Safety Locking Device for the Exterior Door Opening Control of Motor Vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a safety locking device for an exterior door handle (2) of a motor vehicle, pivotally mounted on a bracket (1) and balanced by a tilting internal counterweight. The device comprises a cam (3) designed, on the one hand, to support a first end (4a) of a blade (4) under stress, while a second end (4b) is fixed in the bracket, and, on the other hand, to come into contact with the counterweight upon impact with the door by rotation, while the blade, upon releasing, locks the cam. The device is characterized in that the blade (4) is provided with at least one orifice (40) for receiving an added modulation element (6), the mass and geometry of which are determined to adapt the natural frequency of the blade (4) to prevent it from resonating during a lateral impact against the door. (Fig. 5)

Description

Title of the invention: Secure locking device for the external door opening control of motor vehicles

[0001] The invention relates, in general, to the field of passive safety of motor vehicles and is concerned, more particularly, with the means used to protect the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a side impact.

[0002] The doors of motor vehicles are generally equipped with locks comprising, respectively, a bolt attached to the door capable of cooperating with a strike plate attached to the bodywork and an opening control comprising an external handle.

[0003] This external handle is pivotally mounted on a bracket, balanced by a tilting internal counterweight, and optionally coupled to a return spring. Pulling this handle disengages the bolt from the strike plate, thus unlocking the lock before returning to its rest position.

[0004] However, vehicle safety standards require that, in the event of a side impact, the doors must remain locked to prevent the risk of ejection of occupants. Nevertheless, due to inertia, the kinetic energy resulting from the impact can generate a pulling force on the exterior handle, which may then cause the door to open unexpectedly.

[0005] Among the various solutions implemented today to comply with these safety rules, there are systems called "anti-g" (or "inertia lock"), which, in the event of an impact, lock the exterior door handle. Depending on the system, which varies from supplier to supplier, this locking mechanism can be reversible or irreversible. The invention relates more particularly to irreversible anti-g locking systems.

[0006] These anti-g systems each have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, FR3079544_Bl describes a safety device designed to control the locking of an opening, such as a motor vehicle door. This device includes an inertial element that ensures the locking of the exterior handle, in particular, in the event of an accidental side impact.

[0007] Furthermore, there is also an anti-g system comprising a cam mounted in the caliper which carries the pivoting handle balanced by a tilting internal counterweight ensuring its return to the rest position.

[0008] This cam supports the end of a blade under stress fixed in the bracket and remains inactive in the absence of an impact against the door. During a lateral impact The bracket, and via appropriate mechanical balancing, causes this cam to immediately rotate into contact with the counterweight. Simultaneously, the blade is released and, relieved of its constraints, immobilizes the cam in its counterweight stop position, preventing the handle from moving outwards and thus permanently and irreversibly locking the door in the closed position.

[0009] However, existing anti-g systems have unrobust mechanical behavior, due in particular to blade vibrations. Indeed, if the blade is subjected to excessive vibration during the impact, it escapes the cam and therefore cannot lock and immobilize it as the latter tends to return to its initial position. In this case, the handle is not locked during the impact, and the door can then open, which is problematic from a safety standpoint.

[0010] In this context, a technical solution was sought which, in its most general aspect, would allow for a simple resolution of the technical problems posed by known anti-g systems in order to eliminate or at least reduce the level of vibrations. To this end, the invention aims to provide means for modulating the natural frequency of the blade, according to the type of vehicle and the specific structure of each door, in order to adapt its behavior to the optimal operation of the anti-g system.

[0011] This goal is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a safety locking device for an exterior door handle of a motor vehicle mounted pivotally on a bracket and balanced by a tilting internal counterweight, said device comprising a cam intended, on the one hand, to support a first end of a blade under stress while a second end is fixed in the bracket and, on the other hand, to come into contact by rotation with the counterweight during an impact on the door while said blade blocks the cam by releasing, characterized in that said blade is provided with at least one orifice intended to receive an added modulation element whose mass and geometry are determined in order to adapt the natural frequency of the blade to avoid its resonance during a lateral impact against the door.

[0012] According to a first embodiment of the device of the invention, the modulation element includes snap-in members in the orifice of the blade.

[0013] According to a second embodiment of the device of the invention, the modulation element includes hooking members in the orifice of the blade.

[0014] According to an advantageous feature of the device of the invention, the mass and geometry of said reported modulation element are adjusted according to the critical vibration frequencies of each type of handle.

[0015] Preferably, the modulation element is mounted removably on the blade.

[0016] According to another feature of the device of the invention, the orifice is provided between the first end of the blade and the area where its second end is attached to the bracket.

[0017] Another object of the invention is a method for making an exterior door handle of a motor vehicle equipped with a safety locking device as defined above, characterized in that a standard bracket is used and the geometry and mass of said modulation element which is brought onto the blade are adjusted so as to adapt its natural frequency to the vibrational frequency of said handle.

[0018] Yet another object of the invention is a method for adjusting a safety locking device as defined above, characterized in that the natural frequency of the blade is modulated by adjusting the geometry and mass of the modulation element attached to said blade.

[0019] A final object of the invention is a motor vehicle in which at least one door is equipped with an external opening control provided with a safety locking device having the characteristics defined above.

[0020] Thus, in its most general aspect, the invention proposes an improvement of known safety locking devices or anti-g systems which makes it possible to eliminate, or at least reduce, the vibrations of the blade and which, consequently, guarantees the reliability of this system and compliance with the safety standards in force.

[0021] This improvement is essentially based on the possibility given by the invention of modulating the natural frequency of the blade ensuring the locking of the cam and the locking of the external handle during the impact, according to the type of vehicle and / or door, without substantially modifying the structure of the existing system.

[0022] The device and method of the invention thus offer a modular solution for a unique design of the caliper and a reference handle present on a majority of vehicles, on the front and rear doors.

[0023] This possibility of modulating the natural frequency of the blade can be used in the event of a proven problem during the validation phase of the specifications relating to the behavior of the vehicle with regard to side impacts.

[0024] Furthermore, the implementation of the adjustment method does not require any significant modification to the structure of the external opening control, since only the mass of the blade integrated into the device is adjusted by simply adding a modulation element consisting of a weight. On the other hand, neither the stiffness of the mechanical elements (blade, springs, etc.) nor the contact forces of the anti-g system are modified.

[0025] Consequently, the implementation of the invention does not require any redesign of the anti-g system. On the contrary, the traditional opening controls can be retained, simplified by the common use of a standard bracket and without requiring any modification to the method of assembling and fixing the blade.

[0026] The invention thus makes it possible to solve the technical problem of vibrations posed by prior systems by offering, in addition, a reduction in the costs of managing diversity, both at the supplier and at the car manufacturer by the use of a single caliper that can be integrated into several types of handles.

[0027] Moreover, the invention opens up possibilities for minor developments, without impacting the structure of existing handles.

[0028] Consequently, compliance with the specifications regarding the activation of the anti-g system under different accelerations is not impacted and the external opening control locking device can be used from one vehicle to another by only changing the weight attached to the blade.

[0029] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying figures, for which:

[0030] [Fig. 1] is a cross-sectional view of a traditional embodiment of an external opening control for a motor vehicle equipped with a safety locking device in the closed position of the door.

[0031] [Fig.2] is a detailed cross-sectional view of the safety locking device of the control of the [Fig.l] with the handle pulled into the normal opening position of the door.

[0032] [Fig.3] is a cross-sectional detail view of the safety locking device of the control of the [Fig.1] during a lateral impact against the door.

[0033] [Fig.4] is a partial top view of a preferred embodiment of the safety locking device of the invention.

[0034] [Fig.5] is a partial perspective view of the blocking device of the [Fig.4].

[0035] For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference signs throughout the figures.

[0036] Naturally, the embodiments of the safety locking device of the invention, schematically illustrated in the figure above and described below, are given only by way of non-limiting examples. It is explicitly provided for in the scope of the invention that different embodiments can be proposed and combined to create others.

[0037] The invention relates to the general field of passive safety of motor vehicles and aims at an improvement of the vehicle door safety locking devices, known as "anti-g", which are automatically activated during a side impact.

[0038] For safety and regulatory reasons, the external opening controls of motor vehicle doors are now equipped with a safety locking device for the lock and, more specifically, for its handle.

[0039] In a traditional manner and as illustrated by [Fig. 1], the external handle 2 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 1 and balanced by an internal counterweight 21 tilting. A pulling maneuver on this handle allows the bolt to be released from the strike plate (not shown) and thus ensures the unlocking of the door lock before returning to its rest position thanks to the action of the counterweight 21, possibly coupled with a return spring (not shown).

[0040] The locking device generally includes a cam 3 intended to support a first end 4a of a blade 4 under stress while a second end 4b of this blade is secured to the bracket 1 by means of a fastening member 5 (screw, ...).

[0041] Upon impact with the door, and by rotation around a transverse axis before any pivoting of the counterweight 21 ([Fig. 3]), the cam 3 comes into contact with this counterweight. Thus, the counterweight 21 is immobilized and normally prevents any inertial pulling of the handle 2 that might occur during the impact.

[0042] It is generally intended that, in conjunction with the rotation of the cam 3, the blade 4 is released and, relieved of its constraints, immobilizes the cam, which is in contact with the counterweight 21. This movement of the blade prevents any outward movement of the handle 2 and thus permanently locks the door in the closed position, as illustrated in [Fig. 3]. To this end, the cam 3 has a hook 30 located on the side opposite the side in contact with the counterweight 21 and designed to retain the end 4a of the blade 4.

[0043] However, if during the impact the blade 4 is subjected to excessive vibration, it escapes the cam 3, which tends to return to its initial position, as illustrated by the vertical arrow in [Fig. 3]. Under these conditions, the counterweight 21 is no longer held by the cam 3 and is free again. Consequently, the device cannot ensure that the handle 2 is held during the impact.

[0044] Therefore, the invention aims to eliminate the vibrations of the blade 4 or at least to limit their amplitude to ensure, in the event of a shock, that the cam 3 is wedged against the counterweight 21 and to guarantee the locking of the handle 2.

[0045] To this end, the invention provides means for modifying and adapting the natural frequency of the blade 4 so that, in the event of stresses resulting from a lateral impact against the door and generating vibrations, it is stabilized and even slowed down in its release stroke.

[0046] Thus, in order to guarantee optimal operation of the external opening control in the event of a lateral impact generating vibrations, the invention provides for equipping the blade 4 beforehand with a modulation element 6 designed to stabilize the blade, as illustrated in [Fig. 5]. More specifically, the mass and geometry of this added element 6 are adjusted according to the critical vibration frequencies of each type of handle in order to modify and adjust the natural frequency of the blade and thus prevent it from resonating.

[0047] To this end, the blade 4 is provided with at least one orifice 40 ([Fig. 4]) intended to receive this modulation element 6 ([Fig. 5]), which is attached and snapped or hooked into the orifice 40 of the blade via a mounting member. This mounting member is, for example, made up of a lug (not shown) pressed into the orifice 60 and which secures the modular element to the blade 4.

[0048] Preferably, for maintenance reasons, the modulation element 6 is removably mounted on the blade 4. The modulation element 6 here has a substantially U-shaped cross-section whose branches 61 enclose the lateral edge of the blade 4, as illustrated by [Fig.5], and which provide a means of gripping the element 6.

[0049] As illustrated by [Fig.4], the orifice 40 is provided between the first end 4a of the blade and the position of the member 5 ensuring the fixing of its second end 4b on the stirrup 1.

[0050] The invention also aims to produce an exterior door handle for a motor vehicle equipped with a safety locking device as described above by using a standard bracket and jointly adjusting the geometry and mass of the modulation element 6 so as to adapt the natural frequency of the blade 4 to the vibrational frequency of each handle.

[0051] Consequently, the basic bracket 1 becomes "unique" and reusable on different doors and various vehicles; the only constraint being to associate with the blade 4 a modulation element 6 whose geometry and / or mass are appropriately determined. This element will be fixed to the blade after defining the critical frequencies associated with the application concerned in order to guarantee the proper functioning of the "anti-g" system.

[0052] Thus, it becomes possible to optimally adjust the safety locking device by selectively modulating the natural frequency of the associated blade 4 through a choice of geometry and mass of the modulation element 6 attached to this blade. Thanks to the integration of the element 6, the mechanical behavior of the blade 4 then guarantees the engagement of the counterweight 21 by the cam 3 regardless of the vibration conditions of each door.

Claims

Claims

1. Device for safely locking an exterior handle (2) of a motor vehicle door pivotally mounted on a bracket (1) while being balanced by a tilting interior counterweight (21), said device comprising a cam (3) intended, on the one hand, to support a first end (4a) of a blade (4) under stress while a second end (4b) is fixed in the bracket and, on the other hand, to come by rotation into stop contact with the counterweight during an impact on the door while said blade comes to block the cam by releasing, characterized in that said blade (4) is provided with at least one orifice (40) intended to receive an added element (6) ensuring the stabilization of the blade (4) and the modulation of its natural frequency to prevent it from resonating during a lateral impact against the door.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said modulation element (6) comprises snap-fastening members in the orifice (40) of the blade (4).

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said modulation element (6) comprises attachment members in the orifice (40) of the blade (4).

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said stabilizing and modulating element (6) has a mass and a geometry which is a function of the critical vibration frequencies of the blade (4) for each type of handle.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said modulation element (6) is removably mounted on the blade (4).

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said orifice (40) is provided between the first end (4a) of the blade (4) and the fixing zone (5) of its second end (4b) on the stirrup (1).

7. Method for producing an exterior handle for a motor vehicle door equipped with a safety locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a standard stirrup (1) is used and the geometry and mass of said modulation element (6) are adjusted, which is attached to the blade (4) so ​​as to adapt its natural frequency to the vibration frequency of said handle.

8. Method for adjusting a safety locking device according to one of the

9. Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the natural frequency of the blade (4) is modulated by adjusting the geometry and mass of the modulation element (6) attached to said blade. Motor vehicle of which at least one door is equipped with an external opening control provided with a safety locking device according to one of Claims 1 to 6.

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