Vehicle door out-handle device

Abstract

To make it possible, for a vehicle outer door handle device capable of driving an outer handle by an actuator to a pop-up position where an operation portion of the outer handle protrudes outward from an outer panel, to shorten the time required for occupant rescue by preventing the operation of the outer handle from becoming difficult during occupant rescue.SOLUTION: In response to an impact detection means 67 detecting an impact of a set value or more being applied to a vehicle from the outside, an operation of an actuator 39 is controlled by a control unit 66, and an outer handle 17 is driven and rotated for causing an operation portion 18a to be at the pop-up position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an outer handle device for a vehicle door, in which an outer handle having a manually operable operating portion at one end is rotatably supported on a support case attached to an outer panel of the door, and an actuator capable of driving the outer handle in a storage position housed on the door side to a pop-up position where the operating portion protrudes outward from the outer panel is attached.

Background Art

[0002] From the viewpoints of improving the design and anti-theft performance of a vehicle, in a non-operating state, an outer handle is housed in a door so as to be flush with the outer surface of an outer panel, and in an operating state, the outer handle is driven by a driving means such as a motor so that its operating portion protrudes to a pop-up position. An outer handle device for a vehicle door is known from Patent Document 1 and the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the one disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, since the outer handle is in a state of being housed in the door during vehicle travel, if an impact is applied to the vehicle from the outside due to an accident or the like while it is in the stored state, the operating portion of the outer handle cannot be protruded to the pop-up position, and it becomes difficult to operate the outer handle from the outside to open the door, which may take time to rescue the passengers.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle door outhandle device that prevents difficulty in operating the outhandle during occupant rescue, thereby shortening the time required for occupant rescue. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides an outhandle device for a vehicle door, in which an outhandle having a manually operable operating part at one end is rotatably supported in a support case attached to the outer panel of the door, and an actuator is attached that enables the outhandle, which is in a stored position stored on the door side, to a pop-up position in which the operating part protrudes outward from the outer panel, wherein the device includes an impact detection means for detecting when an impact exceeding a set value is applied to the vehicle from the outside, and when the impact detection means detects an impact exceeding the set value Immediately afterwards The first feature is that it includes a control unit that controls the operation of the actuator by rotating the out handle with the actuator so that the operating part is in the pop-up position.

[0007] Furthermore, in addition to the configuration of the first feature, the present invention has a second feature in which a sensor used in the airbag system to detect an impact and deploy the airbag is shared with the airbag system as the impact detection means.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an outhandle device for a vehicle door, in which an outhandle having a manually operable operating part at one end is rotatably supported in a support case attached to the outer panel of the door, and an actuator is attached that enables the outhandle, which is in a stored position on the door side, to a pop-up position in which the operating part protrudes outward from the outer panel, wherein the device includes a rapid deceleration detection means for detecting that the vehicle is in a rapid deceleration state, and the rapid deceleration detection means for detecting when the rapid deceleration state exceeds a set level. Immediately afterwardsA third feature is that the actuator includes a control unit that controls the operation of the actuator so that the operating part is in the pop-up position by rotating the out handle with the actuator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the first feature of the present invention, when an impact exceeding a set value is applied to the vehicle from the outside due to an accident or the like, right away The control unit controls the operation of the actuator, and the outhandle is rotated to extend its operating section to the pop-up position. Therefore This makes it easier to open the door by operating the outside handle from the outside, allowing for a quicker rescue of the occupants.

[0010] Furthermore, according to a second feature of the present invention, by sharing the sensors used in the airbag system as impact detection sensors, it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of parts and contribute to cost reduction.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the third feature of the present invention, if the vehicle decelerates more rapidly than set due to an accident or the like, right away The control unit controls the operation of the actuator, and the outhandle is rotated to extend its operating section to the pop-up position. Therefore This makes it easier to open the door by operating the outside handle from the outside, allowing for a quicker rescue of the occupants. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing the main parts of the door with the outhandle in the stowed position (a), pop-up position (b), and full-stroke position (c). [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view along line 2-2 in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the part shown. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a four-arrow view of FIG. 2 showing the state where the drive lever is in the initial position with the case cover omitted. [Figure 5] It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 3 in the state where the drive lever has rotated to the operating position. [Figure 6] It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 3 in the state where the out handle has been rotated to the full stroke position.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Describing the embodiments of the present invention with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, first, in FIG. 1, an outer handle 17 that is formed long in the vehicle front-rear direction is disposed on an outer panel 16 of a side door 15 of a passenger vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1(a), this outer handle 17 has a storage position where the outer surface of the outer panel 16 and the outer surface of the outer handle 17 are flush, and as shown in FIG. 1(b), an operation portion 18a at one end of the outer handle 17 protrudes laterally from the outer surface of the outer panel 16 to a pop-up position, and as shown in FIG. 1(c), by gripping and operating the operation portion 18a, it can change its rotation position between the pop-up position and a full stroke position where it further rotates outward.

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 together, the outer handle 17 includes a handle body 18 that has a recess 20 facing the outer panel 16 side and extends long in the vehicle front-rear direction and has the operation portion 18a at one end, and a cover member 19 that closes the recess 20 and is fastened to the handle body 18 from the outer panel 16 side. A substrate 21 on which electronic components such as touch sensors and antennas are mounted is attached to the inner surface of the cover member 19.

[0016] The outer handle 17 is rotatably supported via a support shaft 23 by a support case 22 fixed to the outer panel 16. An opening 24 extending long in the vehicle longitudinal direction is provided in the outer panel 16. The support case 22 has a support plate portion 22a facing the inner surface of the outer panel 16 and a handle support portion 22b integrally provided on the upper portion of the support plate portion 22a so as to close the opening 24 from the inner side of the outer panel 16 and extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and is fastened to the inner surface side of the outer panel 16. A seal member 25 for sealing the peripheral edge of the opening 24 is interposed between the support case 22 and the outer panel 16.

[0017] A housing recess 26 extending long in the vehicle longitudinal direction corresponding to the opening 24 is formed in the handle support portion 22b of the support case 22 so as to be recessed toward the inner side of the outer panel 16. Most of the outer handle 17 except the operation portion 18a is housed in the housing recess 26 when the outer handle 17 is in a storage position flush with the outer surface of the outer panel 16. Further, the support shaft 23 is attached to the handle support portion 22b of the support case 22 so as to cross the housing recess 26 in the vertical direction. The support shaft 23 is inserted through a pair of short cylindrical collars 27, 27 into a support portion 18b provided integrally with the handle body 18 near the other end of the outer handle 17 and disposed in the housing recess 26. Further, a recess 28 for housing the operation portion 18a of the outer handle 17 is provided in the outer panel 16 so as to be continuous with the opening 24 when the outer handle 17 is in the storage position.

[0018] The cover member 19 is integrally provided with a contact projection 19a that is close to the operating section 18a when the out handle 17 is in the stored position. A first elastic member 29 that contacts the contact projection 19a is attached to the handle support portion 22b of the support case 22 so as to be located within the housing recess 26, and a second elastic member 30 (see Figure 2) that contacts the other end of the handle body 18 of the out handle 17 in the full stroke position is attached so as to be located within the housing recess 26.

[0019] The remaining portion of the housing recess 26, excluding the portion that accommodates most of the out handle 17 in the storage position, is closed by a base cover 31 attached to the support case 22 adjacent to the other end of the out handle 17 in the storage position. At a position corresponding to this base cover 31, the handle support portion 22b of the support case 22 is integrally provided with a switch support portion 22c that protrudes into the housing recess 26.

[0020] Focusing on Figure 2, the switch support portion 22c supports a switch holder 33 that holds a tact switch 32 which is turned on and off by the vehicle user's operation to indicate the intention to lock the side door 15. On the other hand, the portion corresponding to the switch support portion 22c Before The base cover 31 is provided with a rectangular window 34 that extends long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The switch holder 33 is fitted with an intermediate cap 35 made of an elastic material that covers the tact switch 32, allowing a pressing force to be applied to the pressed portion 32a of the tact switch 32. A switch button 36 made of hard synthetic resin is connected to this intermediate cap 35 and has a rectangular pressing operation portion 36a that is positioned in the window 34. The switch button 36 has a flange portion 36b integrally formed around the window 34 that contacts the inner surface of the base cover 31. Furthermore, the elastic force exerted by the intermediate cap 35 biases the switch button 36 towards the non-operating position, with its flange portion 36b in contact with the inner surface of the base cover 31.

[0021] Referring together to Figures 4 and 5, an actuator 39 is attached to the support plate portion 22a of the support case 22, which enables the out handle 17, which is in a storage position housed on the support case 22 side, to be driven to a pop-up position where the operating portion 18a protrudes outward from the outer panel 16. This actuator 39 is configured to include a drive lever 40 that is rotatable between an initial position shown in Figure 4 and an operating position shown in Figure 5, and an electric motor 41 as an electric drive source that rotates the drive lever 40 from the initial position to the operating position when energized, and allows the drive lever 40 to return from the operating position to the initial position when the drive lever 40 is in the operating position and is not energized.

[0022] The actuator case 42, which houses the electric motor 41, is attached to the lower part of the support plate portion 22a of the support case 22, so as to protrude downward from the support plate portion 22a. One end of the drive lever 40 is fixed to a pivot shaft 43 that is rotatably supported on the upper part of the actuator case 42, and a transmission mechanism (not shown) provided between the electric motor 41 and the pivot shaft 43 is housed in the actuator case 42.

[0023] Furthermore, a torsion spring 44 is provided on the support plate portion 22a of the support case 22 for mechanically holding the drive lever 40 in the operating position. A cylindrical spring support portion 45 is provided protruding from the support plate portion 22a of the support case 22 so as to be positioned above the drive lever 40 and below the handle support portion 22b, and the torsion spring 44 has a coil portion 44a surrounding the spring support portion 45 and first and second arm portions 44b, 44c extending from both ends of the coil portion 44a.

[0024] The first arm portion 44b of the torsion spring 44 abuts against and engages with the handle support portion 22b, which is located above the spring support portion 45, from below. The second arm portion 44c is positioned to extend from the spring support portion 45 toward the drive lever 40, and a bent peak portion 44d is formed in the middle of this second arm portion 44c so as to protrude toward the drive lever 40.

[0025] On the other hand, a contact step 40a, formed in a V-shape, is integrally provided on the surface of the drive lever 40 facing the support plate portion 22a, so as to abut the second arm portion 44c from below. When the drive lever 40 is in the initial position, the portion of the second arm portion 44c closer to the spring support portion 45 than the V-shape 44d elastically abuts the contact step 40a from above. When the drive lever 40 rotates from the initial position through the intermediate position shown by the dashed line in Figure 5 to the operating position shown by the solid line in Figure 5, the contact step 40a pushes the second arm portion 44c upward and overcomes the V-shape 44d. When the drive lever 40 is rotated to the operating position, unless an external force acts on the drive lever 40, the drive lever 40 is mechanically held in the operating position by the V-shape 44d of the torsion spring 44.

[0026] Furthermore, the support plate portion 22a of the support case 22 has an arc-shaped guide hole 46 centered on the axis of the pivot shaft 43, and the drive lever 40 has a pin 47 embedded in it that passes through the guide hole 46, and the guide hole 46 is formed to allow the movement of the pin 47 as the drive lever 40 rotates between the initial position and the operating position.

[0027] The handle body 18 of the out handle 17 is integrally provided with a connecting projection 18c that is connected to the support portion 18b. This connecting projection 18c passes through an elongated hole 48 provided in the handle support portion 22b of the support case 22, which extends long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the tip of the connecting projection 18c protrudes inward from the handle support portion 22b of the support case 22.

[0028] Furthermore, the support plate portion 22a of the support case 22 is integrally provided with a cylindrical lever support portion 49 located below the handle support portion 22b in a portion corresponding to the elongated hole 48, and the handle lever 50 is rotatably supported by this lever support portion 49.

[0029] The handle lever 50 integrally includes a first lever base 50b provided with a cylindrical first support cylinder portion 50a (see Figure 3) that is rotatably supported by the lever support portion 49, an out-handle side connecting arm portion 50c extending upward from the first lever base portion 50b, a drive lever side connecting arm portion 50d extending diagonally downward from the first lever base portion 50b toward the drive lever 40, and a sector gear portion 50e protruding from the first lever base portion 50b in the direction opposite to the torsion spring 44.

[0030] The outhandle-side connecting arm 50c has a connecting hole 52 that extends along its longitudinal direction, and the tip of the connecting projection 18c on the outhandle 17 is inserted into and connected to the connecting hole 52. In other words, the handle lever 50 is linked to and connected to the outhandle 17, and the spring force of the first return spring 53 (see Figure 3), which is a torsion spring provided between the handle lever 50 and the support plate 22a surrounding the first support cylinder 50a, biases the handle lever 50 in the direction of returning the outhandle 17 to the storage position.

[0031] A contact pin 54 is provided at the tip of the drive lever-side connecting arm 50d so as to protrude toward the support plate 22a, and contacts the drive lever 40 in the initial position from the operating position side. As the drive lever 40 rotates from the initial position to the operating position, the contact pin 54 is pressed by the drive lever 40, causing the handle lever 50 to rotate so as to drive the out handle 17 from the stored position to the pop-up position.

[0032] Furthermore, when the outhandle 17 rotates from the pop-up position to the full-stroke position, the drive lever 40 is held in place by the torsion spring 44, so the drive lever 40 rotates together with the outhandle 17, leaving the drive lever 40 in the operating position.

[0033] Furthermore, the sector gear portion 50e meshes with a gear 56 of the rotary damper 55 fastened to the support plate portion 22a. The rotary damper 55 works to allow the out handle 17, which is biased to return to the storage position, to rotate slowly back to the storage position even after releasing the out handle 17 after it has been rotated to the full stroke position.

[0034] Furthermore, a release lever 58 is rotatably supported on the support plate portion 22a of the support case 22. This release lever 58 rotates in response to the rotation of the handle lever 50 accompanying the manual operation of the out handle 17 from the pop-up position to the full-stroke position, thereby releasing the hold by the torsion spring 44 and forcibly returning the drive lever 40 to the initial position.

[0035] The release lever 58 is positioned between the support plate portion 22a and the outer panel 16, and integrally comprises a second lever base portion 58a rotatably supported on the support plate portion 22a via a first shaft 59 attached to the support plate portion 22a so as to be positioned below the handle lever 50, a drive lever side arm portion 58b extending from the second lever base portion 58a toward the drive lever 40, and a latch mechanism side arm portion 58c connected to the second lever base portion 58a, forming a substantially V shape together with the drive lever side arm portion 58b and projecting from the support plate portion 22a toward the opposite side of the mounting portion of the actuator 39.

[0036] A rectangular through-hole 60 is formed in the support plate portion 22a, positioned between the first lever base 50b of the handle lever 50 and the second lever base 58a of the release lever 58. A pressure-receiving portion 58d, which is inserted into this through-hole 60, is integrally provided perpendicularly to the middle portion of the latch mechanism side arm portion 58c, and a handle-side cap 61 made of an elastic material is attached to this pressure-receiving portion 58d. On the other hand, the drive lever side connecting arm 50d of the handle lever 50 is integrally connected to a pressing arm 50f that, when the out handle 17 rotates from the storage position to the pop-up position, rotates together with the handle lever 50, causing its tip to contact the handle side cap 61. When the out handle 17 rotates from the pop-up position to the full-stroke position, the handle lever 50 rotates together with the out handle 17, causing the pressing arm 50f to press the handle side cap 61, i.e., the pressure receiving part 58d, and the release lever 58 to rotate to the position shown in Figure 6.

[0037] The side door 15 is provided with a latch mechanism 62 that can switch between a latched state, which holds the side door 15 closed by engaging with the vehicle body, and an unlatched state, which allows the side door 15 to be opened. The rotation of the release lever 58 is transmitted to the latch mechanism 62 via a transmission rod 63, one end of which is connected to the tip of the drive lever side arm 58b.

[0038] The latch mechanism 62 is equipped with an electric motor (not shown) that switches between an unlocked state, which allows the latch to be released, and a locked state, which prevents the latch from being released. When a touch sensor inside the out handle 17 detects that a legitimate vehicle user has grasped the out handle 17 in the locked state, the latch mechanism 62 enters the unlocked state.

[0039] When the latch mechanism 62 is in the unlocked state, it becomes unlatched by the force transmitted from the release lever 58 via the transmission rod 63 in accordance with the rotation of the out handle 17 from the pop-up position to the full-stroke position, and in this state, the side door 15 can be opened.

[0040] A drive lever side cap 64 made of an elastic material is attached to the tip of the drive lever side arm 58b of the release lever 58, which is inserted into the guide hole 46 and contacts the pin 47 of the drive lever 40 when the drive lever 40 has rotated from the initial position to the operating position. As the out handle 17 rotates from the pop-up position to the full stroke position, the release lever 58 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the pin 47, i.e., the drive lever 40, is pushed by the latch mechanism side arm 58c of the release lever 58. As shown in Figure 6, the drive lever 40 is forcibly rotated so that the contact step 40a overcomes the peak 44d of the second arm 44c while pushing the second arm 44c of the torsion spring 44 upward, and the drive lever 40 returns to the initial position due to the elastic force acting from the peak 44d of the second arm 44c after overcoming the peak 44d.

[0041] A second return spring 65 (see Figure 3), which is a torsion spring surrounding the first shaft 59, is provided between the release lever 58 and the support plate portion 22a. The spring force of this second return spring 65 biases the release lever 58 to rotate toward the side that brings the handle-side cap 61 into contact with the pressing arm portion 50f of the handle lever 50.

[0042] On the other hand, the operation of the electric motor 41 of the actuator 39 is controlled by the control unit 66. When it is confirmed that a vehicle user is a legitimate vehicle user through communication between a portable device carried by the vehicle and the vehicle, the control unit 66 moves the transmission motor 41 to rotate the drive lever 40 from the initial position to the operating position. The vehicle user then grasps the out handle 17, which has moved to the pop-up position in response to the rotation of the drive lever 40, and rotates it toward the full-stroke position, thereby opening the side door 15. Alternatively, instead of prior authentication through communication with the portable device, the operation of the electric motor 41 of the actuator 39 may be initiated by an operation on the portable device. Furthermore, the electric motor 41 of the actuator 39 may be made capable of forward and reverse rotation, and when the out handle 17 has been in the pop-up position for a predetermined time or longer, the electric motor 41 may be operated in the reverse direction to return the drive lever 40 from the operating position to the initial position in order to return the out handle 17 to the stored position.

[0043] Furthermore, the control unit 66 receives signals from an impact detection means 67 that detects when an impact exceeding a set value is applied to the vehicle from the outside, and signals from a rapid deceleration detection means 68 that detect when the vehicle is in a rapid deceleration state. The control unit 66 operates when the impact detection means 67 detects that an impact exceeding a set value has been applied to the vehicle from the outside, and when the rapid deceleration detection means 66 detects that the vehicle is in a rapid deceleration state, and the operation unit 18a operates when at least one of these states is detected. right away The operation of the electric motor 41 of the actuator 39 is controlled in order to rotate the out handle 18 to the pop-up position.

[0044] The impact detection means 67 may share sensors used in the airbag system to detect impacts and deploy airbags.

[0045] The sudden deceleration detection means 68 may also detect the amount of brake operation and detect if a sudden deceleration state is in place based on the rate of change of the amount of operation, or it may detect if a sudden deceleration state is in place based on the rate of change of the wheel speed detected by the wheel speed sensor.

[0046] The support case 22 is fitted with a case cover 85 that covers a part of the actuator 39, the torsion spring 44, the handle lever 50, the rotary damper 55, etc., which are disposed in the support case 22. This case cover 85 prevents water and dust that enter the side door 15 through the gap between the outer panel 16 and the window glass from having adverse effects on the actuator 39, the torsion spring 44, the handle lever 50, the rotary damper 55, etc.

[0047] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. The operation of the actuator 39, which enables the operating unit 18a to drive the out handle 17, which is stored in a retracted position on the side door 15 side, to a pop-up position where it protrudes outward from the outer panel 16 of the side door 15, is controlled by the control unit 66. When an impact exceeding a set value is applied to the vehicle from the outside, The impact detection means 67 detects this. Immediately afterwards Since the operation of the actuator 18 is controlled by the control unit 66 so that the operating unit 18a is in the pop-up position, if the vehicle is subjected to an impact from the outside that exceeds a set value due to an accident or the like, right away The outhandle 17 is driven to rotate so that its operating portion 18a protrudes to the pop-up position. Because This makes it easier to open the side door 15 by operating the outhandle 17 from the outside, allowing for the quick rescue of the occupants.

[0048] Furthermore, when the sensor used in the airbag system to detect an impact and deploy the airbag is made into the impact detection means 67, it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of parts and contribute to cost reduction.

[0049] Furthermore, the rapid deceleration detection means 68 detects that the vehicle is in a state of rapid deceleration. Immediately afterwards Since the operation of the actuator 18 is controlled by the control unit 66 so that the operating section 18a is in the pop-up position, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates and stops due to an accident or the like, it becomes easy to open the side door 15 by operating the outside handle from the outside, making it possible to rescue the occupants in a short amount of time.

[0050] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention as described in the claims.

[0051] For example, in the above-described embodiment, both the impact detection means 67 and the sudden deceleration detection means 68 are connected to the control unit 66, but it is also possible to configure the system so that only one of the impact detection means 67 or the sudden deceleration detection means 68 is connected to the control unit 66. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 15... Side doors 16. Outer panel 17. Outhandle 18a...Operation unit 22... Support case 39. Actuator 66... ​​Control Unit 67. Impact detection means 68. Sudden deceleration detection means

Claims

1. In a vehicle door outhandle device, an outhandle (17) having a manually operable operating part (18a) at one end is rotatably supported by a support case (22) attached to the outer panel (16) of the door (15), and an actuator (39) is attached that enables the outhandle (17), which is in a stored position on the door (15) side, to a pop-up position in which the operating part (18a) protrudes outward from the outer panel (16), An outhandle device for a vehicle door, comprising: an impact detection means (67) for detecting when an impact is applied to the vehicle from the outside; and a control unit (66) for controlling the operation of the actuator (39) so that, after the impact detection means (67) detects an impact exceeding a set value, the actuator (39) immediately rotates the outhandle (17) to bring the operating part (18a) to the pop-up position.

2. The vehicle door out handle device according to claim 1, characterized in that a sensor used in the airbag system to detect an impact and deploy the airbag is shared with the airbag system as the impact detection means (67).

3. In a vehicle door outhandle device, an outhandle (17) having a manually operable operating part (18a) at one end is rotatably supported by a support case (22) attached to the outer panel (16) of the door (15), and an actuator (39) is attached that enables the outhandle (17), which is in a stored position on the door (15) side, to a pop-up position in which the operating part (18a) protrudes outward from the outer panel (16), An outhandle device for a vehicle door, characterized by including a rapid deceleration detection means (68) for detecting when the vehicle is in a rapid deceleration state, and a control unit (66) that, after the rapid deceleration detection means (68) detects that the vehicle is in a rapid deceleration state exceeding a set level, immediately drives the actuator (39) to rotate the outhandle (17) so that the operating part (18a) is in the pop-up position.

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