Integrated Door Handle Assembly Common Axis Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automobile door handle assemblies are complex and time-consuming to assemble due to the need for multiple components and skilled labor, particularly with the use of separate show-surface bezels and pin-based constructions.
Innovation Solution
A compact door handle assembly design that uses a common axis for the latch handle and lock knob, eliminating the need for a secondary base component and simplifying assembly by integrating the bezel with the show surface, and employing standard circular bosses for concentric mounting, allowing for cohesive rotation and press-fit insertion of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate show-surface bezel is used with an unseen base, then the assembly is highly functional, but the assembly process requires a relatively high level of skill and requires a fairly large number of components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the show-surface bezel and the base into a single integrated component. The bezel now includes an integrally-formed base portion that extends into the door panel, eliminating the need for a separate base component. This merging reduces the total number of parts while maintaining the functional separation between the visible show surface and the hidden mounting structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated bezel-base component serves multiple functions: it provides the visible aesthetic show surface, acts as the structural base for mounting, and includes cable access features. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate components while maintaining all necessary functions.
2Reliability
If pins with compression caps are used to secure the handle and knob, then the handle and knob are retained in position, but the assembly becomes complicated and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the compression cap from the pin assembly, retaining only the essential pin function. The pin is inserted through aligned apertures in the bezel and handle/knob, and is retained by the pin's own structural features and the tight fit of the apertures, eliminating the need for the additional compression cap component and simplifying the assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The pin is designed to be self-retaining through its structural features and the fit with the apertures, without requiring an additional retention mechanism. The assembly process becomes self-service as the components fit together inherently without needing extra fastening elements.
3Strength
If the base extends completely along the length of the bezel, then structural support is maximized, but the latch handle and lock knob cannot be mounted in coaxial relation
Solution Approach 1:
The base portion of the bezel is designed with varying extent of extension: it extends further in regions providing structural support while being more limited in regions where coaxial mounting is required. This localized variation in base extension allows both structural integrity and proper alignment of the handle and knob about a common axis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar bezel to a three-dimensional integrated structure where the base extends partially along the length. This dimensional change allows the base to provide structural support in certain areas while leaving other areas open for coaxial mounting of the handle and knob.
Data Source
AI summary
A door handle assembly. The assembly includes a bezel including a depressed base and an integral support bracket. A latch handle is operatively disposed within a first chamber at the bezel interior and a lock knob including a resiliently compressible body is disposed within a second chamber. The lock knob is supported between a pair of opposing bosses. The latch handle is supported between a boss and an opposing wall aperture. The supporting bosses and wall aperture are concentrically oriented with the latch handle and lock knob being supported in rotatable relation about a common axis.