Handle device and door device

Abstract

This handle device comprises: a base; a lever; a first spring that biases the lever in a rotation direction Ra; a handle that is rotatably supported about the same rotation axis as the lever, the handle locking the lever and causing the lever to rotate in a rotation direction Rb; a second spring that biases the handle in the rotation direction Ra; a latch-side cable that is connected to the lever and linked to a latch; and a cylinder-side cable that is connected to the lever and linked to a cylinder lock. The lever has a long hole part in the form of an arc centered on the rotation axis at a connection point with the cylinder-side cable. An engagement part, which is a connection end of the cylinder-side cable, is locked to the handle and is moved within the long hole part when the lever is rotated.

Description

Handle device and door device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a handle device and a door device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a door lock device equipped with a door lock having a latch that engages with a striker on the vehicle body to hold the door closed. In this door lock device, an outside handle and an inside handle are connected to the door lock to release the latch from the striker and open the door lock.

[0003] In the door lock device described in Patent Document 1, the outside handle and the inside handle are each connected to the door lock by a rod. In other words, this door lock device has a complex structure in which the rod connecting the outside handle and the door lock and the rod connecting the inside handle to the door lock are routed in two paths, and improvements are desired in terms of assembly workability, weight, and cost.

[0004] Japanese National Publication No. 4-116569

[0005] The present disclosure provides a handle device and a door device that can be easily assembled while reducing cost and weight through a simple structure.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, a handle device provided on a vehicle door for releasing engagement of a latch provided in a door lock mechanism of the door with a vehicle body comprises: a base attached to the door; a lever rotatably supported on the base; a first biasing part that biases the lever in one rotation direction; an interior handle rotatably supported on the base about the same rotation axis as the lever, and that engages the lever and rotates it in the other rotation direction by being rotated in the other rotation direction; a second biasing part that biases the interior handle in the one rotation direction; a latch-side wiring member that is connected to the lever and extends forward in the one rotation direction and is connected to the latch; and a cylinder-side wiring member that is connected to the lever and extends forward in the other rotation direction and is connected to a cylinder lock, wherein the lever has an arc-shaped elongated hole portion centered on the rotation axis at a connection point with the cylinder-side wiring member, The connecting end of the cylinder side wiring material is accommodated and held within the elongated hole portion, and is engaged with the indoor handle so as to move within the elongated hole portion when the lever is rotated.

[0007] The door device also includes the above-mentioned handle device, a cylinder lock to which the cylinder side wiring member is connected, and a door lock device to which the latch side wiring member is connected.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a handle device and a door device can be provided that have a simple structure, can be easily assembled while reducing costs and weight, and can be easily assembled.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a vehicle door, illustrating a door device equipped with a handle device according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle device according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the handle device according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of the handle device according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the handle device according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view equivalent to line VI-VI in FIG. 4, illustrating the movement of the handle device. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view equivalent to line VI-VI in FIG. 4, illustrating the movement of the handle device.

[0010] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle door D illustrating a door device 14 equipped with a handle device 11 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, the right side of the drawing corresponds to the front side of the vehicle, the left side corresponds to the rear side of the vehicle, the upper side corresponds to the upper side, and the lower side corresponds to the lower side. The inside of the vehicle in the door device 14 corresponds to the front side, and the outside of the vehicle corresponds to the rear side.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 , a handle device 11 according to this embodiment is provided on a door D of a vehicle. The door D is provided with a door lock device 12 and a cylinder lock 13. The handle device 11, together with the door lock device 12 and the cylinder lock 13, constitutes a door device 14. For example, the handle device 11 is provided on an inner panel of the door D, and is provided from near the center of the door D to the periphery toward the front of the vehicle so that it can be easily operated by a passenger sitting in a seat. The cylinder lock 13 is provided on an outer panel of the door D, and is provided on the rotation tip side of the door D so that it can be easily operated by a passenger from outside the vehicle. The door lock device 12 is provided between the inner panel and outer panel of the door D, and is provided on the rotation tip side of the door D to engage with a striker provided on the vehicle body, which will be described later.

[0013] The door lock device 12 is equipped with a lock mechanism and a latch (both not shown), and is of a double-action type that allows the lock mechanism to be unlocked and the latch to be released by two operations of the handle device 11. The door D is maintained in a closed state by the latch of the door lock device 12 engaging with a striker (not shown) provided on the vehicle body, and is locked in that state by the lock mechanism.

[0014] The handle device 11 is connected to the door lock device 12 by a latch-side cable 15. The handle device 11 is also connected to the cylinder lock 13 by a cylinder-side cable 16. As a result, the cylinder lock 13 is connected to the door lock device 12 by the cylinder-side cable 16 and the latch-side cable 15, which are connected in a single path via the handle device 11.

[0015] In the door device 14, when the handle device 11 is operated to open, the operating force is transmitted as a pulling force to the door lock device 12 via the latch-side cable 15. The first opening operation of the handle device 11 unlocks the lock mechanism, and the second opening operation disengages the striker from the latch, opening the door D. Also, in the door device 14, when the cylinder lock 13 is operated to open, the operating force is transmitted as a pulling force to the latch of the door lock device 12 via the cylinder-side cable 16 and the latch-side cable 15. This disengages the striker from the latch, opening the door D. In this way, the door device 14 is configured so that the door D can be released from the closed state by the door lock device 12 by opening the handle device 11 or the cylinder lock 13.

[0016] Next, the structure of the handle device 11 will be described. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the handle device 11 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the handle device 11 according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a front view of the handle device 11 according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the handle device 11 according to this embodiment. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 4.

[0017] 2 to 7, the handle device 11 includes a base 21, a lever 22, a handle 23, a first spring 24, and a second spring 25. The first spring 24 and the second spring 25 respectively constitute a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion of the present disclosure.

[0018] The base 21 is attached to the door D. The base 21 is composed of an upper edge portion 31 and a lower edge portion 32 arranged above and below, and side edge portions 33, 34 connecting both ends of the upper edge portion 31 and the lower edge portion 32. As a result, the base 21 is formed in a frame shape having a storage space S with a rectangular opening 35 on the front side.

[0019] Fixing holes 31a, 32a are formed in the upper and lower edge portions 31, 32 of the base 21 near one side edge portion 33. The fixing holes 31a, 32a are formed in positions facing each other, and a rotation shaft 36 is passed through and fixed to these fixing holes 31a, 32a. In addition, a rear wall portion 37 is formed on the rear side of the base 21, extending from the other side edge portion 34 toward the one side edge portion 33.

[0020] Cable attachment portions 41, 42 are provided at the rear of the base 21. These cable attachment portions 41, 42 are formed on both side portions 33, 34. One cable attachment portion 41 holds an end of a covering portion 45 through which the latch-side cable 15 is passed, and the other cable attachment portion 42 holds an end of a covering portion 46 through which the cylinder-side cable 16 is passed.

[0021] Furthermore, a pair of fixing pieces 48 having holes 47 are formed on each of the upper edge portion 31 and the lower edge portion 32 of the base 21. The base 21 is attached to the inner panel of the door D by threading screws (not shown) inserted into the holes 47 of the fixing pieces 48 into screw holes formed in the inner panel of the door D.

[0022] The lever 22 is accommodated in the accommodation space S of the base 21. The lever 22 has a cylindrical portion 51 and a cable holding portion 52. The rotation shaft 36 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 51. As a result, the lever 22 is supported within the accommodation space S of the base 21 so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 36 in the vertical direction.

[0023] The cable holding portion 52 has a latch cable holding portion 55 and a cylinder cable holding portion 56. An engaging portion 15a provided at the end of the latch side cable 15 is engaged with the latch cable holding portion 55. Furthermore, an engaging portion 16a provided at the end of the cylinder side cable 16 is engaged with the cylinder cable holding portion 56.

[0024] The latch cable holding portion 55 has a hole 55a and a slit 55b that is connected to the hole 55a. The end of the latch-side cable 15 is connected to the latch cable holding portion 55 by passing the latch-side cable 15 through the slit 55b and accommodating the engagement portion 15a in the hole 55a.

[0025] The cylinder cable holding portion 56 has an elongated hole portion 56a and a slit 56b connected to the elongated hole portion 56a. The end of the cylinder side cable 16 is connected to the cylinder cable holding portion 56 by passing the cylinder side cable 16 through the slit 56b and accommodating the engaging portion 16a in the elongated hole portion 56a. The elongated hole portion 56a of the cylinder cable holding portion 56 is formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation shaft 36. The engaging portion 16a of the cylinder side cable 16 accommodated in the elongated hole portion 56a of the cylinder cable holding portion 56 is movable within the elongated hole portion 56a.

[0026] The handle 23 is formed in a flat plate shape that approximately matches the opening 35 of the base 21 and is assembled by fitting it into the storage space S of the base 21 through the opening 35. In this embodiment, the handle 23 is intended to be used as an emergency handle when electronic means for controlling the door lock device 12 are unavailable. Therefore, by approximately matching the shape of the handle 23 with the opening 35 of the base 21 and minimizing the gap between them, the handle 23 is made less noticeable, enhancing its design and making it less likely to be operated except in an emergency. The handle 23 has support pieces 61 on its upper and lower edges that protrude in the direction of assembly to the base 21. Each of these support pieces 61 has an insertion hole 62 formed therein, and the rotation shaft 36 is inserted through the insertion hole 62. This allows the handle 23 to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 36 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the handle 23 has a locking piece 63 on one side that protrudes in the direction of assembly to the base 21.

[0027] The first spring 24 is a torsion spring and has a pair of arms 24a and 24b. Similarly, the second spring 25 is a torsion spring and has a pair of arms 25a and 25b.

[0028] The upper side of the cylindrical portion 51 of the lever 22 is inserted into the first spring 24, and the lower side of the cylindrical portion 51 of the lever 22 is inserted into the second spring 25. In this way, the first spring 24 and the second spring 25 are attached to the lever 22.

[0029] One arm 24a of the first spring 24 is engaged with the rear wall 37 of the base 21, and the other arm 24b is engaged with the cable holding portion 52 of the lever 22. The lever 22 is biased by the first spring 24 in one rotation direction Ra around the rotation shaft 36 (see FIG. 6).

[0030] One arm 25a of the second spring 25 is engaged with the rear wall 37 of the base 21, and the other arm 25b is engaged with the engaging piece 63 of the handle 23. The handle 23 is biased by the second spring 25 in one rotation direction Ra around the rotation shaft 36 (see FIG. 6).

[0031] The handle 23, which is biased in one rotation direction Ra by the second spring 25, has the locking piece 63 on one side thereof abut against the restricting wall 38 formed on the base 21 (see FIG. 6 ). As a result, the handle 23 is restricted from rotating in the rotation direction Ra by the biasing force of the second spring 25 while closing the opening 35 of the accommodation space S of the base 21. Furthermore, the lever 22, which is biased in one rotation direction Ra by the first spring 24, has the cable holding portion 52 abut against the locking piece 63 of the handle 23, and is restricted from rotating in the rotation direction Ra by the biasing force of the first spring 24.

[0032] In the handle device 11 having the above structure, the latch side cable 15 is arranged to extend forward (toward the front of the vehicle) in one rotation direction Ra of the lever 22, and the cylinder side cable 16 is arranged to extend forward (toward the rear of the vehicle) in the other rotation direction Rb, which is the opposite direction to the one rotation direction Ra of the lever 22 (see Figure 6).

[0033] Next, a case where the door D is released from the closed state by the door lock device 12 in the door device 14 equipped with the handle device 11 having the above-described structure will be described. Figures 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views corresponding to the line VI-VI in Figure 4, each illustrating the movement of the handle device 11.

[0034] (Opening Operation Using Handle Device 11) To release the door D from the closed state by the door lock device 12 using the handle device 11 from the interior side, as shown in FIG. 8 , the other side of the handle 23 of the handle device 11 is grasped and the handle 23 is pulled toward the driver (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 8 ). This causes the handle 23 to rotate in the other rotation direction Rb against the biasing force of the second spring 25. This causes the cable holding portion 52 of the lever 22, which is engaged with the locking piece 63 of the handle 23, to be pressed by the handle 23, causing the lever 22 to rotate in the other rotation direction Rb against the biasing force of the first spring 24. This pulls the latch-side cable 15 connected to the latch cable holding portion 55 of the lever 22, generating a tensile force F1. This tensile force F1 transitions the door lock device 12 from a locked state to an unlocked state, and in the unlocked state, disengages the striker from the latch, allowing the door D to open.

[0035] Here, when the lever 22 is rotated in the other rotation direction Rb, the engaging portion 16a of the cylinder-side cable 16 moves within the elongated hole 56a of the cylinder cable holding portion 56. In other words, the cylinder cable holding portion 56 does not transmit the rotational force of the lever 22 to the engaging portion 16a of the cylinder-side cable 16, so the engaging portion 16a does not move from its initial position. This prevents the cylinder-side cable 16 from being pushed in by the lever 22, which is rotated together with the handle 23, and causing it to bend. Therefore, the cylinder-side cable 16 does not bend and come out of the slit 56b, causing the engaging portion 16a to detach from the cylinder cable holding portion 56.

[0036] In the handle device 11, the opening 35 of the storage space S of the base 21 is blocked by the handle 23. Therefore, when the handle 23 is opened, one side of the handle 23 is pressed further than the rotation shaft 36, which is biased by the second spring 25. Then, the handle 23 is rotated in the other rotation direction Rb, forming a gap between the other side of the handle 23 and the base 21. Therefore, a finger can be inserted into this gap to pull the handle 23 toward oneself, thereby rotating the handle 23.

[0037] (Opening Operation Using Cylinder Lock 13) To release the door D from the closed state by the door lock device 12 from the outside of the vehicle, the cylinder lock 13 provided on the outside of the vehicle is operated. The cylinder lock 13 is either integrated with the outside handle or provided on the door D near the outside handle. When the cylinder lock 13 is operated in this manner, as shown in FIG. 9 , a pulling force F2 is applied to the cylinder-side cable 16 by the operating force of the cylinder lock 13. Then, the pulling force F2 applied to the cylinder-side cable 16 rotates the lever 22 in the other rotation direction Rb against the biasing force of the first spring 24. As a result, the latch-side cable 15 connected to the latch cable holding portion 55 of the lever 22 is pulled, and the door lock device 12 transitions from a locked state to an unlocked state. In the unlocked state, the latch disengages the striker, allowing the door D to open. Note that, in the example shown, the operation from outside the vehicle is performed using a cylinder lock 13 that can only be operated with a key held by the owner, so as to prevent unauthorized unlocking by operation by anyone other than the legitimate vehicle owner, but this is not limiting. As long as the operation unit cannot be accessed by anyone other than the vehicle owner, for example, an outside operation unit such as a handle, lever, or link hook for directly pulling and operating a wire may be provided on the door, and the outside operation unit may be restricted so that it cannot be directly operated under normal circumstances, but the restriction may be lifted when the owner of the vehicle is authenticated using a cylinder lock or an NFC authentication device.

[0038] At this time, only the lever 22 rotates, and the handle 23 does not rotate, maintaining the state in which the opening 35 of the storage space S of the base 21 is closed. Therefore, the appearance is not marred by the handle 23 of the handle device 11 opening in conjunction with the opening operation of the cylinder lock 13, and a good external appearance can be ensured.

[0039] The first spring 24 and the second spring 25 may have the same biasing force, or may have different biasing forces.

[0040] Here, when the cylinder lock 13 is used to perform the opening operation, only the lever 22 is rotated, but when the handle device 11 is used to perform the opening operation, the handle 23 and the lever 22 are rotated, and therefore a greater operating force is required than when the handle device 11 is used to perform the opening operation. Therefore, by making the biasing force of the second spring 25 smaller than the biasing force of the first spring 24, the operability of the handle device 11 when performing the opening operation can be improved.

[0041] In an electronically controlled door device in which the handle device 11 is not normally operated to open the door, the handle device 11 is operated to open the door in an emergency. Therefore, in this case, the biasing force of the second spring 25 that biases the handle 23 may be set equal to or greater than the biasing force of the first spring 24 so that the handle device 11, which is not normally used, is not inadvertently operated.

[0042] In this way, according to the door device 14 equipped with the handle device 11 of this embodiment, the engagement of the door D with the vehicle body by the latch of the door lock device 12 can be released by operating the handle 23 or cylinder lock 13 of the handle device 11.

[0043] As described above, with the handle device 11 according to this embodiment, the lever 22 connected to the latch of the door lock device 12 via the latch-side cable 15 can be rotated by operating the handle 23 or the cylinder lock 13 connected by the cylinder-side cable 16, thereby disengaging the door D from the vehicle body via the latch. In other words, the route of the wiring material that transmits the operating force of the handle 23 or the operating force of the cylinder lock 13 is reduced to one route, thereby simplifying the structure. This allows for good assembly ease while reducing costs and weight.

[0044] Furthermore, since the lever 22 and the handle 23 are supported on the base 21 so as to be rotatable about the same rotation axis 36, the number of parts can be reduced and the device can be made more compact.

[0045] Furthermore, the handle device 11 according to this embodiment uses a cable as a wiring material for transmitting the operating force. In other words, since the structure is such that the cable is routed inside the door D, there are fewer restrictions on wiring inside the door D compared to a structure using a rod.

[0046] It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present disclosure.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a handle device 11 that is provided on a door D of a vehicle and that releases engagement of a latch provided on a door lock mechanism 12 of the door D with a vehicle body includes: a base 21 attached to the door D; a lever 22 that is rotatably supported on the base 21; a first biasing portion (first spring 24) that biases the lever 22 in one rotation direction Ra; an interior handle (handle 23) that is rotatably supported on the base 21 about the same rotation axis 36 as the lever 22 and that, when rotated in the other rotation direction Rb, engages and rotates the lever 22 in the other rotation direction Rb; a second biasing portion (second spring 25) that biases the interior handle (handle 23) in the one rotation direction Ra; and a latch-side wiring member (latch-side cable 15) that is connected to the lever 22 and extends forward in the one rotation direction Ra to be connected to the latch. and a cylinder side wiring material (cylinder side cable 16) that is connected to the lever 22 and extends forward in the other rotation direction Rb to be connected to the cylinder lock 13, wherein the lever 22 has an arc-shaped elongated hole portion 56a centered on the rotation axis 36 at the connection point with the cylinder side wiring material (cylinder side cable 16), and the connection end (engagement portion 16a) of the cylinder side wiring material (cylinder side cable 16) is accommodated and held within the elongated hole portion 56a, and is engaged with the indoor handle (handle 23) so as to move within the elongated hole portion 56a when the lever 22 is rotated.

[0048] With this handle device, the lever connected to the latch of the door lock device via the latch-side wiring member can be rotated by operating the handle or the cylinder lock connected by the cylinder-side wiring member, thereby disengaging the door from the vehicle body via the latch. In other words, the wiring member transmitting the operating force of the handle or the cylinder lock is a single path, simplifying the structure. This reduces cost and weight while achieving good assembly ease. Furthermore, because the lever and handle are supported rotatably around the same rotation axis relative to the base, the number of parts can be reduced and the device can be made more compact.

[0049] The latch side wiring material (latch side cable 15) and the cylinder side wiring material (cylinder side cable 16) may be made of cables.

[0050] This handle device uses a cable as the wiring material for transmitting the operating force. In other words, since the cable is routed inside the door, there are fewer restrictions on wiring inside the door compared to structures that use a rod.

[0051] The door device includes the above-mentioned handle device (11), a cylinder lock (13) to which a cylinder side wiring material (cylinder side cable 16) is connected, and a door lock device (12) to which a latch side wiring material (latch side cable 15) is connected.

[0052] According to the door device having this configuration, the engagement of the door with the vehicle body by the latch of the door lock device can be released by operating the handle or cylinder lock of the handle device.

[0053] Although various embodiments have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

[0054] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2023-110880) filed on July 5, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0055] 11: Handle device 12: Door lock device 13: Cylinder lock 14: Door device 15: Latch side cable (latch side wiring material) 16: Cylinder side cable (cylinder side wiring material) 16a: Engagement portion (connecting end) 21: Base 22: Lever 23: Handle 24: First spring 25: Second spring 36: Rotation shaft 56a: Elongated hole portion Ra: Rotation direction in one direction Rb: Rotation direction in the other direction D: Door

Claims

1. A handle device provided on a vehicle door for releasing an engagement of a latch provided on a door lock mechanism of the door with a vehicle body, comprising: a base attached to the door; a lever rotatably supported on the base; a first biasing part biasing the lever in one rotation direction; an interior handle rotatably supported on the base about the same rotation axis as the lever, and engaging the lever and rotating it in the other rotation direction by being rotated in the other rotation direction; a second biasing part biasing the interior handle in the one rotation direction; a latch side wiring material connected to the lever, extending forward in the one rotation direction and connected to the latch; and a cylinder side wiring material connected to the lever, extending forward in the other rotation direction and connected to a cylinder lock, wherein the lever has an arc-shaped long hole portion centered on the rotation axis at a connection point with the cylinder side wiring material, A handle device, wherein a connecting end of the cylinder side wiring material is accommodated and held within the long hole portion, and is engaged with the indoor handle so as to be moved within the long hole portion when the lever is rotated.

2. The handle device according to claim 1, wherein the latch side wiring material and the cylinder side wiring material are made of cables.

3. A door device comprising: a handle device as claimed in claim 1 or 2; a cylinder lock to which the cylinder side arranging material is connected; and a door lock device to which the latch side arranging material is connected.

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