Opening control device for a door or window, door or window and method for assembling such a door or window

Abstract

Opening control device, opening mechanism, and method for assembling such an opening mechanism. The invention relates to an opening control device (1) for a vehicle opening mechanism, comprising an interior opening control (13) intended to be mounted in a trim panel (5) and a sheath housing (19) intended to be mounted in a metal structure of said opening mechanism, comprising a paddle (15) movable for rotation about an axis (17), a lever, mounted on said axis, actuated by said paddle, said sheath housing comprising a cable (21) including a cable end (39) cooperating with said lever, actuating said paddle causing displacement of said cable. According to the invention, said axis extends horizontally and said sheath housing has a positioning and guiding groove for said cable end formed in a plane perpendicular to said axis.The invention also relates to an opening comprising such a device and a method for assembling such an opening. Figure 7.

Description

Title of the invention: Device for controlling the opening of an opening, opening and method for assembling such an opening Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of motor vehicles, in particular to the field of opening locks, and more particularly concerns an opening control device.

[0002] The invention also relates to an opening and a method of assembling such an opening. Prior art

[0003] A motor vehicle comprises a plurality of openings capable of being locked and unlocked by an opening control device intended to control the locking or unlocking of a lock arranged remotely in the opening.

[0004] In particular, the doors of the motor vehicle each comprise an opening control device, comprising an interior opening control, mounted inside a trim panel of the door, and a cable, sliding in a sheath made in a sheath housing.

[0005] The cable has a first end which cooperates with the lock and a second end, called the “cable end piece”, which cooperates with a lever carried by a housing of the interior opening control and which is capable of being driven into movement by the actuation of a paddle actuable by an occupant of the vehicle when the opening control device is mounted in the vehicle.

[0006] The vehicle door comprises a metal structure, consisting of a closed hollow body consisting of an outer skin and an inner skin called a door lining.

[0007] The door lining is decorated on its inside with a trim piece, for example plastic, called a trim panel, visible from inside the vehicle passenger compartment by the occupants.

[0008] In the door assembly process, the trim panel arrives on the assembly line for assembly with the metal structure of the door. The interior opening control is pre-assembled on the trim panel while the lock, cable and sheath housing are pre-assembled on the door lining of the metal structure.

[0009] A fitter holds the trim panel with one hand and, with his other hand, grabs the cable end, for example a barrel end, and engages it in the lever of the interior opening control, then it assembles, for example by clipping, the sheath housing in the housing of the interior opening control.

[0010] Two steps are thus necessary to assemble the cable end piece with the internal opening control, which makes the assembly step relatively long.

[0011] Furthermore, this assembly step is very complex to carry out for the fitter, who must hold the bulky and heavy trim panel in one hand and blindly carry out with the other hand the operations of assembling the cable end piece in the lever of the interior opening control and the sheath housing in the housing of the interior opening control.

[0012] Also known is the prior art document FR2750726B1, which discloses an opening control device comprising an interior opening control pre-assembled in the door trim panel and extending in a substantially vertical plane, the movement of the pallet in its housing taking place around a vertical axis, in a horizontal plane. The opening control device further comprises a cable sliding in a sheath made in a sheath housing, the sheath housing and the cable being pre-assembled on the door lining. The cable has a first end cooperating with a lock of the door and a second end comprising a cable end piece.The opening control device further comprises means adapted to allow positioning and clipping of the cable end piece onto the interior opening control in a single step via a movement along an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the pallet.

[0013] For aesthetic purposes, it is envisaged to integrate the interior opening control horizontally into the armrest of the door trim panel, so that the movement of the pallet in its housing takes place in a vertical plane around a horizontal axis.

[0014] The use of a device of the type disclosed by document FR2750726B1 in a horizontal interior opening control would involve mounting the cable end piece on the interior opening control via a movement along a vertical axis.

[0015] However, this type of editing kinematics is incompatible with the constraints of online editing.

[0016] Thus, the integration of a device of the type disclosed by document FR2750726B1 is not possible in a configuration where the interior opening control blade is horizontal and moves around a horizontal axis. Presentation of the invention

[0017] The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, and relates to to do this a device for controlling the opening of an opening of a motor vehicle, intended to control the locking and unlocking of a lock arranged in said opening and intended to be mounted in said opening, comprising an interior opening control intended to be mounted in a trim panel of said opening and a sheath housing intended to be mounted in a metal structure of said opening, said interior opening control comprising a pallet, movable in rotation around an axis and actuable from the outside when said interior opening control is mounted in said trim panel, a lever, mounted on said axis and capable of being driven into movement when said pallet is actuated, said sheath housing comprising a cable, sliding in a sheath made in said sheath housing and comprising a first end intended to cooperate with said lock and a second end comprising a cable end piece cooperating with said lever, so that the actuation of said pallet causes the movement of said cable, remarkable in that said axis extends substantially horizontally when said interior opening control is mounted in said trim panel and in that said sheath housing comprises a groove for positioning and guiding said cable end piece made in a plane perpendicular to said axis when said sheath housing is mounted in said metal structure of said opening and said interior opening control is mounted in said trim panel.

[0018] Thus, by providing a groove for positioning and guiding the cable end piece made in the sheath housing in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the pallet of the interior opening control, the cable end piece is guided in the sheath housing in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the pallet, which allows the installer to assemble horizontally, in particular along a transverse axis, the cable end piece on the interior opening control with a horizontal axis.

[0019] Thus, the cable end piece and the axis of the pallet are coaxial during assembly, which allows horizontal assembly of the cable end piece on the interior opening control, which makes it possible to comply with the assembly constraints.

[0020] Thanks to the present invention, the assembly of the cable end piece on the horizontal axis interior opening control is greatly simplified compared to the prior art, greatly improving the ergonomics of the fitter's workstation.

[0021] According to optional characteristics of the assembly according to the invention: - said interior opening control comprises a housing carrying said axis and comprising an outer face, said lever extends outside said outer face of said housing and said lever comprises a housing for receiving said cable end piece; - said positioning and guiding groove is shaped so that when said cable end piece is in abutment with said positioning and guiding groove, said cable end piece and said receiving housing are concentric when said sheath housing is mounted in said metal structure of said opening and when said interior opening control is mounted in said trim panel; - said outer face comprises a set of centering devices adapted to guide said sheath housing into position on said housing of said interior opening control during assembly of said sheath housing on said interior opening control; - said lever comprises a clearance groove extending radially from said receiving housing, adapted to allow clearance of said cable; - said cable end piece comprises a groove adapted to guide said cable end piece along said positioning and guiding groove during the movement of said cable end piece in said positioning and guiding groove; - said positioning and guiding groove is shaped to allow movement of said cable end piece between extreme positions of said pallet; - said sheath housing comprises fixing clips and said outer face of said housing of said interior opening control comprises complementary fixing elements adapted to cooperate with said fixing clips.

[0022] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle opening, comprising a metal structure, a trim panel and an opening control device, remarkable in that said opening control device is according to the invention.

[0023] The invention also relates to a method of assembling a motor vehicle opening according to the invention, remarkable in that it comprises a step aimed at assembling by a translational movement along a horizontal axis said cable end piece with said lever of said interior opening control. Brief description of the drawings

[0024] Other characteristics, aims and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which:

[0025] [Fig-1] shows an opening control device according to the invention in progress mounting in an opening of a motor vehicle seen from a plane transverse to the vehicle.

[0026] [Fig.2] shows the interior opening control of the opening control device seen in perspective, the pallet being in the closed position.

[0027] [Fig.3] shows the interior opening control of the opening control device seen in perspective, the pallet being in the open position.

[0028] [Fig.4] shows the sheath housing in perspective, seen from inside the housing.

[0029] [Fig.5] shows the sheath housing in perspective, seen from outside the housing.

[0030] [Fig.6] is a perspective view of the cable end piece and a portion of the cable.

[0031] [Fig.7] shows the kinematics of assembly of the sheath housing on the control interior opening, seen from a transverse plane of the motor vehicle.

[0032] [Fig.8] shows the assembly kinematics of the sheath housing on the interior opening control, seen in perspective from above. Description of the embodiments

[0033] In the remainder of the description, elements having an identical structure or similar functions are designated by the same reference.

[0034] By convention, longitudinal, vertical and transverse orientations will be adopted, without limitation, indicated by the direct trihedron (L, V, T) designating the longitudinal, vertical and transverse axes of the vehicle.

[0035] Reference is made to [Fig.l] showing an opening control device 1 according to the invention, being mounted in an opening of a motor vehicle, seen along a transverse plane of the motor vehicle.

[0036] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the opening of the motor vehicle is constituted by a door 3.

[0037] The door 3 comprises a trim panel 5 comprising inside it an armrest 7 opening into the passenger compartment 9 of the motor vehicle and comprising an upper face 11 on which an occupant can rest his arm.

[0038] The door 3 comprises outside the trim panel 5, that is to say on the right of the figure, a metal structure (not shown), consisting of a closed hollow body consisting of an outer skin and an inner skin forming a door lining, on which the trim panel 5 is mounted.

[0039] The door 3 can be locked and unlocked by a lock (not shown) arranged remotely in the opening, the locking and unlocking of which are controlled by the opening control device 1.

[0040] The opening control device 1 comprises an interior opening control 13 (designated by the acronym “COI”) mounted in the trim panel 5 of the door 3.

[0041] The COI 13 comprises a pallet 15, or handle, movable in rotation around an axis 17, actuable by an occupant from outside the opening control device 1.

[0042] In the context of the present invention, the COI 13 is said to have a horizontal axis, that is to say that the pallet 15 extends along a substantially horizontal plane, that is to say in a plane (L, T) of the motor vehicle, this for mainly aesthetic purposes.

[0043] Thus, the axis 17 of the COI 13 extends in a substantially horizontal plane, for example along a substantially transverse axis of the motor vehicle, so that the movement of the pallet 15 takes place around the horizontal axis 17, in a vertical plane, that is to say in a plane (L, V) of the motor vehicle in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures.

[0044] The opening control device 1 also comprises a sheath housing 19, or sheath stop, mounted in the metal structure of the door 3 and in which a sheath 20 is made in which slides a cable 21 providing a connection between the COI 13 and the lock.

[0045] Reference is made to Figures 2 and 3 showing the COI 13 in perspective, the pallet 15 occupying respectively a closed position and an open position.

[0046] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the COI 13 comprises a housing 23, carrying the axis 17 on which is mounted a torsion spring 25 adapted to return the pallet 15 to its closed position in which it extends in a substantially horizontal plane.

[0047] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the housing 23 adopts a U shape comprising two vertical faces 27, 29 and a horizontal face 31 connecting the vertical faces 27, 29 together. The vertical face 29 is the one facing the sheath housing 19 when the control device 1 is mounted in the door 3.

[0048] The housing 23 comprises an outer face 33, formed on the vertical face 29, outside of which extends a lever 35 mounted on the axis 17 and capable of being driven into movement when the pallet 15 is actuated. Thus, as visible in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the pallet 15 occupies its closed position, the lever 35 is located to the left of the outer face 33, and when the pallet 15 occupies its open position, the lever 35 is located to the right of the outer face 33 of the housing 23.

[0049] The lever 35 comprises a housing 37 for receiving a cable end piece 39 (visible in figures 4 to 8), or cable stop, forming one of the two ends of the cable 21.

[0050] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the lever 35 comprises a clearance groove 40, extending radially from the receiving housing 37, adapted to allow clearance of the cable 21 when the cable end piece 39 is received by the receiving housing 37.

[0051] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the outer face 33 of the housing 23 comprises a set of centering devices 41 adapted to guide the sheath housing 19 into position on the housing 23 of the COI 13 during their assembly.

[0052] The assembly of the sheath housing 19 on the COI 13 can for example be carried out by by means of fixing elements 43 carried by the external face 33 of the housing 23 of the COI 13 adapted to cooperate with fixing clips 45 (visible in figures 4 and 5) carried by the sheath housing 19.

[0053] Reference is made to Figures 4 and 5 showing the sheath housing 19 in perspective, respectively seen from the inside and from the outside of the housing.

[0054] The sheath housing 19 comprises the sheath 20 in which the cable 21 slides, providing a connection between the COI 13 and the lock.

[0055] The cable 21 comprises a first end intended to cooperate with the lock and a second end comprising the cable end piece 39 intended to cooperate with the lever 35 of the COI 13 when the sheath housing 19 is assembled with the COI 13.

[0056] Thus, when the cable end piece 39 is assembled to the lever 35, the actuation of the pallet 15 causes the cable 21 to move in the sheath 20, thus making it possible to control the lock of the door 3.

[0057] According to the invention, the sheath housing 19 comprises a positioning and guiding groove 47 for the cable end piece 39 made in a plane P perpendicular to the axis 17 (visible in FIGS. 1 to 3) when the sheath housing 19 is mounted in the metal structure of the door 3 and when the COI 13 is mounted in the trim panel 5.

[0058] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the positioning and guiding groove 47 is shaped so that when the cable end piece 39 is in abutment with said groove 47, as shown in figures 4 and 5, the cable end piece 39 and the receiving housing 37 are concentric when the sheath housing 19 is mounted in the metal structure of the door 3 and when the COI 13 is mounted in the trim panel 5.

[0059] Thus, at the time of assembly of the sheath housing 19 on the COI 13, the cable end piece 39 is pre-held in position, which makes it possible to correctly place the sheath end piece 39 in the housing 37 of the lever 35 when the sheath housing 19 is engaged on the COI 13.

[0060] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the positioning and guiding groove 47 is shaped to allow movement of the cable end piece 39 between the open and closed positions of the pallet 15, via the lever 35 with which the cable end piece 39 cooperates.

[0061] The positioning and guiding groove 47 is adapted so as not to generate stress on the cable end piece 39 during its movement.

[0062] Reference is made to [Fig.6] showing in perspective the cable end piece 39 and a part of the cable 21.

[0063] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the cable end piece 39 comprises a groove 51 adapted to guide the cable end piece 39 along the positioning groove ating and guiding groove 47 during the movement of the cable end piece 39 in said groove 47. Thus, the cable end piece 39 is permanently correctly guided by the positioning and guiding groove 47.

[0064] The presence of the groove 51 on the cable end piece 39 also allows good orientation of the cable end piece 39 relative to the housing 37 of the lever 35, and therefore avoids any possible misalignment between the cable end piece 39 and the housing 37.

[0065] Reference is made to figures 7 and 8 showing the assembly kinematics of the sheath housing 19 on the COI 13, respectively seen along a transverse plane of the motor vehicle and in perspective from above.

[0066] In the process of assembling the door 3, the trim panel 5 arrives on the assembly line for assembly with the metal structure of the door 3.

[0067] The COI 13 is pre-assembled on the trim panel 5 while the lock, the cable 21 and the sheath housing 19 are pre-assembled on the door lining of the metal structure.

[0068] When the cable end piece 39 is in abutment with the guide and positioning groove 47, the cable end piece 39 is correctly pre-oriented for assembly in the housing 37 of the lever 35. Thus, the cable end piece 39 is pre-guided on the sheath housing 19.

[0069] The fitter, positioned to the left of the trim panel 5, holds the trim panel 5 with one hand and grabs with his other hand the sheath housing 19 carried by the metal structure of the door 3. He pulls the sheath housing 19 in the direction of the trim panel 5, as shown by the arrow 53 in [Fig.7], until the cable end piece 39 is inserted into the housing 37 of the lever 35, as shown by the arrow 55 in [Fig.8].

[0070] The presence of the centering devices 41 on the outer face 33 of the housing 23 of the COI 13 advantageously makes it possible to guide the sheath housing 19 into position on the housing 23 of the COI 13, as shown by the arrows 57, 59 in [Fig.8].

[0071] The sheath housing 19 thus self-centers on the COI 13. Thus, the sheath housing 19 and the cable end piece 39 are fixed on the COI 13 thanks to a single horizontal movement of the fitter, which saves assembly time and greatly improves the ergonomics of the fitter's workstation.

[0072] The sheath housing 19 is held on the COI 13 automatically by exerting minimal force thanks to the fixing clips 45 of the sheath housing 19 which cooperate with the fixing elements 43 of the COI 13.

[0073] Thanks to the present invention, the fact that the positioning and guiding groove 49 of the cable end piece 39 is made in the sheath housing 19 in a plane perpendicular to the axis 17 of rotation of the pallet 15 of the COI 13 allows guiding of the cable end piece 39 in the sheath housing 19 in a plane perpendicular to the axis 17 of the pallet 15, allowing the installer to assemble horizontally, in particular along a transverse axis, the cable end piece 39 on the COI 13 with a horizontal axis.

[0074] Thus, the cable end 39 and the axis 17 of the pallet 15 are coaxial during assembly, which allows horizontal assembly of the cable end 39 on the COI 13, which makes it possible to comply with the assembly constraints.

[0075] Thanks to the present invention, the assembly of the cable end piece 39 on the COI 13 with horizontal axis is greatly simplified, greatly improving the ergonomics of the fitter's workstation.

[0076] As goes without saying, the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments of this opening opening control device, of this opening and of this method of assembling such an opening, described above solely as illustrative examples, but on the contrary it embraces all the variants involving the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Device (1) for controlling the opening of an opening of a motor vehicle, intended to control the locking and unlocking of a lock arranged in said opening and intended to be mounted in said opening, comprising an interior opening control (13) intended to be mounted in a trim panel (5) of said opening and a sheath housing (19) intended to be mounted in a metal structure of said opening, said interior opening control (13) comprising a pallet (15), movable in rotation about an axis (17) and actuable from the outside when said interior opening control (13) is mounted in said trim panel (5), a lever (35), mounted on said axis (17) and capable of being driven in movement when said pallet (15) is actuated, said sheath housing (19) comprising a cable (21),sliding in a sheath (20) formed in said sheath housing (19) and comprising a first end intended to cooperate with said lock and a second end comprising a cable end piece (39) cooperating with said lever (35), so that the actuation of said pallet (15) causes the movement of said cable (21), characterized in that said axis (17) extends substantially horizontally when said interior opening control (13) is mounted in said trim panel (5) and in that said sheath housing (19) comprises a positioning and guiding groove (47) for said cable end piece (39) formed in a plane (P) perpendicular to said axis (17) when said sheath housing (19) is mounted in said metal structure of said opening and said interior opening control (13) is mounted in said trim panel (5).,

2. Opening control device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said internal opening control (13) comprises a housing (23) carrying said axis (17) and comprising an external face (33), characterized in that said lever (35) extends outside said external face (33) of said housing (23) and in that said lever (35) comprises a housing (37) for receiving said cable end piece (39).

3. Opening control device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said positioning and guiding groove (47) is shaped so that when said cable end piece (39) is located in abutment with said positioning and guiding groove (47), said cable end piece (39) and said receiving housing (37) are concentric when said sheath housing (19) is mounted in said metal structure of said opening and when said interior opening control (13) is mounted in said trim panel (5).

4. Opening control device (1) according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that said outer face (33) comprises a set of centering devices (41) adapted to guide said sheath housing (19) into position on said housing (23) of said inner opening control (13) during assembly of said sheath housing (19) on said inner opening control (13).

5. Opening control device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said lever (35) comprises a clearance groove (40) extending radially from said receiving housing (37), adapted to allow clearance of said cable (21).

6. Opening control device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said cable end piece (39) comprises a groove (51) adapted to guide said cable end piece (39) along said positioning and guiding groove (47) during the movement of said cable end piece (39) in said positioning and guiding groove (47).

7. Opening control device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said positioning and guiding groove (47) is shaped to allow movement of said cable end piece (39) between extreme positions of said pallet (15).

8. Opening control device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that said sheath housing (19) comprises fixing clips (45) and in that said outer face (33) of said housing (23) of said inner opening control (13) comprises complementary fixing elements (43) adapted to cooperate with said fixing clips (45).

9. Motor vehicle opening, comprising a metal structure, a trim panel (5) and an opening control device (1), characterized in that said opening control device (1) is according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Method of assembling a motor vehicle opening according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a step aimed at assembling by a translational movement along a horizontal axis said cable end piece (39) with said lever (35) of said interior opening control (13).

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