Patent ID: 7751664
Filing Date: 2010-07-06
Classification: B60Q,E05B,G02B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A door handle apparatus for opening and closing a vehicle door, the door handle apparatus comprising: an informing portion for visually informing a state of the vehicle door, including a locking/unlocking state of the vehicle door, to a user by using a decorative light; an operation detecting portion for optically detecting an active-direct operation to the door handle apparatus by the user on the basis of changes in an detection light; and an optical waveguide for transmitting the decorative light and the detection light, which are inputted from a first end portion of the optical waveguide, to a second end portion of the optical waveguide, the optical waveguide functioning as the informing portion by leaking the decorative light on a transmission path so as to be outwardly emitted and as the operation detecting portion by outputting the detection light from the second end portion of the optical waveguide; wherein the optical waveguide is formed so as to be elastically deformable in response to an external force applied thereto and so that at least a portion of the optical waveguide is provided at a surface of a handle main body of the door handle apparatus for the vehicle, the informing portion is configured by the optical waveguide provided at a first surface of the handle main body, and wherein the operation detecting portion is configured so as to include an operation inputting portion, which is configured by the optical waveguide whose cross-sectional area changes in response to the active-direct operation by the user, and an optical sensor portion for receiving the detection light, which is outputted from the second end portion of the optical waveguide.