Patent ID: 11897320
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  E | IPC B  E

Claim 2:
3. A method of securing a rigid door handle to a vehicle door, the vehicle door having window glass and a beltline at a bottom edge of the window glass, the method comprising:
providing a door structure having an internal door structure and an outer panel secured to the internal door structure, the outer panel having a lower edge extending along a lower edge of the vehicle door structure and an upper edge extending along the window glass, the door structure further including an elongated horizontal belt reinforcement structure extending along the upper edge of the outer panel;
providing a rigid handle structure having an elongated rigid base and an elongated rigid outer grip portion having a forward end, the rigid handle structure including a transverse structure that extends between the forward end of the outer grip portion and the elongated rigid base and rigidly interconnects the outer grip portion to the elongated rigid base, wherein the transverse structure is transverse to the elongated rigid outer grip portion and the elongated rigid base, the elongated rigid outer grip portion including a central portion extending rearwardly from the forward end to a rearward end, wherein the rearward end is spaced apart from the elongated rigid base to form a gap therebetween, and wherein at least a portion of the elongated rigid base extends rearwardly from the transverse structure;
rigidly fixing the elongated rigid base of the rigid handle structure to the horizontal belt reinforcement structure whereby the elongated rigid base and the elongated rigid outer grip portion cannot move relative to the door structure;
utilizing a first connector to connect the elongated rigid base of the rigid handle to the belt reinforcement adjacent the transverse structure;
wherein the vehicle door includes a rearwardly-facing upright shut face panel on a rear edge of the vehicle door; and including:
utilizing a second connector to connect the elongated rigid base of the rigid handle structure to the shut-face panel whereby at least a portion of the second connector contacts the shut-face panel.