Vehicle door handle

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle door handle (3) with a support component (7) and a housing (4) supported by the support component (7), which has a gripping section (6) and a base section (5), wherein the support component (7) extends at least partially within the housing (4), wherein a circuit board (15) extending at least partially into the gripping section (6) is arranged within the housing (4), which has at least one sensor (16, 18) for detecting operation of the vehicle door handle (3), wherein the support component (7) has a spacer section (12) which extends at least partially into the gripping section (6) of the housing (4), and wherein the spacer section (12) has at least one stop wall (22) which is arranged at least between a side surface (23, 26) of the circuit board (15) and an inner wall (24, 25) of the housing (4).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle door handle with a carrier component and a housing supported by the carrier component, which has a gripping section and a base section, wherein the gripping section extends at an angle from the base section, wherein the carrier component extends at least partially within the housing, wherein the carrier component further extends on one side out of the base section of the housing to allow coupling with a body component of a motor vehicle, and wherein a circuit board extending at least partially into the gripping section is arranged within the housing, which has at least one sensor for detecting operation of the vehicle door handle.

[0002] Vehicle door handles exhibit a wide variety of designs and functionalities in the current state of the art. However, they all share the common feature of a mechanical access function that provides a mechanically stable access area for moving a door or hatch on the vehicle.

[0003] The base section of the vehicle door handle according to the invention is designed for placement on a body panel of a vehicle. The gripping section extends upwards or downwards from the base section in a curved or angled manner to allow easy access for the user and enable the operation of a vehicle hatch or door. The spatial orientation of the gripping section, namely projecting upwards or downwards, allows the user to grasp over or under the gripping section (depending on the type of attachment to the vehicle), thus ensuring convenient operation. The geometry, with a single-sided attachment to the vehicle and a flat shape projecting from the vehicle with an angled free end, is reminiscent of an aircraft wing. Therefore, such vehicle door handles are also called wing handles.

[0004] A vehicle door handle of the aforementioned type, particularly one with a single-sided mounting on the vehicle and a geometry extending from it that allows for gripping at a gripping section, is used, for example, as a fixed vehicle door handle with electronic user detection. This door handle incorporates electronic components or sensors that enable the detection of a user's approach or of forces acting upon the handle. Furthermore, communication devices such as transmitting and receiving coils can be integrated into the door handle, allowing for connections between vehicle keys or mobile communication devices and the door handle. Due to its limited size, the installation space within such a door handle presents a challenge for the integration of sensors and other electronic components.To ensure their continued operational capability, it is necessary to protect them from mechanical overload and environmental influences through appropriate measures.

[0005] The invention is based on the objective of creating a solution that provides an improved vehicle door handle for a motor vehicle in a structurally simple manner, which is characterized by high mechanical stability while simultaneously optimizing installation space.

[0006] In a vehicle door handle of the type described above, the problem is solved according to the invention in that the support component has a spacer section which extends at least partially into the gripping section of the housing, wherein the spacer section has at least one stop wall which is arranged at least between a side surface of the circuit board and an inner wall of the housing.

[0007] Advantageous and appropriate embodiments and further developments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0008] The invention provides a vehicle door handle characterized by a simple yet mechanically robust design. Because the spacer section of the support component has at least one stop wall, which is arranged at least between a side surface of the circuit board and an inner wall of the housing, damage to the circuit board is prevented in the event of mechanical deformation of the housing due to user operation. According to the invention, mechanical deformation of the housing towards the circuit board is absorbed by the stop wall, so that the deformed housing cannot come into contact with the circuit board and is shielded and protected by the stop wall.

[0009] In an advantageous embodiment, the invention provides that the printed circuit board has a height and the spacer section has a thickness greater than the height of the printed circuit board. In this way, both sides of the printed circuit board are protected by the spacer section, since the spacer section is always positioned in front of a respective side of the printed circuit board and serves as a stop for the wall of the deformed housing.

[0010] In another embodiment, the invention provides that the spacer section is arranged in a plane with the printed circuit board such that, in a side view, the spacer section projects beyond at least one side surface of the printed circuit board. In this embodiment as well, at least one side surface of the printed circuit board is protected by the spacer section, since the spacer section is arranged in front of the relevant side surface of the printed circuit board and thus between the printed circuit board and the housing, and serves as a stop for the wall of the deformed housing.

[0011] In a further embodiment, the invention provides that the at least one sensor is designed as an inductive sensor with at least one conductor coil to detect deformations of the housing, wherein the housing is designed in a housing section which is arranged opposite the at least one conductor coil with at least one metallic target for sensory interaction with the at least one conductor coil.

[0012] Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention, the stop wall is arranged between the at least one conductor coil and the at least one metallic target. This prevents contact between the conductor coil and the metallic target.

[0013] In a further embodiment, it is advantageous if the supporting component is made of a material with high flexural stiffness in order to withstand a deformation force of at least 1000 Newtons acting on the housing. Accordingly, the invention further provides that the supporting component is made of a high-strength steel.

[0014] In a further embodiment, the invention provides that the at least one sensor is designed as a capacitive sensor with a conductor surface to detect an operator's approach to the vehicle door handle in order to detect an operator's approach to the vehicle door handle.

[0015] To optimize the aforementioned detection, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the capacitive sensor extends along an edge of the circuit board. In this way, a large spatial area can be covered to detect the approach of an operator.

[0016] With regard to a structurally compact design that requires little installation space, it is advantageous in a further embodiment of the invention if the circuit board has a recess and the spacer section is arranged at least partially within the recess.

[0017] To protect electronic components arranged on the circuit board from the elements, the invention provides, in one embodiment, that the circuit board is at least partially encased with a potting compound outside the area containing the at least one sensor. This simultaneously ensures the functionality of the sensor, as it is not encased with a potting compound that could impair the detection of the vehicle door handle operation.

[0018] Finally, in a further embodiment, the invention provides that the support component has at least one support arm, which is at least partially encased in a potting compound that connects the housing to the support arm. The potting compound connects the housing to the support arm, thus eliminating the need for screw connections or the like.

[0019] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined solely by the claims.

[0020] Further details, features and advantages of the subject matter of the invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the drawing, in which an exemplary and preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.

[0021] The drawing shows: Figure 1 a schematic side view of a motor vehicle with a vehicle door handle according to the invention, Figure 2 a perspective detail view of the vehicle door handle according to the invention, which is arranged on a motor vehicle door, Figure 3a side view of a housing and a support component of the vehicle door handle according to the invention, Figure 4 a perspective view of the housing and the support component of the vehicle door handle according to the invention, wherein the housing is open, Figure 5 another perspective view of the support component, the opened housing and a circuit board arranged in the housing, Figure 6 a perspective rear view of the Figure 5 , Figure 7 a perspective view of the supporting component with a spacer section, Figure 8 a side sectional view of the vehicle door handle, Figure 9 an enlarged view of the illustration from the Figure 8 , Figure 10 a side view of the circuit board and the support component, Figure 11 a perspective view of a base section of the housing and the circuit board, and Figure 12 the view from Figure 11, wherein a potting compound encases various components section by section within the housing of the vehicle door handle.

[0022] In the Figure 1 A motor vehicle 1 in the form of a passenger car is shown as an example, which in this example has four vehicle doors 2 (two of which are made of Figure 1 (as can be seen). It is located on the front vehicle door 2, i.e., the left vehicle door 2 in Figure 1 A vehicle door handle 3 according to the invention is attached, with the aid of which the vehicle door 2 can be opened. The vehicle door handle 3 is a type of fixed handle which is largely immovable relative to the vehicle door 2.

[0023] The in Figure 1 The vehicle door handle 3, shown only schematically, has a housing 4 which consists of the Figures 2 and 3The housing 4 is visibly shaped like a wing and protrudes from the vehicle door 2. It comprises a base section 5 and a gripping section 6. The base section 5 extends horizontally away from the vehicle door 2, with the gripping section 6 extending at the end of the base section 5, i.e., at its free end, such that a gap is formed between the base section 5 and the gripping section 6. A user's hand can be inserted into this gap and grasp the gripping section 6 from behind to actuate it. Actuation can be achieved by either a pulling or pushing motion on the gripping section 6. The gripping section 6 extends at an angle from the base section 5.In particular, the gripping section 6 is designed in the form of a winglet, i.e., a wing-like ear, and extends from the end of the base section 5, whereby the extension at the free end of the base section 5 may be oblique or curved. As further illustrated, for example, the... Figure 3 As can be seen, the vehicle door handle 3 has a support component 7 which allows coupling with a body component of the vehicle 1 and which supports the housing 4, so that the housing 4 is mounted on the vehicle 1 via the support component 7. The support component 7 extends section by section within the housing 4 and on one side out of the base section 5 to enable coupling with the body component.

[0024] The Figures 4, 5 and 6The figures show further views of the vehicle door handle 3 according to the invention. As can be seen from these figures, the housing 4 consists of a first housing component 8 and a second housing component 9, which are shell-shaped and are arranged one above the other when the housing 4 is assembled. The first housing component 8 and the second housing component 8 together form the base section 5 when the housing 4 is assembled, whereas the gripping section 6 is formed solely by the second housing component 9. Figure 4This also shows that the support component 7 extends at least partially within the base section 5 of the housing 4. A coupling section 10 of the support component 7 serves to attach the support component 7 to the motor vehicle 1 or its body, whereas a support section 11 of the support component 7 is arranged within the housing 4. The support section 11 of the support component 7, arranged within the housing 4, has a spacer section 12 and a support arm 14, which are designed to support the housing 4.

[0025] With regard to the Figures 5 and 6Within the housing 4, a circuit board 15 is further arranged, which has at least one sensor for detecting operation of the vehicle door handle 3. In addition to the at least one sensor, further electronic components 21 are arranged on the circuit board 15, which are, for example, coupled to the at least one sensor and / or which include a microprocessor and the like. As the Figure 5 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, a sensor is designed as a capacitive sensor 16 with a conductor surface 17 (see, for example, Figure 5 ), to detect an operator's approach to the vehicle door handle 3. Furthermore, it shows Figure 6, that in the illustrated embodiment a further sensor is provided, which is designed as an inductive sensor 18 with conductor coils 19 to detect deformations of the housing 4. For the detection of deformations, the housing 4 is designed in a housing section, which is arranged opposite the conductor coils 19 and which is arranged on the gripping section 6, with a metallic target 20 for sensory interaction with the conductor coils 19. The metallic target is, for example, made of the Figures 8 and 9 evident, but not in the Figures 5 and 6 shown. It is evident that, in contrast to the illustrated embodiment, the circuit board 15 may be equipped with further sensors or may only have an inductive or capacitive sensor.

[0026] In the Figure 7The support component 7 is shown in a perspective view, so that the coupling section 10 and the supporting section 11 extending from the coupling section 10, with its spacer section 12 and its support arm 14, are clearly visible. The spacer section 12 is angled and hook-shaped.

[0027] The Figure 8 shows a section through housing 4, where the Figure 9 an enlarged view of this section. From the Figures 8 and 9 It can be seen that the circuit board 15 extends, at least partially, into the gripping section 6 of the housing 4. The sectional views of the Figures 8 and 9 that the support component 7 extends out of the housing 4 on one side, wherein the support section 11 with the spacer section 12 and the support arm 14 is arranged running within the housing 4. In particular, the Figures 8 and 9It can be seen that the spacer section 12 extends at least partially into the gripping section 6 of the housing 4. The support component 7 serves to attach the housing 4 to the body of the motor vehicle 1. Furthermore, and according to the invention, the support component 7 is designed to protect the circuit board 15 from damage caused by deformations of the housing 4 during its operation. In this sense, the support component 7 serves as a stiffener that is intended to withstand a force of at least 1000 Newtons acting on the housing 4, so that mechanical deformations of the housing 4 do not cause deformed areas of the housing 4 to come into contact with the circuit board 15. Therefore, the support component 7 is made of a high-strength material with high flexural stiffness. For example, the support component 7 can be made of a high-strength steel.

[0028] With regard to the Figures 7 to 10It can be seen that the spacer section 12 of the support component 7 is angled and hook-shaped, and that the spacer section 12 of the support component 7 extends through the base section 5 into the gripping section 6. The angled section of the spacer section 12, which has a free end, has a stop wall 22. This stop wall 22 extends between a side surface 23 of the circuit board 15, i.e., in this case the back of the circuit board 15, and an inner wall 24 of the housing 4, as shown by the Figures 8 and 9The stop wall 22 of the spacer section 12 protects the circuit board 15 from contact between the inner wall 24 of the housing 4 and the circuit board 15. The stop wall 22 also extends in the opposite direction and towards the opposite inner wall 25 of the housing 4 or the gripping section 6, such that deformation of the housing 4 from this side towards the other side surface 26 of the circuit board 15, i.e., towards the front of the circuit board 15, is only possible up to the stop wall 22. This ensures that the front of the circuit board 15 is also protected from contact with the deformed housing 4 when it is actuated. According to the invention, the spacer section 12 thus has at least one stop wall 22, which is arranged at least between a side surface 23 or 26 of the circuit board 15 and an inner wall 24 or 25 of the housing 4. As the Figures 8 and 9As further shown, the spacer section 12 with its stop wall 22 is arranged in a plane 27 with the circuit board 15 such that, in a side view, the spacer section 12 projects beyond at least one side surface 23 and / or 26 of the circuit board 15. For this arrangement, the stop wall 22 can, for example, be arranged laterally offset from the circuit board 15 and extend parallel to the circuit board 15. In the specific embodiment, however, the circuit board 15 has a recess 28 (see, for example, Figures 5 and 6) and the spacer section 12 is arranged at least partially within the recess 28. More precisely, the stop wall 22 is arranged within the recess 28. However, in order to still enable accurate and large-area detection by the capacitive sensor 16, the capacitive sensor 16, and in particular its conductor surface 17, extends along an edge 29 of the circuit board 15, the edge 29 defining a boundary of the recess 28. With reference to the inductive sensor 18, it should be noted that the stop wall 22 is arranged between the conductor coils 19 and the metallic target 20, as can be seen from the Figures 8 and 9 as is evident.

[0029] The spacer section 12 and its stop walls 22 prevent the inner wall 24 or 25 from coming into contact with the circuit board 15 when the housing 4 is deformed, thus protecting the circuit board 15 from damage caused by the deformed housing 4. For this purpose, in the embodiment shown in the figures, the circuit board 15 has a height 30 and the spacer section 12 has a thickness 31 that is greater than the height 30 of the circuit board 15, as is the case, for example, Figure 10 shows. From the Figure 10 It can also be seen that the spacer section 12 extends below the circuit board 15. The spacer section 12 is therefore designed and arranged such that it has a lower edge 32 (see Figure 10 ) the circuit board 15 in addition to the two side surfaces 23, 26 protects against contact with the deformed housing 4.

[0030] From the Figure 8 It is evident that a gap 33 is formed between the first housing component 8 and the second housing component 9, creating a risk of moisture penetrating the interior of the housing 4 and potentially damaging the circuit board 15 and the components attached to it. Protection of the circuit board 15 and its electronic components 21 can be achieved, for example, by surrounding this area of ​​the circuit board 15 with a potting compound 34. In the illustration of the Figure 11 The first housing component 8 is hidden, whereby in the representation of the Figure 11 No potting compound 34 has been used yet. The potting compound 34 only came from the Figure 12 It is evident that the circuit board 15 is at least partially encased in the potting compound 34 outside the area containing the at least one sensor 16, 18. Furthermore, it is evident from the Figure 12It can be seen that areas of the load-bearing section 11 of the support component 7 are also encased in the potting compound 34. For example, the spacer section 12 and the support arm 14 of the support component 7 are at least partially encased in the potting compound 34, with the free end of the spacer section 12 protruding from the potting compound 34.

[0031] The invention described above is, of course, not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated. It is evident that numerous modifications, obvious to a person skilled in the art according to the intended application, can be made to the embodiment shown in the drawing without departing from the scope of the invention. The invention includes everything contained in the description and / or illustrated in the drawing, including anything that would be obvious to a person skilled in the art in contrast to the specific embodiment. Reference symbol list

[0032] 1 Motor vehicle 2 Motor vehicle doors 3 Vehicle door handle 4 Housing 5 Base section 6 Gripping section 7 Support component 8 First housing component 9 Second housing component 10 Coupling section 11 Support section 12 Spacing section 14 Support arm 15 Circuit board 16 Capacitive sensor 17 Conductor area 18 Inductive sensor 19 Conductor coil 20 Metallic target 21 Electronic components 22 Stop walls 23 Side surface 24 Inner wall 25 Inner wall 26 Side surface 27 Plane 28 Recess 29 Edge 30 Height 31 Thickness 32 Bottom edge 33 Gap 34 Potting compound

Claims

1. Vehicle door handle (3) with a support component (7) and a housing (4) supported by the support component (7), the housing having a gripping section (6) and a base section (5), wherein the gripping section (6) extends at an angle from the base section (5), wherein the support component (7) extends at least partially within the housing (4), wherein the support component (7) further extends on one side out of the base section (5) of the housing (4) to allow coupling with a body component of a motor vehicle (1), and wherein a circuit board (15) extending at least partially into the gripping section (6) is arranged within the housing (4), which has at least one sensor (16, 18) for detecting operation of the vehicle door handle (3), characterized by thatthe support component (7) has a spacer section (12) which extends at least partially into the gripping section (6) of the housing (4), wherein the spacer section (12) has at least one stop wall (22) which is arranged at least between a side surface (23, 26) of the circuit board (15) and an inner wall (24, 25) of the housing (4).

2. Vehicle door handle (3) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the printed circuit board (15) has a height (30) and the spacer section (12) has a thickness (31) which is greater than the height (30) of the printed circuit board (15).

3. Vehicle door handle (3) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that the spacer section (12) is arranged in a plane (27) with the circuit board (15) such that in a side view the spacer section (12) protrudes beyond at least one side surface (23, 26) of the circuit board (15).

4. Vehicle door handle (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the at least one sensor (18) is designed as an inductive sensor (18) with at least one conductor coil (19) to detect deformations of the housing (4), wherein the housing (4) is designed in a housing section (6) which is arranged opposite the at least one conductor coil (19) with at least one metallic target (20) for sensory interaction with the at least one conductor coil (19).

5. Vehicle door handle (3) according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the stop wall (22) is arranged between the at least one conductor coil (19) and the at least one metallic target (20).

6. Vehicle door handle (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the supporting component (7) is made of high-strength steel.

7. Vehicle door handle (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatthe at least one sensor (16) is designed as a capacitive sensor (16) with a conductive surface (17) to detect an operator approaching the vehicle door handle (3).

8. Vehicle door handle (3) according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the capacitive sensor (16) extends along an edge (29) of the circuit board (15).

9. Vehicle door handle (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the circuit board (15) has a recess (28) and the spacer section (12) is arranged at least partially within the recess (28).

10. Vehicle door handle (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the circuit board (15) is at least partially and outside the area with which at least one sensor (16, 18) is encased with a potting compound (34).

11. Vehicle door handle (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatthe support component (7) has at least one support arm (14) which is at least partially encased with a potting compound (34) connecting the housing (4) to the support arm (14).

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