Security system for a motor vehicle opening leaf

The invention proposes a security system for a motor vehicle opening leaf, a handle of which comprises an external lever articulated to a handle support arranged on the inside of a bodywork panel, of the type in which the security system includes means for remotely detecting, by means of an electromagnetic signal, the presence of a user's hand near the handle, the detection means being arranged in a casing which is fixed by elastic snap-fastening on the outside of the handle support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 The invention relates to a security system for a motor vehicle opening leaf
 including means for detecting the approach of a user's hand.
 The invention relates more particularly to a security system for a motor
 vehicle opening leaf, of the type in which the system comprises a handle,
 of which an external lever for grasping is articulated to a handle support
 arranged on the inside of a bodywork panel, the lever being moved by a
 user from a position of rest as far as a position of opening so as to
 operate a lock which keeps the opening leaf in the closed position, of the
 type in which the security system includes means for remotely detecting,
 by means of an electromagnetic signal, the presence of a user's hand near
 the handle, and of the type in which the detection means include a control
 circuit and at least one sensor capable of emitting or of receiving the
 electromagnetic signal.
 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 More specifically, the object of the invention is to propose a design of
 detection means which allow easy integration of the security system into
 the opening leaf when the vehicle is being constructed.
 Specifically, the problem involves being able to mount these detection
 means easily on the opening leaf while at the same time ensuring the
 correct relative positioning of the various components of the security
 system and while at the same time guaranteeing that the detection means
 which involve sensors and electronic circuits which are somewhat delicate
 are appropriately protected.
 To this end, the invention proposes a security system for a motor vehicle
 opening leaf, of the type in which the system comprises a handle, of which
 an external lever for grasping is articulated to a handle support arranged
 on the inside of a bodywork panel, the lever being moved by a user from a
 position of rest as far as a position of opening so as to operate a lock
 which keeps the opening leaf in the closed position, of the type in which
 the security system includes means for remotely detecting, by means of an
 electromagnetic signal, the presence of a user's hand near the handle, and
 of the type in which the detection means include a control circuit and at
 least one sensor capable of emitting or of receiving the electromagnetic
 signal, wherein the detection means are arranged in a casing which is
 fixed by elastic snap-fastening on an external face of the handle support
 so that a window made in an external face of the casing lies facing a
 window formed in the bodywork panel.
 According to other features of the invention:
 the casing includes positioning pegs which extend transversely inward from
 an internal face of the casing and which are intended to be housed in
 corresponding orifices formed in the external face of the handle support;
 the support includes elastic tabs which extend transversely outward and
 which collaborate with catching lugs of the casing so as to fasten the
 casing to the support;
 the casing is produced by injection-molding of plastic, and includes a
 connector body molded integrally so as to allow the control circuit to be
 connected to an antitheft unit;
 the connector body extends vertically as a downward protrusion from a main
 body of the casing in which the control circuit and the sensor are
 arranged;
 the connector body extends roughly in a plane which is parallel to the
 plane of the bodywork panel and which is offset transversely outward with
 respect to a plane in which the main body of the casing extends;
 the window in the casing is delimited by a tubular wall which extends
 transversely outward and on which there is overmolded a seal intended to
 collaborate with a complementary tubular skirt belonging to a cover which
 is made of a material that is transparent to the electromagnetic signal
 and which closes off the window in the bodywork panel;
 the detection means include a switch which is intended to be operated by an
 actuator of the security system, the switch is arranged inside the casing
 facing an opening which is formed inside the internal face of the casing
 and which lies facing a corresponding opening formed in the handle support
 so that the switch can be operated by the actuator through the two
 corresponding openings; and
 the actuating opening formed in the casing is closed in leaktight fashion
 by a flexible membrane which is deformed by the actuator to operate the
 switch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 FIG. 1 illustrates a motor vehicle security system 10 including a handle
 for the opening leaf of a motor vehicle.
 The handle includes a handle support 14 which is intended to be fastened to
 an outer bodywork panel 12 of the opening leaf, more particularly on an
 internal face thereof. A lever 16 for grasping is intended to be mounted
 on the outside of this panel 12, being articulated to the support 14 by a
 front longitudinal end 18, about an axis Al.
 To do this, the front end 18 of the lever 16, which is roughly in the shape
 of a bar directed longitudinally, includes a pull bar 20 intended to be
 engaged through a front orifice 22 in the bodywork panel 12, so as to be
 mounted so that it can rotate on the support 14.
 The rear end 24 of the grasping lever 16 includes a rear leg 26 which
 extends transversely inward through a rear orifice 28 formed in the panel
 12 so as to collaborate with a linkage, a bellcrank 30 of which has been
 depicted in FIG. 1.
 A user can thus manipulate the grasping lever by grasping hold of a roughly
 central part of the lever 16 and pulling it transversely outward from a
 position of rest as far as a position of opening. During this rotational
 movement about the axis Al of the lever 16, the rear leg 26 is intended to
 cause the bellcrank 30 to rotate about the axis A2 between a position of
 rest and a position of opening, which positions correspond to those of the
 grasping lever 16.
 The bellcrank 30 makes it possible, for example, to open a lock, via a
 cable (not depicted)
 To bring the lever for grasping toward its position of opening, the user of
 the vehicle has therefore to insert his hand between the bodywork panel 12
 and a surface 32 for grasping the lever 16 so as to be able to pull this
 lever toward him, outward with respect to the panel 12. To do this, there
 is a space 34 between the panel 12 and the lever 16 which space, in a
 plane perpendicular to the axis Al, is delimited transversely by an inward
 depression 36 in the panel 12 and by the surface 32 for grasping the lever
 16, which face one another.
 According to the teachings of the invention, the security system includes
 detection means which are able to detect the presence of the user's hand
 in the space 34 before this user has actually grasped hold of the lever 16
 via its grasping surface 32, and which are borne by the handle support 14
 arranged on the internal face side of the panel 12.
 More specifically, and as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, detection means in
 particular include an emitter 38 and a receiver 40 which are borne by a
 casing 42 itself fastened to the handle support 14. The emitter 38 and the
 receiver 40 are both connected to an electronic control module 44 which is
 arranged inside the casing 42.
 In the embodiment illustrated, the emitter 38 emits a signal of the
 electromagnetic type which is intended to be received by the receiver 40.
 The signal is emitted in such a way as to follow a path which extends
 through the space 34 so that, when the user's hand enters this space 34,
 it has of necessity to cross the path of the signal so that the
 transmission of the signal between the emitter and the receiver is broken.
 The receiver 40, no longer receiving the signal, deduces from this
 information relating to the presence of the hand in this space 34.
 The signal emitted by the emitter 38 is, for example, a light signal in the
 infrared domain. In the example illustrated, the emitter 38 and the
 receiver 40 are arranged roughly side by side set back toward the inside
 with respect to the bodywork panel. They are arranged facing a window 46
 which is cut in the indentation 36 in the bodywork panel 12. In the
 embodiment illustrated, the emitter and the receiver are arranged facing
 the same window 46. The signal emitted by the emitter 38 is therefore
 directed toward the outside through the window 46 in the panel 12 and a
 reflector 48 is provided, borne by the lever 16, which reflects the signal
 back toward the receiver 40, again through the window 46.
 According to the teachings of the invention, the casing 42 which combines
 the detection means together is intended to be fastened to the support 14
 by simple elastic snap-fastening. More specifically, it can be seen that
 the support 14 includes, on its external face side facing the panel 12, a
 recessed recess 50 which is roughly of a shape that complements that of
 the casing 42, more specifically of a shape that complements that of a
 main body 52 of the casing 42. In this particular instance, the main body
 52 is roughly parallelepipedal.
 As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the casing 42 can be engaged transversely
 from the outside inward into the recess 50 and has positioning pegs 54
 which extend transversely inward from an internal face 56 and which are
 intended to be housed in corresponding orifices 58 made in the external
 face 60 of the handle support 14 which in this particular instance forms
 the closed end of the recess 50.
 The two positioning pegs 54 thus make it possible to position, on the one
 hand, the casing 42 bearing the emitter 38 and the receiver 40 with
 respect to, on the other hand, the handle support 14, with great
 precision.
 To fasten the casing 42 to the support 14 there are two elastic tabs 61
 which extend transversely outward from the closed end of the recess 50 and
 the hook-shaped free end of which is intended to collaborate with catching
 lugs 62 formed on lateral faces of the main body of the casing 42.
 The casing 42 is thus fastened onto the support 14 by simple elastic
 snap-fastening or clipping.
 The casing 42 includes, in addition to the main body 52, a connector body
 64. The connector body contains connection pins by means of which the
 control circuit 44 of the detection means is intended to be connected to,
 on the one hand, an electrical power supply and, on the other hand, an
 antitheft unit (not depicted).
 Advantageously, the main body 52 and the connector body 64 are formed
 integrally as one single piece by the injection-molding of plastic. As can
 be seen, the main body 52 extends roughly in a plane parallel to the plane
 of the bodywork panel 12 and the connector body 64 extends vertically
 downward, open toward the bottom. However, the connector body 64 extends
 in a plane which is parallel to but offset transversely outward from the
 plane in which the main body 52 extends.
 Thus, the connector body 64, which extends out of the recess 50 has, at the
 point where it meets the main body 52, a smaller transverse thickness
 which delimits a longitudinal slit 66 which is open transversely inward.
 This slit 66 is intended to take an element 68 of a sidewall of the
 support 14 which delimits the recess 50.
 Thus, by virtue of the offset of the connector body and by virtue of the
 presence of the slit 66, it is possible to maintain right around the
 recess 50 a sidewall which is continuous and provides the support 14 with
 good rigidity.
 Furthermore, the detection means include a switch which is arranged inside
 the casing 42. This switch is intended to be operated by an actuator 70
 connected to the lock opening linkage. Specifically, such a switch may,
 for example, be used to back up any failure of the remote detection system
 which uses the electromagnetic signal.
 In the example illustrated, it may be seen that the actuator 70 is a
 rocking actuator articulated about the same axis A2 as the bellcrank 30 of
 the linkage. When the bellcrank 30 is in the position of rest, it forces
 the actuator 70 toward an inactive position, against elastic return means
 72. As soon as the bellcrank 30 leaves its position of rest, the elastic
 means 72 can urge the actuator 70 to rotate about the axis A2 toward an
 active position in which an actuating finger 74 of the actuator 70, which
 extends on the inside of the support 14, moves transversely outward.
 According to the invention, the switch is arranged in the casing in such a
 way as to lie just facing a window made in the internal face 56 of the
 casing 42, which window lies facing a corresponding window 76 made in the
 internal face 60 of the support 14 which forms the closed end of the
 recess 50. Advantageously, the window of the casing 42 is closed in a
 sealed manner by a flexible membrane 78.
 Thus the actuating finger 74 can transversely penetrate from the inside
 outward through the window 76 of the support 14 so as to deform the
 membrane 78 and actuate the switch arranged in the casing 42.
 Furthermore, it can be seen in the figures that the emitter 38 and the
 receiver 40 are arranged facing a window 47 which is made in an external
 face of the main body 52 of the casing 42 and which corresponds to the
 window 46 in the bodywork panel 12 so that the two sensors can "watch" the
 space 34. Around the window 47 there is a tubular wall 49 which extends
 axially outward toward the panel 12, without reaching the latter.
 In the example illustrated, the window 46 in the bodywork panel 12 is
 intended to be closed off by a cover 80, an external transverse wall 82 of
 which extends roughly parallel to the bodywork panel 12, on the outside
 thereof. Of course, the external transverse wall 82 of the cover 80 is
 made of a material which is transparent to the electromagnetic signal.
 The cover 80 includes a tubular skirt 84 which extends axially inward from
 the external transverse wall 82, through the window 38 in the panel 12.
 The internal end of the skirt 84 is intended to surround the tubular wall
 49 of the casing 42, on the outside, and there are sealing means inserted
 between the tubular wall 49 of the casing 42 and the tubular skirt 84 of
 the cover 80 to prevent dust or moisture from being able to enter the
 casing 42.
 As can be seen in FIG. 4, the sealing means may, for example, be produced
 in the form of a seal 86 of elastomeric material overmolded around the
 external end of the tubular wall 49. This seal 86 in this particular
 instance has three lips 88 directed radially outward, these three lips
 being concentric and transversely offset from one another. These lips 88
 are intended to come into contact with the tubular skirt 84 of the cover
 80, to provide sealing.