Outer handle device for vehicle door

An outer handle device for a vehicle door includes: a base mounted on an outer panel from an inside of the outer panel; an operating handle disposed on an outside of the outer panel and having a support shaft that extends along a swing axis on a support arm part entering the inside of the outer panel from the outside thereof; and a support member that is fitted to the base, engages with the support shaft from a rear, makes a front end of the support arm part abut against an abutment receiving part while the operating handle is swinging, and restrains displacement of the support shaft toward the outer panel. The base is provided with a restricting part that makes contact with the support arm part when the operating handle swings, thus restricting displacement of the operating handle in moving away inwardly from the outer panel.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-11349 filed Jan. 26, 2018 the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an outer handle device for a vehicle door that includes a base that is mounted on an outer panel of the vehicle door from an inside of the outer panel, an operating handle that is disposed on an outside of the outer panel and has a support shaft extending along a swing axis on a support arm part entering the inside of the outer panel from the outside of the outer panel, and a support member that is fitted to the base, engages with the support shaft of the operating handle from a rear, makes a front end of the support arm part abut against an abutment receiving part while the operating handle is swinging, and restrains displacement of the support shaft toward the outer panel.

Description of the Related Art

Japanese Patent No. 5153742 discloses an outer handle device for a vehicle door in which rattling of an operating handle in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is suppressed by a support arm part abutting against a fitting part and an abutment receiving part of a support member when the operating handle is operated so as to move away outwardly from an outer panel.

In the outer handle device described in Japanese Patent No. 5153742, when the operating handle is operated so as to move away outwardly from the outer panel, if a force directed inward of the outer panel acts on the support arm part of the operating handle, the support arm part will be displaced inward of the outer panel; as a result a gap will occur in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle between the front end of the support arm part and the support member, and there is a possibility that the operating handle will rattle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished in light of the above circumstances, and it is an object thereof to provide an outer handle device for a vehicle door that can more reliably prevent an operating handle from rattling.

In order to achieve the object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an outer handle device for a vehicle door comprising a base that is mounted on an outer panel of the vehicle door from an inside of the outer panel, an operating handle that is disposed on an outside of the outer panel and has a support shaft extending along a swing axis on a support arm part entering the inside of the outer panel from the outside of the outer panel, and a support member that is fitted to the base, engages with the support arm part from a rear side of the support arm part, and retains displacement of the operating handle in at least a vehicle fore-and-aft direction, the base being provided with a restricting part that makes contact with the support arm part when the operating handle swings, thus restricting displacement of the operating handle in moving away inwardly from the outer panel.

In accordance with the first aspect, when the operating handle is operated so as to move away outwardly from the outer panel, even if a force directed inward of the outer panel acts on the support arm part of the operating handle, since displacement of the support arm part is supported by the restricting part, rattling of the operating handle can reliably be prevented.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, the restricting part is formed integrally with the base so as to face the outer panel and is in contact with a restricting face formed on the support shaft.

In accordance with the second aspect, since the restricting part is formed integrally with the base, addition of another member is not required for installing the restricting part, and any increase in the number of components can be avoided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the second aspect, the base comprises a pair of support side walls that are disposed on opposite sides of the support member and support the support member so as to be swingable between a standby position and an assembled position, a pair of front and rear linking bodies that are disposed across a gap therebetween in a fore-and-aft direction and connect the support side walls to each other, and a reinforcing body that connects the linking bodies to each other and supports the restricting part.

In accordance with the third aspect, since support of the restricting part is reinforced by the reinforcing body, it is possible to prevent the restricting part from being broken.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

One embodiment of the present invention is explained below by reference to the attached drawings. In the explanation below, the fore-and-aft direction corresponds to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

FIG. 1schematically shows the appearance of an outer handle device related to one embodiment of the present invention. An outer handle device13is mounted on an outer panel12of a vehicle door11, which is for example a side door of a passenger vehicle, and the outer handle device13includes a base14that is mounted on the outer panel12from the inside of the outer panel12, an operating handle16that is disposed on the outside of the outer panel12, extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, forms a space15that receives at least four fingers of an operator from the vertical direction between the operating handle16and an outer face of the outer panel12, and is gripped by a hand of the operator, and a support member17that is mounted on the base14and links the front end of the operating handle16to the base14so as to be relatively rotatable around a swing axis Sx of the operating handle16with respect to the base14. The operating handle16has a handle cover18that is formed from a synthetic resin and is decorated for example in the same manner as for the outer panel12so as to be integrated with the outer panel12, and a handle main body21that, as shown inFIG. 5, is formed from a synthetic resin, is housed inside the handle cover18, extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and is linked to the base14via a support arm part19at the front end.

As shown inFIG. 1, the rear end of the handle main body21extends through the base14and protrudes into the outer panel12. A lever22relatively rotatably supported on the base14is linked to the rear end of the handle main body21. A rod23linked to a door lock device, which is not illustrated, is linked to the lever22, and a pulling force acts on the rod23in response to a swing operation of the operating handle16. The operating handle16swings around the swing axis Sx between a non-operated position in which it is in contact with an outer face of the outer panel12and an operated position in which it moves away outwardly from the outer face of the outer panel12. When the operating handle16swings toward the outside up to the operated position, the door lock device is released, and the vehicle door11is opened.

As shown inFIG. 2, the base14includes a pair of support side walls25extending in parallel with each other across a predetermined gap (sandwiching a housing space for the support arm part19) in front of the space15. Formed on each of the support side walls25is a reference plane26that is formed from a plane extending equidistant from the handle cover18in parallel with the swing axis Sx and abuts against an inner face of the outer panel12. The outer panel12is sandwiched between the base14pressed against the inner face of the outer panel12via the reference plane26and the handle cover18contacting the outer face of the outer panel12at the non-operated position.

A pair of front and rear linking bodies27aand27bare provided at the front end of the base14in front of the reference plane26, the pair of front and rear linking bodies27aand27bbeing disposed with a gap therebetween in the fore-and-aft direction and connecting the support side walls25to each other at a position separated from the outer panel12. Joined integrally to the linking body27aon the front side are a pair of front walls28that are individually continuous from the front end of the support side wall25and extend between the outer panel12and the linking body27awhile having a gap therebetween, and an elastic wall29that is continuous from the linking body27abetween the two front walls28and extends from the linking body27atoward the outer panel12. Since the individual front walls28are joined to the support side wall25in an attitude in which they are orthogonal to the support side wall25, the stiffness of the support side wall25can be enhanced, and collapse of the support side wall25can be prevented. The free end (end close to the outer panel12) of the elastic wall29can be displaced in the fore-and-aft direction based on the action of a predetermined force.

Formed in the support side wall25are a pivot hole31with a cylindrical space that has a central axis on a rotational axis Rx parallel to the swing axis Sx of the operating handle16, and an engagement recess32that opens on the outer panel12side at a position separated from the pivot hole31to the rear. An access path33opening on the outer panel12side and having a smaller width than the diameter of the pivot hole31is connected to the pivot hole31. A rear wall of the engagement recess32is formed from a cylindrical face having a central axis on the rotational axis Rx. The support member17is disposed in a space sandwiched by the pair of support side walls25in front of the reference plane26.

The support arm part19of the operating handle16is formed integrally with the handle main body21, enters the inside of the outer panel12from the outside of the outer panel12, and bends forward in the inside of the outer panel12. The support arm part19is disposed in a space sandwiched by the pair of support side walls25. As shown inFIG. 3, the support arm part19includes one L-shaped arm main body34extending inward of the outer panel12and bending forward, a pair of wall bodies35extending forward from the front end of the arm main body34in parallel with each other with a gap therebetween along the swing axis Sx, and a support shaft36disposed with a gap from the front end of the arm main body34, extending along the swing axis Sx between the wall bodies35, and linking the wall bodies35to each other. Formed on the wall body35are a contact face35athat is formed from a plane facing the outer panel12and extending in parallel with the swing axis Sx, and a pressing face35bthat is formed from a partial cylindrical face (specific curved face) formed at the front end of the wall body35and having a central axis on the swing axis Sx. A plane36ais formed on the support shaft36, the plane36abeing continuous from the contact face35aand linking the contact faces35ato each other.

The support member17has, as shown inFIG. 2, a pivoting base part42that has on opposite sides a rotary projection41supported by the pivot hole31of the support side wall25so as to be rotatable around the rotational axis Rx, and a pair of leg parts43that extend from the pivoting base part42so as to be away from the outer panel12between the pair of rotary projections41, As shown inFIG. 5, inner ends of the leg parts43fit into and extend through the gap58(FIG. 7) formed between the linking bodies27aand27bof the base, and the leg parts are positioned by abutting against the front wall28of the base14via a front face43aThe support member also includes a barrel part44that extends from the pivoting base part42to the rear in a direction orthogonal to the leg part43around the rotational axis Rx, as well as a bearing part45that extends from the rear end of the barrel part44so as to be away from the outer panel12and supports the support shaft36via a bearing face45a, and engagement projections46that project toward opposite sides at the rear end of the barrel part44and are received by the engagement recess32of the base14. As shown inFIG. 4, the rotary projection41is partitioned by a pair of planes41athat are separated from each other by the width of the access path33connected to the pivot hole31and are parallel to the rotational axis Rx, and a partial cylindrical face41bthat has a central axis on the rotational axis Rx, extends around the rotational axis Rx, and connects the planes41ato each other. When the plane41ais positioned in parallel with a movement path defined by the access path33, the rotary projection41can pass through the access path33and move to and fro between the interior and the exterior of the pivot hole31. The engagement projection46has a rear-facing abutment face46athat extends along a virtual cylindrical face having a central axis on the rotational axis Rx so as to be supported on the rear wall of the engagement recess32.

The leg part43of the support member17has a positioning projection47that projects outward from outer faces that face outward from each other. Formed on each positioning projection47is an inclined face47athat goes closer to the outer face of the leg part43in going forward. The leg part43has elasticity so that it can be deformed so as to make open ends of the leg parts43go closer to each other. Therefore, the positioning projection47can move in the axial direction of the rotational axis Rx away from or closer to a virtual plane orthogonal to the rotational axis Rx according to an external force acting on the leg part43. On the other hand, the leg part43has a rectangular cross-sectional shape that is long in the fore-and-aft direction orthogonal to the front face43a, which is a flat plane, and has high stiffness in the peripheral direction around the rotational axis Rx.

The rear face of the leg part43has, as shown inFIG. 5, an abutment receiving face48that receives the pressing face35bof the support arm part19. When the operating handle16swings around the swing axis Sx, the pressing face35bof the support arm part19continues to be in contact with the abutment receiving face48of the leg part43. In this way, due to the front end of the support arm part19abutting against the abutment receiving face48of the support member17, the support arm part19is sandwiched between the abutment receiving face48and the bearing face45a, and rattling of the operating handle16in the fore-and-aft direction can be prevented. The bearing part45engages with the support shaft36formed at the front end of the support arm part19from the rear to thus restrict displacement of the support shaft36in the fore-and-aft direction. Even when an external force directed to the rear acts on the operating handle16, since the rotary projection41is supported on the rear wall of the pivot hole31via the partial cylindrical face41b, and the engagement projection46is supported on the rear wall of the engagement recess32via the abutment face46a, rearward displacement of the support member17can reliably be restricted.

A bearing face49that faces inward with respect to the outer panel12and receives the contact face35aof the support arm part19is provided on the barrel part44of the support member17. The bearing face49covers the wall body35of the support arm part19from the outer panel12side, and restrains displacement of the support arm part19toward the outer panel12. The swing axis Sx of the operating handle16is defined by the operation of the bearing part45of the support member17and the bearing face49of the barrel part44.

As shown inFIG. 4, provided on the pivoting base part42is an attitude-retaining projection51that is formed integrally with the pivoting base part42and protrudes forward from the outer face of the pivoting base part42. As described later the attitude-retaining projection51makes contact with the elastic wall29of the base14when the support member17pivots around the rotational axis Rx with respect to the base14. When the elastic wall29maintains its original shape, the extremity of the elastic wall29is positioned on the trajectory of the attitude-retaining projection51, and pivoting of the support member17is restricted in response to contact between the elastic wall29and the attitude-retaining projection51. On the other hand, when an external force that causes elastic deformation of the elastic wall29acts on the support member17, the attitude-retaining projection51pushes the elastic wall29away from its trajectory, and the support member17can pivot around the rotational axis Rx regardless of contact between the elastic wall29and the attitude-retaining projection51.

As shown inFIG. 5, the base14has a restricting body (restricting part)52that is formed integrally with the base14so as to face the outer panel12and that makes contact with a restricting face36bformed on the support shaft36. As described later, the restricting body52makes contact with the restricting face36bof the support arm part19when the operating handle16swings, and restricts displacement of the operating handle16in moving away inwardly from the outer panel12. The restricting body52is supported by being integrally formed with a reinforcing body53that connects the front and rear linking bodies27aand27b.

As shown inFIG. 6, a guideway54is formed on the base14, the guideway54guiding movement of the positioning projection47along a movement path defined around the rotational axis Rx of the support member17so as to be coaxial with the rotational axis Rx. The positioning projection47is guided along the guideway54to an entry position PF that is established when the rotary projection41enters the pivot hole31, a standby position PS that is established immediately after the attitude-retaining projection51passes through the extremity of the elastic wall29based on elastic deformation of the elastic wall29, and an assembled position PL that is established when the support member17retains the support shaft36of the operating handle16at a predetermined position.

As shown inFIG. 7, the guideway54has a three-dimensional shape in the axial direction of the rotational axis Rx. That is, the guideway54is provided with a slope55so that displacement of the positioning projection47toward the assembled position PL is restricted at the standby position PS. Similarly, the guideway54is provided with a vertical wall56so that displacement of the positioning projection47from the assembled position PL toward the standby position PS or the entry position PF is restrained. The slope55and the vertical wall56are each formed on a projecting piece57that protrudes from inner wall faces of the support side wall25that face each other. Therefore, the slope55is formed on a plane that goes away from the inner wall face of the support side wall25in going forward. The vertical wall56is formed on a plane that faces the rear face of the front wall28and stands upright from the inner wall face of the support side wall25. An opening58via which the leg part43of the support member17can be accessed is defined in the base14between the respective support side walls25and the reinforcing body53.

The operation of the outer handle device13related to the present embodiment is now explained. As shown inFIG. 1, when the operating handle16is gripped by a hand of an operator and operated so as to move away from the outer panel12, the operating handle16swings around the swing axis Sx up to the operated position, the door lock device is unlocked, and the vehicle door11is opened.

As shown inFIG. 8, even when the operating handle16swings around the swing axis Sx, the pressing face35bof the operating handle16maintains contact with the abutment receiving face48of the support member17, the bearing part45of the support member17maintains contact with the support shaft36from the rear, the contact face35aand the plane36aof the operating handle16maintain contact with the bearing face49of the support member17, and the restricting body52of the base14maintains contact with the restricting face36bof the operating handle16. Therefore, fore-and-aft movement of the operating handle16is restrained by the abutment receiving face48and the bearing part45of the support member17, displacement of the support shaft36toward the outer panel12is restrained by the support member17, and displacement of the support shaft36that moves away inwardly from the outer panel12is restrained by the base14. In this way, when the operating handle16is operated so as to move away outwardly from the outer panel12, even if a force directed inward of the outer panel12acts on the support arm part19of the operating handle16, since displacement of the support arm part19is supported by the restricting body52, rattling of the operating handle16can reliably be prevented.

In this process, the restricting body52is formed integrally with the base14so as to face the outer panel12and makes contact with the restricting face36bformed on the support shaft36. In this way, since the restricting body52is formed integrally with the base14, addition of another member is not required for installing the restricting body52, and any increase in the number of components can be avoided.

In the outer handle device13, the base14includes the pair of support side walls25disposed on opposite sides of the support member17and swingably supporting the support member17between the standby position and the assembled position, the pair of front and rear linking bodies27aand27bdisposed with a gap therebetween in the fore-and-aft direction and connecting the support side walls25to each other, and the reinforcing body53connecting the linking bodies27aand27bto each other and supporting the restricting body52. In this way, since support of the restricting body52is reinforced by the reinforcing body53, it is possible to prevent the restricting body52from being broken.

A method for assembling the outer handle device13is now explained. The outer handle device13is assembled onto the outer panel12of the vehicle door11. When carrying out assembly, the base14is mounted on the outer panel12from the inside of the outer panel12. Subsequently, the operating handle16is linked to the base14from the outside of the outer panel12. When carrying out linking, the support arm part19of the operating handle16passes through the opening of the outer panel12and is inserted into a space sandwiched between the support side walls25. In this process, the support member17is provisionally fitted to the base14in advance. In this provisional fitting, as shown inFIG. 9, the positioning projection47of the support member17is positioned at the standby position around the rotational axis Rx. Since the inclined face47aof the positioning projection47is in contact with the slope55of the guideway54, displacement of the positioning projection47toward the assembled position PL is restrained. As a result, rotation of the support member17around the rotational axis Rx in a first direction FD is restricted. On the other hand, since the attitude-retaining projection51makes contact with the elastic wall29from the outer panel12side, displacement of the positioning projection47toward the entry position PF is restrained. As a result, rotation of the support member17around the rotational axis Rx in a second direction SD that is opposite to the first direction FD is restricted. In this way, the support member17is retained in a specific attitude around the rotational axis Rx on the base14.

When the support arm part19of the operating handle16moves forward on the base14, the pressing face35bof the support arm part19abuts against the abutment receiving face48of the support member17. When an external force further acts on the operating handle16in the forward direction, the positioning projection47moves up on the slope55and causes elastic deformation of the leg part43, thus allowing the support member17to swing around the rotational axis Rx in the first direction FD. When the front face of the leg part43abuts against the front wall28of the base14, the positioning projection47reaches the assembled position PL. The bearing part45of the support member17covers the support shaft36of the support arm part19from the rear. Since the vertical wall56of the projecting piece57makes contact with the rear end of the positioning projection47, rotation of the support member17around the rotational axis Rx in the second direction SD is prevented. The support member17is thus fitted to the base14.