Abstract:
A motor vehicle door handle assembly including a first housing piece adapted to be mounted at one end of a bowl shaped depression formed in the outer skin of the vehicle door, a second housing piece adapted to be mounted at the other end of the depression in the outer skin, and an elongated handle pivotally mounted at one end thereof on the first housing piece and including a latch finger on the other end thereof received in a receptacle in the second housing piece to allow access to a latch actuator to control the latching and unlatching of the door.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to handle assemblies and more particularly to handle assemblies for controlling the latch mechanisms on motor vehicle doors. 
     In a typical motor vehicle door handle assembly, a piece of the outer skin of the door is removed to provide an opening, an escutcheon or housing is positioned on the outer skin with a central bowl portion of the housing positioned in the opening in the outer skin, and a handle is pivotally mounted on the housing member to control the opening and closing movement of the door. This arrangement is wasteful in the sense that it requires that a piece of the outer skin of the door be removed to allow the bowl of the housing to fit into the outer skin; a relatively large amount of material is required to form the housing because of the complex and large configuration of the housing; and the large housing largely dictates the aesthetics of the handle assembly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to an improved door handle assembly. 
     More specifically this invention is directed to a door handle assembly that does not require the formation of a large hole in the outer skin of the door to accommodate the housing of the handle assembly. 
     Yet more specifically this invention is directed to a handle assembly requiring minimal materials to thereby reduce the cost of the overall assembly. 
     Yet more specifically this invention is directed to a handle assembly presenting a cleaner, uncluttered, more attractive appearance. 
     The door handle assembly of the invention is of the type comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on the outer skin of the vehicle door and a handle adapted to be mounted on the housing for movement between a closed, latched position and an open, unlatched position. 
     According to the invention, the handle has an elongated configuration and includes mounting structure proximate each of first and second ends thereof, and the housing is formed in two separate first and second housing pieces adapted to be separately mounted on the outer skin of the door at spaced locations on the door and each including mounting structure for coaction with the mounting structure on a respective handle end to mount the handle on the door skin. This arrangement eliminates the need for the formation of a large hole in the outer skin of the door and allows a depression to be formed in the outer skin of the door to replace the central bowl shaped portion of the prior art housing members. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, the mounting structure on the first housing piece coacts with the mounting structure on the first handle end to pivotally mount the handle on the door at the first handle end and the mounting structure on the second handle piece defines a seat to receive the second end of the handle as the handle moves pivotally to its closed position. This specific arrangement allows the split housing structure to accommodate the typical pivotal movement of the handle. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, the handle includes a latch finger projecting from the second end thereof and the second housing piece further defines a receptacle to receive the latch finger in the closed position of the handle. This arrangement facilitates the operation of the door latch mechanism by the pivoting handle. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, the handle assembly further includes a latch actuator pivotally mounted on the receptacle and the latch finger engages the latch actuator to control the latching and unlatching of the door. This specific arrangement facilitates the latching and unlatching of the door in response to the pivotal movement of the handle. 
     According to a further feature of the invention, a vehicle door handle assembly is provided including a door having an outer skin having a bowl shaped depression formed therein; a first housing piece mounted on the outer skin of the door at a first end of the depression and including handle mounting structure; a second separate housing piece mounted on the outer skin of the door at a second end of the depression and including handle mounting structure; and a handle having an elongated configuration and including mounting structure proximate each of first and second ends thereof coacting with the mounting structure on the first and second housing pieces, respectively, to mount the handle on the door skin, in a position bridging the depression, for movement between a closed, latched position and an open, unlatched position. This door assembly construction allows the utilization of the outer skin of the door to form the depression behind the door handle to accommodate opening and closing movement of the handle rather than requiring that the housing include a bulky central bowl shaped portion fitted in an opening in the door skin to provide the depression behind the handle. 
     Other objects, advantages and applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a motor vehicle including a door handle assembly including a door embodying the door handle assembly of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the invention door handle assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a handle forming a part of the door handle assembly; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first housing piece forming a part of the door handle assembly; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second housing piece forming a part of the door handle assembly; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a latch actuator assembly forming a part of the invention door handle assembly; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of the outer skin of the door proximate the invention door handle assembly; 
     FIG. 8 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the door handle assembly; and 
     FIG. 9 is a detail view of an end of the handle. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention door handle assembly  10  is seen in FIG. 1 in association with a fragmentarily shown motor vehicle  12  including a windshield  14 , a front quarter panel  16 , a hood  18 , an A-pillar  20 , a sill  22 , and B-pillar  24 , and a door  26  positioned in the door opening defined by the A-pillar  20 , front quarter panel  16 , sill  22 , and B-pillar  24 . 
     Door  26  includes an outer skin  26   a which is formed (FIG. 7) with an elongated depression  26   b , a front mounting aperture  26   c  proximate a front end of the depression, and a rear mounting aperture  26   d  proximate a rear end of the depression. 
     Door handle assembly  10  (FIG. 2) includes a front housing piece  12 , a rear housing piece  14 , and a handle  16 . 
     Front housing piece  12  (FIGS. 2 and 5) includes an upper flange portion  12   a  and a lower yoke portion  12   b . Upper flange portion  12   a  has a rectangular configuration and defines a rectangular opening  12   c  and a conical boss  12   d  upstanding from the flange and defining a central bore  12   e . Yoke  12   b  is constituted by spaced parallel side walls  12   f  and an end wall  12   g . A pair of aligned apertures  12   h  are provided in side walls  12   f.    
     Rear housing piece  14  (FIGS. 2 and 4) defines a key cylinder portion  14   a , a flange portion  14   b , and a receptacle portion  14   c . Key cylinder portion  14   a  defines a bore  14   d  for receipt of a key cylinder lock assembly in known manner and further defines a downwardly opening bore  14   e . The front face of key cylinder portion  14   a  defines a stepped seating surface  14   f.    
     Flange portion  14   b  has a generally rectangular configuration and includes a central opening  14   g  and a guide fin  14   h . Flange portion  14   b  further defines an annular seating surface  14   i  in surrounding relation to aperture  14   g  and fin  14   h.    
     Receptacle  14   c  has a hollow rectangular configuration and extends downwardly from flange  14   b  with the central rectangular bore  14   j  of the receptacle portion coinciding with aperture  14   g  in the flange portion  14   b . Receptacle  14   c  is constituted by a front wall  14   j , a rear wall  14   k , and a side wall  14   l.    
     Handle  16  (FIGS. 2 and 3) has an elongated configuration and includes an elongated central main body portion  16   a , an angled pivot arm  16   b  proximate the front end  16   c  of the handle, and a latch finger  16   d  proximate the rear end  16   e  of the handle. The rear end  16   e  of the handle has a stepped configuration defining a stepped seating surface  16   f  generally corresponding to the stepped seating surface  14   f  on housing piece  14 , and an annular seating surface  16   g  (FIG. 9) generally corresponding to annular seating surface  14   i  is defined on the rear end of the handle in surrounding relation to latch finger  16   d . Latch finger  16   d  has a cross-sectional configuration sized to pass loosely through aperture  14   g  in the flange portion  14   b  of housing piece  14  and includes a hook portion  16   h  projecting from the front face of the free lower end  16   i  of the latch finger and a guide portion  16   j  projecting from the rear face of the free lower end of the latch finger. 
     In the mounted disposition of the door handle assembly on the door (FIGS.  2  and  7 ), front housing piece  12  is positioned proximate door skin opening  26   c  with flange portion  12   a  positioned against the outer face of the door skin in surrounding relation to opening  26   c  and with the yoke portion  12   b  extending downwardly through the opening to position the yoke in underlying relation to the door skin within the interior of the door; rear housing piece  14  is positioned proximate door skin opening  26   d  with flange  14   b  and the peripheral edge portion of key cylinder portion  14   a  positioned in surrounding relation to door skin opening  26   d  and with receptacle portion  14   c  extending downwardly through opening  26   d  to position the receptacle beneath the skin within the interior of the door; the front end  16   c  of handle  16  is pivotally mounted on housing piece  12  with pivot arm  16   b  passing downwardly through aperture  12   c  in the housing piece and through door skin opening  26   c  to position the pivot arm between the side walls  12   f  of the yoke of the housing piece with the pivot arm pivotally mounted on the housing piece via a pivot pin  30  passing through aligned apertures  12   h  and through an aperture  16   k  in pivot arm  16   b ; and the rear end  16   e  of the handle is positioned proximate housing piece  14  with latch finger  16   d  extending downwardly through aperture  14   g  to position the lower end  16   i  of the latch finger beneath the lower end of the receptacle within the interior of the door where the hook portion  16   h  engages one arm  32   a  of a bell crank latch actuator  32  positioned in the receptacle  14   c  via a pivot pin  34  mounted in receptacle walls  14   j  and  14   k . A latch link  36  is pivotally received at its upper end  36   a  in an aperture  32   b  in the other leg  32   c  of the bell crank actuator and a coil spring  38  is positioned around pin  34  with its opposite ends anchored in known manner to the housing piece  14  and to the bell crank actuator so as to provide a resilient resistance to pivotal movement of the actuator and thereby to opening movement of the handle. 
     Guide finger  16   j  guides in a slot  14   m  (FIG. 8) in the rear wall  14   k  of the receptacle  14   c  to guide the opening and closing movement of the handle and to define the limit of the opening movement of the handle by virtue of the engagement of the surface  161  of the guide finger with the upper edge  14   n  of slot  14   m.    
     In the closed position of the handle, conical boss  12   d  guides into a conical hollow depression  16   m  in the lower face of the handle proximate the front end  16   c  of the handle to facilitate proper alignment of the handle with the front housing piece  12 , a slot  16   n  on the lower face of the handle proximate the front end  16   e  of the handle is fitted over fin  14   h  to facilitate proper alignment of the handle with rear housing piece  14 , handle stepped seating surface  16   f  seats against rear housing step seating surface  14   f , and handle annular seating surface  16   g  seats against rear housing annular seating surface  14   i.    
     The front and rear housing pieces are suitably secured to the skin or other portion of the door. For example, an insert nut  40  may be positioned in the bore  12   e  of boss  12   d  of housing member  12  for receipt of a suitable fastener to secure front housing piece  12  to the skin or other portion of the door and a further insert nut  40  may be received in the bore  14   e  of housing piece  14  for receipt of a suitable fastener to secure the front piece to the skin or other portion of the door. It will be understood that pivotal movement of the door about the axis of pin  30  has the affect of pivoting latch actuator  32  about the axis of pin  34  to move the latch link  36  in a direction to unlatch a latch mechanism  42  of known form provided on the rear face of the door for coaction with a striker  44  on the B-pillar. It will be seen that the depression  26   b  provided in the outer skin of the door provides a recess behind the main body portion of the handle to facilitate the positioning of fingers behind the handle to move the handle to an open position. 
     The invention door handle assembly will be seen to provide many important advantages. Specifically, the use of separate front and rear housing pieces eliminates the need to remove a portion of the outer skin of the door to accommodate the central bowl of the usual housing member thereby affecting both labor and material savings; the amount of material required to form the housing is significantly reduced since the bulky central bowl portion has been totally eliminated; and the elimination of the bulky central portion of the housing provides styling freedom and specifically allows the design of a cleaner, more attractive door handle assembly. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.