 11 in the vehicle width direction, so the occupant can grip the lever 20 with his fingertips.

[0067] In addition, the vehicle occupant manually opens the lever 20 to move from the gripping position to the open position (see FIG. Figure 7 ) position moves.

[0068] like Figure 6 As shown, after the hinge arm 30 reaches the gripping position, the neck 33 of the hinge arm 30 approaches the longitudinal wall 51 of the crank plate 50 .

[0069] Furthermore, when the operating lever 20 is rotated in the opening direction against the spring force of the coil spring 37, the neck 33 abuts the longitudinal wall 51, and the crank plate 50 rotates in the disengaging direction. Finally, the latch and the lock catch are released by the pull wire 52. Furthermore, the neck 33 may abut the longitudinal wall 51 during or after the gripping position.

[0070] like Figure 3 As shown, the switch unit 60 is disposed at the rear end of the rod 20, specifically, at the vehicle widthwise inner portion of the rear end side of the bracket 16 facing the rear end of the inner cover 22. The switch unit 60 includes a request switch 60a therein.

[0071] When the rear end portion of the lever 20 is pushed, the request switch 60 a is turned on via the lever 20 , and the motor 42 is energized.

[0072] Furthermore, a lock cylinder 15 is provided on the bracket 16 near the front side of the switch unit 60. Figure 3 As shown, at the storage position of the rod 20 , a temporary placement mechanism 70 for temporarily placing the hinge arm 30 in the gripping position is provided at a certain position of the bracket 16 between the neck 33 of the hinge arm 30 and the lock cylinder 15 .

[0073] The temporary placement mechanism 70 mechanically places the hinge arm 30 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 36 as the biasing module. The temporary placement mechanism 70 places the hinge arm 30 in the gripping position of the lever 20 and allows the passenger to manually move the lever 20 in the stowed or opened direction.

[0074] The lever 20 is capable of swinging relative to the lever support portion 34 of the hinge arm 30. Therefore, when the rear end portion of the lever 20 in the stored position is pressed from the outside in the vehicle width direction, the rear end portion of the lever 20 swings and displaces inward in the vehicle width direction, reaching a switch pressing position for turning on the request switch 60a in the switch unit 60.

[0075] The temporary placement mechanism 70 is a mechanism for temporarily maintaining the stopped position of the hinge arm 30 at the gripping position of the rod 20. The temporary placement mechanism 70 includes a roller 75 as a hinge arm locking portion that locks the hinge arm 30 with a pressing force at the gripping position, and a position switch 70a (handle rod position detection module) that can detect that the rod 20 is at the gripping position. By setting up the temporary placement mechanism 70 as described above, it is possible to temporarily maintain the stopped position of the hinge arm 30 at the gripping position without having to continuously drive the motor 42 by electric power. Figure 6 The gripping position shown mechanically and temporarily positions the hinge arm 30 .

[0076] Next, refer to Figure 8 The structure of a vehicle door handle control device will be described.

[0077] Figure 8 This is a control block diagram of a vehicle's door handle control device.

[0078] A CPU 80 is provided as a control module connected to the position switch 70a and the motor 42 of the drive device 40. The input side of the CPU 80 is connected to the lock switch 14a, the request switch 60a, and the position switch 70a, and the output side of the CPU 80 is connected to the motor 42.

[0079] The CPU 80 drives and controls the motor 42 based on input signals from the lock switch 14a, the request switch 60a, and the position switch 70a according to a program stored in the ROM 81. The RAM 82 stores necessary data in a readable manner.

[0080] Furthermore, the CPU 80 includes a timer module (not shown) that measures the time that has elapsed since the position of the lever 20 was changed when the lever 20 was moved to the gripping position.

[0081] When the lock is fully locked and the lever 20 is in the retracted position, the CPU 80, in response to the pressing of the request switch 60a, moves the lever 20 to the gripping position via the drive device 40 (motor 42). Furthermore, after the CPU 80 begins moving the lever 20 toward the opening direction, if the position switch 70a detects that the lever 20 is in the gripping position, the CPU 80 stops the drive device 40 from changing the position of the lever 20.

[0082] After the CPU 80 changes the position of the lever 20 to the gripping position via the drive device 40 (motor 42), it then changes the position of the lever 20 from the gripping position to the stowed position after a certain period of time (e.g., five minutes). Furthermore, when the lever 20 is in the stowed position and the vehicle is not fully locked, the CPU 80 causes the drive device 40 (motor 42) to protrude the lever 20 from the surface of the outer panel 11, moving the lever 20 to a gripping position that allows the vehicle occupant to grasp it with their fingertips.

[0083] Next, based on Figure 9The door handle control process is described in the flowchart of FIG.

[0084] Si (i=1, 2, ...) represents each processing step.

[0085] First, if Figure 9 As shown, the CPU 80 reads various information such as detection signals of the switches 14 a , 60 a , 70 a and the like and measured values ​​of the timer module ( S1 ), and then proceeds to S2 .

[0086] In S2 , it is determined whether the request switch 60 a is turned on by a push operation.

[0087] If the result of determination in S2 is that the request switch 60a is turned on, that is, there is a request from the passenger to open the side door 8, the process proceeds to S3.

[0088] In S3 , it is determined whether the rod 20 is located at the storage position.

[0089] If the result of S3 is that the rod 20 is located at the storage position, the motor 42 is energized to rotate forward in order to change the position of the rod 20 to the gripping position ( S4 ), and the process proceeds to S5 .

[0090] If the result of determination in S3 is that the rod 20 is not located at the storage position, that is, the rod 20 is protruding at least outward in the vehicle width direction of the outer door panel 11 , the process returns to S1 .

[0091] In S5 , it is determined whether the rod 20 is in the grip position.

[0092] If the result of S5 indicates that the lever 20 rotating in the forward direction is in the gripping position, that is, the passenger can operate the lever 20 with their fingertips, the motor 42 is deenergized (S6), and the process proceeds to S7. If the result of S5 indicates that the lever 20 rotating in the forward direction is not in the gripping position, that is, the passenger cannot grip the lever 20, the process returns to S4 to further protrude the lever 20 outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0093] In S7 , it is determined whether a set time, for example, 5 minutes has passed since the position of the lever 20 was changed to the gripping position.

[0094] If the result of S7 indicates that the set time has elapsed since the lever 20 was changed to the gripping position, the lever 20 needs to be returned to the stowed position to prevent mischief. Therefore, the motor 42 is reversed and energized (S10), and the process proceeds to S11. If the result of S7 indicates that the set time has not elapsed since the lever 20 was changed to the gripping position, the passenger may still be operating the lever 20, and the process returns to S1.

[0095] In S11 , it is determined whether the rod 20 is located at the storage position.

[0096] If the result of S11 is that the lever 20 rotated in the reverse direction is in the storage position, the movement of the lever 20 is stopped, the motor 42 is powered off (S12), and the control process ends. If the result of S11 is that the lever 20 rotated in the reverse direction is not in the storage position, the movement of the lever 20 is continued and the process returns to S10.

[0097] If the result of determination in S2 is that the request switch 60a has not been turned on, that is, there is no passenger's request to open the side door 8, the process proceeds to S8.

[0098] In S8, it is determined whether the lock is completely engaged with the striker, that is, whether it is in the so-called fully locked state. If it is determined in S8 that the lock is in the fully locked state, it is considered that the passenger has performed a closing operation on the side door 8, and the process proceeds to S9.

[0099] In S9 , it is determined whether the rod 20 is located at the storage position.

[0100] If the result of S9 is that the rod 20 is in the stowed position, that is, it is no longer necessary to move the position of the rod 20, the control process ends. If the result of S9 is that the rod 20 is not in the stowed position, that is, the rod 20 protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction of the surface of the outer door panel 11, the process shifts to S10 to change the position of the rod 20 to the stowed position.

[0101] If S8 determines that the door is not fully locked, that is, in the so-called half-open state, the process proceeds to S3 to determine the position of the lever 20. As described in this embodiment, if the vehicle V is equipped with an automatic door closing mechanism that automatically returns the lever 20 from the gripping position to the stowed position, the locking mechanism may be in the half-locked state even if the lever 20 is in the stowed position.

[0102] Therefore, when the side door 8 is in the half-closed state and at the storage position, the motor 42 is energized in the forward direction (S4), forcibly changing the position of the lever 20 to the gripping position. This allows passengers who have exited the vehicle to visually recognize the half-closed state of the side door 8.

[0103] That is, when the normally closed side door 8 is opened, the following steps are performed in order: determination of the request switch 60 a ( S2 ) → determination of the storage position ( S3 ) → forward energization of the motor 42 ( S4 ).

[0104] When notifying the side door 8 of its partially open state, the following sequence is followed: determination of the fully locked state (S8) → determination of the stowed position (S3) → forward powering of the motor 42 (S4), assuming the request switch 60a is not turned on. This allows passengers to be aware of the partially locked state without requiring a dedicated notification mechanism.

[0105] Next, the operation and effects of the door handle control device of the vehicle V will be described.

[0106] This door handle control device includes a lever 20 that can protrude or retract outward in the vehicle width direction from a stowed position flush with the surface of the exterior door panel 11, thereby enhancing the design of the side door 8. When the door is in the semi-locked state and the lever 20 is in the stowed position, the CPU 80, via the drive device 40, causes the lever 20 to protrude from the surface of the exterior door panel 11, changing its position to a gripping position suitable for a passenger. This eliminates the need for a dedicated notification mechanism, and allows passengers who have exited the vehicle to visually recognize the semi-locked state.

[0107] A request switch 60a is provided on the exterior door panel 11 and is operated by a passenger when opening the closed exterior door panel 11. When the door panel 11 is fully locked and the lever 20 is in the stowed position, the CPU 80, based on the operation of the request switch 60a, changes the position of the lever 20 to the gripping position via the drive device 40. This achieves a balance between the design of the side door 8, particularly its flush surface, and the ease of opening and closing of the side door 8, while allowing the existing mechanism to be reused.

[0108] The CPU 80 changes the position of the lever 20 to the gripping position via the driving device 40 and after a certain time has passed, changes the position of the lever 20 to the storage position. This can restrict the operation of the lever 20 under certain conditions and play an anti-theft role.

[0109] When the position switch 70 a detects that the rod 20 is in the gripping position, the CPU 80 stops the driving device 40 from moving the position of the rod 20 , thereby suppressing excessive load applied to the driving device 40 and preventing damage to the position changing module.

[0110] Next, a modification example in which the above-described embodiment is partially modified will be described.

[0111] 1) In the above embodiment, the locking switch 14a is described as being able to detect three states: fully locked, partially locked, and unlocked. However, the locking switch 14a may also be configured to detect the fully locked state and states other than the fully locked state, or both the fully locked state and the unlocked state. In this way, at least the partially opened state of the side door 8 can be detected.

[0112] 2) In the above embodiment, the position where the latch and the lock can be disengaged is the same as the gripping position. However, the position where the latch and the lock can be disengaged can also be set to the vehicle width direction outer side (opening direction side) of the gripping position. This can enrich the control variation.

[0113] 3) In addition, those skilled in the art can implement various technical solutions after making various changes to the above-mentioned embodiments or technical solutions combining the various embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention also includes the above-mentioned technical solutions.

[0114] Number Description

[0115] 8 side doors

[0116] 11 Door outer panel

[0117] 14 Locking mechanism

[0118] 14a locking switch

[0119] 20 strokes

[0120] 40 drive device

[0121] 60a request switch

[0122] 70a position switch

[0123] 80CPU

[0124] V Vehicle

Claims

1. A door handle control device for a vehicle, characterized in that include: The handle bar can be protruded or retracted outward in the vehicle width direction from a storage position on the same side as the surface of the door panel; A handle bar position detection module detects the movement position of the handle bar; A locking mechanism having a lock capable of engaging with a lock provided on the vehicle body in conjunction with the handle bar; A locking state detection module detects whether the locking state is fully locked; a position changing module, disposed inside a door body including a door panel, capable of changing the position of the handle rod from the storage position to a position where the engagement between the lock catch and the latch can be released; A control module capable of controlling the position change module; In which, when the handle bar is not in the fully locked state and is in the storage position, the control module causes the handle bar to protrude from the surface of the door panel through the position changing module, so that its position is changed to a gripping position that can be gripped by a passenger.

2. The vehicle door handle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A request switch is provided on the door panel, and is operated by a passenger when opening the closed door panel; In the fully locked state, when the handle bar is located at the storage position, the control module changes the position of the handle bar to the gripping position via the position changing module based on the operation of the request switch.

3. The vehicle door handle control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control module changes the position of the handle bar to the gripping position through the position changing module and changes the position of the handle bar to the storage position after a certain period of time.

4. The vehicle door handle control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the handle bar position detection module detects that the handle bar is located at the gripping position, the control module stops the position changing module from moving the position of the handle bar.

5. The vehicle door handle control device according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the handle bar position detection module detects that the handle bar is located at the gripping position, the control module stops the position changing module from moving the position of the handle bar.

Images