Vehicle door handle device
The door handle device stabilizes the pop-up position of the door handle using a mechanism with biased members to ensure consistent holding forces, addressing the issue of unstable holding in existing door handle devices.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- AISIN CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-08-03
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
Smart Images
Figure 0007882041000001 
Figure 0007882041000002 
Figure 0007882041000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a door handle device for a vehicle.
Background Art
[0002] A door handle device for a vehicle having a pop-up function is configured such that the door handle is stored in the vehicle door when not in use and pops out (pop-ups) in the outward direction from the vehicle door when in use. For example, the door handle device described in Patent Document 1 includes a door handle rotatably supported with respect to the vehicle door, and when the door handle rotates with respect to the vehicle door, it is configured to be movable between a position stored in the vehicle door (sometimes referred to as a storage position) and a position popped out from the vehicle door (sometimes referred to as a pop-up position).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
[0004] (Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, a door handle device having a pop-up function is configured to hold the door handle located at the pop-up position at the pop-up position with a predetermined holding force. Further, in such a door handle device, when the door handle is located at the pop-up position and the door handle is pushed inward toward the inside of the vehicle door by a force exceeding the holding force, the door handle is configured to move from the pop-up position to the storage position. In such a configuration, if the force for holding the door handle at the pop-up position is not stable, the usability of the door handle deteriorates.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of the objects of the present invention is to stabilize the holding force that holds the door handle in the position protruding from the vehicle door in a door handle device that is configured to be movable between a position stored in the vehicle door and a position protruding from the vehicle door.
[0006] (Means for solving the problem) To achieve the above objective, the vehicle door handle device according to the present invention is A door handle is supported on the housing so as to be movable between a storage position where it is housed within the housing and a pop-up position where at least a portion of it protrudes outside the housing. A first member is configured to move in conjunction with the door handle so as to move to a retracted position when the door handle is in the retracted position, and to a pop-up position when the door handle is in the pop-up position, A second member is movably supported with respect to the first member, A second member biasing member that biases the second member so that it can move elastically relative to the first member, The position outside the trajectory is a position outside the movement trajectory of the second member when the first member moves from the pop-up position to the storage position, and at least a part of the move A third movable member, which is a position within the trajectory that is inside the trajectory, Equipped with, When the first member is in the pop-up corresponding position, and the third member is in the trajectory position, the second member comes into contact with the third member, thereby restricting the movement of the first member from the pop-up corresponding position to the storage corresponding position.
[0007] According to the present invention, the door handle is held in the pop-up position when the second member, which is elastically biased by the second member biasing member, comes into contact with the third member. Therefore, the biasing force of the second member biasing member acts as the holding force that holds the door handle in the pop-up position. Furthermore, according to the present invention, this holding force is determined by the biasing force of the second member biasing member and is not affected by the contact state between the members constituting the door handle device or the operating environment of the door handle device. Therefore, the holding force that holds the door handle in the pop-up position can be stabilized (fluctuations can be prevented or suppressed).
[0008] The second member is supported so as to be movable with respect to the first member between a first position and a second position which is a position further rear in the direction of movement of the predetermined position when the first member moves from the pop-up corresponding position to the storage corresponding position, and is elastically biased toward the first position relative to the first member by the second member biasing member. The end of the second member, which is located on the front side in the direction of movement of the predetermined position when the first member moves from the pop-up position to the retracted position, contacts a predetermined surface of the third member, thereby restricting the movement of the first member from the pop-up position to the retracted position. This configuration can be applied.
[0009] When an external force is applied to the door handle that moves it from the pop-up position to the retracted position, a force is applied to the first member that moves it from the pop-up position to the retracted position. If the third member is located within the trajectory at this time, the second member, which is supported by the first member, comes into contact with the third member. Since the second member is biased toward the front in the direction of movement of the first member when it moves from the pop-up position to the retracted position by the second member biasing member, when the second member comes into contact with the third member, the biasing force of this second member biasing member acts in a direction that biases the first member from the retracted position side toward the pop-up position side. Therefore, the movement of the first member from the pop-up position to the retracted position is restricted by the biasing force of the second member biasing member, so the first member is held in the pop-up position, and as a result, the door handle is held in the pop-up position.
[0010] The predetermined surface of the third member is a plane substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the third member. This configuration can be applied.
[0011] With this configuration, the force acting between the second and third members does not act in a direction that would move the second member. Therefore, the force between the second and third members does not cause the third member to move out of its trajectory, and thus the first member does not move from the pop-up position to the retracted position. As a result, the door handle is held in the pop-up position.
[0012] A fourth member that is movable between an initial position that holds the third member outside the trajectory and an operating position that allows the third member to be located within the trajectory, A third member biasing member that biases the third member toward the position within the trajectory, Equipped with, When the fourth member is in the operating position and the first member is in the pop-up corresponding position, the third member is held in the trajectory position by the biasing force of the third member biasing member. This configuration can be applied.
[0013] With this configuration, by moving the fourth member from the initial position to the operating position, the first member can be moved to the pop-up corresponding position, and the third member can be moved to the position within the trajectory. In other words, by moving the fourth member from the initial position to the operating position, the door handle can be moved to the pop-up position, and the door handle can be held in the pop-up position by the biasing force of the second member biasing member.
[0014] When the third member is positioned within the trajectory and the first member is positioned in the pop-up corresponding position, the fourth member moves from the operating position to the initial position, causing the third member to move from the position within the trajectory to the position outside the trajectory. When the third member moves from the position within the trajectory to the position outside the trajectory due to the movement of the fourth member from the operating position to the initial position, it allows the first member to move from the pop-up corresponding position to the retracted corresponding position. This configuration can be applied.
[0015] With this configuration, by moving the fourth member from the operating position to the initial position, the first member, which is located in the pop-up position, can be moved to the retracted position. Therefore, by moving the fourth member from the operating position to the initial position, the door handle, which is located in the pop-up position, can be moved to the retracted position.
[0016] The fourth member is configured such that when the first member is in the storage-compatible position and moves from the initial position to the operating position, it moves the first member from the storage-compatible position to the pop-up-compatible position. This configuration can be applied.
[0017] According to such a configuration, by moving the fourth member from the initial position to the operating position, the first member located at the storage corresponding position can be moved to the pop-up corresponding position. Therefore, by moving the fourth member from the initial position to the operating position, the door handle located at the storage position can be moved to the pop-up position.
[0018] It includes a door handle biasing member that biases the door handle toward the storage position. When the first member is located at the pop-up corresponding position, when the fourth member moves from the operating position to the initial position, the first member is configured to move to the storage corresponding position by the biasing force of the door handle biasing member transmitted through the door handle. Such a configuration can be applied.
[0019] According to such a configuration, when the first member moves from the operating position to the initial position, the door handle automatically moves from the pop-up position to the storage position by the biasing force of the door handle biasing member.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0020] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle door. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle door. <Figure 5B is a side view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 5C] Figure 5C is a side view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is a top view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a side view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 7A] Figure 7A is a top view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 7B] Figure 7B is a side view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 8A] Figure 8A is a top view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 8B] Figure 8B is a side view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 9A] Figure 9A is a top view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 9B] Figure 9B is a side view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 10A] Figure 10A is a top view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Figure 10B] Figure 10B is a side view illustrating the operation of the door handle device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0021] The vehicle door handle device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device attached to a vehicle door and used by the vehicle user or others to open a closed vehicle door from outside the vehicle. In each figure, the front side of the vehicle door handle device is indicated by the arrow Fr, the rear side by the arrow Rr, the top side by the arrow Up, the bottom side by the arrow Dw, the outside side (outside in the vehicle width direction) by the arrow Out, and the inside side (inside in the vehicle width direction) by the arrow In. Furthermore, each direction indicates the direction when the vehicle door handle device is assembled to the vehicle door and the vehicle door is in the closed state. In the following description, "vehicle door handle device" may be abbreviated as "door handle device".
[0022] (Vehicle door) Figures 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of a vehicle door 10 to which a door handle device 20 is assembled. Figure 1A is a view from inside the vehicle, and Figure 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IB-IB in Figure 1A. The vehicle door 10 shown in Figure 1A is the right front door (FL door), and its front end is supported so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis that is substantially parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle body (not shown). By rotating relative to the vehicle body, the vehicle door 10 can move between a closed position that closes the opening for boarding and alighting provided in the vehicle body and an open position that does not close it.
[0023] The vehicle door 10 comprises a door body portion 11 that constitutes its lower half and a door sash portion 12 that constitutes its upper half. As shown in Figure 1B, the door body portion 11 comprises an outer panel 111 that constitutes its outer surface, an inner panel 112 located on the vehicle side of the outer panel 111, and a resin trim 113 fixed to the vehicle side surface of the inner panel 112 and constituting the inner surface of the door body portion 11. The outer panel 111 and the inner panel 112 form the internal space of the door body portion 11. The door handle device 20 and the door lock device 13 are arranged in this internal space of the door body portion 11. The outer panel 111 is provided with an opening 114 that penetrates in the vehicle width direction, and the door handle 33 of the door handle device 20, which will be described later, is exposed to the outside of the vehicle through this opening 114 and can also be extended to the outside of the vehicle through this opening 114.
[0024] The door lock device 13 includes a latch mechanism and a lock mechanism. The latch mechanism is configured to be switchable between an unlatched state that allows the vehicle door 10 to move from the closed position to the open position and a latched state that does not allow the vehicle door 10 to move from the closed position to the open position. The lock mechanism is configured to be switchable between an unlocked state that allows the latch mechanism to switch from the latched state to the unlatched state and a locked state that does not allow the latch mechanism to switch from the latched state to the unlatched state.
[0025] The door handle device 20 and the door lock device 13 are connected by a predetermined connecting member 14 (e.g., a rod). The door handle device 20 is configured to be able to move this connecting member 14. The latch mechanism of the door lock device 13 is configured to switch from the latched state to the unlatched state when the connecting member 14 is moved by the door handle device 20 while it is in the latched state. The door lock device 13 also includes an actuator (not shown), and the latch mechanism can also be switched from the latched state to the unlatched state by the driving force of this actuator. Furthermore, the vehicle is equipped with an ECU (not shown) for controlling the door handle device 20 and the door lock device 13, and this ECU drives the actuator of the door lock device 13 and the actuator 41 of the actuator assembly 40 of the door handle device 20, which will be described later.
[0026] (Door handle device) Figures 2 and 3 are exploded perspective views showing the configuration of the door handle device 20. Figure 2 is a view from the inside of the vehicle, and Figure 3 is a view from the outside of the vehicle. The door handle device 20 comprises a housing 30, a door handle 33, a first lever 34, a first lever biasing spring 35, a sub-lever 36, a sub-lever biasing spring 37, a stopper 38, a stopper biasing spring 39, an actuator assembly 40, a bell crank 44, a bell crank biasing spring 45, and a door handle biasing spring 47.
[0027] The housing 30 comprises a base 31 and a cover 32 attached to the interior side of the base 31. A door handle storage section 311 capable of storing a door handle 33 is provided on the exterior side of the upper part of the base 31. The door handle storage section 311 is a recess that is long in the front-rear direction and opens to the exterior side. An arm insertion hole 312 is provided in the base 31. The arm insertion hole 312 is an opening that penetrates in the width direction of the vehicle, and is configured so that the arm portion 332 (described later) of the door handle 33 stored in the door handle storage section 311 can be inserted from the exterior side to the interior side of the vehicle.
[0028] On the interior surface of the base 31, below the door handle storage portion 311, are provided a first lever support portion 313, a stopper support portion 314, and a bell crank support portion 315. The first lever support portion 313 is the part that supports the first lever 34 so that it can rotate about a straight line substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction. The stopper support portion 314 is the part that supports the stopper 38 so that it can reciprocate about a straight line substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction. The bell crank support portion 315 is the part that supports the bell crank 44 so that it can rotate about a straight line substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction. The first lever support portion 313 and the bell crank support portion 315 each have a cylindrical (or columnar) configuration that protrudes inward from the vehicle. The stopper support portion 314 includes a stopper support surface 316 and a stopper guide 317. The stopper support surface 316 is a plane that extends about a lengthwise direction and faces about upward. The stopper guide 317 is located above the stopper support surface 316 and is a rib-shaped portion that protrudes in the vehicle width direction and extends in a direction parallel to the stopper support surface 316. The first lever support portion 313 is located below the arm insertion hole 312, the stopper support portion 314 is located in front of the first lever support portion 313, and the bell crank support portion 315 is located behind the first lever support portion 313.
[0029] The door handle 33 comprises a grip portion 331 and an arm portion 332. The grip portion 331 is a part that can be touched and grasped by the vehicle user, etc. (or may be configured so that hands, fingers, etc., can be placed on it), and has a long rod shape. The door handle 33 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 331 is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. Near the front end of the grip portion 331, a door handle support shaft insertion hole 333 is provided through which a door handle support shaft 46 can be inserted. The door handle support shaft insertion hole 333 is a through hole with a substantially circular cross-section that penetrates substantially in the vertical direction.
[0030] The arm portion 332 of the door handle 33 is located in a position closer to the front of the grip portion 331 and near the door handle support shaft insertion hole 333, and has a rod-shaped configuration that protrudes toward the interior of the vehicle from the grip portion 331. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the arm portion 332 is located immediately behind the door handle support shaft insertion hole 333 and has a rod-shaped configuration that protrudes toward the diagonal front side toward the interior of the vehicle.
[0031] The door handle 33 is rotatably supported on the base 31 (housing 30) via a door handle support shaft 46, around a straight line substantially parallel to the vertical direction. It can also be said that the door handle 33 is rotatably connected to the base 31. The door handle support shaft 46 is a cylindrical member for rotatably supporting the door handle 33 on the base 31. The portion of the grip portion 331 behind the door handle support shaft insertion hole 333 (door handle support shaft 46) is capable of reciprocating movement in the direction of the vehicle width as the door handle 33 rotates relative to the base 31 around the door handle support shaft insertion hole 333 (in other words, as it swings like a pendulum).
[0032] The door handle 33 can be moved to a retracted position (see Figure 4A), a pop-up position (see Figure 8A), and a manual unlatching position (see Figure 9A) by rotating it relative to the base 31.
[0033] The retracted position of the door handle 33 is the position in which the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 331 of the door handle 33 is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction, and substantially the entire door handle 33 is stored inside the door handle storage portion 311 of the base 31. The pop-up position and manual unlatching position of the door handle 33 are the positions in which the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 331 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the front-rear direction, and the portion of the grip portion 331 rearward from the door handle support shaft 46 protrudes outward from the door handle storage portion 311 of the base 31 and the outer surface of the outer panel 111 of the vehicle door 10. In other words, the pop-up position and manual unlatching position are positions in which at least a part of the door handle protrudes outward from the base 31. Note that the amount of outward protrusion of the grip portion 331 is greater in the manual unlatching position than in the pop-up position. Therefore, it can also be said that the retracted position of the door handle 33 is the position in which the grip portion 331 is furthest inward within the range of motion of the door handle 33, the manual unlatching position is the position in which the grip portion 331 is furthest outward within the range of motion of the door handle 33, and the pop-up position is an intermediate position between the retracted position and the manual unlatching position.
[0034] When the door handle 33 is in the retracted position, the outer surface of the grip portion 331 of the door handle 33 is substantially flush with the outer surface of the outer panel 111 of the vehicle door 10. The door handle 33 is exposed to the outside of the vehicle through an opening 114 provided in the outer panel 111 of the vehicle door 10, and users can contact the outer surface of the door handle 33 when it is in the retracted position (see Figures 1A and 1B). However, when the door handle 33 is in the retracted position, users cannot grasp the grip portion 331 or place their hands or fingers on it. On the other hand, when the door handle 33 is in the pop-up position or the manual unlatching position, users can grasp the grip portion 331 or place their hands or fingers on it. Therefore, when the door handle 33 is in the pop-up position, users can move the door handle 33 to the manual unlatching position by pulling the grip portion 331 further outwards.
[0035] The arm portion 332 of the door handle 33 moves in a roughly forward-backward direction when the door handle 33 rotates around the door handle support shaft 46 (by swinging like a pendulum). When the door handle 33 is in the retracted position, the arm portion 332 is at the front end of its movable range; when the door handle 33 is in the manual unlatched position, the arm portion 332 is at the rear end of its movable range; and when the door handle 33 is in the pop-up position, the arm portion 332 is in the middle of its movable range.
[0036] The door handle biasing spring 47 is configured to constantly elastically bias the door handle 33 toward the stowed position. For example, the door handle biasing spring 47 may be a torsion spring with arms at both ends, where one arm engages with the base 31 and the other arm engages with the door handle 33, thereby biasing the door handle 33 in a predetermined direction. The door handle biasing spring 47 can also be configured to bias the grip portion 331 toward the interior of the vehicle and the arm portion 332 toward the front.
[0037] Figures 4A and 4B show the configuration of the first lever 34, sub-lever 36, and sub-lever biasing spring 37. Figure 4A is an exploded perspective view, and Figure 4B is a perspective view showing these components assembled.
[0038] The first lever 34 is an example of the first component of the present invention. The first lever 34 is positioned on the vehicle side of the grip portion 331 of the door handle 33 when viewed in the vertical direction. The first lever 34 is provided with a shaft hole 341 with a substantially circular cross-section that penetrates in the vehicle width direction. The first lever support portion 313 provided on the base 31 is inserted into this shaft hole 341 from the vehicle side to the vehicle side, thereby supporting the first lever 34 so that it can rotate around a straight line substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction relative to the base 31.
[0039] The first lever 34 comprises a portion extending upward from its center of rotation (the portion where the shaft hole 341 is provided) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the upper arm portion 342), a portion extending diagonally downward and forward from the center of rotation (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the lower arm portion 343), and a sub-lever support portion 346 configured to support the sub-lever 36. An arm portion engagement hole 344 is provided at the upper end of the upper arm portion 342 of the first lever 34, penetrating in the vehicle width direction. The arm portion 332 of the door handle 33 is inserted through the arm portion engagement hole 344 from the outside of the vehicle towards the inside of the vehicle. Near the lower end of the lower arm portion 343 of the first lever 34, a second lever engagement projection 345 is provided, which can be engaged with and disengaged from the second lever 42, which will be described later. The second lever engagement projection 345 has a round rod shape that protrudes toward the inside of the vehicle.
[0040] Since the arm portion 332 of the door handle 33 is inserted into the engagement hole 344 of the arm portion of the first lever 34, the first lever 34 and the door handle 33 move in conjunction with each other. The first lever 34 can move in conjunction with the door handle 33 to a retracted position (see Figure 4B), a pop-up position (see Figure 8B), and a manual unlatching position (see Figure 9B). The retracted position is the position when the door handle 33 is in the retracted position, and the upper arm portion 342 is at the front end of its movable range. The manual unlatching position is the position when the door handle 33 is in the manual unlatching position, and the upper arm portion 342 is at the rear end of its movable range. The pop-up position is the position when the door handle 33 is in the pop-up position, and the upper arm portion 342 is at the middle of its movable range.
[0041] The first lever biasing spring 35 is configured to constantly elastically bias the first lever 34 toward the manual unlatching position. The first lever biasing spring 35 can also bias the upper arm portion 342 of the first lever 34 toward the rear and the lower arm portion 343 of the first lever toward the front. For example, a torsion spring with arms at both ends can be used for the first lever biasing spring 35. In this case, the first lever support portion 313 is inserted through the coiled portion of the torsion spring, with one arm engaging with the first lever 34 and the other arm engaging with the base 31.
[0042] Furthermore, since the first lever 34 and the door handle 33 are configured to move in conjunction, the first lever 34 is subjected to the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47 via the arm portion 332 of the door handle 33. This biasing force acts in a direction that biases the first lever 34 toward the retractable position. The biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47 transmitted to the first lever 34 via the door handle 33 (i.e., the force that biases the first lever 34 toward the retractable position) is greater than the biasing force of the first lever biasing spring 35 (i.e., the force that biases the first lever 34 toward the manual unlatching position). Therefore, the door handle 33 is constantly elastically biased toward the retractable position, and the first lever 34 is constantly elastically biased toward the retractable position, by a force equal to "the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47 minus the biasing force of the first lever biasing spring 35".
[0043] The sub-lever support portion 346 is provided on the front side of the shaft hole 341. The sub-lever support portion 346 has an internal space that can accommodate the sub-lever 36 and has an opening at the front. The sub-lever support portion 346 is also provided with a sub-lever support hole 347 into which the shaft 363 of the sub-lever 36 can be inserted. The sub-lever support hole 347 is a round hole that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction (i.e., substantially parallel to the shaft hole 341).
[0044] The sub-lever 36 is an example of the second component of the present invention. The sub-lever 36 comprises a stopper engaging portion 361 provided on the front part and a shaft 363 provided on the rear part. The sub-lever 36 is supported movably (rotatably) relative to the first lever 34 at the sub-lever support portion 346 of the first lever 34 (in other words, at a position forward of the rotation center of the first lever 34 relative to the base 31, or more precisely, at a position closer to the stopper 38 when viewed from the rotation center of the first lever 34). Specifically, the rear part of the sub-lever 36 (the part where the shaft 363 is provided) is housed in an internal space provided in the sub-lever support portion 346 of the first lever 34, and the shaft 363 of the sub-lever 36 is inserted into the sub-lever support hole 347 of the sub-lever support portion 346 of the first lever 34. The rotation center line of the sub-lever 36 relative to the first lever 34 and the rotation center line of the first lever 34 relative to the base 31 are approximately parallel. This "position where the sub-lever support portion 346 is provided, and which is closer to the stopper 38 when viewed from the rotation center of the first lever 34" is an example of a predetermined position in the present invention.
[0045] As shown in Figure 4B, the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 is the part that protrudes forward from the front surface of the first lever 34 when the sub-lever 36 is supported by the sub-lever support portion 346 of the first lever 34. Alternatively, the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 can be described as the part that protrudes forward from the front surface of the sub-lever support portion 346. The front surface 362 of the stopper engaging portion 361 (the surface closer to the stopper 38 in the front-rear direction) is an arc-shaped curved surface centered on the rotational centerline of the first lever 34 relative to the base 31. The lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 has a tapered shape (a shape in which the front-rear dimension decreases as it goes downwards). When the sub-lever 36 rotates with the first lever 34 relative to the base 31, the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 moves in a substantially vertical direction (more specifically, in a direction intersecting the direction of movement of the stopper 38). Furthermore, as the sub-lever 36 rotates relative to the first lever 34, the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 moves approximately vertically relative to the first lever 34 (more specifically, in a direction intersecting the direction of movement of the stopper 38).
[0046] The sub-lever 36 is movable between a first position and a second position by moving relative to the first lever 34. The first position is the lower end of the sub-lever 36's range of movement relative to the first lever 34 (more specifically, the position of the front end in the direction of movement when the first lever 34 moves from the manual unlatching position toward the storage position). For example, when the lower surface of the sub-lever 36 contacts the inner surface (bottom surface) of the sub-lever support portion 346 of the first lever 34, it cannot move any further below that position relative to the first lever 34. This position is the first position of the sub-lever 36. The second position is above the lower end of the sub-lever 36's range of movement relative to the first lever 34 (more specifically, the position on the rear end in the direction of movement when the first lever 34 moves from the manual unlatching position toward the storage position). Note that the second position does not have to be the end of the sub-lever 36's range of movement relative to the first lever 34. In other words, the sub-lever 36 may be movable above the second position relative to the first lever 34.
[0047] The sub-lever biasing spring 37 is a component that elastically biases the sub-lever 36 so that it can move relative to the first lever 34. Specifically, the sub-lever biasing spring 37 is configured to constantly elastically bias the sub-lever 36 toward the first position relative to the first lever 34. As described above, the sub-lever 36 cannot move below the first position relative to the first lever 34, so when no force other than the sub-lever biasing spring 37 is applied to the sub-lever biasing spring 37, the sub-lever 36 is held in the first position. A torsion spring with arms at both ends is applied to the sub-lever biasing spring 37. In this case, the coiled portion of the torsion spring is arranged to surround the shaft 363 of the sub-lever 36, with one arm of the torsion spring engaging with the sub-lever 36 and the other arm engaging with the first lever 34.
[0048] The stopper 38 is positioned approximately in front of the sub-lever 36. The stopper 38 is supported by a stopper support portion 314 provided on the base 31. Specifically, the lower surface of the stopper 38 is in contact with the upper surface of the stopper support surface 316 of the stopper support portion 314. In addition, a groove extending approximately in the front-rear direction is provided on the in-vehicle side surface of the stopper 38, and the stopper guide 317 of the stopper support portion 314 is fitted into this groove. As a result, the stopper 38 can move linearly back and forth along the stopper support surface 316 and stopper guide 317 of the stopper support portion 314 in directions approaching and moving away from the rotation center of the first lever 34. Hereinafter, the end of the stopper 38's range of motion that is closer to the rotation center of the first lever 34 will be referred to as the proximity end, and the end that is farther from the rotation center of the first lever 34 will be referred to as the distance end. In this embodiment, since the stopper 38 is capable of linear reciprocating movement in a substantially front-to-back direction, the rear end of the movable range is the proximity end, and the front end of the movable range is the distance end.
[0049] The end of the stopper 38 closest to the rotation center of the first lever 34 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "end 381 of the stopper 38") has a surface facing the rotation center of the first lever 34 and approximately perpendicular to the direction of movement of the stopper 38. Hereinafter, this surface may be referred to as the end surface 382. Furthermore, the end 381 of the stopper 38 has a surface facing approximately upward and approximately parallel to the direction of movement of the stopper 38 and the vehicle width direction. Hereinafter, this surface may be referred to as the upper surface 383. In addition, the stopper 38 is provided with a second lever engagement projection 384 that engages with the second lever 42. The second lever engagement projection 384 of the stopper 38 is a rod-shaped portion that protrudes toward the interior of the vehicle and is loosely inserted into the stopper engagement hole 421 of the second lever 42, which will be described later, from the interior to the exterior of the vehicle.
[0050] The stopper biasing spring 39 is configured to constantly elastically bias the stopper 38 toward the nearest end. For example, a compressible coil spring can be used for the stopper biasing spring 39.
[0051] The actuator assembly 40 is a sub-assembly that constitutes the door handle device 20. The actuator assembly 40 comprises an actuator 41 controlled by the ECU and a second lever 42 that can rotate in both forward and reverse directions by the driving force of the actuator 41. The second lever 42 is configured to be rotatable by applying an external force when the actuator 41 is not outputting a driving force (i.e., configured to be reversible). For example, an electric motor capable of outputting rotational power in both forward and reverse directions is used for the actuator 41. In a view in the vehicle width direction, the actuator assembly 40 is positioned such that the rotation center of the second lever 42 is located in front of the first lever 34 in the front-rear direction and between the stopper 38 and the lower end of the first lever 34 in the up-down direction.
[0052] The second lever 42 is a long, rod-shaped member, positioned so that its longitudinal direction is approximately parallel to the vertical direction. The rotational centerline of the second lever 42 is approximately parallel to the rotational centerline of the first lever 34. Therefore, when the second lever 42 rotates, the upper end of the second lever 42 moves approximately in the front-to-back direction (towards the rotational center of the first lever 34 and away from the rotational center of the first lever 34). The lower end of the second lever 42 also moves approximately in the front-to-back direction. The second lever 42 is configured to move between an initial position (see Figure 5C), a first operating position (see Figure 7B), and a second operating position (see Figure 8B) by rotating.
[0053] The initial position of the second lever 42 is when the upper end of the second lever 42 is at the front end of the movable range (more specifically, the end furthest from the rotation center of the first lever 34 within the movable range) and the lower end of the second lever 42 is at the rear end of the movable range. The first operating position of the second lever 42 is when the upper end of the second lever 42 is at the rear end of the movable range (more specifically, the end closer to the rotation center of the first lever 34 within the movable range) and the lower end of the second lever 42 is at the front end of the movable range. The second operating position is a position slightly closer to the initial position than the first operating position. Note that the second operating position is an example of the operating position of the present invention.
[0054] The second lever 42 is elastically biased toward the initial position by a second lever biasing spring 43, which is a damping spring, when it is located closer to the initial position than the midpoint of the movable range (the so-called turnover point), and elastically biased toward the second operating position when it is located closer to the second operating position than the midpoint of the movable range.
[0055] The bell crank 44 is positioned behind the upper arm portion 342 of the first lever 34 and is rotatably supported relative to the base 31. The rotational centerline of the bell crank 44 and the rotational centerline of the first lever 34 are approximately parallel. The front surface of the bell crank 44 faces the rear surface of the upper arm portion 342 of the first lever 34. The bell crank 44 is configured to move between a latch-compatible position and an unlatch-compatible position by rotating relative to the base 31. The latch-compatible position is when the front surface of the bell crank 44 is at the front end of its range of motion. The unlatch-compatible position of the bell crank 44 is when the front surface of the bell crank 44 is located behind the latch-compatible position. The bell crank 44 is constantly elastically biased toward the latch-compatible position by a bell crank biasing spring 45. When the first lever 34 is in the retractable or pop-up position, the front of the bell crank 44 is separated from the upper arm portion 342 of the first lever 34 towards the rear (see Figures 5B and 8B).
[0056] The bell crank 44 is connected to the door lock device 13 via a predetermined connecting member 14 (not shown in the figure). When the bell crank 44 moves from the latch-compatible position to the unlatch-compatible position, the movement of the bell crank 44 is transmitted to the door lock device 13 via the connecting member 14. At this time, if the door lock device 13 is in the unlocked state, the latch mechanism of the door lock device 13 switches from the latched state to the unlatched state.
[0057] (Operation of the door handle device) Next, the operation of the door handle device 20 will be described.
[0058] (Condition when the door handle device is not in use) Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C show the state when the door handle device 20 is not in use. Note that Figure 5A is a top view with the housing 30 omitted (the same applies to Figures 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, and 10A). Figure 5B is a side view seen from inside the vehicle with the housing 30 omitted. Figure 5C is a side view seen from inside the vehicle showing the first lever 34, sub-lever 36, stopper 38, stopper biasing spring 39, second lever 42, and bell crank 44 (the same applies to Figures 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B, and 10B). When the door handle device 20 is not in use, as shown in Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C, the door handle 33 is in the retracted position, the first lever 34 is in the retracted position, the second lever 42 is in the initial position, the stopper 38 is in the far end position, and the sub-lever 36 is in the first position.
[0059] As shown in Figure 5A, the retracted position of the door handle 33 is such that the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 331 is approximately parallel to the front-rear direction. As shown in Figures 5B and 5C, when the second lever 42 is in its initial position (in other words, when the second lever 42 is held in its initial position by the biasing force of the second lever biasing spring 43), the stopper 38 is held at the far end by the second lever 42. Specifically, since the stopper 38 is constantly elastically biased toward the near end by the stopper biasing spring 39, the second lever engaging projection 348 of the stopper 38 contacts the inner circumferential surface of the stopper engaging hole 421 of the second lever 42 (more specifically, the surface of the inner circumferential surface of the stopper engaging hole 421 that is located on the front side in the direction of movement when the second lever 42 moves from the initial position to the first operating position and the second operating position, and faces the rear side in the direction of movement). Therefore, the stopper 38 cannot move toward the near end from that position. Thus, the stopper 38 is held at the far end.
[0060] At this time, the stopper 38 is positioned outside the movement trajectory of the sub-lever 36 (specifically, in front of the movement trajectory of the sub-lever 36). The "movement trajectory of the sub-lever 36" is the trajectory when the sub-lever 36 moves together with the first lever 34 relative to the base 31. In this way, when the second lever 42 is in its initial position, it is configured to hold the stopper 38 outside the movement trajectory of the sub-lever 36. It can also be said that the position of the stopper 38 when the second lever 42 is in its initial position (more specifically, the position of the stopper 38 when the upper end of the second lever 42 is at the position furthest from the rotation center of the first lever 34) is the position of the far end.
[0061] When the first lever 34 is in the retractable position, the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 is located within the movement trajectory of the stopper 38. On the other hand, when the stopper 38 is in the remote end position, the end portion 381 of the stopper 38 is located outside the movement trajectory of the sub-lever 36. Therefore, when the first lever 34 is in the retractable position and the stopper 38 is in the remote end position, the end face 382 of the stopper 38 and the front surface 362 of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 face each other but do not come into contact, and are separated from each other by a predetermined distance in the direction of movement of the stopper 38.
[0062] Furthermore, when the second lever 42 is in its initial position, the lower end of the second lever 42 is located immediately behind the second lever engaging projection 345 of the lower arm portion 343 of the first lever 34, which is in the retractable position. More specifically, the lower end of the second lever 42 is located immediately behind the direction of movement of the second lever engaging projection 345 of the first lever 34 when the first lever 34 moves from the retractable position to the pop-up position. Therefore, when the second lever 42 is in its initial position, the first lever 34 is allowed to be in the retractable position without being restricted by the second lever 42. Consequently, when the second lever 42 is in its initial position, the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47 holds the door handle 33 in the retractable position, and the first lever 34 is held in the retractable position. It can also be said that the initial position of the second lever 42 is a position that allows the first lever 34 to be in the retractable position.
[0063] When the first lever 34 is in the retractable position, the bell crank 44 is held in its initial position. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5B, when the first lever 34 is in the retractable position, the upper arm portion 342 of the first lever 34 is positioned in front of the bell crank 44, which is in its initial position. Therefore, when the first lever 34 is in the retractable position, the bell crank 44 can be positioned in its initial position without being restricted by the first lever 34. Consequently, in this case, the bell crank 44 is held in its initial position by the biasing force of the bell crank biasing spring 45.
[0064] (Movement of the door handle from the retracted position to the popped-up position) Figures 6A and 6B show the state in which the second lever 42 is in the process of moving from the initial position to the first operating position by the driving force of the actuator 41, and the second lever 42 is positioned between the initial position and the second operating position.
[0065] As the second lever 42 moves from its initial position toward the first and second operating positions (rotating clockwise in Figures 5C and 6B), the lower end of the second lever 42 pushes the second lever engagement projection 345 of the first lever 34 toward the front. As a result, the first lever 34 moves from the retracted position toward the pop-up position. Then, the inner circumferential surface of the arm engagement hole 344 of the first lever 34 pushes the arm portion 332 of the door handle 33 toward the rear, causing the door handle 33 to move from the retracted position toward the pop-up position. Furthermore, as the first lever 34 moves from the retracted position toward the pop-up position, the sub-lever 36 supported by the first lever 34 moves upward in conjunction with the movement of the first lever 34.
[0066] Furthermore, as the second lever 42 moves from its initial position (see Figure 5C) towards the first and second operating positions, the inner surface of the stopper engagement hole 421 of the second lever 42 approaches the rotation center of the first lever 34. As a result, the stopper 38 moves toward the nearest end in conjunction with the movement of the second lever 42 due to the biasing force of the stopper biasing spring 39.
[0067] As the second lever 42 moves, the first lever 34 moves from the retracted position to the pop-up position, causing the sub-lever 36 to move upward so as to move out of the movement trajectory of the stopper 38. However, if the sub-lever 36 has not moved out of the movement trajectory of the stopper 38 by the time the stopper 38 reaches the movement trajectory of the sub-lever 36, the end face 382 of the stopper 38 will come into contact with the front surface 362 of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36, as shown in Figure 6B. Hereinafter, the position of the stopper 38 when it comes into contact with the front surface 362 of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, may be referred to as the conversion position. The stopper 38 cannot move toward the nearest end from this conversion position, and therefore its movement stops. Furthermore, since the front-to-back dimension of the stopper engagement hole 421 of the second lever 42 is larger than the front-to-back dimension of the second lever engagement projection 384 of the stopper 38, a certain degree of relative movement between the second lever 42 and the stopper 38 is permitted in the front-to-back direction. For this reason, even if the movement of the stopper 38 stops because the end face 382 of the stopper 38 comes into contact with the front surface 362 of the stopper engagement portion 361 of the sub-lever 36, the second lever 42 can still move toward the first operating position and the second operating position. Note that the position between the switching position of the stopper 38 and the far end is an example of an out-of-trajectory position of the present invention, and the position between the switching position and the nearby end is an example of an in-trajectory position of the present invention.
[0068] As the second lever 42 moves further from the position shown in Figure 6B toward the first and second operating positions, the first lever 34 also moves further from the position shown in Figure 6B toward the pop-up corresponding position. The front surface 362 of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 is an arc-shaped curved surface centered on the rotation center of the first lever 34. On the other hand, the end surface 382 of the stopper 38 is a plane approximately perpendicular to the direction of movement of the stopper 38. Therefore, even when the end surface 382 of the stopper 38 is in contact with the front surface 362 of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36, the sub-lever 36 can move together with the first lever 34 in an arc trajectory centered on the rotation center of the first lever 34 without being restricted by the stopper 38. Consequently, the first lever 34 can move toward the pop-up corresponding position without being restricted by the stopper 38.
[0069] Figures 7A and 7B show the state when the second lever 42 is in the second operating position after further rotation from the state shown in Figures 6A and 6B. When the second lever 42 reaches the second operating position from the initial position, the first lever 34 reaches the pop-up corresponding position. When the first lever 34 is in the pop-up corresponding position, the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 is positioned outside the movement trajectory of the stopper 38 (above the end portion 381 of the stopper 38 in this embodiment). Therefore, as shown in Figure 7B, the stopper 38 moves to the nearest end and is held at the nearest end by the biasing force of the stopper biasing spring 39 without being restricted by the sub-lever 36. That is, the stopper 38 is positioned within the trajectory. The lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 then contacts the upper end surface 383 of the end portion of the stopper 38.
[0070] The position of the second lever 42 at this time is the second operating position, and the position of the first lever 34 at this time is the pop-up corresponding position. It can also be said that the pop-up corresponding position of the first lever 34 is the position where the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36, located in the first position, contacts the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38. Furthermore, as is clear from Figure 7B, when the second lever 42 is in the second operating position, the first lever 34 cannot move toward the retracted corresponding position. Therefore, it can also be said that the second operating position of the second lever 42 is the position that restricts the movement of the first lever 34 from the pop-up corresponding position to the retracted corresponding position.
[0071] Furthermore, when the second lever 42 reaches the second operating position, there is a risk that the stopper 38 may not move from the switching position to the nearest end due to tolerances of each component. Therefore, to ensure that the stopper 38 moves to the nearest end, the actuator 41 does not stop the second lever 42 at the second operating position, but moves it beyond the second operating position to the first operating position. Figures 8A and 8B show the state when the second lever 42 has moved to the first operating position. When the second lever 42 is in the first operating position beyond the second operating position, the first lever 34 is positioned closer to the manual unlatching position than to the pop-up position. For this reason, the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 is separated from the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38 by a predetermined distance. For this reason, the first operating position of the second lever 42 can also be said to be the position that holds the first lever 34 closer to the manual unlatching position than to the pop-up position.
[0072] In this way, by moving the first lever 34 a predetermined distance from the pop-up position towards the manual unlatching position, interference between the stopper 38 and the sub-lever 36 is avoided, and the stopper 38 is reliably moved to the nearest end by the biasing force of the stopper biasing spring 39. When the first lever 34 is positioned slightly closer to the manual unlatching position from the pop-up position, the door handle 33 is positioned slightly closer to the manual unlatching position from the pop-up position.
[0073] The distance (rotation angle) between the first and second operating positions of the second lever 42 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Essentially, when the second lever 42 is in the first operating position, the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 should be in a position where it is reliably separated from the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38.
[0074] (Holding the door handle in the pop-up position) As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, once the second lever 42 reaches the first operating position, when the actuator 41 stops driving the second lever 42 (when the driving force is removed), the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47 causes the first lever 34 to move to the pop-up corresponding position (return), and the door handle 33 to move to the pop-up position (return), as shown in Figures 7A and 7B.
[0075] When the first lever 34 is in the pop-up position, the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 contacts the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38. When the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 contacts the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38, the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 cannot move downward from that position (more specifically, forward in the direction of movement of the sub-lever 36 when the first lever 34 moves from the pop-up position to the retracted position). As a result, the movement of the first lever 34 from the pop-up position to the retracted position is restricted. Furthermore, since the door handle 33 is constantly elastically biased toward the retracted position by the door handle biasing spring 47, the door handle 33 is held in the pop-up position unless an external force is applied to the door handle 33 that would pull it to the manual unlatch position.
[0076] When the door handle 33 is in the pop-up position, if an external force is applied to the door handle 33 in a direction that pushes it inward (i.e., an external force that moves it toward the retracted position), a force is applied to the first lever 34 via the door handle 33 in a direction that moves it from the pop-up position to the retracted position. However, because the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 is in contact with the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38, the sub-lever 36 cannot move downward from that position. However, as the sub-lever 36 moves from the first position to the second position relative to the first lever 34, the first lever 34 can move downward relative to the sub-lever 36, and therefore the first lever 34 can move from the pop-up position toward the retracted position.
[0077] In this case, the biasing force of the sub-lever biasing spring 37 acts in a direction that biases the first lever 34 toward the pop-up position, so the door handle 33 is biased toward the pop-up position. Therefore, if the force that moves the first lever 34 from the pop-up position toward the retracted position is less than the biasing force of the sub-lever biasing spring 37, the first lever 34 will not move from the pop-up position toward the retracted position. Consequently, in this case, the door handle 33 is held in the pop-up position.
[0078] Thus, when the door handle 33 is in the pop-up position, the biasing force of the sub-lever biasing spring 37 acts as a holding force that keeps the door handle 33 in the pop-up position. More precisely, the door handle 33 is constantly elastically biased toward the retracted position by the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47, the first lever 34 is constantly elastically biased toward the manual unlatching position by the first lever biasing spring 35, and the second lever 42 is held in the second operating position by the second lever biasing spring 43 when it is in the second operating position. For this reason, the biasing force of the first lever biasing spring 35 and the biasing force of the second lever biasing spring 43 act as forces that keep the door handle 33 in the pop-up position, and the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47 acts as a force that moves the door handle 33 to the retracted position.
[0079] Therefore, strictly speaking, the holding force that keeps the door handle 33 in the pop-up position is the force obtained by adding the biasing force of the first lever biasing spring 35 and the biasing force of the second lever biasing spring 43 to the biasing force of the sub-lever biasing spring 37, and subtracting the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47. Note that the biasing force of the sub-lever biasing spring 37 is greater than the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47 so that the door handle 33 can be held in the pop-up position by the biasing force of the sub-lever biasing spring 37. Strictly speaking, the biasing force of the sub-lever biasing spring 37 is greater than "the force obtained by subtracting the biasing forces of the first lever biasing spring 35 and the second lever biasing spring 43 from the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47".
[0080] The upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38 is a plane substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the stopper 38 and the vehicle width direction. With this configuration, even if the lower end of the sub-lever 36 is pressed against the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38, the force that the stopper 38 receives from the sub-lever 36 does not act in a direction that moves the stopper 38 to the far end or the nearby end. Therefore, the force that the stopper 38 receives from the sub-lever 36 prevents the stopper 38 from moving outside the movement trajectory of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36, and the first lever 34 is held in the pop-up corresponding position. It is preferable that, when viewed in the vehicle width direction, the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38 and the trajectory of the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 are substantially perpendicular to each other. With this configuration, the reliability of the effect of the stopper 38 preventing the sub-lever 36 from moving outside the movement trajectory of the stopper engaging portion 361 can be increased.
[0081] When the first lever 34 is in the pop-up position, the first lever 34 and the bell crank 44 are separated by a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction, similar to when it is in the retracted position. Therefore, the bell crank 44 is held in its initial position by the bell crank biasing spring 45.
[0082] (Movement from the pop-up position to the retracted position by manually operating the door handle) Figures 9A and 9B show the state when the door handle 33 is in the process of moving from the pop-up position to the retracted position by manual operation of the door handle 33, and when the stopper has reached the switching position. In Figure 9B, the first lever located in the pop-up position and the end 381 of the stopper 38 located at the nearby end are shown by dashed lines.
[0083] When the door handle 33 is in the pop-up position, if an external force greater than the aforementioned holding force is applied, this external force causes the first lever 34 to move from the pop-up position towards the retracted position against the biasing force of the sub-lever biasing spring 37, while the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 remains in contact with the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38. As the first lever 34 moves from the pop-up position towards the retracted position, the second lever engaging projection 345 of the first lever 34 pushes the lower end of the second lever 42 toward the rear, causing the second lever 42 to move from the second operating position towards the initial position. As the second lever 42 moves from the second operating position towards the initial position, the inner circumferential surface of the stopper engaging hole 421 of the second lever 42 pushes the second lever engaging projection 384 of the stopper 38 toward the far end (the side outside the trajectory). As a result, the stopper 38 moves toward the far end.
[0084] When the stopper 38 reaches the switching position, the stopper 38 is positioned outside the movement trajectory of the sub-lever 36. As a result, the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 separates from the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38. Consequently, the first lever 34 is no longer subjected to the "holding force in the pop-up position" by the sub-lever biasing spring 37, and the first lever 34 can move to the retraction position with almost no load. The door handle 33 then moves to the retraction position due to the external force pushing inward on the grip portion 331 of the door handle 33 (or the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47 if the external force is no longer applied). Therefore, the door handle device 20 returns to the state shown in Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C. As described above, in the state shown in Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C, the door handle 33 is held in the retraction position by the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47. Thus, the door handle device 20 is configured such that when a force greater than the aforementioned holding force is applied to the door handle 33, the door handle 33 moves from the pop-up position to the retracted position.
[0085] With this configuration, the holding force that keeps the door handle 33 in the pop-up position can be stabilized. In other words, the magnitude of the holding force that keeps the door handle 33 in the pop-up position is mainly determined by the magnitude of the biasing force of the sub-lever biasing spring 37. And if the sub-lever biasing spring 37 is a mechanical spring, the fluctuation of the holding force due to environmental changes or changes in the contact state between the components constituting the door handle device 20 will be small, so the holding force can be stabilized.
[0086] Furthermore, if the holding force that keeps the door handle 33 in the pop-up position is insufficient, the door handle 33 may move from the pop-up position to the retracted position when, for example, a user touches the grip portion 331 while trying to grasp it. On the other hand, if this holding force is excessive, a large force will be required to move the door handle 33 from the pop-up position to the retracted position, and as a result, the door handle 33 may move at an excessive speed when moving it to the retracted position. For this reason, it is preferable to set the holding force to an appropriate size. And, according to this embodiment, the magnitude of the holding force can be determined mainly by setting the spring constant of the sub-lever biasing spring 37, making it easy to set the holding force to an appropriate size.
[0087] Furthermore, during this operation, the stopper 38 is subjected to a downward pushing force from the stopper engagement portion 361 of the sub-lever 36. As described above, the stopper support portion 314 of the base 31 is equipped with a stopper support surface 316 that extends in a substantially front-rear direction and faces upward, so this force is received by this stopper support surface 316. Therefore, even when a downward force is applied to the stopper 38 from the sub-lever 36, stable movement (in other words, smooth movement) of the stopper 38 is ensured. Moreover, the larger the contact area between the lower surface of the stopper 38 and the stopper support surface 316, the more stable the movement of the stopper 38 becomes. For this reason, as shown in each figure, by making the portion of the end 381 of the stopper 38 below the end face 382 protrude toward the rotation center of the first lever 34, the contact area between the lower surface of the stopper 38 and the stopper support surface 316 can be increased, thereby further stabilizing the movement of the stopper 38.
[0088] (Movement of the door handle from the popped-up position to the retracted position due to the driving force of the actuator) When the door handle device 20 is in the state shown in Figures 7A and 7B, and the second lever 42 moves from the second operating position to the initial position by the driving force of the actuator 41, the second lever engaging projection 384 of the stopper 38 is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the stopper engaging hole 421 of the second lever 42, and the stopper 38 moves from the near end to the far end against the biasing force of the stopper biasing spring 39. However, until the stopper 38 reaches the switching position (see Figure 9B), the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 is in contact with the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38.
[0089] Therefore, the first lever 34 is held in the pop-up position, and as a result, the door handle 33 is held in the pop-up position. When the second lever 42 moves from the second operating position toward the initial position, the lower end of the second lever 42 moves toward the direction away from the second lever engaging projection 345 of the first lever 34 which is in the retractable position. Therefore, with the first lever 34 in the retractable position, the second lever 42 can move from the operating position toward the initial position. In other words, the second lever 42 can move from the operating position toward the initial position without being restricted by the first lever 34.
[0090] When the stopper 38 is positioned outside the trajectory (at a position further away from the switching position), the movement of the sub-lever 36 is no longer restricted by the stopper 38. As a result, the first lever 34 moves from the pop-up position to the retracted position due to the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47 transmitted via the door handle 33, and the door handle 33 moves from the pop-up position to the retracted position. Consequently, the door handle device 20 is in the state shown in Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C. Thus, the door handle device 20 is configured such that when the second lever 42 moves from the second operating position to the initial position, the door handle 33 moves from the pop-up position to the retracted position.
[0091] (Moving the door handle to the manual unlatching position) The user can move the door handle 33 from the pop-up position to the manual unlatching position by pulling it further outwards from the vehicle. Figures 10A and 10B show the state in which the door handle 33 is in the manual unlatching position.
[0092] When the door handle 33 is moved from the pop-up position to the manual unlatching position by a user or other manual operator, the arm portion 332 of the door handle 33 pushes the inner circumferential surface of the arm portion engagement hole 344 of the first lever 34 toward the rear, causing the first lever 34 to move from the pop-up position to the manual unlatching position. As the first lever 34 moves from the pop-up position to the manual unlatching position, it pushes the bell crank 44, moving the bell crank 44 from its initial position to its operating position. At this time, if the door lock device 13 is in the unlocked state, the door lock device 13 switches from the latched state to the unlatched state by the movement of the bell crank 44 transmitted via the connecting member 14.
[0093] When the first lever 34 moves from the pop-up position to the manual unlatching position, the second lever engaging projection 345 of the first lever 34 moves forward away from the lower end of the second lever 42. Also, the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 moves further upward away from the movement trajectory of the stopper 38. Therefore, the first lever 34 can move from the pop-up position to the manual unlatching position without being restricted by the second lever 42 and the stopper 38. When the first lever 34 moves from the pop-up position to the manual unlatching position, the second lever 42 is held in the second operating position by the second lever biasing spring 43, and the stopper 38 is held at the nearest end by the biasing force of the stopper biasing spring 39.
[0094] When the door handle 33 is in the manual unlatched position, if the user releases the door handle 33, the door handle 33 moves towards the pop-up position and the retracted position due to the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47, and the first lever 34 moves towards the pop-up compatible position and the retracted position in conjunction with the movement of the door handle 33. At this time, since the stopper 38 is located within the movement trajectory of the sub-lever 36, when the first lever 34 reaches the pop-up compatible position, the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 361 of the sub-lever 36 comes into contact with the upper end surface 383 of the stopper 38. For this reason, the first lever 34 cannot move any further towards the retracted position due to the biasing force of the door handle biasing spring 47. That is, the first lever 34 stops at the pop-up compatible position, and the door handle 33 stops at the pop-up position. Therefore, the door handle device 20 returns to the state shown in Figures 7A and 7B.
[0095] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The present invention can be modified without departing from its spirit, and such modifications are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]
[0096] 20...Door handle device, 30...Housing, 33...Door handle, 34...First lever, 35...First lever biasing spring, 36...Sub-lever, 37...Sub-lever biasing spring, 38...Stopper, 39...Stopper biasing spring, 42...Second lever, 43...Second lever biasing spring
Claims
1. A door handle is supported on the housing so as to be movable between a storage position where it is housed within the housing and a pop-up position where at least a portion of it protrudes outside the housing. A first member is configured to move in conjunction with the door handle so as to move to a retracted position when the door handle is in the retracted position, and to a pop-up position when the door handle is in the pop-up position, A second member is movably supported with respect to the first member, A second member biasing member that biases the second member so that it can move elastically relative to the first member, A third member that is movable between an out-of-trajectory position, which is a position outside the movement trajectory of the second member when the first member moves from the pop-up position to the storage position, and an in-trajectory position, which is a position in which at least a part of the first member enters the movement trajectory. Equipped with, When the first member is in the pop-up corresponding position, and the third member is in the trajectory position, the second member comes into contact with the third member, thereby restricting the movement of the first member from the pop-up corresponding position to the storage corresponding position. A door handle device for vehicles.
2. A door handle device for a vehicle according to claim 1, The second member is supported so as to be movable with respect to the first member between a first position and a second position which is a position further rear in the direction of movement of the predetermined position when the first member moves from the pop-up corresponding position to the storage corresponding position, and is elastically biased toward the first position relative to the first member by the second member biasing member. The end of the second member, which is located on the front side in the direction of movement of the predetermined position when the first member moves from the pop-up position to the retracted position, contacts a predetermined surface of the third member, thereby restricting the movement of the first member from the pop-up position to the retracted position. A door handle device for vehicles.
3. A door handle device for a vehicle according to claim 2, The predetermined surface of the third member is a plane substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the third member. A door handle device for vehicles.
4. A door handle device for a vehicle according to claim 2, A fourth member that is movable between an initial position that holds the third member outside the trajectory and an operating position that allows the third member to be located within the trajectory, A third member biasing member that biases the third member toward the position within the trajectory, Equipped with, When the fourth member is in the operating position and the first member is in the pop-up corresponding position, the third member is held in the trajectory position by the biasing force of the third member biasing member. A door handle device for vehicles.
5. A door handle device for a vehicle according to claim 4, The fourth member is configured such that when the third member is located in the trajectory position and the first member is located in the pop-up corresponding position, and moves from the operating position to the initial position, it moves the third member from the trajectory position to the position outside the trajectory. The third member is configured to allow the first member to move from the pop-up corresponding position to the retracted corresponding position when it moves from the position within the trajectory to the position outside the trajectory due to the movement of the fourth member from the operating position to the initial position. A door handle device for vehicles.
6. A vehicle door handle device according to claim 4, The fourth member is configured to move the first member from the storage-compatible position to the pop-up-compatible position when the first member moves from the initial position to the operating position while the first member is in the storage-compatible position. A door handle device for vehicles.
7. A door handle device for a vehicle according to claim 6, The door handle is provided with a door handle biasing member that biases the door handle toward the retracted position, The first member is configured such that when it is in the pop-up corresponding position, and the fourth member moves from the operating position to the initial position, it moves to the retracted corresponding position by the biasing force of the door handle biasing member transmitted via the door handle. A door handle device for vehicles.