Motor Vehicle Handle Assembly Pre-Extension Lever Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle handle arrangements face challenges in overcoming blockages or resistance during the extension process, particularly in winter conditions due to insufficient force from small-sized drive elements, which prevents the handle from being extended even when needed.
Innovation Solution
The handle arrangement decouples the drive element from the main deployment lever during the pre-release path and uses a pre-release lever to exert a greater force on the handle before the extension process, ensuring the handle is moved partially to release any blockages, such as ice, without requiring additional drive elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a small motor is used as the drive element to reduce cost, then the device complexity and cost are reduced, but the force available to overcome blockages during handle extension is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is moved partially along the extension path before the main extension force is applied. This preliminary movement breaks the blockage (e.g., ice formation) that prevents full extension, allowing the subsequently applied main extension force to successfully complete the extension process.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension process is divided into two distinct phases: a pre-extension phase where the handle is moved partially to overcome blockages, and a main extension phase where the handle is fully extended. This segmentation allows different force levels to be applied at different stages of the extension process.
2Reliability
If the handle is moved partially before full extension to release blockages, then the reliability of handle extension is improved, but additional energy input would be required for resetting the mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism automatically resets itself through the inherent mechanical design. When the handle is retracted, the drive element naturally returns to its initial position where it is decoupled from the main extension lever, preparing for the next extension cycle without requiring additional energy input or active control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows the handle to be successfully extended by applying a sufficient pre-release force, overcoming initial resistance and ensuring smooth operation even in adverse conditions without additional energy input for resetting.
Implementation Method 1
the pre-extension lever is rotatably mounted on the carrier housing and that the handle is designed to push towards the extension position during the drive movement of the drive element along the pre-extension path
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 6~8
Figure 9~11
AI summary
The invention relates to a handle assembly (3) for a motor vehicle (2), having a support housing (8), a grip (4) which is mounted on the support housing (8) and is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a drive element (6) which is movable along a main extension path (25), and a main extension lever (16) which is designed to be movement-coupled to the drive element (6) and to push the grip (4) into the extended position during a drive movement of the drive element (6) along the main extension path (25). During operation, the drive element (6) can execute a drive movement which is divided into the main extension path (25) and a pre-extension path (26) before the main extension path (25), wherein the drive element (6), during its drive movement along the pre-extension path (26), is movement-decoupled from the main extension lever (16), and wherein a pre-extension lever (17) is mounted rotatably on the support housing (8) and is designed to push the grip (4) towards the extended position during the drive movement of the drive element (6) along the pre-extension path (26).