Abstract:
A handle assembly for a vehicle door and a method of operating the handle assembly is disclosed. The door handle assembly may include a pivot bracket mounted in the vehicle door, a handle arm pivotally mounted to the pivot bracket, a handle alignable flush with a door handle cutout, and a motor assembly operatively engaging the handle arm to selectively cause pivoting of the handle arm relative to the pivot bracket. The door handle assembly may also include a handle depression limit switch, a handle flush button, or a handle extension limit switch in communication with a control module that controls the motor.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to door handles for automotive vehicles, and in particular to door handles that automatically extend out for use and retract flush to the vehicle when not in use. 
         [0002]    For some automotive vehicles, door handles needed for opening the vehicle doors sometimes detract from the overall aesthetic appearance of the vehicle. This is particularly true for door handles that extend outboard of the outer surface of the door. 
         [0003]    Some have attempted to overcome this by employing a door handle that is partially flush with the outboard surface of the door. That is, the top portion of the handle is actually flush with the outside surface of the door, while the outer door panel adjacent to the bottom portion is recessed inboard (or a handle bezel is recessed inboard) enough to allow ones fingers to slide up behind the door handle. So, in reality, these types of door handles are not really flush with the door all of the way around the periphery of the handle. Consequently, the aesthetic appeal achieved with a door handle that is truly flush all of the way around is not achieved. 
         [0004]    Thus a desire has arisen for a way to provide for a fully flush door handle on a vehicle, while still allowing one to use the handle to open the vehicle door. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0005]    An embodiment contemplates a door handle assembly for a vehicle door having an outer door panel with a door outboard surface and a door handle cutout. The door handle assembly may comprise a pivot bracket, mountable in the vehicle door, and having a pivot pin mounting flange; a handle arm pivotally mounted to the pivot bracket pivot pin mounting flange at a first location and having a handle support at a second location spaced from the first location; a handle, mounted on the handle support, and including a handle outboard surface with a periphery alignable with the door handle cutout; and a motor assembly, including a motor, mounted in fixed relation to the pivot bracket, and operatively engaging the handle arm to selectively cause pivoting of the handle arm relative to the pivot bracket. 
         [0006]    An embodiment contemplates a vehicle door comprising an outer door panel having an outboard surface and a door handle cutout, and a door handle assembly. The door handle assembly may include a handle arm mounted inside the vehicle door adjacent to the outer door panel and pivotable relative to the outer door panel, with the handle arm having a handle support; a handle, mounted on the handle support, and including a handle outboard surface with a periphery selectively extendable through the door handle cutout, with the handle outboard surface selectively alignable flush with the outboard surface of the outer door panel; a motor assembly, including a motor mounted in fixed relation relative to the outer door panel, and operatively engaging the handle arm to selectively cause pivoting of the handle arm relative to the outer door panel; and a control module operatively engaging the motor assembly to selectively rotate the motor in a first rotational direction and an opposite second rotational direction, whereby rotation of the motor in the first rotational direction results in the handle outboard surface extending outboard of the outboard surface of the outer door panel and rotation of the motor in the second rotational direction allows the handle outboard surface to be made flush with the outboard surface of the outer door panel. 
         [0007]    An embodiment contemplates a method of operating a door handle assembly mounted in a vehicle door having an outer door panel with a door outboard surface, the method comprising the steps of: detecting a handle extension request for a handle of the door handle assembly; actuating a motor assembly to pivot an outboard surface of the handle outboard of the door outboard surface if the handle extension request is detected; unlatching a door e-latch mounted on the vehicle door; detecting if the door e-latch becomes latched; and actuating the motor assembly to pivot the outboard surface of the handle to a position flush with the door outboard surface if the latching of the door e-latch is detected. 
         [0008]    An advantage of an embodiment is an improved aesthetic appearance for a door and door handle on a vehicle, while still enabling a fully functional vehicle door handle. 
         [0009]    An advantage of an embodiment is that the improved aesthetic appearance is achieved while avoiding clearance concerns between the door handle assembly and a movable window in the door. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side view looking inboard at a portion of a vehicle door. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle door, looking outboard and down. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a door handle in a flush position relative to an outboard surface of a vehicle door. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side view, looking forward, of a portion of a vehicle door, with a door handle in a flush position relative to an outboard surface of the vehicle door. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a door handle in a depressed position relative to an outboard surface of a vehicle door. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side view, looking forward, of a portion of a vehicle door, with a door handle in a depressed position relative to an outboard surface of the vehicle door. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle door, looking upward and forward, with a door handle in an extended position relative to an outboard surface of the vehicle door. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle door, looking inboard and forward. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a partially exploded view, looking outboard at a portion of a door handle assembly. 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view, looking outboard and down, of a portion of a door handle assembly. 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view, looking outboard and aft, of a portion of a door handle assembly. 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is another perspective view of a portion of a door handle assembly. 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is another perspective view of a portion of a door handle assembly. 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is another perspective view of a portion of a door handle assembly. 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a handle arm of a door handle assembly. 
           [0025]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of an eccentric motor pivot of a door handle assembly. 
           [0026]      FIG. 17  is a block diagram of door components in communication with an electronic control module. 
           [0027]      FIG. 18  is a flow chart illustrating the door handle process for opening and closing the door. 
           [0028]      FIG. 19  is a flow chart similar to  FIG. 17 , but illustrating a second embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-16 , different portions of a vehicle door, indicated generally at  20 , is shown. The door  20  includes an inner door panel  22  and an outer door panel  24 . Between the inner and outer panels  22 ,  24  a window regulator assembly  26 , a door handle assembly  28 , a door e-latch  30 , and a movable window  32  are mounted. The movable window  32  mounts to the window regulator assembly  26  and slides into and out of the door  20 . The door e-latch  30  is an electronically controlled latching assembly that engages and disengages a striker (not shown) to hold the door closed and release the door to allow it to be pulled open. 
         [0030]    The door handle assembly  28  mounts to an inboard surface  34  of the outer door panel  24  via a mounting plate  36 . The door handle assembly includes a pivot bracket  38  mounted to the mounting plate  36 . The pivot bracket  38  includes a motor mount flange  40 , a positive stop mounting flange  42 , and a pair of pivot pin mounting flanges  44 . 
         [0031]    A handle arm  46  pivotally mounts to the pivot pin mounting flanges  44  via a pivot pin  48 . A torsion spring  50  (only shown in  FIG. 10 ) mounts on the pivot pin  48  and engages the handle arm  46  and pivot bracket  38  such that the upper portion of the handle arm  46  is biased outboard. The handle arm  46  has a cross member  51 , which includes a positive stop hole  52  adjacent to an extension limit switch pin  53 . The handle arm also includes a limit switch pin support  54  adjacent to the positive stop hole  52 , a cam surface  55  adjacent to the extension limit switch pin  53 , and a handle support  56  on an upper end opposite to the pivot pin  48 . 
         [0032]    A door handle  58  mounts on the handle support  56 . The door handle  58  extends into a door handle cutout  60  in the outer door panel  24  and includes an outboard surface  62  having a periphery  64 . The shape of the periphery  64  preferably matches the shape of the door handle cutout  60 , with a small gap  66  of, for example, two millimeters between the two. The outboard surface  62 , when in a door handle flush position (see  FIG. 3 ), is flush with the adjacent outboard surface  68  of the outer door panel  24 . The door handle  58  also includes a handle finger recess  70  accessible from the underside of the handle  58  when the door handle  58  is in a handle extended position (see  FIG. 7 ). Within the finger recess  70  is mounted a door latch release switch  72  that is accessible by sliding ones fingers into the finger recess  70 . 
         [0033]    One will note that the handle arm  46  can be relatively long, allowing for significant distance between the pivot pin  48  and the handle support  56 . By allowing the pivot pin  48 , and hence the handle pivot axis, to be much lower in the door than the handle support  56 , the door handle  58  can appear to pop straight out of the outer door panel  24  even though it is actually pivoting about the lower pivot location. Moreover, the low pivot location, being significantly lower in the door  20  than the handle  58  generally allows more room for packaging many of the components of the door handle assembly  28  without interfering with the movable window. An acceptable gap  74  between the handle  58  and handle arm  46  is maintained when the handle  58  is pushed to its door handle depressed position (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). The gap  741  then, is even larger when the door handle  58  is in its handle flush position (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). 
         [0034]    The door handle assembly  28  includes a motor assembly  75 . A motor bracket  76  mounts to the motor mount flange  40  of the pivot bracket  38 . A reversible motor  78  is mounted to the motor bracket  76 , with motor mounting bolts  80 , and has a motor shaft  82  extending through the motor bracket  76 . An eccentric motor pivot  84  mounts on the motor shaft  82 . The eccentric motor pivot  84  includes a motor shaft bore  86 , within which the motor shaft  82  is secured, and a parallel but axially spaced roller bore  88 . A roller  90  mounts in the roller bore  88  and has a cylindrical portion  92  that engages the cam surface  55  of the handle arm  46 . The surface contact of the roller  90  against the handle arm  46  maintains the position of the handle arm  46  against the bias of the torsion spring  50 . The eccentric motor pivot  84  also includes a threaded hole  94  within which a stop adjustment bolt  96  is mounted. The stop adjustment bolt  96  is axially adjustable in the hole  94  and is oriented to align with a handle flush button  100 , which is mounted on a flange  98  extending from the motor bracket  76 . 
         [0035]    A limit switch bracket  102  mounts to the pivot bracket  38  and supports a handle depression limit switch  104  adjacent to the switch pin support  54  on the handle arm  46 . A pin  106  extends from the switch pin support  54  in contact with a lever arm  108  extending from the handle depression limit switch  104 . A handle extension limit switch  110  mounts to the positive stop mounting flange  42  of the pivot bracket  38  and includes a lever arm  1   12  extending therefrom engaging the extension limit switch pin  53 . 
         [0036]    A positive stop pin  114  is threaded into a hole  116  in the positive stop mounting flange  42  of the pivot bracket  38  and extends through the positive stop hole  52  in the handle arm  46 . A head  118  on the positive stop pin  114  has a diameter that is larger than the positive stop hole  52 . The positive stop pin  114  is threaded into the hole  116  a sufficient distance so that the head  118  will contact the cross member  51  (preventing any more inboard pivoting of the handle arm  46  and door handle  58 ) before the handle arm  46  or door handle  58  can contact the movable window  32 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 17  is a block diagram of some of the door components that are in communication with an electronic control module  120 . The motor  78  is controlled and can be driven in either direction by the control module  120 . The handle flush button  100 , handle depression limit switch  104 , handle extension limit switch  110 , and door latch release switch  72  each communicate with the control module  120  when actuated. Also, the control module  120  controls the opening and closing of the door latch on the door e-latch  30 . 
         [0038]    An optional key fob portion of the system is also shown in  FIG. 17 . A key fob receiver  122  is in communication with the control module  120  and receives wireless signals from a key fob  124 . It is configured so that a push of a certain button  126  (for example a door unlock button) on the key fob  124  will transmit a signal to the key fob receiver  122  that requests a door handle extension. This configuration, then, provides an additional way to request a handle extension (other than pushing on the door handle until the handle depression limit switch is actuated). 
         [0039]    The operation of the vehicle door  20 , with reference to  FIG. 18  in view of  FIGS. 1-17 ), will now be described. Initially, the outboard surface  62  of the door handle  58 , around its entire periphery  64 , is flush with the outboard surface  62  of the outer door panel  24 , and the door  20  is closed. The control module  120  monitors the handle depression limit switch  104  and key fob receiver  122  (if the particular vehicle is so equipped) to determine it a handle extension is requested, block  200 . If not, then monitoring continues, but if it is requested (as indicated by the handle depression limit switch  104  or key fob button  126  being actuated), the door handle  58  is deployed, preferably after a short delay, block  202 . 
         [0040]    The handle  58  is deployed by the controller  120  actuating the motor  78 , which pivots the eccentric motor pivot  84 . The pivoting of the eccentric motor pivot  84  causes the roller  90 , which is offset from the axis of rotation of the motor shaft  82 , to run along the cam surface  55 . This allows the torsion spring  50  to pivot the handle arm  46 , and hence move the door handle  58  outboard. As the door handle  58  approaches its handle extended position, the extension limit switch pin  53  moves outboard with the pivoting handle arm  46  and actuates the handle extension limit switch  110 , at which point the controller  120  stops the motor  78 . The door handle  58  is now fully deployed. 
         [0041]    The controller  120  now determines if the door latch release switch  72  is actuated, block  204 . This switch  72  can be actuated by one sliding fingers into the handle finger recess  70  and engaging the switch  72 . If not actuated, then monitoring of the switch  72  continues, but if it is actuated, then the controller  120  causes the door e-latch  30  to unlatch, block  206 . The specifics of how the door e-latch  30  unlatches the door will not be discussed in detail herein since electronic door latching and unlatching assemblies for use with automotive vehicles are known to those skilled in the art. With the door  20  unlatched, a user can now open the door  20 . 
         [0042]    Upon a user closing the vehicle door  20 , the door e-latch  30  closes. If the e-latch  30  is in a closed position, block  208 , then handle retraction is initiated, block  210 . Handle retraction is accomplished by the controller  120  rotating the motor  78  in the opposite direction, causing the eccentric motor pivot  84  to push the roller  90  along the cam surface  55 . This causes the roller  90  to pivot the handle arm  46 , and hence the door handle  58 , inboard against the bias of the torsion spring  50 . If the release switch  72  is actuated while the door handle  58  is retracting, then the control module  120  will reverse the motor  78  to redeploy to the handle extended position, block  212 . If not, then the handle  58  will continue retracting until it is in the handle flush position. The handle flush position is detected when the stop adjustment bolt  96  contacts the handle flush button  100 , at which point the controller  120  stops the motor  78 . The outboard surface  62  of the door handle  58  is now again flush with the outboard surface  68  of the outer door panel  24  around its entire periphery  64 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 19  illustrates a method according to a second embodiment, which is applicable to the assemblies illustrated in  FIGS. 1-17 . Initially, the outboard surface  62  of the door handle  58 , around its entire periphery  64 , is flush with the outboard surface  62  of the outer door panel  24 , and the door  20  is closed. The control module  120  monitors the handle depression limit switch  104  (and key fob receiver  122 , if so equipped) to determine if a handle extension is requested, block  300 . If not, then monitoring continues, if it is requested, the door handle  58  is deployed, preferably after a short delay, block  302 . The controller  120  automatically causes the door e-latch  30  to unlatch, block  306 . With the door  20  unlatched, a user can now open the door  20 . 
         [0044]    Upon a user closing the vehicle door  20 , the door e-latch  30  closes. If the e-latch  30  is in a closed position, block  308 , then handle retraction is initiated, block  310 . If the release switch  72  is actuated while the door handle  58  is retracting, then the control module  120  will reverse the motor  78  to redeploy to the handle extended position, block  312 . If not, then the handle  58  will continue retracting until it is in the handle flush position. 
         [0045]    As an alternative for the embodiment of  FIG. 19 , the door latch release switch  72  may be eliminated. In this case, step  312  accomplishes object detection by monitoring the time taken for handle retraction to the handle flush position. If the time the handle  58  is traveling inboard exceeds a predetermined amount of time and the handle  58  still has not reached the handle flush position, an obstruction is assumed and the controller  120  will automatically re-deploy the handle  58 . 
         [0046]    While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims.