Abstract:
A handle assembly includes a pull handle that defines a pivot socket. A pivot bracket is rigidly mountable to a vehicle door outer panel and includes a pivot at least partially positioned within the pivot socket such that the pull handle is pivotable between a first position and a second position. The pivot is outside a vehicle door cavity, thereby eliminating the chassis preassembled inside the door cavity and eliminating gooseneck pivot attachments found in prior art pull-bar type handle assemblies.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     This invention relates to a pull-bar type outside vehicle door handle defining a pivot socket in the external portion of the handle.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Prior art vehicle door handles include pull-bar type handle assemblies that include a chassis preassembled inside a door cavity. The chassis adds weight to a vehicle and its preassembly inside the door cavity may be cumbersome and time consuming. The prior art also includes pull-bar type outside handle assemblies that do not include a chassis preassembled inside the door cavity. However, these prior art handle assemblies include a gooseneck hinge connecting the pull handle to a pivot inside the door cavity. The gooseneck hinge prevents the outside handle latch rod from being subassembled to the handle prior to attachment to the door, and may cause packaging, loading, and assembly complications with key cylinders.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     An outside handle assembly for a vehicle door is provided. The handle assembly includes a pull handle defining a pivot socket, and a pivot bracket rigidly mountable with respect to the door outer panel. A pivot portion of the pivot bracket is located within the pivot socket and thereby functions as a pivot about which the pull handle is pivotable between a first position and a second position.  
         [0004]     The door handle assembly improves upon the prior art by moving the pivot from inside the door cavity to outside the door cavity and inside the handle, thereby eliminating the chassis preassembled inside the door cavity and gooseneck hinges. The handle assembly eliminates structural deformation of the outer panel that may occur with gooseneck hinges and allows the latch rod to be subassembled to the handle assembly prior to installation in the door. The pivot bracket is designed to snap into and be retained inside the handle cavity during shipping.  
         [0005]     The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages, of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of a vehicle outside door handle assembly;  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of a pivot bracket of the handle assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a schematic partial cutaway top view of the handle assembly of  FIG. 1  mounted to a vehicle door outer panel in a closed position;  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a schematic partial cutaway bottom view of the handle assembly of  FIG. 3  in an open position;  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of the handle assembly mounted to a door outer panel; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is another schematic perspective view of the door handle assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an outside handle assembly  10  for a vehicle door includes a first member, or bezel  14 , and a pull handle  18 . The bezel  14  is rigidly mountable to a door outer panel (not shown) by driving a threaded fastener (not shown) into threaded hole  20 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that it may be preferable to employ more threaded holes if more than one threaded fastener is necessary to satisfactorily mount the bezel to an outer panel. The bezel  14  defines aperture  21  for retaining a key cylinder (not shown).  
         [0013]     The pull handle  18  is operatively connectable to a door latch (not shown) through a series of linkages and a rod to selectively disengage the latch from a striker, thereby enabling a door to open. A projection  22  on the pull handle  18  extends through an opening  24  in the bezel  14 . The projection  22  is characterized by a hook portion  28 . The hook portion  28  is in contact with a first arm  32  of a bell crank  36 . The bell crank  36  is pivotally mounted to the bezel  14  on a bracket  38  integrally formed in the bezel. A second arm  40  of the bell crank is engageable with a latch rod (not shown). The latch rod is operatively connected to the latch such that downward movement of the latch rod causes the latch to disengage the striker. When a user pulls on the pull handle  18 , the hook portion  28  exerts a force on the first arm  32  causing the bell crank  36  to pivot and exert a downward force on the latch rod via the second arm  40 . A coil spring  44  biases the bell crank such that the latch rod remains in a first position, in which the latch remains engaged, until sufficient force is applied to the pull handle  18  to overcome the force exerted by the spring  44 . A low-friction material  46  is employed on the projection  22  to facilitate relative movement between the projection  22  and the bezel  14 .  
         [0014]     The pull handle  18  defines a cavity  48  spaced a distance apart from the projection  22 . The cavity  48  includes a first chamber  52  and a second chamber  56 . The second chamber is sometimes referred to hereinafter as a “pivot socket.” 
         [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the handle assembly also includes a second member sometimes referred to hereinafter as a “pivot bracket”  60 . Pivot bracket  60  is rigidly mountable to a vehicle door outer panel by a threaded fastener (not shown) engaging threaded hole  64 . Pivot bracket  60  also includes a snap fit feature  68  for temporarily retaining pivot bracket  60  with respect to an outer panel while a threaded fastener is driven into threaded hole  64 . Pivot bracket  60  also includes a locator pin  72  for positively locating pivot bracket  60  during assembly to an outer panel. Pivot bracket  60  is slightly smaller in size than the cavity  48  in the pull handle  18  of  FIG. 1 , and is adapted to be installed therein. A pivot portion  76  of pivot bracket  60  is configured to function as a pivot inside the pivot socket  56 .  
         [0016]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , wherein like reference numbers refer to like components from  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the handle assembly  10  is operatively connected to a vehicle door outer panel  80 . The outer panel  80  includes an inner surface  84  that, in cooperation with an inner panel (not shown), partially defines a door cavity  88 . The outer panel is characterized by outer surface  92  which partially defines the exterior surface of a door. The outer panel  80  defines a concavity  93  open in the direction of the pull handle  18  to accommodate a user&#39;s fingers when grasping the pull handle. The bezel  14  is rigidly mounted to the outer panel  80  with a threaded fastener  94 . A portion of the bezel  14  is positioned outboard of the outer surface  92 , and a portion of the bezel  14  is positioned inside the door cavity  88 . More specifically, the bell crank  36 , the spring  44  and the bracket  38  on which they are supported extend into the door cavity through a hole (not shown) in the outer panel. Projection  22  extends from the pull handle  18  into the door cavity  88 .  
         [0017]     The pivot bracket  60  is also rigidly mounted to the outer panel  80  with a threaded fastener  94 . A portion of the snap fit feature  68  extends through an opening  96  in the outer panel  80  and into the door cavity  88  for retaining the pivot bracket while the threaded fastener  94  is driven from the door cavity into the threaded hole in the pivot bracket. The locator pin  72  extends through an aperture  97  in the outer panel  80  to locate and properly orient the pivot bracket  60 . The remainder of the pivot bracket  60  is positioned outside the door cavity outboard of the outer panel, and is nested within the pull handle cavity  48  so as to be concealed from view from the exterior of the vehicle door. A portion  95  of the pivot bracket  60  projects outwardly from the outer surface  92 , and is nested within the first chamber  52 . The pivot portion  76  is located within the pivot socket  56 .  
         [0018]     The handle assembly  10  is shown in a closed position. The spring  44  biases the pull handle  18  in the closed position via the bell crank  36  contacting the hook portion  28  of the projection  22 .  
         [0019]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , wherein like reference numbers refer to like components from  FIGS. 1-3 , the handle assembly  10  is shown in its open position. An outward force F exerted on the pull handle  18  is transmitted via the projection  22  and the hook portion  28  to the bell crank  36 . The force is sufficient to overcome the force exerted by the spring  44  and causes rotation of the bell crank  36 . The second arm  40  of the bell crank  36  is correspondingly moved which results in downward movement of the latch rod (not shown) to a second position and, correspondingly, the door latch disengaging the striker. During movement between the closed position and the open position, the pull handle  18  pivots about the pivot portion  76  of the pivot bracket  60 . The cavity  48  is located outward of the outer surface  92 , and therefore the pivot point is outside the door cavity  88 . The first chamber  52  is open in the direction of the outer panel  80  to provide clearance for relative movement between the portion  95  of the pivot bracket in the first chamber  52  and the pull handle  18 . The pivot socket  56  is closed in the direction of the outer panel  80  to provide a surface against which the pivot portion exerts a reaction force to retain the handle  18 , thus resulting in the pivoting motion of the pull handle  18 .  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , an alternative embodiment of the handle assembly  10 ′ is schematically depicted with the latch rod  102  operatively engaged with the second arm  40  of the bell crank  36 . The bezel of handle assembly  10 ′ includes two threaded holes  20 .  
         [0021]     The outside handle assemblies of  FIGS. 1-5  simplify the door handle fabrication process compared to the prior art, and eliminate the pivot pins found in the prior art. The handle assemblies of  FIGS. 1-5  enable the use of simplified injection molding tools for use in the fabrication of the handle assemblies.  
         [0022]     While the best modes for carrying out the 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 within the scope of the appended claims.