Patent ID: 6464270
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: E05B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
On a motor vehicle door having a lock including a fork bolt retained in a latched position securing the door in a closed position and a release lever pivotable on a housing of the lock to a position releasing the fork bolt from its latched position,an exterior handle assembly comprising: an escutcheon supported on an outer panel of the door, a handle including a hand grip and a pair of vertical arms, a support means operable to support each of the pair of vertical arms on the escutcheon for outward pivotal movement about a horizontal first axis from a retracted position of the manual grip to an extended position of the manual grip, a multiplier lever supported on the escutcheon for pivotal movement about a second axis parallel to and separated from the first axis in response to pivotal movement of the handle from the retracted position of the manual grip to the extended position of the manual grip, the multiplier lever being linked to the release lever of the lock and pivoting the release lever to the position thereof releasing the fork bolt from its latched position when the handle attains the extended position of the hand grip and the separation between the first and second axes amplifying the angle of pivotal movement of the multiplier lever relative to the angle of pivotal movement of the handle thereby to minimize the angular interval between the retracted and extended positions of the hand grip, a restraint means operable to prevent the multiplier lever from pivoting toward the position thereof corresponding to release of the fork bolt from its latched position independently of the handle, and a blocking lever supported on the escutcheon for pivotal movement from an inactive position remote from the multiplier lever to an active position obstructing pivotal movement of the multiplier lever in a position of the multiplier lever short of the position thereof corresponding to release the fork bolt from its latched position, the blocking lever having less inertia than the handle and pivoting in response to a side impact on the door to its active position ahead of the multiplier lever thereby to immobilize the handle short of the position thereof corresponding to release the fork bolt from its latched position.