Exterior door handle arrangement for motor vehicle door of a motor vehicle

An exterior door handle arrangement for a motor vehicle door of a motor vehicle includes a door handle a bearing bracket, and a hinge assembly having a pivot pin and a guide groove receiving the pivot pin for the pivotable connection of the door handle to the bearing bracket, wherein for pivoting the door handle from a resting position into a swivel-out position the pivot pin located in the guide groove forms a pivot axis of the door handle. The contour surfaces of the pivot pin and the guide groove which are in operative connection and which determine the pivot movement of the door handle are designed with a fit, such that the door handle has in the swivel-out position a clearance fit which transitions via a transitional fit into a positive fit when a pivoting movement into to a resting position is made.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2013/003073, filed Oct. 12, 2013, which designated the United States and has been published as International Publication No. WO 2014/056624 and which claims the priority of German Patent Application, Serial No. 10 2012 020 265.2, filed Oct. 12, 2012, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an exterior door handle arrangement for a vehicle door of a vehicle.

Such exterior door handle arrangement is disclosed, for example. in EP 0 646 688 A1 and includes a door handle, a bearing bracket and a hinge assembly having a pivot pin and a guide groove receiving this pivot pin for pivotally connecting the door handle with the bearing bracket. In this conventional door handle arrangement, the cylindrical pivot pin may be disposed at a bearing portion of the bearing bracket, so that an end-side of the bearing fork of the door handle surrounds the pivot pin which forms an axis of rotation for the door handle. In another embodiment, the cylindrical pivot pin is secured to an end-side bearing arm of the door handle and is inserted and held in a guide groove arranged on an end side of the bearing bracket, thus allowing pivoting movement of the door handle about the pivot pin which forms a rotation axis. In addition to this hinge assembly, which supports the door handle in the direction of travel of the vehicle, the door handle is connected with a drawbar at another support location opposite the direction of travel of the vehicle.

With such an exterior door handle arrangement, the hinge assembly arranged in the direction of travel of the vehicle must guide and stabilize the door handle, wherein the independent return of the door handle from the swivel-out position into the resting position must not be blocked by friction forces in the hinge assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an exterior door handle arrangement of the aforementioned type that holds the door handle in the resting position without play and without impeding the return due to frictional forces. Furthermore, this exterior door handle arrangement should be easy to implement, especially without resulting in a complex assembly.

This object is solved by an exterior door handle arrangement.

Such an exterior door handle arrangement for a vehicle door of a vehicle, which includes a door handle, a bearing bracket and a hinge assembly having a pivot pin and a guide groove receiving this pivot pin for pivotally connecting the door handle with the bearing bracket, wherein the pivot pin forms a pivot axis of the door handle for pivoting the door handle from a resting position into a swivel-out position in the guide groove, is characterized according to the invention is that the contour surfaces of the pivot pin and the guide groove which are operatively connected and define the pivot movement of the door handle are formed with a fit, in such a way that a clearance fit exists in the swivel-out position of the door handle, which transitions via a transitional fit into an interference fit during a pivoting movement into the resting position.

This provides a simple, in particular cost-effective solution, namely by forming the hinge assembly with an asymmetrical support, so that during the pivoting movement from the extended position of the door handle, i.e. the swivel-out position, into the resting position of the door handle, the contour surfaces that determine the support and the pivotal movement produce a clearance fit that transitions during the pivotal movement into the resting position first into a transitional fit and thereafter into an interference fit.

The interference fit in the resting position of the door handle ensures support without play. In addition, buzzing sounds when closing the car door are eliminated.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pivot pin is formed with an elliptical cross-section, wherein its outer surface forms a contour surface that is operatively connected with parallel surfaces forming contour surfaces of the guide groove. This continuously changes the profile of the fit during the pivotal movement of the vehicle door, which results in improved vibration damping when closing the vehicle door.

According to a further development, the pivot pin is arranged for forming the clearance fit, the transitional fit, and the interference fit so that upon pivoting of the door handle from the swivel-out position into its resting position the length of the chord of the elliptical cross-sectional shape of the pivot pin increases between the contact regions of the contour surfaces. By forming the pivot pin as an elliptical cylinder, the fits can be adapted to the respective requirements, because the range of values for the chord can be set between the small value of the minor axis and large value of the major axis of the shape of the ellipse.

In another embodiment of the invention, the flat contour surfaces of the guide groove extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (x-direction of the vehicle) when the door handle is in its resting position. In this case, the pivot is to be arranged so as to produce a chord length, which in conjunction with the contour surfaces of the guide groove results in an interference fit. This means that the pivot pin becomes twisted between the two contour surfaces of the guide groove by the relative rotation of the pivot pin and the guide groove.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the pivot may be connected to the door handle whereby the door handle can be produced in a simple and cost-effective manner.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the pivot pin is connected to the bearing bracket, wherein the door handle has at one end a bearing fork for forming the guide groove with flat contour surfaces.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the pivot pin is formed with a polygonal cross-section, wherein its outer surface forms a contour surface that is operatively connected to parallel faces forming contour surfaces of the guide groove.

In such embodiment, the pivot is arranged so that, when the door handle is pivoted from the swivel-out position to the resting position, the length of the chord of the polygonal cross-sectional shape of the pivot pin increases between the contact regions of the contour surfaces from a chord having the length for a clearance fit to a chord generating an interference press fit.

According to a further development with such a pivot pin, the pivot pin is connected to the bearing bracket and the door handle has on one end a bearing fork for forming the guide groove with the flat contour surfaces, wherein the bearing fork and the pivot pin are aligned relative to each other that the chord generating the interference fit between the contact regions of the contour surfaces is formed in the resting position, of the door handle.

Preferably, the pivot pin and the contour surfaces of the guide groove are aligned relative to each other such that in the swivel-out position of the door handle, the contour surfaces of the bearing fork extend essentially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, while forming the chord between the contact regions of the contour surfaces that generates the clearance fit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The exterior door handle arrangement1shown inFIG. 1includes a door handle10and a bearing bracket20with which the door handle10is pivotally connected.FIG. 1shows the door handle10in a resting position I, i.e. in its stored position.

In the partial cross-sectional view ofFIG. 2along section A-A ofFIG. 1, the door handle10is in a swivel-out position II, i.e. in its extended position.

According toFIG. 2, the bearing bracket20composed of a plastic material includes a central part21shaped like a recessed grip, which has at one end a bearing portion22and at the opposite end an end portion23. The bearing portion22forms in conjunction with a pivot pin31, which is connected to the door handle10, a hinge assembly30.

This hinge assembly30includes in addition to the pivot pin31a guide groove32which is formed in the bearing portion22of the bearing bracket20and receives the pivot pin31so that the pivot pin31forms a pivot axis of the door handle10for pivoting from its resting position I (seeFIG. 1) into its swivel-out position II and vice versa.

The door handle10which is manufactured also from plastic is formed at one end with a bearing arm11and at the other end with a draw hook13. The support arm11carries at the end the pivot pin31oriented in the z-direction of the vehicle, wherein the bearing arm11is guided through a bearing opening25of the bearing bracket20. The draw hook13engages through an operational opening24in the end portion23of the bearing bracket20and is connected to an unillustrated drawbar.

The circumferential surface31aof the pivot pin31is operatively connected as a contour surface with the two parallel and flat contour surfaces32aand32bforming the guide groove32, so that the pivot pin31is guided and rotatably supported by these two contour surfaces32aand32b.

The cross-section of the pivot pin31has an elliptical shape with a minor diameter d1and a major diameter d2. This elliptical shape of the pivot pin31is oriented such that it generates in the swivel-out position II of the door handle10according to the diagram ofFIGS. 2 and 2aa clearance fit by way of the contour surface31aof the pivot pin31and the contour of surfaces32aand32bof the guide groove32and that this clearance fit transitions, when the door handle10is pivoted into its resting position I, via a transitional fit into an interference fit, as shown schematically inFIG. 3. During this movement, the pivot pin31rotates between the two contour surfaces32aand32bsuch that the length of the chord S1connecting the contact regions K1aand K1bof the contour surface31aof the pivot pin31and the contact portions32aand32bin the swivel-out position II increases up to the length of the chord S2between the contact regions K2aand K2bof the contour surface31aof the pivot pin31and the contour of surfaces32aand32bof the guide groove32.

The chord is S1between the contact regions K1aand K1bis here selected so that a clearance fit is realized in conjunction with the distance a between the two contour surfaces32aand32a, while the length of the chord S2between the contact regions K2aand K2bhas a larger value, thus forming in conjunction with the distance a between the two contour surfaces32aand32ban interference fit in the resting position I of the door handle10. Thus, the length of the chord S between the contact regions of the contour surface31aof the pivot pin31and contour surfaces32aand32bof the guide groove32continuously increases during the pivoting movement of the door handle10from the swivel-out position II into its resting position I, i.e. from a length of the chord S1to the length of the chord S2.

The value of the length of the chord S1is hereby in the range of the value of the minor diameter d1of the elliptical shape of the pivot pin cross-section, whereas the value of the length of the chord S2is in the range of the value of the major diameter d2.

The exterior door handle arrangement1according toFIGS. 4, 4aand5differs from that according toFIGS. 2, 2aand3only by the hinge assembly30, while the other components are identical.

This hinge assembly30according toFIGS. 4, 4aand5also includes a pivot pin31with an elliptical cross-section arranged in the region of the bearing portion22, at which a ridge31bis formed on the side facing away from the door handle. The associated guide groove32with parallel and flat contour surfaces32aand32bis formed of a bearing fork12, which supports the end of the bearing arm11of the door handle10.

The elliptical shape of the cross-section of the pivot pin31has also a minor diameter d1and a major diameter d2, wherein in this exemplary embodiment the pivot pin31and the guide groove32are also oriented with respect to one another such that the outer surface31aas a contour surface of the pivot pin31in conjunction with the contour surfaces32aand32bof the guide groove32form a clearance fit when the door handle is in the swivel-out position II shown inFIGS. 4 and 4a. When the door handle10is pivoted back from this swivel-out position II into its resting position I, this clearance fit merges transitions via a transitional fit into an interference fit.

To achieve this effect, the pivot pin31is disposed with its elliptical cross-sectional shape on the bearing portion22of the bearing bracket20in such a way that the direction of the major diameter d2forms an acute angle to the x-direction of the vehicle. In this way, in the swivel-out position II of the door handle10, the chord S1connecting the contact regions K1aand K1bof the contour surface31aof the pivot pin31with the contour surfaces32aand32bhas a value which realizes a clearance fit in conjunction with the distance a of the two contour surfaces32aand32bof the bearing fork12. The length of this chord S1increases continuously to the length of the chord S2between the contact regions K2aand K2bwhen the door handle10is pivoted back into its resting position I, wherein the length of this chord S2has a value which forms an interference fit in conjunction with the two contour surfaces32aand32bof the guide groove32. In this resting position I, the two contour surfaces32aand32bextend in the x-direction of the vehicle.

The last exemplary embodiment according toFIGS. 6, 6aand7also differs from the previous embodiments only by the joint assembly30.

The pivot pin31of this hinge assembly according to theFIGS. 6, 6aand7is arranged on the bearing portion22of the bearing bracket20of the exterior door handle arrangement1and has a polygonal, i.e. a five-cornered cross-section, wherein a ridge31bis formed on the side facing away from the door handle. The door handle10has a support arm11with an end-side bearing bracket12, with encompasses the pivot pin31as a guide groove32with two parallel and flat contour surfaces32aand32b.

The outer surface31aof the pivot pin31forms a clearance fit in conjunction with the contour surfaces32aand32bof the bearing fork12in the swivel-out position II of the door handle10illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 6a, which transitions via a transitional fit into an interference fit when the door handle10is pivoted back into its resting position I shown inFIG. 7.

To achieve this effect, the contour of surfaces32aand32bof the bearing fork12are oriented such that the chord S1connecting the contact regions K2aand K2bof the contour surfaces31a,32aand32bin the resting position I of the door handle10has a length that produces a clearance fit in conjunction with the distance a between the two contour surfaces32aand32bof the bearing fork12. When the door handle10is pivoted back into the resting position I shown inFIG. 7, the length of this chord increases up to the chord S2between the contact regions K2aand K2bthat corresponds to the distance between two opposite corners of the pentagonal cross-sectional shape of the pivot pin31. In this resting position I, the contour surfaces32aand32bare oriented at an acute angle with respect to the x-direction of the vehicle and caused tilting of the pivot31in the guide groove32and thus an interference fit due to the pivoting back from the swivel-out position II.