Abstract:
A holder has one end attached to a trunklid release cable jacket preferably by weldment. The holder has a pair of spaced deflectable lugs or projections into which the cable pull handle is snapped for storage. The holder is secured to the trunk component by integrally formed clips or bayonet push-in connection and thus the handle is secured to prevent rattling.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    In current production passenger motor vehicles it is required to provide a manual release for the trunklid or boot cover which may be activated from the interior of the trunk component. Typically, such internal trunklid latch releases employ a handle usually of a looped or T-shaped configuration attached to the end of a pull cable which has its opposite end attached to the lid latch release mechanism. The handle or loop is typically provided with a coating or layer of luminescent material which enables easy location from the interior of the compartment in the absence of any artificial illumination therein.  
           [0002]    Known arrangements for an internal trunklid latch release include a tension or pull cable slidably received in a jacket which is connected at one end to the latch mechanism with the remote end anchored to the vehicle&#39;s trunk compartment structure and has a handle attached to the pull cable. Such arrangements have left the release handle dangling or free to move about at the end of the flexible pull cable, which has created undesirable noise from the handle rattling against the vehicle structure. Attempts have been made to solve this problem by adhesively attaching looped fabric to the handle and to the attachment structure in order that the handle may be releasably held down until needed by the user. However, this arrangement has proven difficult to install in vehicles in which the trunk compartment is not finished with interior trim panels. Accordingly, it has been desired to provide a way to releasably hold down the trunklid&#39;s latch release handle in a manner which is easy to release for the user yet is low in cost and easy to install during vehicle assembly.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The present invention provides a technique for securing a trunklid internal release latch handle from rattling during vehicle use and provides a holder joined to the end of the release cable jacket. The holder has deflectable portions with detent surfaces formed thereon in a manner which permits the release handle to be frictionally and releasably secured to the holder and easily removed by a user when it is desired to pull on the release cable for releasing the trunklid latch.  
           [0004]    The holder is joined to the end of the cable jacket remote from the release latch mechanism preferably by weldment such as spin welding or sonic welding; however, it may alternatively be joined by insert molding or a bayonet push-in connection such as one of the barbed type.  
           [0005]    The present invention thus provides a simple and low cost, easy to install holder for a trunklid internal latch release handle which stores the handle frictionally engaged to prevent rattling during vehicle operation but permit ready release of the handle when it is desired to pull on the latch release cable. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the assembly of the present invention showing the release handle attached to the cable and the holder joined to the end of the cable jacket with the handle in the released position;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the handle frictionally engaged in the stored position in the holder;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a view from the opposite end of the assembly with the handle in the stored position in the holder;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a top view of the holder of the embodiment of FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the holder of FIG. 4;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the holder of FIG. 4; and,  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention with the handle in the stored position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, the assembly is indicated generally at  10  and includes a release cable  12  slidably received in a jacket  14  which is adapted to be connected at a remote end thereof (not shown) to a trunklid latch mechanism (not shown). The opposite or proximate end of the cable is shown joined to a holder indicated generally at  16  by encasement in a cable jacket attachment portion  18  formed at one end thereof. A handle  20  has a groove  22  formed therein into which is received the end of the cable  12  with a cable anchor or a ferrule  24  swaged onto the end of the cable  12  and received in an enlarged recess having a shoulder  25  against which the ferrule is registered when the cable is under tension by the user pulling on the handle.  
         [0014]    The holder  16  has a base portion  26  extending from the cable jacket attachment portion  18 , which base portion has at the remote end thereof a pair of generally parallel spaced tabs or stanchions  28 ,  30  extending upwardly therefrom which have preferably cammed detent surfaces respectively  32 ,  34  formed thereon. A second pair of spaced generally parallel upstanding lugs  36 ,  38  is provided intermediate the end portion  18  and the lugs  28 ,  30  with the second pair of lugs  36 ,  38  disposed to extend in generally the same direction as lugs  28 ,  30  and spaced to provide for locating the handle on the holder  16 .  
         [0015]    The end portions of the base  16  remote from portion  18  are formed at right angles thereto and in generally spaced parallel relationship to the lugs  28 ,  30  as denoted by reference numerals  40 ,  42 ; and, the ends have each a finger or deflectable tab  44 ,  46  formed thereon and extending at right angles thereto and in the direction so as to be parallel to the base  16 . The projections or lugs  44 ,  46  are formed so as to be resiliently deflectable to permit the base  16  to be clipped over the edge of a panel forming portions of the interior of the trunk compartment.  
         [0016]    In operation, the handle  20  is moved from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the narrow portion  48  of the handle is brought into contact with the detent surfaces  32 ,  34  in camming engagement and deflects the tabs  28 ,  30  outwardly and snaps over the detent surfaces  32 ,  34  which allows lugs  28 ,  30  to return to their undeflected position. The handle  20  is thus retained therebetween and further guided in position by the tabs or stanchions  36 ,  38 . The user need only pull the handle outwardly to cause portion  48  to contact the camming undersurface of the detents  32 ,  34  and spread the tabs  30 ,  32  to effect release of the handle from the holder.  
         [0017]    Referring to FIG. 7, another embodiment of the invention is indicated generally at  50  and has a holder indicated generally at  52  which has a base portion  54  with a cable jacket receptacle portion  56  formed at one end thereof having a cable jacket  58  received therein and joined and retained by suitable expedient such as weldment, adhesives or barbed bayonet connection. A pull cable  60  extends from the cable jacket and is secured in the end of a handle  62  in a manner similar to that of the embodiment of FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    Holder  52  has a pair of guide lugs  64 ,  66  extending upwardly therefrom generally at right angles and spaced parallel arrangement. Guide lugs  64 ,  66  are located and spaced so as to be disposed on opposite sides of the handle  62  for locating the handle on the holder. The end of base  54  opposite the cable receiving portion  56  has a pair of downwardly extending locating projections  68 ,  70  formed thereon and a pair of upwardly extending stanchions or posts  72 ,  74  for further guiding the narrow portion or neck  76  of the handle  62 . Holder base  54  also has an upstanding pair of spaced lugs or tabs disposed in spaced parallel arrangement intermediate end stanchions  72 ,  74 , and guide lugs  64 ,  66 , one of which is visible in FIG. 7 and denoted by reference numeral  78 . It will be understood that these tabs such as  78  contained cammed detent surfaces and function in an identical manner as the tabs  28 ,  30  in the embodiment of FIG. 1 for frictionally engaging the neck  76  of the handle and retaining same in the stored position in the holder as shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0019]    The bottom of the base  54 , in addition to the downwardly extending locating tabs or projections  68 ,  70  has a barbed bayonet insert type retaining projection  80  which is adapted to be inserted in a mounting hole in the trunk compartment with the projection  68 ,  70  either locating against the edge of a panel or inserted into correspondingly located mounting apertures or a slot formed in the trunk compartment. It will be understood that the locating tabs  68 ,  70  and the barbed connector  80  replace the function of the mounting lugs  44 ,  46  of the embodiment of FIG. 1.  
         [0020]    The present invention thus provides a low-cost, simple to attach and install holder for a trunk latch release cable handle for storing the handle and preventing it from rattling during normal vehicle operation, yet permitting ease of removal for operation in the event it is necessary to release the trunklid latch from inside the trunk compartment.  
         [0021]    Although the invention has hereinabove been described with respect to the illustrated embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims.