Opening mechanism for a vehicle door

Abstract

An opening mechanism for a vehicle door comprises a housing (2) on or in which a handle element (3) is rotatably mounted, a microswitch (4) for electromechanically unlocking a door lock of the vehicle door, and a mechanical emergency release for unlocking the door lock of the vehicle door. The handle element (3) is pivotable from a starting position to an actuating position to trigger the mechanical emergency release. The handle element (3) has a base element (6) and an actuating element (7) movable relative to the base element (6). The microswitch (4) can be actuated by a relative movement of the actuating element (7) to the base element (6). This makes the opening mechanism (1) easy to operate and allows for a compact design.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening mechanism for a vehicle door with a housing on or in which a handle element is rotatably mounted, a microswitch for electromechanically unlocking a door lock of the vehicle door and a mechanical emergency release for unlocking the door lock of the vehicle door, wherein the handle element can be pivoted from an initial position into an actuating position in order to trigger the mechanical emergency release.

[0002] For opening a vehicle door lock, DE10 2019 207 511 A1 discloses a door handle assembly in which a door handle can be pivoted from a recessed position into an emergency release position to effect a mechanical emergency release for opening the vehicle door. The vehicle door can also be opened using an electromechanical switch. Emergency release is necessary when electromechanical unlocking is not feasible, for example, because a minimum voltage is not present in a vehicle's electrical system or an accident has damaged the opening mechanism. A pivoting handle lever is usually used to actuate the emergency release, which is moved from a recessed position to a protruding position. Operation of the handle lever for the emergency release or the electromechanical switch for opening the vehicle door should be intuitive.

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an opening mechanism for a vehicle door which is compact and can be operated intuitively.

[0004] This object is achieved with an opening mechanism having the features of claim 1.

[0005] An opening mechanism for a vehicle door comprises a housing on which a handle element is rotatably mounted, a microswitch for electromechanically unlocking a door lock of the vehicle door, and a mechanical emergency release for emergency unlocking the door lock of the vehicle door. The handle element can be pivoted from an initial position into an actuating position to trigger the mechanical emergency release. The handle element comprises a base element and an actuating element movable relative to the base element, wherein the microswitch can be actuated via a relative movement of the actuating element to the base element. Thus, with a handle element formed in at least two parts, both the electromechanical unlocking via the microswitch and the mechanical emergency release, if necessary, can be effected.The operation of the handle element is intuitive, since the user only grasps the actuating element and then pivots the actuating element relative to the base element via a first pivoting path in order to actuate the microswitch, and if necessary the actuating element is pivoted together with the base element in order to actuate the emergency release.

[0006] The actuating element is preferably rotatably mounted on the base element. Optionally, the rotational movement can also be superimposed by another movement, for example, a sliding movement when guided along a curved guide or a bend in the actuating element. The actuating element is preferably dimensionally stable and is rotated only relative to the base element for a switching operation.

[0007] The microswitch is preferably fixed to the handle element. In a first variant, the microswitch is fixed to the base element, and an actuating section for the microswitch is fixed or formed on the actuating element. In a second variant, the microswitch can also be fixed to the actuating element, and an actuating section for the microswitch is arranged on the base element, so that a relative movement between the base element and the actuating element is then also used to trigger the microswitch.

[0008] For ease of use, the actuating element is preferably preloaded into an initial position by a spring. The spring can be designed, for example, as a leaf spring, torsion spring, coil spring, or other spring so that the actuating element is arranged in an initial position and can be easily actuated from there.

[0009] The actuating element preferably has a handle portion on one side of a rotation axis arranged on the base element and a projection on an opposite side of the rotation axis. This projection protruding from the rotation axis can have a length and a weight that are similar to the length and weight of the handle portion. The difference in length and weight is preferably less than 25% in each case. This can prevent actuation of the microswitch and opening of the vehicle door in the event of an accident, particularly if the accident involves an impact on the front or rear of the vehicle, since the impact only exerts a small force as a torque on the actuating element, as the forces on the handle portion and the projection at least partially cancel each other out. The projection thus forms a counterweight to the actuating element protruding opposite the rotation axis.

[0010] The base element is preferably rotatably mounted on the housing and can also be preloaded into an initial position by a spring. The force for preloading the base element can be greater than the force for preloading the actuating element.

[0011] The housing preferably has an opening, and the actuating element extends through the opening and can be moved within the opening. The housing can have a frame around the opening, particularly in the form of a plate, which allows easy gripping of the end of the actuating element protruding from the housing.

[0012] The actuating element can comprise a two-armed lever, with a rotational axis arranged between an actuating section and a gripping section of the actuating element. The actuating section and gripping section do not have to be diametrically opposite each other, but can also be aligned at an angle to each other, for example, at an angle between 60 and 120°. The actuating element can further comprise a projection protruding diametrically from the gripping section. The projection can engage a U-shaped section on the base element, allowing the gripping element to be designed in a compact manner.

[0013] For simple actuation, the distance between a rotation axis on the housing for the base element and a rotation axis for articulating the actuating element on the base element can be greater than the distance between the rotation axis for articulating the actuating element on the base element and a free end of the actuating element.

[0014] The actuating force required to pivot the actuating element to unlock via the microswitch is preferably lower than the actuating force required to pivot the base element to activate the emergency release. This allows the user to tactilely sense whether the microswitch or the emergency release is being activated.

[0015] For a stable construction, the housing can have a shaft between two walls in which the handle element is arranged.

[0016] The base element can be connected to a cable pull at a section protruding from the axis of rotation between the housing and the base element, which is pulled when the emergency release is actuated.

[0017] The invention will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Fig. 1A to 1C show several views of an opening mechanism for a vehicle door in a starting position; Fig. 2A to 2C several views of the opening mechanism of the Fig. 1 in the position for actuating the microswitch; Fig. 3A to 3D several views of the opening mechanism of the Fig. 1 in the emergency release position; Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B two exploded views of the opening mechanism of the Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 a force-displacement diagram during a movement of the handle element.

[0018] An opening mechanism 1 for a vehicle door comprises a housing 2 that can be secured to a panel of a vehicle door. A rotatably mounted handle element 3 is arranged in the housing 2, by means of which a mechanical emergency release of the door lock can be actuated. For this purpose, a cable pull 10 is movably guided in a casing 11 and connected to the emergency release.

[0019] The housing 2 comprises a housing plate 21 in which an opening 20 is recessed. A free end of the handle element 3 is arranged within the opening 20.

[0020] The handle element 3 comprises a base element 6, which is mounted in the housing 2 for rotation about a rotation axis 9. An actuating element 7 is mounted on the base element 6 about a rotation axis 8. A microswitch 4 is fixed to the base element 6 and includes an actuating pin 40 arranged adjacent to an actuating portion 73 of the actuating element 7. The actuating element 7 is rotatable relative to the base element 6 and is biased into an initial position by a spring.

[0021] The base element 6 is rotatable relative to the housing 2 and is biased into an initial position by a further spring. A projection 64 is provided on the base element 6, which is movable between two stops 27 and 28 on the housing 2.

[0022] The base element 6 is designed as a two-armed lever and comprises the rotation axis 8 and the actuating element 7 on one lever, and on the opposite side, a pulling element 13 connected to the cable pull 10. The casing 11 is supported on a holder 23 of the housing 2, so that by rotating the base element 6, the cable pull 10 can be moved relative to the casing 11 to actuate the emergency release.

[0023] If the user wants to open a vehicle door, the actuating element 7 is first pivoted, as shown in the Fig. 2A to 2C. By pivoting the actuating element 7 relative to the base element 6, the microswitch 4 is actuated. Due to the rotary movement, the actuating section 73 moves together with a handle section 70 counterclockwise in Fig. 2C and thus presses the actuating pin 40 of the microswitch 4, which transmits a signal to unlock the vehicle door via the electrical pins 41. The base element 6 is arranged in its initial position due to the force of a spring. The actuating element 7 is pivoted through an angular range between 5° and 25° to actuate the microswitch 4.

[0024] In the Fig. 3A to 3D, the opening mechanism 1 is shown in the emergency release position. For this purpose, the actuating element 7 has been pivoted further, with the handle section 70 resting against a stop 65 on the base element 6 and thereby rotating the base element 6 about the rotation axis 9 in Fig. 3C rotates counterclockwise. The microswitch 4 remains in the switched position. The base element 6 was pivoted from the stop 28 to the stop 27 with the projection 64, and the rotational movement of the base element 6 moved the pull element 13 away from the holder 23 of the housing 2 to displace the cable pull 10 relative to the casing 11.

[0025] If the actuating element 7 is released, the actuating element 7 and the base element 6 are returned to the starting position of the Fig. 1A to 1C moved back.

[0026] In the Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B shows the opening mechanism in an exploded view. The opening 20 is formed in the housing plate 21 of the housing 2, through which a free end of the handle section 70 passes. The housing 2 is fixed to a door panel via fastening pins 26, wherein the housing 2 can be oriented optionally horizontally, vertically, or inclined. Two housing walls 22 extend essentially perpendicularly from the housing plate 21, so that a shaft is formed between the housing walls 22, in which the handle element 3 is arranged. An opening 25 for the passage of the rotation axis 9, which opening is formed by a pin, is formed on the housing walls 22. At a connecting section between the two housing walls 22, the holder 23 is formed with a slot-shaped passage 24 for the cable pull 10, wherein the sheath 11 is supported on the holder 23.One end 12 of the cable 10 is fixed to the pulling element 13, which has an opening 14 of the cable 10.

[0027] The base element 6 comprises a U-shaped section with two arms 61, between which a receptacle is formed for inserting a projection 72 of the actuating element 7. The projection 72 protrudes substantially diametrically from the handle section 70, with an opening 71 approximately centrally located between the handle section 70 and the projection 72 and through which the rotation axis 8 passes, which engages at opposite ends in an opening 62 at the free end of the arms 61. The projection 72 forms a counterweight to the handle section 70, so that in the event of an impact in an accident, the actuating element 7 is not accidentally rotated, which could unintentionally open the vehicle door. The projection 72 therefore has a length, starting from the opening 71, that preferably deviates by a maximum of 25% from the length of the handle section 70.

[0028] A projection 64 is formed on opposite sides of the arms 61 of the base element, which projection is movable between the two stops 27 and 28 of the housing 2, wherein the pivoting range of the base element 6 can be, for example, between 15° and 40°. On the arms 61, at the free end adjacent to the opening 62, the stop 65 is formed to limit the movement of the actuating element 7. The actuating element 7 is preloaded in a rotational direction by a spring 16 so that the actuating element 7 is arranged in a starting position. The base element 6 is preloaded in a starting position relative to the housing 2 by a spring 15.

[0029] The actuating element 7 can be preloaded by the spring 16 up to a stop 66 which is formed on at least one of the arms 61.

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, the spring 16 between the actuating element 7 and the base element is designed as a helical spring, whereby the spring 16 can optionally also be designed as a leaf spring or another spring element. The spring force for rotating the actuating element 7 is preferably less than the force for rotating the base element 6, so that in a first pivoting phase, only the actuating element 7 is rotated relative to the base element 6 in order to unlock the vehicle door via the microswitch 4. Only if this does not work can the base element 6 also be rotated relative to the housing 2 by applying a greater force in order to actuate the emergency release via the cable 10.

[0031] Fig.Figure 5 shows a force-displacement diagram for the movement of the handle element 3. Reference numeral 50 represents a line in which a spring-loaded handle element according to the prior art actuates an electromechanical switch over a first distance and then, with a further movement, actuates a mechanical emergency release. Optionally, a force threshold can be provided between the two distances so that the user can distinguish between the two distances. The operating force F2 for actuating the emergency release is comparatively high and then increases.

[0032] According to the invention, to open the vehicle door, initially only the actuating element 7 is pivoted relative to the base element 6, resulting in a force-displacement line 51. The actuating force F1 for the actuating element 7 can be kept very low. By pivoting the actuating element 7 over the distance L1 relative to the base element 6, the microswitch 4 is actuated. At the end of the travel distance, the handle section 70 rests against the stop 65 of the base element 6, and the base element 6 can now be pivoted along the line 52 by the actuating element 7 to actuate the emergency release. After the distance L1, the user feels a greater force from the spring 15, which preloads the base element 6 relative to the housing 2. List of reference symbols 1 opening mechanism 2 housings 3 handle element 4 microswitches 6 Basic element 7 Actuating element 8 axis of rotation 9 axis of rotation 10 cable pull 11 Wrapping 12 End 13 Tension element 14 Opening 15 spring 16 spring 20 Opening 21 Housing plate 22 Housing wall 23 holders 24 Implementation 25 Opening 26 mounting pins 27 stop 28 stop 40 Actuating pin 41 pen 50 line 51 Line 52 Line 61 Arm 62 Opening 64 lead 65 stops 66 stop 70 handle section 71 Opening 72 lead 73 Operating section QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2019 207 511 A1

[0002]

Claims

[1] Opening mechanism for a vehicle door with a housing (2) on or in which a handle element (3) is rotatably mounted, a microswitch (4) for electromechanically unlocking a door lock of the vehicle door and a mechanical emergency release for unlocking the door lock of the vehicle door, wherein the handle element (3) is pivotable from an initial position into an actuating position in order to trigger the mechanical emergency release, characterized by that the handle element (3) has a base element (6) and an actuating element (7) movable relative to the base element (6), and the microswitch (4) can be actuated via a relative movement of the actuating element (7) to the base element (6). [2] Opening mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by that the actuating element (7) is rotatably mounted on the base element (6). [3] Opening mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the microswitch (4) is fixed to the handle element (3). [4] Opening mechanism according to claim 3, characterized by that the microswitch (4) is fixed to the base element (6) of the handle element (3) and an actuating section (73) for the microswitch (4) is fixed or formed on the actuating element (7). [5] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuating element (7) on the base element (6) is pretensioned into an initial position via a spring (16). [6] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuating element (7) has a grip section (70) on one side of a rotation axis (8) arranged on the base element (6) and a projection (72) on an opposite side of the rotation axis (8). [7] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the base element (6) is rotatably mounted on the housing (2) and is preloaded into an initial position by a spring (15). [8] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the housing (2) has an opening (20) and the actuating element (7) passes through the opening (20) and is movable within the opening (20). [9] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuating element (7) has a two-armed lever and a rotation axis (8) is arranged between an actuating section (73) for the microswitch and a handle section (70). [10] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the base element (6) has a U-shaped section and a projection (72) of the actuating element (7) is received in the U-shaped section. [11] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the distance between a rotation axis (9) on the housing for the base element (6) and a rotation axis (8) for articulating the actuating element (7) on the base element (6) is greater than a distance between the rotation axis (8) for articulating the actuating element (7) on the base element (6) and a free end of the actuating element (7). [12] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the housing (2) has a shaft between two housing walls (22) in which the handle element (3) is arranged. [13] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an actuating force for pivoting the actuating element (7) to unlock the door lock is lower than an actuating force for pivoting the base element (6) to actuate the emergency release. [14] Opening mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the emergency release comprises a cable pull (10) which is connected to the base element (6).

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