Door handle structure for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle door handle structure that is easier for users to operate.SOLUTION: A vehicle door handle structure includes a door handle 30 arranged on the upper side of a belt molding 14 in a side part door 10, pulled to this side by hooking a user finger when opening the side part door 10 from the outside of the vehicle, the door handle 30 being formed with a pocket space 36 for inserting the finger on its back, and the door handle 30 is inclined forward to a vehicle grounding surface Ca so that an inlet of the pocket space 36 (or pocket inlet 38) is directed to the vehicle rear upper direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This specification discloses a structure of a vehicle door handle that is operated when opening a side door of a vehicle from outside the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, an outside door handle (hereinafter abbreviated as "door handle") is provided on the outer surface of a side door of a vehicle, and is operated when the side door is opened from outside the vehicle. Conventionally, this door handle has often been provided on the sheet metal part below the side window, i.e., on the door body. However, in recent years, in order to increase the degree of freedom in the design of the door body, it has been proposed to position the door handle above the door body, i.e., above the belt molding.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a door handle is installed above a belt molding so as to cover the rear end of the window frame. This technology eliminates the need to provide a door handle on the door body below the belt molding, improving the freedom of design of the door body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-111869 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, when opening a side door, a finger is inserted into a pocket space behind the door handle and the door handle is pulled toward the user. In Patent Document 1, the door handle is installed in a backward position so that the entrance of this pocket space (hereinafter referred to as the "pocket entrance") faces rearward and downward of the vehicle. In other words, in Patent Document 1, the door handle of the right door is oriented such that the pocket entrance faces downward and left as seen by a user standing in front of the outside of the door, and the door handle of the left door is oriented such that the pocket entrance faces downward and right as seen by a user standing in front of the outside of the door. In this case, there is a problem that it is difficult to operate the door handle with a "normal hand" which is easy to apply force to.

[0006] To be more specific, when operating a door handle, a user usually stands approximately in front of the door handle. When operating a door handle in this position, there are two hand postures: a "normal hand" where the palm faces outward as seen from the other person, and the fingers are bent to grasp the door handle, and a "reverse hand" where the palm faces toward the other person and the fingertips hook on the door handle.

[0007] When trying to operate the door handle of Patent Document 1 with a right hand, the right hand is used for the door handle of the right door, and the left hand is used for the handle of the left door. Here, if you try to insert the fingertips of the right hand into the door handle that is at about chest height in a backward leaning posture, you need to raise your elbow a lot. For example, in the case of a right door, in order to insert the fingertips of the right hand's right hand into the pocket opening that faces downward and left as seen from the user, you need to raise your right elbow a lot. However, raising your elbow a lot is a posture that is somewhat difficult for a user to assume, so the door handle of Patent Document 1 is difficult for a user to operate.

[0008] Therefore, this specification discloses a vehicle door handle structure that is easier for users to operate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The vehicle door handle structure disclosed in this specification comprises a door handle that is positioned above the belt molding of a side door, which a user hooks his or her finger into and pulls toward himself or herself when opening the side door from outside the vehicle, and which has a pocket space formed behind it into which the finger can be inserted, and which is characterized in that the door handle is inclined forward with respect to the vehicle contact surface so that the entrance to the pocket space faces toward the rear and upward of the vehicle.

[0010] With this configuration, the door handle can be grasped with the right hand without raising the elbow high, improving operability when opening the door.

[0011] In this case, the door handle may further include a cup panel, at least a portion of which is arranged to overlap with the door handle in the vehicle width direction, and the portion facing the door handle bulges inward in the vehicle width direction to form the pocket space between the cup panel and the door handle, and a release switch, which is provided in a position on the door handle where the user presses with their finger when opening the door, and which, when operated, outputs an electrical signal to the electric latch actuator to instruct it to unlatch the side door, and the door handle may be installed in a position such that its surface is approximately parallel to the general surface of the side window, and the release switch may be positioned at an angle relative to the surface so that the operating surface of the release switch moves away from the surface of the door handle as it progresses further back in the direction of insertion of the finger.

[0012] With this configuration, the operation surface of the release switch is inclined relative to the surface of the door handle, so that the operation surface can be pressed with a finger without inserting the finger deeply into the pocket space. This effectively prevents the hand from being pinched in the gap between the cup panel and the door handle when operating with the wrong hand.

[0013] The door handle may be bent midway so that its rear end edge projects outward in the vehicle width direction beyond its front end edge.

[0014] With this configuration, the pocket opening can be made wide, effectively preventing hands from getting caught.

[0015] The release switch may have an operating surface formed with projections and recesses for increasing friction.

[0016] With this configuration, finger slippage can be effectively prevented, and the user can recognize the position of the release switch by touch, allowing the latch to be released more appropriately.

[0017] The door handle may be provided at a position such that, when some fingers of one hand are inserted into the pocket space, the other fingers of the one hand cannot reach the periphery of the side door.

[0018] This configuration can prevent fingers from being accidentally caught in the door. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the technology disclosed in this specification, the operability when opening a door can be further improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a view of a side door of the vehicle as viewed from outside the vehicle. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing how to open the side door with a normal hand. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing how to open a side door using the reverse hand. [Figure 6] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating different arm postures depending on different pocket opening directions. [Figure 7] 1 is an image diagram showing the posture of the hand when operating the door handle of this example with the reverse hand. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing the posture of the hand when operating a door handle of a comparative example with the opposite hand. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The vehicle door handle structure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a view of a side door 10 of a vehicle as seen from outside the vehicle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of part A in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2. In the following drawings, "Up", "Fr", and "Rh" respectively mean the upper side, the front side, and the right side of the vehicle.

[0022] The side door 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a door installed in a four-door vehicle. In the case of a four-door vehicle, two side doors are arranged in a row in front and behind on the side of the vehicle, and the side door 10 in FIG. 1 is a side door arranged on the side of the rear seat. However, the configuration around the door handle 30 described later may be applied to other side doors. In addition, the side door 10 arranged on the right side of the vehicle and the side door 10 arranged on the left side are symmetrical and have almost the same configuration. Therefore, the following description will mainly be given by taking the side door 10 arranged on the right side as an example.

[0023] The side door 10 of this example is opened and closed by swinging about a hinge axis A1 extending in the vehicle vertical direction at the front end of the side door 10. The side door 10 is roughly divided into upper and lower parts with a belt molding 14 extending in the approximately front-rear direction as a boundary. The part below the belt molding 14 functions as a door main body 12 formed by combining metal panel materials. Window glasses 16, 26 are arranged above the belt molding 14. The lift-up window glass 16 is a window glass that can be raised and lowered up and down, and occupies most of the upper area of ​​the side door 10. A fixed window glass 26 is arranged behind the lift-up window glass 16. A boundary frame 24 extending in the approximately vertical direction is provided at the boundary between the fixed window glass 26 and the lift-up window glass 16. In addition, a decorative panel made of black resin, i.e., a garnish 28, is provided behind the fixed window glass 26.

[0024] A door handle 30 is further provided between the fixed window glass 26 and the garnish 28. The door handle 30 is a member that is operated by the user when opening the side door 10 from outside the vehicle. Conventionally, such door handles 30 have often been provided on the door main body 12. However, in this example, the door handle 30 is disposed above the belt molding 14 and adjacent to the rear corner of the fixed window glass 26. By disposing the door handle 30 above the belt molding 14 in this way, rather than below, the door main body 12 can be designed with a simple design with fewer projections and recesses, and a more sophisticated impression can be given to the observer.

[0025] In addition, since the door handle 30 of this example is disposed above the belt molding 14, its installation height H1 is higher than the installation height of a conventional door handle provided on the door main body 12. More specifically, although it differs depending on the vehicle model and the physique of the user, the installation height H1 of the door handle 30 of this example is generally lower than the shoulder position of an adult of average physique and higher than the elbow with the arm down.

[0026] A more detailed configuration of the door handle 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. As is clear from FIG. 3, the door handle 30 is made of a panel material arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the general surface S2 of the window glass 16, 26. A cup panel 32 is arranged on the inside of the door handle 30 in the vehicle width direction. The cup panel 32 may be a separate member from the garnish 28, or may be formed by extending a part of the garnish 28. A portion of the cup panel 32 facing the door handle 30 bulges inward in the vehicle width direction. As a result, a pocket space 36 into which a user's finger is inserted is formed between the door handle 30 and the cup panel 32. Both the door handle 30 and the cup panel 32 are panel members made of resin. When opening the side door 10, the user inserts a finger into the pocket space 36 and then pulls the door handle 30, and thus the side door 10, toward the user.

[0027] Here, the door handle 30 of this example is fixed in a forward tilted position so that the pocket entrance 38 of the pocket space 36 faces rearward and upward of the vehicle. More specifically, the door handle 30 is installed in a position such that the angle θ1 (see FIG. 1) between the rear edge and the vehicle contact surface Ca is 50 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less. The reason for this position is to make it easier to open the side door 10 with the hand in the normal direction, which will be described later.

[0028] 2 and 3, a release switch 34 is fixed to the back surface of the door handle 30. The release switch 34 is an electric switch that outputs an electric signal for releasing the latch of the side door 10 when operated. When the release signal is output, an electric latch actuator (not shown) is driven, and the latch of the side door 10 is automatically released.

[0029] In this example, the release switch 34 is disposed on the back surface of the door handle 30, i.e., at a location that is pressed by a finger when the door is opened. With this configuration, when attempting to open the side door 10, the user touches the release switch 34 without being aware of it. As a result, the user can naturally perform the actions of pulling the side door 10 toward himself and releasing the latch, and the side door 10 can be opened smoothly.

[0030] 3, the release switch 34 has an operation surface 40 that outputs a signal when pressed by a user. The release switch 34 is disposed at an angle with respect to the surface of the door handle 30 so that the operation surface 40 moves away from the surface of the door handle 30 as it advances toward the back in the direction in which the finger is inserted (i.e., the forward and downward direction). For example, the angle θ2 formed between the operation surface 40 and the surface of the door handle 30 is equal to or greater than 20 degrees and less than 40 degrees.

[0031] The door handle 30 is substantially parallel to the general surface S2, but has a bent portion 42 that is slightly bent outward in the vehicle width direction from the front end to the rear end. As a result, the rear end of the door handle 30 is slightly inclined with respect to the general surface S2 (and thus the main surface of the door handle 30). This inclination angle θ3 is, for example, 4 degrees or more.

[0032] Next, the reason for adopting such a configuration will be described. First, the posture of the hand when opening the side door 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. As described above, when opening the side door 10 from outside the vehicle, the user inserts his / her fingers into the pocket space 36 and pulls the door handle 30 toward the user. At this time, there are two hand postures: "normal hand" and "reverse hand". As shown in Fig. 4, the "normal hand" is a posture in which the palm of the hand is facing outward as seen from a person, and the tips of the four fingers excluding the thumb are bent to grasp the door handle 30. Usually, the right hand is used to operate the door handle 30 of the right side door 10 with normal hand, and the left hand is used to operate the door handle 30 of the left side door 10 with normal hand. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, the "reverse hand" is a posture in which the palm of the hand is facing toward the user, and the four fingers excluding the thumb are inserted into the pocket space 36. Typically, the left hand is used when operating the door handle 30 of the left side door 10 with the wrong hand, and the right hand is used when operating the door handle 30 of the left side door 10 with the right hand.

[0033] Next, the reason why the pocket entrance 38 is directed in the upward rear direction in this example will be explained in comparison with other examples. When the pocket entrance 38 is directed in a direction other than the upward rear direction, various problems arise. For example, when the pocket entrance 38 is directed straight up, a problem occurs in which a fallen object enters and remains in the pocket space 36. Also, when the pocket entrance 38 is directed forward, a problem occurs in which a foreign object floating in the air enters the pocket space 36 while the vehicle is running. When the pocket entrance 38 is directed straight down, such problems can be avoided. However, when the pocket entrance 38 is directed straight down, the user needs to insert a finger from below into the pocket space 36. When trying to insert a finger from below into the pocket space 36 that is located higher than the user's elbow, the user needs to bend the wrist greatly so that the palm of the hand moves diagonally downward from the wrist, and must take a very unnatural posture.

[0034] To cope with this, it is conceivable to orient the pocket opening 38 toward the rear. However, if the pocket opening 38 is oriented toward the rear of the vehicle or toward the rear-downward direction, it is difficult to open the pocket opening with the right hand. This will be explained with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an image diagram that shows a schematic representation of a person's arm.

[0035] Here, when inserting the fingertips of the right hand into the pocket entrance 38 facing the rear of the vehicle, the person needs to assume a posture in which the hand advances almost horizontally from the wrist, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 6. In this case, the elbow 100 needs to be raised to almost the same height as the pocket entrance 38. Furthermore, when inserting the fingers of the right hand into the pocket entrance 38 facing downward and rearward, the person needs to assume a posture in which the hand advances diagonally downward from the wrist, as shown in the middle part of FIG. 6. In this case, the elbow 100 needs to be raised higher than the pocket entrance 38. In this way, the posture in which the elbow 100 is raised to the same height as the pocket entrance 38 or higher than the pocket entrance 38 is unnatural and difficult for people to assume. Therefore, when the pocket entrance 38 faces backward or downward and rearward, there is a problem in that the operability when opening the side door 10 is poor.

[0036] On the other hand, when inserting the fingertips of the right hand into the pocket opening 38 facing upward and rearward, the person needs to assume a posture in which the hand moves diagonally upward from the wrist, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 6. In this case, the elbow 100 can be kept lowered. Therefore, when the pocket opening 38 faces upward and rearward, the user can open the side door 10 in a natural posture without taking an unnatural posture. Therefore, in this example, the door handle 30 is tilted forward so that the pocket opening 38 faces upward and rearward.

[0037] Next, the reason why the release switch 34 is inclined at an angle θ2 with respect to the surface of the door handle 30 will be described. As described above, the door handle 30 of this example is easy to operate with the right hand, but depending on the person's preference and the situation around the vehicle, the door handle 30 may be operated with the wrong hand. In particular, when multiple vehicles are parked side by side in the vehicle width direction, there may be a case where a sufficient space cannot be secured on the outside in the vehicle width direction, making it difficult for a user to open the side door 10 while standing directly in front of the side door 10. In that case, the user stands diagonally behind the side door 10 and operates the door handle 30 with the wrong hand.

[0038] 7 and 8 are conceptual diagrams showing the posture of the hand when operating the door handle 30 with the opposite hand. Fig. 7 shows the operation in the configuration of this example, and Fig. 8 shows the operation in the configuration with a small angle θ2. In Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the upper part shows the state before the side door 10 is opened, and the lower part shows the state after the side door 10 has been opened to a certain extent.

[0039] As is clear from a comparison between the upper part of Figure 7 and the upper part of Figure 8, when the angle θ2 is small and the operating surface 40 of the release switch 34 is approximately parallel to the surface of the door handle 30 (i.e., the case of Figure 8), it is necessary to tilt the back of the hand in a direction approximately parallel to the door handle 30 and insert the fingertips deep into the pocket space 36, compared to when the angle θ2 is large (i.e., the case of Figure 7).

[0040] In this state, the door handle 30 is pulled to open the side door 10. Since the side door 10 is a revolving door, the inclination of the side door 10 with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction increases as the side door 10 opens. As a result, as the side door 10 opens, the cup panel 32 is likely to hit the back of the user's hand as shown in the lower part of FIG. 7 and the lower part of FIG. 8. At this time, when the angle θ2 is small (as in the lower part of FIG. 8), the fingertips are inserted deep into the pocket space 36, so the back of the hand hits the cup panel 32 hard, and the hand is likely to be pinched between the cup panel 32 and the door handle 30. As a result, the user may feel uncomfortable, or the hand may be difficult to remove from the pocket space 36 after the side door 10 is opened.

[0041] To avoid such problems, in this example, the release switch 34 is arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the surface of the door handle 30, with the angle θ2 being 20 degrees or more. With such an arrangement, the release switch 34 can be operated without inserting a finger deeply. Furthermore, by not inserting a finger deeply, it is possible to effectively prevent a hand from being pinched between the cup panel 32 and the door handle 30 even if the inclination of the side door 10 changes as the side door 10 is opened. Furthermore, after the side door 10 is opened, the hand can be easily removed from the pocket space 36.

[0042] In this example, a bent portion 42 that juts outward in the vehicle width direction is provided near the rear end of the door handle 30. That is, the rear end of the door handle 30 is inclined at an angle θ3 with respect to the general plane S2. This configuration can widen the gap L2 (see FIG. 3) between the rear end of the door handle 30 and the cup panel 32, more effectively preventing a hand from getting caught.

[0043] However, even if the angle θ2 is large, the back of the hand is likely to hit the cup panel 32 as the side door 10 opens. In this case, in order to prevent the corner from hitting the back of the hand, in this example, the exposed portion 32a of the cup panel 32 that is approximately parallel to the general surface S2 and exposed to the outside and the bulging portion 32b that bulges inward in the vehicle width direction are connected by the R portion 44, which is a gently curved surface. In addition, in this example, a plurality of unevennesses that increase friction are formed on the operation surface 40. By providing such unevenness, it is possible to prevent the finger from slipping. In addition, by providing the unevenness, the user can determine by touch that the fingertip has come into contact with the operation surface 40. As a result, by providing the unevenness, the release switch 34 can be operated more appropriately.

[0044] Next, detailed configurations of the other parts will be described. In this example, the door handle 30 is provided at a position where, when some fingers are inserted into the pocket space 36, the other fingers cannot reach the periphery of the side door 10. More specifically, the distance L1 in FIG. 1, that is, the shortest distance L1 from the upper end of the pocket space 36 to the periphery of the side door 10, is set to be longer than the distance from the first joint of the index finger to the tip of the thumb when the hand is stretched out. This is to prevent fingers from being accidentally pinched by the door while operating the side door 10.

[0045] In this example, the pocket space 36 is sized to allow a gloved hand to be inserted. Specifically, the width L3 (see FIG. 3) of the pocket opening 38 and the minimum distance L2 between the door handle 30 and the cup panel 32 are sized to be sufficiently larger than the thickness of a gloved hand.

[0046] The release switch 34 is positioned so that, when the pad of a finger is placed on the operation surface 40, the tip of the finger does not interfere with the wall at the front end of the cup panel 32. The amount of protrusion L4 (see FIG. 3) of the operation surface 40 from the inner end of the door handle 30 in the vehicle width direction is set to be equal to or greater than the operation stroke of the release switch 34.

[0047] Furthermore, in this example, the vertical dimension H2 (see FIG. 2) from the bottom end of the pocket space 36 to the bottom end of the release switch 34 and the vertical dimension H3 from the top end of the pocket space 36 to the top end of the release switch 34 are smaller than the width of two fingers (e.g., the ring finger and the little finger). With this configuration, when at least two fingers are inserted in an upside-down hand position, one of the fingers will always come into contact with the release switch 34. In other words, with this configuration, the user can easily press the release switch 34 with his or her fingers without being aware of the position of the fingers inside the pocket space 36.

[0048] The configuration described above is an example, and other configurations may be changed as appropriate as long as the door handle 30 is provided above the belt molding 14 and the door handle 30 is arranged in a forward tilted position so that the pocket entrance 38 of the pocket space 36 behind the door handle 30 faces the rearward and upward direction. For example, in the above description, an electric latch actuator is operated in response to the operation of the release switch 34 to electrically release the latch. However, a mechanical latch mechanism may be provided instead of the electric latch mechanism. For example, a lever that swings when the door handle 30 is pulled may be provided instead of the release switch 34. In this case, the movement of the lever may be transmitted to the latch via a wire or the like to release the latch. Furthermore, the various dimensions, angles, and shapes described above are an example, and may be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10 side door, 12 door body, 14 belt molding, 16 lifting window glass, 24 boundary frame, 26 fixed window glass, 28 garnish, 30 door handle, 32 cup panel, 34 release switch, 36 pocket space, 38 pocket entrance, 40 operation surface, 42 bend portion, 44 R portion, 100 elbow, A1 hinge axis.

Claims

1. an outside door handle that is disposed above a belt molding of the side door and that a user hooks his / her finger and pulls toward himself / herself when opening the side door from the outside of the vehicle, the outside door handle having a pocket space formed behind it into which the finger can be inserted; The outside door handle is inclined forward with respect to the vehicle contact surface so that an entrance of the pocket space faces toward the rear and upper direction of the vehicle, moreover, a cup panel disposed so as to overlap at least a portion of the outside door handle in a vehicle width direction, and a portion facing the outside door handle bulges inward in the vehicle width direction to form the pocket space between the cup panel and the outside door handle; a release switch that is provided on the outside door handle at a position where a user presses the handle with their finger during an opening operation, and that outputs an electric signal to an electric latch actuator to instruct the electric latch actuator to release the latch of the side door when the release switch is operated; Equipped with The outside door handle is installed in such a position that its surface is substantially parallel to the general surface of the side window, The release switch is disposed at an angle with respect to the surface so that an operation surface of the release switch moves away from the surface of the outside door handle as the operation surface moves toward the rear in the finger insertion direction, moreover, The outside door handle has a bent portion bent midway so that a rear end edge of the outside door handle projects outward in the vehicle width direction beyond a front end edge of the outside door handle, The cup panel includes: a bulging portion that faces the outside door handle and bulges inward in a vehicle width direction; an exposed portion located rearward of the bulging portion, located substantially flush with a portion of the outside door handle forward of the bent portion, and exposed to the outside; an R portion which is a gently curved surface connecting the exposed portion and the bulging portion; A vehicle door handle structure comprising:

2. 2. The vehicle door handle structure according to claim 1, 13. A vehicle door handle structure, comprising: a release switch having an operating surface formed with projections and recesses for increasing friction;

3. 3. The vehicle door handle structure according to claim 1, The vehicle door handle structure is characterized in that the outside door handle is positioned so that when some of the fingers of one hand are inserted into the pocket space, the other fingers of the one hand cannot reach the periphery of the side door.

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