SIDE DOOR HANDLE FOR A LAND VEHICLE, WITH A NON-REVERSIBLE ANTI-OPENING DEVICE

Abstract

An opening handle (PO) is fitted to a side door of a land vehicle and includes a control lever rotatably mounted on a bracket (EP) and a locking piece (PB) rotatably mounted on the bracket (EP) around a predetermined direction and under the restoring force of a spring to move from a first position to a second position preventing rotation of the control lever when the vehicle sustains a side impact. The locking piece (PB) is mounted in translation along the predetermined direction so that it is translated by the spring from the second position to a third position preventing rotation of the control lever, and after the impact to move into a fourth position in which a protrusion (PP) of the bracket (EP) constrains it to continue preventing rotation of the control lever. Figure 6

Description

Title of the invention: OPENING HANDLE FOR A SIDE DOOR OF A LAND VEHICLE, WITH A NON-REVERSIBLE ANTI-OPENING DEVICE Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to land vehicles comprising at least one side door, and more specifically to the opening handle fitted to such a side door. Prior art

[0002] Many land vehicles, generally of the motor vehicle type, include at least one side door (and usually two) having an opening handle having a control lever mounted for rotation on a bracket.

[0003] Some of these opening handles also include an anti-opening device (sometimes called an "anti-g system" or "inertia lock") designed to prevent the control lever from rotating due to inertia when the land vehicle undergoes a side impact, thus preventing the side door from opening. A "side impact" is defined here as an impact sustained by a (land) vehicle on one of its lateral (or longitudinal) sides, and therefore having a component parallel to the vehicle's transverse direction.

[0004] Such anti-opening devices sometimes include at least one locking blade and a locking piece rotatably mounted on the bracket, under a spring-loaded return force, so as to allow movement from a first initial position (in the absence of an impact) to a second position preventing rotation of the control lever when the land vehicle is subjected to a lateral impact. Generally, the anti-opening device prevents rotation of the control lever by preventing the rotation of a counterweight rotatably mounted on the bracket and coupled to the control lever.

[0005] When a lateral impact occurs, the locking piece spontaneously rotates before the counterweight rotates, thus preventing the latter. The rotation of the locking piece releases the locking blade, which was previously held under tension by the locking piece in its initial position, and therefore allows this locking blade to assume an unconstrained (flat) shape that prevents the locking piece from returning to its initial position, thus irreversibly preventing the control lever from rotating at the end of the lateral impact.

[0006] However, as those skilled in the art know, it sometimes happens that during the lateral impact the locking blade vibrates quite strongly, and therefore that when the locking piece begins to return to its first position it is not able to lock it. It will be understood that in this case the rotation of the counterweight is possible and therefore the control lever can perform its rotation and allow the opening of its side door, which can then allow the ejection of the adjacent passenger.

[0007] The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation. Presentation of the invention

[0008] It proposes in particular for this purpose an opening handle suitable for equipping a side door of a land vehicle, and comprising a control lever mounted for rotation on a bracket and a locking piece mounted for rotation on the bracket around a predefined direction and under a return force provided by a spring to move from a first position to a second position preventing the rotation of the control lever when the vehicle suffers a side impact.

[0009] This opening handle is characterized by the fact that:

[0010] - its stirrup includes a protrusion designed to hold the locking piece in its first position in the absence of a side impact, and

[0011] - its locking piece is also mounted in translation along the predefined direction in order to be translated by the spring from the second position to a third position preventing the rotation of the control lever, and suitable after the lateral shock to pass, due to the restoring force, into a fourth position angularly offset from the third position and in which the protrusion forces it to continue to prevent the rotation of the control lever.

[0012] Thanks to the invention, the opening handle has a non-reversible anti-opening device since it guarantees that the locking piece will remain in a fourth position preventing any rotation of the control lever, which makes it possible to do without the locking blade and its fixing means.

[0013] The opening handle according to the invention may include other features which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

[0014] - the locking piece can be an inertial weight;

[0015] - the protrusion can be installed in a first area located next to a second zone occupied by the blocking piece in its first position and partly opposite the blocking piece when the latter is in its fourth position;

[0016] - the protuberance may have a general shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and having a main axis parallel to the predefined direction;

[0017] - its stirrup may include a support on which is mounted for rotation and in translation along a rotation axis that is part of the locking piece;

[0018] - in the presence of the last option, the spring can be adapted to act on the axis of rotation ;

[0019] - it may include a counterweight rotatably mounted on the caliper, coupled to the lever control, and designed to prevent the rotation of the control lever when its rotation is prevented by the locking piece;

[0020] - the spring may be of the helical type.

[0021] The invention also proposes a side door intended to be part of a land vehicle and comprising an opening handle of the type of that presented above.

[0022] The invention also proposes a land vehicle, possibly of the automobile type, and comprising at least one side door of the type presented above. Brief description of the figures

[0023] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from an examination of the detailed description below, and the accompanying drawings (obtained using CAD / CAM (“Computer-Aided Design / Computer-Aided Manufacturing”)), in which:

[0024] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates, in a top view, part of an example of Manufacturing of a right-hand opening handle for a right-hand side door of a land vehicle,

[0025] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, a part of the anti-opening device of the opening handle of the [Fig. 1], with its locking piece placed in its first position,

[0026] [Fig.3] schematically illustrates, in another perspective view, the part of the anti-opening device for the opening handle of [Fig. 1] which includes the rotation axis with the spring,

[0027] [Fig.4] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, a part of the anti-opening device of the opening handle of the [Fig. 1], with its locking piece placed in its second position,

[0028] [Fig.5] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, a part of the anti-opening device of the opening handle of the [Fig. 1], with its locking piece placed in its third position, and

[0029] [Fig.6] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, a part of the anti-opening device of the opening handle of the [Fig.l], with its locking piece placed in its fourth irreversible position. Detailed description of the invention

[0030] The invention aims in particular to provide an opening handle PO intended to be part of a side door of a land vehicle, and comprising an anti-opening device whose action is non-reversible.

[0031] In what follows, the land vehicle is considered, by way of non-limiting example, to be of the automobile type. This is, for example, a two- or four-seater car side doors. But the invention is not limited to this type of land vehicle. It concerns any land vehicle comprising at least one side door including an opening handle adapted to act on a door opening mechanism.

[0032] Figure 1 schematically illustrates part of an example of an embodiment of an opening handle PO (here right) intended to be part of a side door (here right) of a land vehicle (here a car).

[0033] In figures 1 to 6 the direction X is intended to be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (terrestrial), which is substantially parallel to the lateral (or longitudinal) sides comprising the side doors, the direction Y is intended to be parallel to the transverse direction of the vehicle, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, and the direction Z is intended to be parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y.

[0034] As illustrated at least partially in [Fig.1], an opening handle PO, according to the invention, comprises at least one control lever LC, one bracket EP, one locking piece PB, one spring RR and one protrusion PP.

[0035] The EP bracket is intended to be fixedly attached to a side door.

[0036] The control lever LC is rotatably mounted on the bracket EP and is actuated (rotated) by a user. For this purpose, it comprises a first end El rotatably mounted on the bracket EP, so as to be driven in rotation around a predefined direction dp (here parallel to the vertical direction Z), and a second end E2.

[0037] The locking piece PB is rotatably mounted on the bracket EP around the predefined direction dp and under a restoring force provided by the spring RR (see Figures 2 and 3). This rotatable mounting is intended to allow, in particular, the passage (represented by the arrow Fl in [Fig. 4]) of the locking piece PB from a first initial position (illustrated in [Fig. 2]) to a second position (illustrated in [Fig. 4]) preventing the rotation of the control lever LC when the vehicle undergoes a side impact.

[0038] It is recalled that here we mean "lateral impact" an impact suffered by the vehicle on one of its lateral (or longitudinal) sides and therefore having a component parallel to the transverse direction Y of the vehicle.

[0039] As illustrated in Figures 2 and 4 to 6, the PP protrusion is fixedly attached to the EP bracket. It (EP) is arranged to hold the PB locking piece in its first position (illustrated in [Fig. 2]) in the absence of a lateral impact, and when a user operates the LC control lever. The verb "hold" here means to prevent the PB locking piece from translating in the predefined direction pd when it is in its first (initial) position. In this first In this position, the interface between the blocking piece PB and the protrusion PP is therefore located at a predefined level along the predefined direction pd, and therefore the blocking piece PB is located "upstream" of (or before) this predefined level.

[0040] As illustrated in Figures 2 to 6, the locking piece PB is also mounted in translation along the predefined direction dp so that it is translated by the spring RR from the second position (illustrated in [Fig. 4]) to a third position (illustrated in [Fig. 5]) preventing the rotation of the control lever LC. It will be understood that in the second and third positions there is the same angular difference with the angular position of the locking piece PB in the first position, and therefore the rotation of the control lever LC is prevented in these two positions. Indeed, what differentiates the second and third positions is their position along the predefined direction dp. In the second position, the locking piece PB is located upstream of (or before) the predefined level along the predefined direction dp, while in the third position, the locking piece PB has been translated (arrow F2 of [Fig. 5]).5]) under the (axial) action of the RR spring and is located partly downstream of (or after) this predefined level along the predefined direction dp and therefore at least partly at the level of the PP protrusion. .

[0041] As illustrated in [Fig. 6], after the lateral impact, the locking piece PB, due to the restoring force exerted by the spring RR (radial action), moves into a fourth position (illustrated in [Fig. 6]) which is angularly offset from the third position. As illustrated, in this fourth position, the protrusion PP forces the locking piece PB to continue preventing the rotation of the control lever LC. It will be understood that in this fourth position, the locking piece PB rests against the protrusion PP, which prevents it from returning to the angular position corresponding to the first position, and therefore the locking piece PB continues to prevent the rotation of the control lever LC. Furthermore, the axial force exerted by the spring RR prevents the locking piece PB from translating in the opposite direction to that of arrow F2 (translation from the second position to the third position).Therefore, the PB locking piece cannot return to its initial position.

[0042] Thus, the PP protrusion, the PB locking piece, and the RR spring form a non-reversible anti-opening device, since they ensure that the PB locking piece remains in a fourth position, preventing any rotation of the LC control lever due to the dual radial and axial action of the RR spring. This advantageously eliminates the need for the locking blade and its fastening means, and therefore eliminates dependence on vibrations induced by lateral impact on the locking blade.

[0043] For example, the locking piece PB can be an inertial weight. Here, an "inertial weight" is understood to be a part having a significantly heavier section, which is therefore spontaneously driven into rotation (or tilting) in the presence of an inertial force caused by a lateral impact. However, other types of locking piece PB can be used.

[0044] Also, for example, and as illustrated, but not limited to, in Figures 2 and 4 to 6, the PP protrusion can be installed in a first zone located next to a second zone occupied by the PB locking piece in its first position and partially opposite the PB locking piece when the latter PB is in the fourth position. It will be understood that in this case, the interface between the PB locking piece and the PP protrusion (located at the predefined level along the predefined direction pd) is the interface between the first and second zones. However, other arrangements can be considered, particularly when the PP protrusion and / or the PB locking piece include extensions having a component along the predefined direction dp in order to define a "remote contact".

[0045] Also, for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in Figures 2 and 4 to 6, the protuberance PP may have a general parallelepiped shape, rectangular and having a principal axis parallel to the predefined direction dp.

[0046] It should be noted that the PP protrusion is preferably an integral part of the EP bracket. However, it could be an added part by gluing, welding, screwing or clipping.

[0047] Also, for example, and as illustrated, but not limited to, in Figures 2 and 4 to 6, the bracket EP may include a support SF on which a rotational and translational axis AR, forming part of the locking piece PB, is mounted. However, in an alternative embodiment (not shown), the bracket EP could include a fixed axis on which the locking piece PB is mounted for rotational and translational movement.

[0048] It should be noted that in the presence of the aforementioned AR axis of rotation, the RR spring can be suitable for acting radially and axially on the AR axis of rotation.

[0049] Also, for example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figures 1, 2, and 4 to 6, the opening handle PO may also include a counterweight CL which is rotatably mounted on the bracket EP and coupled (for example, rotatably) to the second end E2 of the control lever LC. In this case, it is the counterweight CL that prevents the control lever LC from rotating when its own rotation is prevented by the locking piece PB (placed in one of its second, third, and fourth positions). Such a counterweight CL is intended to facilitate the opening and closing of the control lever LC.

[0050] Also, for example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figures 2 and 4 to 6, the counterweight CL may include an outgrowth EC extending along the predefined direction dp (or Z) and longitudinal direction X and defining a face a support near which a stop BP of the locking piece PB is positioned when the latter (PB) is placed in one of its second, third, and fourth positions. It will be understood that in this case, the rotation of the counterweight CL is prevented (or prohibited) when the bearing face of its protrusion EC comes against the stop BP.

[0051] But in an alternative embodiment (not illustrated), the counterweight CL could be dispensed with, and in this case the locking piece PB acts directly on the second end E2 of the control lever LC when it has to prevent its opening (and therefore its rotation by inertial effect).

[0052] It should also be noted that the RR spring can, for example, be of the helical type.

Claims

Demands

1. An opening handle (PO) adapted for fitting a side door of a land vehicle, comprising a control lever (LC) rotatably mounted on a bracket (EP) and a locking piece (PB) rotatably mounted on said bracket (EP) around a predetermined direction and under a restoring force provided by a spring (RR) to move from a first position to a second position preventing the rotation of said control lever (LC) when said vehicle undergoes a lateral impact, characterized in that i) said bracket (EP) comprises a protrusion (PP) adapted to maintain said locking piece (PB) in said first position in the absence of a lateral impact, and ii) said locking piece (PB) is also translationally mounted along said predetermined direction so as to be translated by said spring (RR) from said second position to a third position preventing the rotation of said control lever (LC), and adapted after said lateral impact to move,due to said restoring force, in a fourth position angularly offset from said third position and in which said protrusion (PP) constrains it to continue preventing the rotation of said control lever (LC).

2. Opening handle according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking piece (PB) is an inertial weight.

3. Opening handle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said protrusion (PP) is installed in a first zone located next to a second zone occupied by said locking piece (PB) in said first position and partly opposite said locking piece (PB) when the latter (PB) is in said fourth position.

4. Opening handle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said protrusion (PP) has a general rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a principal axis parallel to said predefined direction.

5. Opening handle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said stirrup (EP) comprises a support (SF) on which is mounted for rotation and translation a rotation axis (AR) forming part of said locking piece (PB).

6. Opening handle according to claim 5, characterized in that said spring (RR) is adapted to act on said axis of rotation (AR).

7. Opening handle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a counterweight (CL) rotatably mounted on said bracket (EP), coupled to said control lever (LC), and adapted to prevent the rotation of said control lever (LC) when its rotation is prevented by said locking piece (PB).

8. Opening handle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said spring (RR) is of helical type.

9. Side door suitable for equipping a land vehicle, characterized in that it comprises an opening handle (PO) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Land vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one side door according to claim 9.