Abstract:
A push switch of an outside handle of a door comprises a button installed inside a grip cover, wherein the button is attached to the inner surface of the grip cover through a support extending from a side of the button, and a tact switch pressed when the button is pushed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims under 35 U. S. C. §119(a) the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0140467 filed on Oct. 17, 2014, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a push switch of an outside handle of a door. More particularly, it relates to a push switch of an outside handle of a door in which inclination, sloping, jamming, leaning, and other disadvantages of a button may be reduced. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    There are several vehicle-door-related devices both inside and outside a vehicle, including a lock, a door latch for opening the door, inside and outside handles, a door lock mechanism enabling the door to be locked and unlocked using a key, and a safety knob that maintains the door lock state. 
         [0004]    In general, a driver inserts a key into the door lock&#39;s key cylinder and turns the key. The rotating force thereof is transmitted to the door latch via a mechanical linkage so that the door can be locked or unlocked. 
         [0005]    Alternatively, the door may be locked or unlocked by manipulating buttons of a remote controller (a fob key), or with a smart key. When a smart-key system is applied, a driver presses a button of a push switch in the outside handle to release the door lock and pulls the outside handle to open the door. 
         [0006]    In a vehicle with a smart-key system and a button-starting system installed, a driver with the smart key may start the vehicle without inserting and rotating the key. After the driver enters the vehicle, the driver pushes only a starter button of the button starting system, increasing driver convenience. 
         [0007]      FIGS. 1 to 3  show a push switch provided in an outside handle of a vehicle in which a smart key system is mounted to lock and unlock a door of the vehicle.  FIG. 1  illustrates a handle grip  10 , a grip cover  20 , and a button  31  of a push switch  30  installed to the grip cover  20  side of an outside handle  1 . 
         [0008]    When the button  31  of the push switch  30  installed inside the grip cover  20  is pushed, the door can be locked or unlocked. When the door is unlocked, the handle grip  10  of the outside handle is pulled to open the door. 
         [0009]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the grip cover  20  is installed with the plastic button  31  exposed to the outside via a hole  21  and a tact switch is positioned inside the grip cover  20  to be pressed by a pressing protrusion  32  of the button  31  when the button  31  is pressed. 
         [0010]    When the button  31  is pushed, the pressing protrusion  32  pushes the tact switch  36  such that the  36  outputs an electric signal to lock or unlock the door. 
         [0011]    The tact switch  36  is covered at the outer side with a rubber seal such that the button  31  may be operated and returned to the original position by the rubber seal of the tact switch  36 . 
         [0012]    In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , an edge of the button  31  has a stepped shape such that the stepped edge of the button is in contact with a rim of the hole  21  of the cover  20  when the button  31  is inserted into the hole  21  of the cover  20 . 
         [0013]    A guide rib  22  protrudes on the inner surface of the grip cover  20  along the rim of the hole  21  to guide the movement of the button when the button  31  is pushed. A raised portion  37  of the upper surface of the tact switch  36  is inserted into the button  31  when the pressing protrusion  32  is inserted into the tact switch  36 . 
         [0014]    In this configuration, the movement and the position of the button  31  are controlled by the guide rib  22  of the grip cover  20 . 
         [0015]    In existing push switches, the shape of the guide rib  22  may not be sufficiently long in the operating direction due to the size limit of the handle, and sloping may occur, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , as the button  31  is inclined and the inclination may cause jamming. 
         [0016]    For instance, the button  31  may be pushed against the guide rib  22  of the grip cover  20  by the reaction force of the rubber material of the tact switch  36 . When this occurs, the button may become inclined because the pressing protrusion  32  may rotate about the pressing protrusion  32 . 
         [0017]    Moreover, when the gap between the button and the rim of the hole (the guide of the grip cover  20  including the guide rib  22 ) is reduced, to prevent the button  31  from moving, the contact area between the button  31  and the rim of the hole increases. In these conditions, it may be difficult to operate the button when moisture enters and becomes frozen. 
         [0018]    In addition, over-distribution of the rubber material in the tact switch  36  makes managing the operating force difficult. 
         [0019]    In other words, the operating force of the button is determined according to the overlap between the pressing protrusion  32  of the button  31  and the rubber seal of the tact switch  36  (See  FIG. 3 ). Increasing the amount of this overlap enhances the sensitivity of the button but exceeding the optimal amount of this overlap may cause the rubber seal of the tact switch to tear. 
         [0020]    Also, because of the gap between the button and the rim of the hole (the guide of the grip cover  20  including the guide rib  22 ), the button may become misaligned. Mismatching of the hole of the grip cover  21  and the button  31  detracts from the appearance of the door handle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0021]    The present disclosure is made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an aspect of the present inventive concept to provide a push switch of an outside handle of a door which reduces inclination, sloping, jamming, leaning, and other problems associated with a button of a push switch. The present disclosure also reduces the difficulty in operating a button under conditions caused by frozen moisture. 
         [0022]    The present disclosure provides a push switch of an outside handle of a door that reduces the difficulty in managing the necessary operating force and decreases the probability of button leaning, and as such reduces the potential for a deteriorated appearance caused by the mismatching of the grip cover hole and the button. 
         [0023]    The present disclosure also provides a push switch of an outside handle of a door, including: a button installed inside a grip cover exposed to the outside through a hole of the grip cover and hinged and supported to the inner surface of the grip cover through supports extending from both sides thereof; and a tact switch pressed and operated when the button is pushed. 
         [0024]    The push switch may further include: a hinge formed at an end of the support; and a coupling unit, formed on the inner surface of the grip cover and into which the hinge is coupled, to guide the hinge toward the central portion of the button when the button is pushed. 
         [0025]    The push switch may further include a bending concave portion formed on the support of the button and bent when the button is pushed. 
         [0026]    The hinge may extend perpendicularly from the ends of the supports and be inserted into the coupling unit. 
         [0027]    The hinge that is inserted into the coupling unit may have a circular cross-section. 
         [0028]    The coupling unit that protrudes from the inner surface of the grip cover may have an ‘L’-shape to limit the motion of the hinge coupled into the coupling unit in the upward and downward directions as the operating direction of the button. 
         [0029]    The push switch of an outside handle of a door according to the present disclosure has the following effects. 
         [0030]    Both sides of the button may be supported on an inner surface of the grip cover by the hinge-coupling structure so that leaning, sloping, jamming, and leaning of the button during operation may be reduced. The present disclosure also reduces the difficulty in operating a button under conditions caused by frozen moisture. 
         [0031]    Moreover, the present disclosure prevents the deteriorated appearance caused by mismatching between the hole of the grip cover and the button. In addition, tuning and managing the operating force may be easier because the operating force is applied by the elastic deformation of a support in the plastic button. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0032]    The above and other features of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings which are given hereinbelow by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present inventive concept, and wherein: 
           [0033]      FIGS. 1 to 3  are views showing an existing push switch; 
           [0034]      FIG. 4  is a view illustrating problems of the existing push switch; 
           [0035]      FIG. 5  is a view showing a push switch according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept; 
           [0036]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a button of the push switch according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept; 
           [0037]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view showing an assembly of the button and a tact switch of the push switch according to the embodiment of the present inventive concept; 
           [0038]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  are perspective views showing the button coupled through a hinge to a coupling unit in the push switch according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept; and 
           [0039]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  are cross-section views showing states before and after the button is operated in the push switch according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept. 
       
    
    
       [0040]    It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the present disclosure. The specific design features of the present inventive concept as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. 
         [0041]    In the figures, the same reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present disclosure throughout the several figures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0042]    Hereinafter, the present inventive concept will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can easily carry out the present inventive concept. 
         [0043]      FIG. 5  is a view showing a push switch  30  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in which a grip cover  20 , a button  31 , and a tact switch  36  are separated. 
         [0044]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a button  31  of the push switch  30  according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept.  FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view showing an assembly of the button  31  and the tact switch  36 . 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the push switch  30  according to the present disclosure includes the button  31  installed inside the grip cover  20 . The button  31  is exposed to the outside through a hole  21  of the grip cover  20  and the tact switch  36  is pressed and operated by a push protrusion  32  of the button  31  when the button  31  is pushed. 
         [0046]    The push switch  30  of the present disclosure is configured such that the upper side of the button is exposed through a hole  21  of the grip cover  20  and the tact switch  36  is positioned below the button  31  in the grip cover  20 . 
         [0047]    The tact switch  36  and the push protrusion  32  of the button  31  are not different from those of existing push switches and their descriptions will be omitted. 
         [0048]    The push switch  30  according to the present disclosure is configured such that the button  31  is coupled to an inner surface of the grip cover  20  by a hinge-coupling structure  23 . Both sides of the button  31  of the grip cover  20  are supported by the hinge-coupling structure  23  to prevent the button  31  from being inclined or rotating, so that sloping and jamming are generally avoided. 
         [0049]    With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , supports  33  extend from both sides of the button  31  and connect to hinges  34 , which may have circular cross-sections. The hinges  34  are integrally formed and extend perpendicularly from the ends of the supports  33 . 
         [0050]    The supports  33  may also include concave bending portions  35  that bend when the button  31  is pushed. 
         [0051]    On the inner surface of the grip cover  20 , coupling units  23  may be formed such that the both ends of the hinges  34  may be inserted thereinto to limit the movement of the hinges  34  when the button  31  is operated. 
         [0052]    The hinges  34  extend from the ends of the supports  33  and are inserted into the coupling units  23  to support and secure the button  31 . 
         [0053]    In the above configuration, the hinges  34  are to hinge the button  31  to the grip cover  20 . The bending portions  35  of the plastic button  31  are elastically deformed when the button  31  is pushed and operated such that the bending portions  35  are bent when the button  31  is pushed and the bent shape of the bending portions  35  provides a resilient force for returning the button  31  to its original state when the push is released. 
         [0054]      FIG. 6  shows an example of the button  31  according to the present disclosure. The size and position of the bending portions  35  may be modified to control the operating force as necessary. 
         [0055]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the coupling units  23  guide the hinges  34  to move toward the central portion of the button  31  when the button  31  is pushed and the bending portions  35  are elastically deformed.  FIGS. 8A and 8B  are perspective views showing the support  33  of button  31  attached to the hinge  34  coupled to the coupling unit  23  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0056]    As shown, the coupling units  23  protrude from the inner surface of the grip cover  20  in a bent or ‘L’-shape to restrict the position of the hinges  34  with respect to the operating direction of the button  31 . In this way, the coupling units prevent the button  31  from rotating. 
         [0057]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  are cross-section perspective views showing an embodiment of the present disclosure before and after operation of the button  31 . The position of the button  31  is limited by the hinge-fixing structure supporting the button  31  in the grip cover  20  and the operating force of the button  31  is limited by the resilient force of the supports  33 , more specifically the resilient force at the bending portions  35  provided on the supports  33 . 
         [0058]    In more detail, when the button  31  is pushed in the state as shown in  FIG. 9A , the bending portions  35  are bent and elastically deformed, as shown in  FIG. 9B , and simultaneously the push protrusion  32  operates the tact switch  36 . At this time, since the hinges  34  are guided within the coupling units  23 , neither rotation nor jamming of the button  31  occurs. 
         [0059]    Since the button  31  is supported at both sides by the hinge-coupling structure  23 , the button  31  is neither inclined nor rotated during the operation so that sloping and jamming are diminished. 
         [0060]    When the button  31  is released from the pushed state as shown in  FIG. 9B , the bent bending portions  35  are restored and the button  31  returns to the state as shown in  FIG. 9A  due to the resilient force of the bending portions  35 . 
         [0061]    The operating force is realized not by the widely distributed rubber (of the rubber seal of the tact switch) but rather by the plastic (of the supports of the button) in the push switch according to the present disclosure. It is therefore advantageous to tune and manage this operating force. Using the hinge-coupling structure, the positional distribution of this force is easily managed. 
         [0062]    Moreover, as the contact portion between the button and the grip cover is significantly reduced relative to a conventional push switch having guide ribs in contact with the button, problems associated with frozen conditions are reduced. 
         [0063]    The present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof. However, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.