Door handle device

Abstract

To restrict door handle operation for manually opening the door latch device under normal circumstances without excessively increasing the number of parts in a door handle device used in a door latch device that can be opened electrically or manually.SOLUTION: A door handle device 20 includes a handle 25 that can rotate between an initial position where the door latch device 10 cannot be operated to open and an emergency operation position where the door latch device 10 is manually operated to open, via a normal operation position for electrically operating the door latch device 10 to open, and a restricting lever 50 attached to a base 21. The restricting lever 50 has a normal restricting part 50a that restricts the rotation of the handle 25 when in the normal restricting position, a restriction release part 50b that releases the restriction on the rotation of the handle 25 by the normal restricting part 50a, and an emergency restricting part 50c that restricts the rotation of the handle 25 in the emergency restricting position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a door handle device. [Background technology]

[0002] A door latch device and a door handle device are attached to a vehicle door. The door latch device has a latch mechanism that can be switched between a latched state, which holds the door closed relative to the vehicle body, and an unlatched state, which allows the door to be opened relative to the vehicle body. The latch mechanism can be opened from the latched state to the unlatched state in two ways by operating the door handle device. The first way is an electric opening operation using an actuator provided in the door latch device. The second way is a manual opening operation by transmitting the operating force of the door handle device.

[0003] The door handle device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a handle that can rotate between an initial position and an emergency operation position via a normal operation position. The door handle device also includes a restriction mechanism that restricts the rotation of the handle and a restriction release mechanism that releases the restriction on the handle. Under normal circumstances, the restriction mechanism allows the handle to rotate from the initial position to the normal operation position and restricts the handle from rotating from the normal operation position to the emergency operation position. This allows the latch mechanism to be electrically opened. In an emergency when the latch mechanism cannot be electrically opened, a user can operate the restriction release mechanism to release the restriction by the restriction mechanism and allow the handle to rotate from the initial position to the emergency operation position. This allows the operating force of the handle to be transmitted to the door latch device, and the latch mechanism is manually opened.

[0004] The door handle device disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a handle, a transmission lever, and an inertia lever, each of which is rotatably attached to a base. The handle is rotatable between an initial position in which the latch mechanism cannot be opened and an operating position in which the latch mechanism can be opened. The transmission lever transmits the operating force of the handle from the initial position to the operating position to the door latch device, thereby manually operating the latch mechanism to open. In the event of a side collision in which an impact is applied to the vehicle door (side), the inertia lever rotates on the rotation path of the transmission lever and restricts the rotation of the transmission lever. This blocks the transmission of force from the door handle device to the door latch device, preventing the latch mechanism from opening and suppressing unintended door opening due to impact. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4914478 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2015-90028 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the door handle device described in Patent Document 2, manual opening of the door latch device by operating the handle cannot be restricted under normal circumstances when the door latch device can be electrically opened. On the other hand, if the restricting mechanism described in Patent Document 1 is applied to the door handle device of Patent Document 2, the handle operation can be restricted under normal circumstances, and unintended opening of the door can be prevented in the event of a side collision. However, this requires a restricting mechanism in addition to the inertia lever, which has the disadvantage of increasing the number of parts that make up the door handle device.

[0007] The present invention relates to a door handle device used in a door latch device that can be opened both electrically and manually, and aims to regulate the handle operation that manually opens the door latch device under normal circumstances and to suppress unintentional door opening in the event of a side collision, without excessively increasing the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a door handle device comprising: a base attached to a door; a handle attached to the exterior side of the base and rotatable between an initial position where the door latch device attached to the door cannot be opened and an emergency operation position where the door latch device is manually opened, via a normal operation position for electrically operating the door latch device to open; and a restricting lever attached to the base; in which the restricting lever is movable to a normal restricting position where rotation of the handle is restricted, a restricting release position where restriction on rotation of the handle is released, and an emergency restricting position where rotation of the handle is restricted when an inertial force equal to or greater than a set value is applied, and the door handle device has a normal restricting part that, when in the normal restricting position, restricts rotation of the handle from the normal operation position to the emergency operation position, a restricting release part for releasing the restriction on rotation of the handle by the normal restricting part, and an emergency restricting part that, when in the emergency restricting position, restricts rotation of the handle to the emergency operation position.

[0009] The restricting lever is movable between a normal restricting position and a de-restricting position when no inertial force equal to or greater than a set value is acting, and is movable to an emergency restricting position when an inertial force equal to or greater than the set value is acting. The restricting lever also includes a normal restricting portion that restricts steering wheel rotation when in the normal restricting position, and an emergency restricting portion that restricts steering wheel rotation when in the emergency restricting position. This allows a single restricting lever to restrict steering wheel rotation both during normal operation, when no inertial force equal to or greater than a set value is acting, and during a side collision, when an inertial force equal to or greater than the set value is acting. This eliminates the need for separate restricting levers for normal operation and side collision, thereby preventing an excessive increase in the number of parts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention relates to a door handle device used in a door latch device that can be opened both electrically and manually, which can regulate the handle operation that manually opens the door latch device under normal circumstances without excessively increasing the number of parts, and can prevent the door from opening unintentionally in the event of a side collision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a door handle device and a door lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door handle device as seen from the front side. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door handle device with the cover removed, viewed from the rear side. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the handle, transmission lever, regulating lever, and emergency button. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 5 as seen from the front side. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 5 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the door is normally opened. [Figure 9] 9 is a perspective view of the configuration other than the base in FIG. 8 as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the configuration other than the base in FIG. 10 as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 12] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] 1 to 3, a door handle device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to an outer panel (door panel) 2 of a door 1, and enables the door 1, which is closed, to be opened by operating a door latch device 10 attached to the same door 1. The door handle device 20 of this embodiment is for a left side door whose hinge axis extends in the vehicle height direction. However, the door handle device 20 may also be for a right side door, a sliding door, or a back door.

[0014] In the accompanying drawings, the X direction is the vehicle length direction, with the arrow pointing in the rear direction and the opposite direction being the front direction. The Y direction is the vehicle width direction, with the arrow pointing inward (inside the vehicle) and the opposite direction being the outside (outside the vehicle). The Z direction is the vehicle height direction, with the arrow pointing in the upward direction and the opposite direction being the downward direction.

[0015] 1, the door handle device 20 is connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 5 mounted on a vehicle. The ECU 5 has a calculation unit, a storage unit, and a communication unit, none of which are shown, and reads out a program pre-stored in the storage unit and executes information processing in accordance with steps instructed by the program. The ECU 5 is also connected to a door latch device 10. The ECU 5 electrically operates the door latch device 10 based on an input signal from the door handle device 20.

[0016] To provide an overview of the door latch device 10, the door latch device 10 is arranged along an end panel (not shown) of the door 1 shown in Figure 3. The door latch device 10 includes a latch mechanism 11, an actuator 12, a latch switching mechanism 13, a lock mechanism 14, an actuator 15, and a lock switching mechanism 16.

[0017] The latch mechanism 11 includes a fork and a claw, and can be switched between a latched state and an unlatched state. In the latched state, the fork holds a striker on the vehicle body, holding the door 1 shown in Figure 3 in a closed state. In the unlatched state, the fork releases the striker, allowing the door 1 to be opened.

[0018] The latch mechanism 11 is switched from an unlatched state to a latched state by the striker entering the fork when the open door 1 is closed. The latch mechanism 11 is switched from the latched state to the unlatched state from outside the vehicle (opening operation) by operating the door handle device 20, but the latch mechanism 11 is electrically operated by the actuator 12 via the latch switching mechanism 13 in normal times, when it can be operated electrically, and in emergency times, when it cannot be operated electrically. Switching of the latch mechanism 11 by operating the door handle device 20 will be described in detail later.

[0019] The locking mechanism 14 is composed of multiple levers and the like, and can be switched between an unlocked state and a locked state. In the unlocked state, the latching mechanism 11 can be switched from the latched state to the unlatched state via the latch switching mechanism 13. In the locked state, the latching mechanism 11 cannot be switched from the latched state to the unlatched state via the latch switching mechanism 13.

[0020] The lock mechanism 14 is switched from an unlocked state to a locked state from outside the vehicle by operating the door handle device 20. The lock mechanism 14 is switched from a locked state to an unlocked state from outside the vehicle by operating the door handle device 20, but the state of the lock mechanism 14 differs between normal operation when the lock mechanism 14 can be electrically operated by the actuator 15 and emergency operation when the lock mechanism 14 cannot be electrically operated. Switching of the lock mechanism 14 by operating the door handle device 20 will be described in detail later.

[0021] The door handle device 20 of this embodiment will be specifically described below.

[0022] The door handle device 20 has a configuration for electrically operating the door latch device 10 shown in Fig. 1 under normal circumstances by an ECU 5 and for manually operating it in an emergency. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the door handle device 20 has a base 21, a cover 22, a handle 25, and a transmission lever 30. The door handle device 20 also has a release switch 33, an end lever 35, a lock switch 39, an open lever 40, a key cylinder 45, a restriction lever 50, and an emergency button 54.

[0023] The handle 25 is a flush handle that is elongated in the vehicle length direction and extends flush with the outer panel 2, and is rotated in both normal and emergency situations. The handle 25 is provided with an operating unit 26 that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction and operates a transmission lever 30. The transmission lever 30 is disposed adjacent to the handle 25 on the vehicle interior side, and is equipped with an operation receiving unit 30a that receives operation by the operating unit 26, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the handle 25 in both normal and emergency situations.

[0024] The release switch 33 is a detection unit for normally activating the latch mechanism 11 and lock mechanism 14 shown in Fig. 1, and is disposed adjacent to the transmission lever 30. The end lever 35 and lock switch 39 are configured to normally activate the lock mechanism 14 shown in Fig. 1, and are disposed on the vehicle interior side of the front end of the handle 25 in the vehicle length direction.

[0025] The open lever 40 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the transmission lever 30 in an emergency to activate the latch mechanism 11 shown in Fig. 1, and is disposed below the transmission lever 30. The key cylinder 45 operates the lock mechanism 14 shown in Fig. 1 in an emergency, and is disposed adjacent to the handle 25 on the rear side in the vehicle length direction.

[0026] The restricting lever 50 is configured to restrict the rotation of the handle 25 via the transmission lever 30 under normal circumstances, thereby restricting the operating force of the handle 25 from being transmitted to the latch mechanism 11 shown in Fig. 1 via the open lever 40. The emergency button 54 is configured to release the restriction imposed by the restricting lever 50 in an emergency.

[0027] 1 is controlled by the ECU 5 when authentication of the electronic key (not shown) carried by the user is established. In other words, under normal circumstances, if authentication of the electronic key is not established, the ECU 5 does not operate the door latch device 10. An antenna 28, which allows the ECU 5 to wirelessly communicate with the electronic key, is housed in the handle 25.

[0028] The operation of the door latch device 10 in response to the operation of the door handle device 20 will be described below.

[0029] (Normal opening operation) To open the door latch device 10 under normal circumstances, the handle 25, which is in its initial position shown by a solid line in FIG. 3, is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction by a portion 25a rearward of the rotary shaft 27. This causes the handle 25 to rotate in a direction A1 in FIG. 2, and the transmission lever 30, which is journaled on the rotary shaft 31, to rotate in a direction B1 in FIG. 4. The rotation of the transmission lever 30 switches the release switch 33 from an OFF state to an ON state, outputting an open signal. As a result, the ECU 5 shown in FIG. 1 electrically switches the lock mechanism 14 from a locked state to an unlocked state using the actuator 15, and then electrically switches the latch mechanism 11 from a latched state to an unlatched state using the latch switching mechanism 13 using the actuator 12. This allows the door 1 shown in FIG. 3 to be opened.

[0030] Rotation of the handle 25 caused by operation of the rear portion 25a is restricted to a normal operating position shown by a dashed line in Figure 3 by the transmission lever 30 abutting against the restriction lever 50. In this restricted state, the transmission lever 30 allows operation of the release switch 33 as described above, but does not allow operation (pressing) of the open lever 40. In other words, the operating force of the handle 25 is not normally transmitted to the open lever 40 via the transmission lever 30. As a result, it is possible to prevent a malfunction of the door latch device 10 caused by conflict between the electric switching and manual switching of the latch mechanism 11.

[0031] (Normal lock operation) To lock the door latch device 10 under normal circumstances, the portion 25b of the handle 25 in front of the rotary shaft 27, which is in the initial position, is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction. This causes the handle 25 to rotate in direction A2 to the normal lock operation position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3, and the end lever 35 journaled to the rotary shaft 37 rotates in direction C1 in FIG. 3. The rotation of the end lever 35 switches the lock switch 39 from an OFF state to an ON state and outputs a lock signal. As a result, the ECU 5 shown in FIG. 1 electrically switches the lock mechanism 14 from an unlocked state to a locked state using the actuator 15. This makes it impossible to open the door 1 shown in FIG. 3.

[0032] (Emergency opening operation) In an emergency, the door latch device 10 is opened by first unlocking the lock mechanism 14 and then unlatching the latch mechanism 11, as shown in FIG.

[0033] To unlock the door latch device 10 in an emergency, the cover 47 in Figure 2 is rotated in direction E1, which is outward in the vehicle width direction, to expose the key hole of the key cylinder 45 to the outside of the vehicle. Then, a mechanical key (not shown) is inserted into the key cylinder 45 and turned. As a result, the lock mechanism 14, to which an operating force is transmitted via a transmission member (not shown) and the lock switching mechanism 16 shown in Figure 1, is manually switched from the locked state to the unlocked state.

[0034] Next, to open the door latch device 10 in an emergency, the rear portion 25a of the handle 25 is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction. This causes the handle 25 to rotate in direction A1 in FIG. 2, and the transmission lever 30 to rotate in direction B1 in FIG. 4. However, in an emergency, the latch mechanism 11 cannot be electrically operated to open. Furthermore, the rotation of the handle 25 by operating the rear portion 25a is restricted to the normal operating position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3 by the abutment of the transmission lever 30 against the restricting lever 50, just as in normal operation.

[0035] Next, in an emergency, the emergency button 54, which is exposed by rotating the handle 25, is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction. This causes the emergency button 54, which is journaled on the rotary shaft 55, to rotate in direction G1 in Figure 4, and the restriction lever 50, which is journaled on the rotary shaft 51, to rotate in direction F1 in Figure 4 so as to move away from the transmission lever 30. As a result, the restriction on rotation of the transmission lever 30 by the restriction lever 50 in direction B1 is released.

[0036] By releasing the restriction of the transmission lever 30, the handle 25 becomes rotatable in direction A1 to the emergency operation position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3. This operation causes the transmission lever 30 to further rotate in direction B1 in FIG. 4 and press the open lever 40. As a result, the open lever 40, which is journaled on the rotation shaft 41, rotates in direction D1, which is the downward direction in FIG. 4. As a result, the operating force of the handle 25 is transmitted to the latch mechanism 11 via the transmission lever 30, the open lever 40, the rod 43, the lock mechanism 14 shown in FIG. 1, and the latch switching mechanism 13, and the latch mechanism 11 is manually switched from the latched state to the unlatched state. As a result, the door 1 shown in FIG. 3 becomes openable.

[0037] Here, when an excessive load (impact) is applied to the outer panel 2 of the door 1 to which the door latch device 10 and the door handle device 20 are attached due to a side collision, the outer panel 2 may be deformed. Furthermore, due to the deformation of the outer panel 2, the handle 25 and the transmission lever 30 may rotate relative to the base 21, and a situation may arise in which the same force as that exerted during an emergency opening operation is transmitted to the door latch device 10 via the open lever 40. In this case, the latch mechanism 11 shown in FIG. 1 may be opened, and the door 1 may be opened. Therefore, in the door handle device 20 of this embodiment, the rotation of the handle 25 is restricted by the restricting lever 50 during a side collision, thereby preventing the door 1 from being unintentionally opened.

[0038] Below, we will explain in detail the configuration for restricting the rotation of the handle 25 under normal circumstances and during a side collision using one restriction lever 50. Here, the normal situation referred to below means a state in which the latch mechanism 11 can be electrically operated to open, and in which an inertial force equal to or greater than a set value due to a side collision impact that could deform the outer panel 2 is not acting.

[0039] (Structure for controlling the handle using a control lever) 3 and 4, the base 21 is attached to the vehicle interior side of the outer panel 2. The handle 25 is attached to the vehicle exterior side of the base 21 and is exposed to the vehicle exterior through a through-hole in the outer panel 2. The transmission lever 30, the restriction lever 50, and the emergency button 54 are all attached to the vehicle interior side of the base 21 and are covered by the cover 22.

[0040] 2 and 3, the handle 25 is disposed on the vehicle outer side of the base 21 and is attached to the base 21 via a rotation shaft 27 extending in the vehicle height direction. The rotation shaft 27 is disposed rearward of the center of the handle 25 in the vehicle length direction, more specifically, at a position that is one-quarter of the total length of the handle 25 from the rear end. As a result, the handle 25 includes a portion 25a rearward of the rotation shaft 27 and a portion 25b forward of the rotation shaft 27.

[0041] Handle 25 can be rotated by rotation shaft 27 in directions A1 and A2 between an initial position shown by a solid line in Fig. 3 and an emergency operation position shown by a two-dot chain line, passing through a normal operation position shown by a one-dot chain line. When handle 25 is in the initial position shown by a solid line in Fig. 3, latch mechanism 11 shown in Fig. 1 cannot be opened. When handle 25 is rotated to the normal operation position shown by a one-dot chain line in Fig. 3, latch mechanism 11 shown in Fig. 1 can be opened electrically. When handle 25 is rotated to the emergency operation position shown by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 3, latch mechanism 11 shown in Fig. 1 can be opened manually.

[0042] 6 to 8, the handle 25 is provided with an operating unit 26 for rotating the transmission lever 30 and transmitting an operating force to the transmission lever 30. The operating unit 26 protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from a rear portion 25a. A portion of the operating unit 26 on the front side in the vehicle length direction has a curved surface shape that bulges forward. A reinforcing portion 26a is provided on the front side in the vehicle length direction of the operating unit 26 to ensure the strength of the operating unit 26.

[0043] 3 and 4, the transmission lever 30 is flat and disposed on the vehicle interior side of the base 21, opposite the handle 25, and is attached to the base 21 via a rotation shaft 31 extending in the vehicle width direction. The rotation shaft 31 causes the transmission lever 30 to rotate in direction B1 in conjunction with the rotation of the handle 25 in direction A1. Under normal conditions, the transmission lever 30 electrically unlocks the lock mechanism 14 shown in FIG. 1 by operating a release switch 33, and electrically opens the latch mechanism 11. In addition, in an emergency, the transmission lever 30 transmits the operating force of the handle 25 via an open lever 40, manually opening the latch mechanism 11 shown in FIG. 1.

[0044] An operation receiving portion 30a is provided on the upper side of the rotation shaft 31 of the transmission lever 30, which corresponds in the vehicle width direction to the operation portion 26 of the handle 25. The operation receiving portion 30a is formed of a hole that penetrates in the vehicle width direction, and receives operation from the operation portion 26, causing the transmission lever 30 to rotate in a direction B1 when the handle 25 rotates in a direction A1.

[0045] 5 and 6, the transfer lever 30 is biased in direction B2 by the spring 32. A torsion spring is used for the spring 32, and one end of the spring 32 is engaged with the transfer lever 30 and the other end of the spring 32 is engaged with the base 21. The biasing force of the spring 32 biases the handle 25 in direction A2 via the transfer lever 30. Rotation of the handle 25 in direction A2 due to the biasing force of the spring 32 is restricted by contact with the end lever 35, which is biased in direction C2 by a spring (not shown) (see FIG. 3). The biasing force of the spring 32 of the transfer lever 30 and the biasing force of the spring of the end lever 35 position the handle 25 in the initial position shown by the solid line in FIG. 3.

[0046] 5 to 7, the transmission lever 30 is further provided with a switch operating portion 30b, a lever operating portion 30c, and a restriction receiving portion 30d.

[0047] When the switch operating unit 30b rotates in the direction B1, it operates a release switch 33 located on the front side of the transmission lever 30 in the vehicle length direction (see FIG. 9). The switch operating unit 30b is provided on the front side of the rotation shaft 31 in the vehicle length direction so as to face the release switch 33, and protrudes in a generally triangular shape.

[0048] The lever operating part 30c, when rotated in the direction B1, operates the operation receiving part 40a of the open lever 40 disposed below the transmission lever 30 (see FIG. 11). The lever operating part 30c is provided below the switch operating part 30b so as to face the open lever 40, and protrudes to form a roughly semicircular shape.

[0049] The restriction receiving portion 30d comes into contact with the restriction lever 50 when it rotates in the direction B1, both during normal operation and during a side collision, and restricts operation of the open lever 40 by the lever operating portion 30c (see FIGS. 9 and 12). In other words, the restriction receiving portion 30d is provided so as to come into contact with the restriction lever 50 before the lever operating portion 30c comes into contact with the open lever 40. The restriction receiving portion 30d is provided above the operation receiving portion 30a, and protrudes radially outward relative to the rotation shaft 31.

[0050] 4, the restricting lever 50 has a flat plate shape that is elongated in the vehicle length direction, and is disposed inside and above the base 21 in the vehicle width direction, and is disposed adjacent to the front side of the transmission lever 30 in the vehicle length direction. The restricting lever 50 restricts the rotation of the transmission lever 30 in direction B1 in both the normal state shown in FIG. 9 and the side collision state shown in FIG. 12. In this way, the restricting lever 50 restricts the rotation of the handlebar 25 in direction A1 via the transmission lever 30.

[0051] The restricting lever 50 is attached to the base 21 via a rotation shaft 51. The rotation shaft 51 passes through approximately the center of the restricting lever 50 in the longitudinal direction. Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7 , the restricting lever 50 can be rotated by the rotation shaft 51 in directions F1 and F2 to a normal restricting position shown by a solid line in FIG. 5 , a release position shown by a dashed line in FIG. 5 , and an emergency restricting position shown by a dashed line in FIG. 5 . When rotated to the normal restricting position shown by a solid line, the restricting lever 50 extends in the vehicle length direction and restricts the rotation of the handlebars 25 via the transmission lever 30. When rotated to the release position shown by a dashed line, the rear end of the restricting lever 50 in the vehicle length direction moves outward in the vehicle width direction compared to when rotated to the normal restricting position shown by a solid line, and the restriction on the rotation of the handlebars 25 via the transmission lever 30 is released. When rotated to the emergency restriction position indicated by the dashed line, the rear end of the restriction lever 50 in the vehicle length direction moves more inward in the vehicle width direction than when rotated to the normal restriction position indicated by the solid line, and restricts the rotation of the handlebar 25 via the transmission lever 30. The emergency restriction position of the restriction lever 50 is rotated in the opposite direction to the release position with respect to the normal restriction position.

[0052] The restricting lever 50 is biased in a direction F1 by a spring (biasing member) 52 from a normal restricting position shown by a solid line in Fig. 5 toward a release position shown by a dashed line in Fig. 5. A torsion spring is used for the spring 52, and one end of the spring 52 is engaged with the restricting lever 50, and the other end is engaged with the base 21. The rotation of the restricting lever 50 in the direction F1 by the spring 52 is restricted to the normal restricting position shown by a solid line in Fig. 5 against the biasing force of the spring 52 by contact with the emergency button 54.

[0053] The restriction lever 50 is provided with a normal restriction portion 50a, a contact portion (restriction release portion) 50b, and an emergency restriction portion 50c.

[0054] When the restriction lever 50 is in the normal restriction position shown by the solid line in Fig. 5, the normal restriction portion 50a restricts the rotation of the handle 25 from the normal operation position shown by the one-dot chain line in Fig. 3 to the emergency operation position shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 3. The normal restriction portion 50a is provided rearward in the vehicle length direction from the rotation shaft 51, and is configured by a notched groove recessed from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction and extending from the rear side to the front side in the vehicle length direction.

[0055] When the restricting lever 50 is rotated to the normal restricting position shown by the solid line in Fig. 5, the normal restricting portion 50a is located on the front side of the transmission lever 30 in the vehicle length direction and is located on the rotation path of the restricted portion 30d in the direction B1. When the restricting lever 50 is rotated to the restriction release position shown by the dashed line in Fig. 5, the normal restricting portion 50a is separated outward in the vehicle width direction from the transmission lever 30 and is located outside the rotation path of the restricted portion 30d in the direction B1. When the restricting lever 50 is rotated to the emergency restricting position shown by the dashed line in Fig. 5, the normal restricting portion 50a is located more inward in the vehicle width direction than the normal restricting position shown by the solid line in Fig. 5.

[0056] The contact portion 50b is a restriction release portion that normally positions the restriction lever 50 at the normal restriction position shown by the solid line in Fig. 5 and that, in an emergency, rotates the restriction lever 50 to the restriction release position shown by the dashed line in Fig. 5. The contact portion 50b is formed by the front end portion of the restriction lever 50 that is located forward of the rotation shaft 51 in the vehicle length direction.

[0057] The contact portion 50b normally contacts the emergency button 54 due to the biasing force of the restriction lever 50 by the spring 52, and positions the restriction lever 50 at the normal restriction position shown by the solid line in Fig. 5. In an emergency when the emergency button 54 is operated, the contact portion 50b moves following the movement of the emergency button 54 due to the biasing force of the restriction lever 50 by the spring 52. As a result, the contact portion 50b is positioned more inward in the vehicle width direction than the normal restriction position shown by the solid line in Fig. 5, and the restriction on the rotation of the transmission lever 30 by the normal restriction portion 50a is released. In the event of a side collision in which an inertial force equal to or greater than a set value acts on the outer panel 2 shown in Fig. 3, the contact portion 50b can move outward in the vehicle width direction than the normal restriction position shown by the solid line in Fig. 5 against the biasing force of the spring 52.

[0058] The emergency restricting portion 50c is formed by the rear end of the portion of the restricting lever 50 that is located rearward in the vehicle length direction from the rotation shaft 51. When the restricting lever 50 is rotated to the emergency restricting position shown by the dashed line in Fig. 5, the emergency restricting portion 50c is located forward in the vehicle length direction of the transmission lever 30 and is located on the rotation path of the restricting receiving portion 30d in the direction B1. This restricts the rotation of the transmission lever 30 in the direction B1, thereby restricting the rotation of the handle 25 to the emergency operating position shown by the dashed double-dashed line in Fig. 3.

[0059] The emergency restriction portion 50c includes a protrusion 50d that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction. The emergency restriction portion 50c, including the protrusion 50d, ensures an area with which the restriction receiving portion 30d of the transmission lever 30 can abut. The protrusion 50d protrudes as much as possible from the groove wall of the notched groove that constitutes the normal restriction portion 50a without interfering with the entry of the restriction receiving portion 30d of the transmission lever 30 into the normal restriction portion 50a. For example, the dimension of the emergency restriction portion 50c, including the protrusion 50d, in the vehicle width direction is approximately twice the thickness of the restriction receiving portion 30d of the transmission lever 30.

[0060] The restricting lever 50 having the above configuration is composed of a mass body that can move relatively to the base 21 due to the action of an inertial force equal to or greater than a set value. Here, the mass body means a member that is made of a material with a specific gravity greater than that of resin, and that can remain in its current position due to its own weight when an impact IF (see FIG. 12) is applied to the outer panel 2 shown in FIG. 3 including the door handle device 20, causing an inertial force to act.

[0061] More specifically, when the outer panel 2 is deformed by an impact, the base 21 moves integrally with this deformation. At this time, the restricting lever 50, which is made of a mass body, remains in the position it was in before the inertial force was applied to the moving base 21 due to the action of an inertial force equal to or greater than a set value. As a result, the restricting lever 50 rotates from the normal restricting position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 to the emergency restricting position shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 5 against the biasing force of the spring 52. As a result, the emergency restricting portion 50c of the restricting lever 50 is positioned on the rotation path of the restricting receiving portion 30d of the transmission lever 30, and rotation of the transmission lever 30 in the direction B1 is restricted.

[0062] The emergency button 54 is an operating member for moving the restriction lever 50 from the normal restriction position shown by the solid line in Fig. 5 to the restriction release position shown by the dashed line in Fig. 5. With reference to Figs. 3 and 4, the emergency button 54 is disposed on the inner side of the base 21 in the vehicle width direction and adjacent to the lower side of the abutment portion 50b of the restriction lever 50, and is attached to a rotation shaft 55 formed on the base 21.

[0063] 5 to 7, the emergency button 54 can be rotated in directions G1 and G2 in the vehicle width direction by the rotation shaft 55. More specifically, the lower end of the emergency button 54 is journaled on the rotation shaft 55, and the portion of the emergency button 54 above the rotation shaft 55 can swing in the vehicle width direction.

[0064] The emergency button 54 is biased in direction G2 by a spring 56 toward the contact portion 50b of the restriction lever 50 located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. A torsion spring is used for the spring 56, and one end is engaged with the emergency button 54 and the other end is engaged with the base 21. Rotation of the emergency button 54 in direction G2 due to the biasing force of the spring 56 is restricted by the contact with the base 21.

[0065] The emergency button 54 is provided with an operating portion 54b and a support portion 54a.

[0066] The support portion 54a is in contact with the contact portion 50b of the restriction lever 50, and the biasing force of the spring 56 supports the restriction lever 50 in the normal restriction position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5. In other words, the biasing force of the spring 56 in the direction G2 of the emergency button 54 is greater than the biasing force of the spring 52 in the direction F1 of the restriction lever 50. The support portion 54a is plate-shaped and protrudes upward from the operating portion 54b. The support portion 54a comes into contact with the base 21, thereby restricting the rotation of the emergency button 54 in the direction G2.

[0067] The operating portion 54b is configured to operate the contact portion 50b via the support portion 54a to release the restriction on rotation of the transmission lever 30 (steering wheel 25) imposed by the restriction lever 50. The operating portion 54b can be exposed to the outside of the vehicle through a through-hole formed in the base 21. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the steering wheel 25 is rotated to the initial position, the operating portion 54b is covered and hidden by the steering wheel 25. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, when the steering wheel 25 is rotated to the normal operating position, the operating portion 54b is exposed to the outside of the vehicle and can be operated in the direction G1 from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0068] In the door handle device 20 configured as described above, when the door latch device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is normally operated to open, the rear portion 25a of the handle 25, which is in the initial position, is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction, as described above. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the handle 25 rotates in direction A1, and the operating portion 26 rotates the transmission lever 30 in direction B1. Then, the restricting portion 30d of the transmission lever 30 abuts against the normal restricting portion 50a of the restricting lever 50, restricting the rotation of the transmission lever 30 in direction B1 and the rotation of the handle 25 in direction A1. As a result, the transmission lever 30 can electrically operate the lock mechanism 14 and the latch mechanism 11 shown in FIG. 1 by operating the release switch 33. However, the transmission lever 30 cannot operate the open lever 40, and therefore cannot transmit the operating force of the handle 25 to the door latch device 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0069] On the other hand, when operating to open the door latch device 10 shown in FIG. 1 in an emergency, first, the rear portion 25a of the handle 25, which is in the initial position, is operated to set the restricted state shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this state, the exposed operating portion 54b of the emergency button 54 is pushed from the outside to the inside in the vehicle width direction. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the support portion 54a of the emergency button 54 moves in direction G1, and the restricting lever 50 follows and rotates in direction F1 due to the biasing force of the spring 52. As a result, the rotation restriction of the transmission lever 30 by the normal restricting portion 50a of the restricting lever 50 is released.

[0070] By releasing the restriction on the transmission lever 30 by the restriction lever 50, the handle 25 can be further operated in direction A1 by grasping the front portion 25b. This operation causes the transmission lever 30 to rotate further in direction B1 than in the restricted state shown in Fig. 9, thereby operating the open lever 40. As a result, the open lever 40 rotates in direction D1, allowing the latch mechanism 11, which is mechanically connected via the rod 43 (see Fig. 4), the lock mechanism 14 shown in Fig. 1, and the latch switching mechanism 13, to be manually opened.

[0071] During a side collision, that is, when an impact is applied from outside the vehicle to the door 1 shown in Fig. 3, causing the outer panel 2 to deform and an inertial force equal to or greater than a set value to act, the door handle device 20 assumes the state shown in Fig. 12. Specifically, the base 21 also moves due to the deformation of the outer panel 2, but the restricting lever 50, which is a mass body, tries to remain in the position it was in before the inertial force acted on it, and so is rotated relative to the base 21 to the emergency restricting position.

[0072] When the restriction lever 50 is rotated to the emergency restriction position, the emergency restriction portion 50c is located on the rotation path of the restriction receiving portion 30d of the transmission lever 30. Therefore, even if a rotational force acts on the transmission lever 30, the restriction receiving portion 30d abuts against the emergency restriction portion 50c of the restriction lever 50, thereby restricting the rotation of the transmission lever 30 in direction B1 and the rotation of the handle 25 in direction A1. Therefore, the transmission lever 30 cannot operate the open lever 40, and the operating force of the handle 25 cannot be transmitted to the door latch device 10 shown in FIG. 1. As a result, the latch mechanism 11 cannot be opened, preventing the door 1 from being unintentionally opened.

[0073] The door handle device 20 configured as above has the following features.

[0074] The restricting lever 50 is movable between a normal restricting position and a derestricting position during normal operation when no inertial force equal to or greater than a set value is acting, and is movable to an emergency restricting position when an inertial force equal to or greater than the set value is acting. The restricting lever 50 also includes a normal restricting portion 50a that restricts the rotation of the handle 25 when in the normal restricting position, and an emergency restricting portion 50c that restricts the rotation of the handle 25 when in the emergency restricting position. This allows the single restricting lever 50 to restrict the rotation of the handle 25 during normal operation when no inertial force equal to or greater than a set value is acting, and during a side collision when an inertial force equal to or greater than the set value is acting. Therefore, there is no need to provide separate restricting levers for normal operation and side collisions. This allows the steering operation to be restricted during normal operation and prevents unintended door opening during a side collision without excessively increasing the number of parts.

[0075] The restricting lever 50 restricts the rotation of the transmission lever 30, which transmits the operating force of the handle 25 to the latch mechanism 11, thereby restricting the rotation of the handle 25 via the transmission lever 30. Therefore, the rotation of the handle 25, which is disposed on the vehicle exterior side of the base 21, can be reliably restricted on the vehicle interior side of the base 21. Therefore, there is no need to provide the handle 25 with a structure for restricting rotation, which improves the degree of freedom in designing the handle 25.

[0076] Emergency button 54 for releasing the restriction imposed by restriction lever 50 has support portion 54a that supports contact portion 50b, and operation portion 54b that operates contact portion 50b via support portion 54a. Therefore, the restriction on rotation of handle 25 imposed by restriction lever 50 can be easily released simply by operating operation portion 54b. Therefore, without an excessive increase in the number of parts, rotation of handle 25 to the emergency operation position can be prevented during normal times when latch mechanism 11 can be electrically opened, and in emergencies when latch mechanism 11 cannot be electrically opened, handle 25 can be reliably operated to the emergency operation position.

[0077] The restricting lever 50 is provided with a spring 52 that biases the restricting lever 50 from the normal restricting position toward the unrestricted position, and the restricting lever 50 is positioned at the normal restricting position against the biasing force of the spring 52 by the abutment of the abutting portion 50b against the support portion 54a. Therefore, when the support of the restricting lever 50 by the support portion 54a is released by operating the emergency button 54, the biasing force of the spring 52 reliably moves the restricting lever 50 to the unrestricted position. Therefore, the restriction on the rotation of the handle 25 by the restricting lever 50 can be reliably released.

[0078] The emergency restriction position of the restriction lever 50 is located on the opposite side of the normal restriction position from the release position, and the restriction lever 50 is configured with a mass body that can move relatively to the emergency restriction position due to the action of an inertial force equal to or greater than a set value. Therefore, the restriction lever 50 can reliably restrict the rotation of the handle 25 in the event of a side collision, and can prevent the door 1 from opening unintentionally.

[0079] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0080] For example, the directions A1, A2 in which the handle 25 rotates and the directions B1, B2 in which the transmission lever 30 rotates can be changed as needed as long as the transmission lever 30 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the handle 25. The directions F1, F2 in which the restriction lever 50 rotates can be changed as needed as long as the restriction can be placed on the rotation of the transmission lever 30 in the direction B1 under normal circumstances and in the event of a side collision, and the restriction on the rotation of the transmission lever 30 can be released in an emergency. The directions G1, G2 in which the emergency button 54 rotates can be changed as needed as long as the restriction can be placed on the rotation of the restriction lever 50 in the direction F1 under normal circumstances, and the rotation of the restriction lever 50 in the direction F1 can be permitted in an emergency.

[0081] The restricting lever 50 may be configured to directly restrict the rotation of the handle 25 in the direction A1. Alternatively, the restricting lever 50 may be configured so that the contact portion (restriction release portion) 50b is exposed to the outside of the vehicle from the base 21 and is directly operated. Alternatively, the restricting lever 50 may be configured using a member other than a mass body, as long as it can be moved to the emergency restricting position by the action of an inertial force equal to or greater than a set value. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 door 2 outer panels 5 ECU 10 Door latch device 11 Latch mechanism 12 Actuators 13 Latch switching mechanism 14 Locking mechanism 15 Actuators 16 Lock switching mechanism 20 Door handle device 21 Base 22 Cover 25 Handle 25a rear part 25b Front part 26 Control section 26a Reinforcement part 27 Rotation axis 28 Antenna 30 Transmission lever 30a Operation receiver 30b Switch operation section 30c Lever operation part 30d Regulated Part 31 Rotation axis 32 Spring 33 Release switch 35 End lever 37 Rotation axis 39 Lock switch 40 Open Lever 40a Operation receiver 41 Rotation axis 43 Rod 45 key cylinder 47 Cover 50 Regulator lever 50a Normal regulation section 50b Contact part (restriction release part) 50c Emergency Control Department 50d protrusion 51 Rotation axis 52 Spring (biasing member) 54 Emergency button (operating part) 54a Support part 54b Operation section 55 Rotation axis 56 Spring

Claims

1. A base that can be attached to the door, a handle attached to the vehicle exterior side of the base, rotatable between an initial position where a door latch device attached to the door cannot be opened and an emergency operation position where the door latch device is manually opened, via a normal operation position where the door latch device is electrically opened; a regulating lever attached to the base; In a door handle device comprising: The regulating lever is The handle can be moved to a normal restriction position where the handle rotation is restricted, a restriction release position where the restriction on the handle rotation is released, and an emergency restriction position where the handle rotation is restricted when an inertial force equal to or greater than a set value is applied, a normal restriction portion that restricts rotation of the handle from the normal operation position to the emergency operation position when the handle is in the normal restriction position; a restriction release unit for releasing the restriction on rotation of the handle by the normal restriction unit; an emergency restriction portion that restricts rotation of the handle to the emergency operating position when the handle is in the emergency restriction position; A door handle device having:

2. a transmission lever attached to the vehicle interior side of the base, which rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the handle and transmits the operating force of the handle to the door latch device to open the door latch device; 2. The door handle device according to claim 1, wherein the restricting lever restricts rotation of the transmission lever, thereby restricting rotation of the handle via the transmission lever.

3. an operating member attached to the base for moving the restriction lever from the normal restriction position to the restriction release position; 3. The door handle device according to claim 1, wherein the operating member has a support portion that supports the de-restriction portion, and an operating portion that operates the de-restriction portion via the support portion to release the restriction on the rotation of the handle by the restriction lever.

4. a biasing member that biases the restriction lever from the normal restriction position toward the restriction release position, 4. The door handle device according to claim 3, wherein the restriction lever is positioned at the normal restriction position against the biasing force of the biasing member by the abutment of the restriction release portion against the support portion.

5. The emergency restriction position of the restriction lever is located on the opposite side of the normal restriction position from the restriction release position, 5. The door handle device according to claim 4, wherein the restricting lever is configured as a mass body that can move relatively from the normal restricting position to the emergency restricting position against the biasing force of the biasing member due to the action of an inertial force greater than or equal to the set value.

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