Patent ID: 6039366
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: E05B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
An automotive door handle assembly adapted to be mounted in an aperture defined in an outer skin of a motor vehicle door by a door flange having upper and lower edge portions and inner and outer faces, the handle assembly including:an escutcheon plate sized to fit in the door aperture and having a main body central bowl portion and a peripheral flange extending around the bowl portion and adapted to seat against the outer face of the door flange;a handle pivotally mounted on the escutcheon plate within the central bowl portion;a threaded fastener device secured to the central bowl portion of the escutcheon plate and extending rearwardly therefrom;a clip of U-configuration having a bight portion and upper and lower leg portions extending forwardly from opposite edges of the bight portion in outwardly splayed, outwardly diverging disposition relative to each other and having an aperture in the bight portion fitted over the threaded fastener device to position the clip rearwardly of the bowl portion of the escutcheon plate with the clip leg portions extending forwardly in embracing relation to the bowl portion of the escutcheon plate, the upper leg portion overlying an upper region of the bowl portion of the escutcheon plate and defining a forward clamping free edge flange for clamping engagement against the inner face of the upper edge portion of the door flange to clamp the door flange between the upper leg portion free edge flange and the peripheral flange of the escutcheon plate, the lower leg portion underlying a lower region of the bowl portion of the escutcheon plate and defining a forward clamping free edge flange for clamping engagement against the inner face of the lower edge portion of the door flange to clamp the door flange between the lower leg portion free edge flange and the escutcheon plate peripheral flange;the handle assembly further including a resilient cushion member fitted between the upper clip leg portion and an adjacent surface of the upper region of the bowl portion of the escutcheon plate; andthe handle assembly further including slide means positioned between the lower leg portion of the clip and an adjacent escutcheon plate surface to facilitate sliding movement of the clip lower leg portion on the adjacent escutcheon plate surface in response to tightening of the fastener device.