Vehicle door handle

Abstract

To guide an electric harness from an electric / electronic component to a connection point with a vehicle body side electric harness without being interfered by a hinge base part or the like when the electric / electronic component is incorporated in a handle grip, and to avoid an increase in a mounting space.SOLUTION: In a vehicular door handle in which an electric / electronic part (20) is incorporated in a handle grip including a grip body (15) and a cover, and a hinge arm (16) of the grip body is pivotally supported on a hinge base portion installed on a door panel, an opening (21) through which an electric harness 20A and couplers extending from the electric / electronic part can be inserted is provided at a root portion of the hinge arm in the grip body. A partition wall part 23 capable of closing an opening 21 and supporting an electric harness is mounted on the opening 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a door handle for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, electrical and electronic components such as antennas and sensors have been built into the handle grip of door handles in order to communicate with the vehicle via a key or smartphone to communicate an intention to unlock the vehicle door. However, when an electrical and electronic component such as an antenna or sensor is built into the handle grip, an electrical harness extending from the electrical and electronic component must be connected to an electrical harness on the vehicle body side in order to transmit an electrical signal between the electrical and electronic component and the vehicle body.

[0003] In compact vehicles such as minicars, the hinge base of the door handle is located on the outside of the door panel and fastened to it so that the door handle does not take up space inside the door. In order to lead the electrical harness from the handle grip of a door handle with this structure into the door panel, care must be taken to prevent the electrical harness from being pinched or damaged between the grip body of the handle grip and the hinge base or door panel, or to prevent the door handle from returning to the closed position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-211066 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-109270 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-92510 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-242442 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-189976 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-228292 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-242442 [Patent Document 8] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-98693 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Prior patent documents include examples in which the hinge arm of the handle grip body is split longitudinally to guide the electrical harness to the inside of the door, examples in which a harness guard is provided on the outer cover of the grip body, and examples in which a special part is placed around the outer periphery of the hinge arm of the grip body to hold the electrical harness in place. However, all of these solutions have problems such as a decrease in the strength of the door handle and an increase in the longitudinal space of the handle grip. Furthermore, because the routing area of ​​the electrical harness and the fastening portion of the hinge base overlap in the thickness direction of the door handle, the door handle must be enlarged in the thickness direction to eliminate this overlap.

[0006] Furthermore, in some patent documents, there is an example of a solution to this problem in which the opening formed in the grip body is kept narrow and only the electric harness is passed through, and then a coupler is attached to the electric harness. However, this complicates the manufacturing process because the electric and electronic components cannot be manufactured as a unit including the coupler.

[0007] Another method involves inserting the coupler-equipped electrical harness into the vehicle interior through a slit provided in the longitudinal direction of the hinge arm of the grip body and then closing the slit with a retainer. However, this method is inefficient because the slit must be expanded during assembly, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the hinge arm must be increased in order to maintain its strength.

[0008] Another method is to fit the electrical harness in a groove on the outer side of the hinge arm. However, creating a groove in the hinge arm of the grip body, which is a movable part, and positioning the electrical harness in this groove away from the door panel increases the thickness of the door handle.

[0009] For relatively large automobiles, where there are fewer restrictions on the thickness of door handles, an increase in the thickness of the door handle is acceptable, but for small vehicles where there is not enough space to install them, this is one of the reasons why people are hesitant to install electrical and electronic components in door handles.

[0010] The embodiment of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle door handle that, when an electrical or electronic component is built into the handle grip, can lead an electrical harness from the electrical or electronic component to a connection point with an electrical harness on the vehicle body side without being interfered with by the hinge base portion and the door panel, and that can avoid an increase in installation space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle door handle has a handle grip comprising a grip body and a cover, and electrical and electronic components built into it, and a hinge arm of the grip body is rotatably supported on a hinge base portion installed on a door panel, and an opening is provided at the base portion of the hinge arm in the grip body, through which an electric harness extending from the electrical and electronic component and a coupler connected to the end of the electric harness can be inserted, and a groove capable of accommodating the electric harness is formed on the vehicle inside of the hinge arm, and when the electric harness and the coupler are inserted into the opening and the electric harness is accommodated in the groove, a partition part capable of closing the opening and supporting the electric harness is attached to the opening, so that the opening is closed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when an electrical or electronic component is built into the handle grip, the electrical harness from the electrical or electronic component can be led to the connection point with the vehicle body side electrical harness without being interfered with by the hinge base portion and the door panel, and an increase in installation space can be avoided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle door handle according to the first embodiment, taken along line II in FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the vehicle door handle of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the handle grip of FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a partial perspective view showing the periphery of a hinge arm in the handle grip of FIGS. 1 and 2, viewed obliquely from below. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which a partition part is attached to the grip body of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view, viewed obliquely from above, showing a state in which electrical and electronic components and partition components are attached to a grip body in a handle grip of a vehicle door handle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a partial perspective view of the grip body and the like of FIG. 9 viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [A] First embodiment (Figs. 1 to 8) Fig. 1 shows a vehicle door handle according to a first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a bottom view showing the vehicle door handle of Fig. 1. The vehicle door handle 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is installed on a vehicle door (e.g., an automobile door) to open the vehicle door, and is configured to include a handle grip 11 that is held by an operator, a hinge base portion 12, and a bell crank mechanism portion 13 as a door opening and closing mechanism.

[0015] The hinge base portion 12 is fixed to the outer surface of the door panel 1 of the vehicle door using fixing bolts 2, and supports a hinge arm 16 (described later) of a grip body 15 of the handle grip 11 so as to be rotatable about a hinge axis 16A. Fixing the hinge base portion 12 to the outer surface of the door panel 1 reduces the space occupied by the vehicle door handle 10 inside the door panel 1. In addition, the hinge axis 16A of the hinge base portion 12 is located inside the door panel 1, and as a result, the hinge base portion 12 and the hinge arm 16 are inserted through the door panel opening 4 of the door panel 1, and the portion including the hinge axis 16A is provided inside the door panel 1.

[0016] 1 and 2, in bell crank mechanism 13, bell crank 18 is rotatably supported on bell crank base 17 fixed to door panel 1 with fixing bolt 3, and bell crank 18 is connected to a door latch (not shown) installed in the vehicle door via a latch rod (not shown). Bell crank 18 is also rotationally driven by bell crank drive arm 19 (described later) of grip body 15.

[0017] Therefore, when the operator pulls the handle grip 11, the hinge arm 16 of the handle grip 11 rotates around the hinge axis 16A relative to the hinge base 12, and the bell crank drive arm 19 rotates the bell crank 18. This rotation of the bell crank 18 releases the door latch via the latch rod, and the vehicle door is opened. When the operator releases the handle grip 11, the bell crank 18 returns to its original position by the biasing force of a spring (not shown).

[0018] 1 and 3, the handle grip 11 is configured by joining a grip body 15 and a cover 14 with electric and electronic components 20 built in. The grip body 15 and cover 14 are made of a hard resin material, and the cover 14 is provided on the outer surface side of the vehicle. One end of the grip body 15 in the length direction S is integrally formed with the hinge arm 16 for rotating the handle grip 11 as described above, and the other end is integrally formed with the bell crank drive arm 19 for rotationally driving the bell crank 18 as described above.

[0019] An electric harness 20A for transmitting electric signals extends from the electric / electronic component 20. This electric harness 20A is housed in a groove 22 of the hinge arm 16 as described below, passes through the door panel opening 4 of the door panel 1, and is connected to an electric harness (not shown) on the vehicle body side inside the door panel 1.

[0020] 1, 4, and 5, an opening 21 is provided at the base of the hinge arm 16 of the grip body 15, through which an electric harness 20A extending from an electric / electronic component 20 and a coupler 20B coupled to an end of the electric harness 20A can be inserted. Also, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, a groove 22 capable of accommodating the electric harness 20A of the electric / electronic component 20 is formed on the vehicle inner side of the hinge arm 16. Then, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, with the electric harness 20A and the coupler 20B inserted through the opening 21 of the grip body 15 and the electric harness 20A accommodated in the groove 22 of the hinge arm 16, a bulkhead part 23 is attached to the opening 21 of the grip body 15.

[0021] The partition component 23 is a deformable soft member made of an elastic material and is formed in a generally plate-like shape. Therefore, when the partition component 23 is pressed into the opening 21 of the grip body 15, the edge 21A that forms the opening 21 causes the partition component 23 to deform and close the opening 21. When the partition component 23 closes the opening 21 of the grip body 15, the partition component 23 overlaps with the grip body 15 in the thickness direction T, as shown in FIG. 6 .

[0022] 3, 5, and 6, a bulge 24 is provided on the upper surface of the bulkhead component 23 (the surface on the cover 14 side, which is the vehicle exterior side). This bulge 24 maintains the position of the electric harness 20A placed on the bulkhead component 23 between it and the grip body 15. A through hole 25 is formed at an end of the bulkhead component 23. A column-shaped portion 26 protruding from the grip body 15 is fitted or press-fitted into this through hole 25, thereby positioning and holding the bulkhead component 23 relative to the grip body 15.

[0023] 4 and 6, a rib 27 is provided on the underside of the partition wall component 23 (the surface facing the door panel 1, which is the inside of the vehicle) to protrude along the edge 21A of the opening 21 in the grip body 15. When this rib 27 comes into contact with the edge 21A of the opening 21 in the grip body 15, the partition wall component 23 performs a sealing function, preventing water, dust, and the like from entering from outside the grip body 15 into the space A surrounded by the grip body 15 and the cover 14 and in which the electrical harness 20A is disposed.

[0024] 1, 4, and 5, a guide 29 extending downward (toward the door panel 1, which is the inside of the vehicle) is provided at the end (tip) of the partition part 23 opposite the through hole 25. This guide 29 covers the open area of ​​the groove 22 of the hinge arm 16, thereby holding the electric harness 20A housed in this groove 22 in place.

[0025] 7, a hook 28 that protrudes toward the groove 22 is formed on the end of the hinge arm 16 on the open area side facing the groove 22. The electric harness 20A accommodated in the groove 22 of the hinge arm 16 is locked by the hook 28, thereby preventing it from falling out of the groove 22.

[0026] 2 and 8, a groove 30 is formed on the vehicle inner side at the tip of the hinge base portion 12 to accommodate the electric harness 20A accommodated in the groove 22 of the hinge arm 16. A hook 31 that protrudes toward the groove 30 is formed on the open area side facing the groove 30 at the tip of the hinge base portion 12. In this case as well, the electric harness 20A accommodated in the groove 30 of the hinge base portion 12 is prevented from falling out of the groove 30 by being engaged with the hook 31.

[0027] As configured as above, the first embodiment provides the following advantages (1) to (7). (1) As shown in Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6, the hinge arm 16 of the grip body 15 constituting the handle grip 11 is rotatably supported on the hinge base portion 12 installed on the door panel 1. An electric harness 20A from an electric / electronic component 20 built into the handle grip 11 is inserted together with a coupler 20B into an opening 21 provided at the base of the hinge arm 16 in the grip body 15, and the electric harness 20A is accommodated in a groove 22 of the hinge arm 16. In this state, a partition part 23 capable of closing the opening 21 at the base of the hinge arm 16 in the grip body 15 and supporting the electric harness 20A is attached to close the opening 21.

[0028] Therefore, the space A between the grip body 15 and the cover 14, in which the electric harness 20A from the electric / electronic component 20 is arranged, is separated from the hinge base 12 and the door panel 1 by the partition part 23. As a result, the electric harness 20A can be led to the connection point with the vehicle body-side electric harness inside the door panel 1 without being interfered with by the hinge base 12 and the door panel 1 or pinched between the grip body 15 and the hinge base 12 and the door panel 1, and damage to the electric harness 20A can be prevented.

[0029] 1 and 6, the space A between the grip body 15 and the cover 14, in which the electric harness 20A from the electric / electronic component 20 is arranged, is separated from the hinge base 12 and the door panel 1 by the partition component 23, so there is no need to increase the mounting space in the thickness direction T of the vehicle door handle 10 in order to distance the electric harness 20A from the hinge base 12 and the door panel 1. As a result, the vehicle door handle 10 of the first embodiment can be applied even to small vehicles in which it is difficult to secure sufficient space in the thickness direction T of the vehicle door.

[0030] 4 and 5, the electric harness 20A and the coupler 20B from the electric / electronic component 20 can both be inserted into the opening 21 at the base of the hinge arm 16 in the grip body 15. Therefore, the electric / electronic component 20 can be manufactured as a completed unit as an electric component, and can be separated from the assembly process of the vehicle door handle 10, thereby avoiding an increase in the number of steps required to assemble the vehicle door handle 10.

[0031] (4) As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the columnar portion 26 formed on the grip body 15 is fitted or press-fit into the through-hole 25 formed in the partition part 23, thereby holding the partition part 23 in the grip body 15. This prevents the partition part 23 from accidentally shifting inside the handle grip 11.

[0032] (5) As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 , when the partition wall component 23 is attached to the opening 21 of the grip body 15, it overlaps the grip body 15 in the thickness direction T, and the ribs 27 protruding along the edge 21A of the opening 21 contact the edge 21A of the opening 21 to provide a sealing function. Since the partition wall component 23 is made of an elastic material, the ribs 27 of the partition wall component 23 elastically contact the edge 21A of the opening 21, improving the sealing function. This prevents water, dust, and the like from entering through the opening 21 into the space (including space A) between the grip body 15 and the cover 14 in which the electrical and electronic components 20 and the electrical harness 20A are disposed. As a result, it is possible to prevent malfunctions such as false detection due to reduced sensitivity of the capacitance sensor 32 ( FIG. 1 ) provided in the electrical and electronic component 20 and deterioration of the electrical and electronic component 20, including the antenna 33.

[0033] (6) As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bulkhead part 23 is formed with a guide 29 that covers the open area of ​​the groove 22 of the hinge arm 16 in the grip body 15. Therefore, a portion of the electric harness 20A accommodated in the groove 22 of the hinge arm 16 can be held by the guide 29, and the electric harness 20A can be prevented from protruding from the groove 22 of the hinge arm 16.

[0034] (7) As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the hinge arm 16 of the grip body 15 has a hook 28 formed at its end on the open area side facing the groove 22, protruding toward the groove 22. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 8, the tip of the hinge base portion 12 has a hook 31 formed at its end on the open area side facing the groove 30, protruding toward the groove 30. The hook 28 of the hinge arm 16 and the hook 31 of the hinge base portion 12 engage with the electric harness 20A housed in the grooves 22, 30, thereby preventing the electric harness 20A from falling out of the grooves 22, 30.

[0035] [B] Second embodiment (Figs. 9 to 11) Fig. 9 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which electrical and electronic components and partition components are attached to a grip body of a handle grip of a vehicle door handle according to a second embodiment, as viewed obliquely from above. Also, Fig. 10 is a partial perspective view showing the grip body etc. of Fig. 9 as viewed obliquely from below. In this second embodiment, parts similar to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

[0036] The difference between the vehicle door handle 40 of this second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the partition part 41 is integrally formed with the electrical and electronic part 20, and when the electrical and electronic part 20 is attached to the grip body 15, it is attached to the opening 21 of the grip body 15, and the partition part 41 closes this opening 21.

[0037] That is, if the manufacturing conditions of the electric / electronic component 20 permit, the bulkhead component 41 is integrated with the tip of the electric / electronic component 20. Also, as shown in Figs. 9 and 11, a flat protruding piece 42 is provided on the edge 21A of the opening 21 in the grip body 15 so as to protrude toward the opening 21. When the electric / electronic component 20 is attached to the grip body 15, the protruding piece 42 presses the tip of the bulkhead component 41 integrated with the electric / electronic component 20 from the vehicle exterior side (the cover 14 side), thereby keeping the bulkhead component 41 closing the opening 21, as shown in Fig. 10. Also, the electric harness 20A extending from the electric / electronic component 20 is placed on and supported by the upper surface of the bulkhead component 23 (the surface facing the cover 14, which is the vehicle exterior side).

[0038] As configured as described above, the second embodiment also achieves the same effects as the effects (1) to (3), (6) and (7) of the first embodiment by replacing the partition wall component 23 with the partition wall component 41.

[0039] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, such substitutions, changes, and combinations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1...door panel, 10...vehicle door handle, 11...handle grip, 12...hinge base portion, 14...cover, 15...grip body, 16...hinge arm, 20...electrical / electronic component, 20A...electrical harness, 20B...coupler, 21...opening, 21A...edge, 22...groove, 23...partition wall component, 24...bulge portion, 25...through hole, 26...pillar-shaped portion, 27...rib, 28...hook, 29...guide, 40...vehicle door handle, 41...partition wall component.

Claims

1. A vehicle door handle in which an electric / electronic component is built into a handle grip having a grip body and a cover, and a hinge arm of the grip body is rotatably supported on a hinge base portion installed on a door panel, an opening is provided in the grip body at a base portion of the hinge arm, through which an electric harness extending from the electric / electronic component and a coupler coupled to an end of the electric harness can be inserted; a groove capable of accommodating the electric harness is formed on the vehicle inner side of the hinge arm; A vehicle door handle characterized in that, when the electric harness and the coupler are inserted into the opening and the electric harness is housed in the groove, a partition part capable of closing the opening and supporting the electric harness is attached to the opening, thereby closing the opening.

2. 2. The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein the partition part is held by the grip body by fitting or press-fitting a column-shaped portion provided on the grip body into a hole formed in the partition part.

3. 2. The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein the partition part is made of an elastic material, and when attached to the opening of the grip body, the partition part overlaps the grip body in the thickness direction and elastically contacts the edge of the opening to perform a sealing function.

4. 2. The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein the partition part includes a guide that covers a groove formed in the hinge arm.

5. 2. The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein the hinge arm is provided at an end facing the groove with a hook that protrudes toward the groove and engages an electric harness within the groove.

6. 2. The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein the partition part is integral with an electrical / electronic component, and is configured to be attached to an opening in the grip body when the electrical / electronic component is attached to the grip body, thereby closing the opening.

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