Abstract:
A handle assembly selectively allows the door latch of a door of a motor vehicle to be released. The handle assembly includes a base fixedly secured to the door. The handle assembly also includes a handle portion and a lock trigger. The handle portion is operatively connected to a door latch mechanism effectuating the opening of the door. The lock trigger is movably engaged with the handle portion to allow or disallow the movement of the handle assembly and hence the opening of the door.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to an outside handle assembly for a motor vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a locking mechanism for preventing inadvertent release of a motor vehicle door when a handle portion of a handle assembly moves at an acceleration above a predetermined threshold.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0002]     Motor vehicles include at least one outside door handle for releasing a door latch mechanism in order to open a door. Typically, a user actuates the outside door handle by pivoting a handle portion relative to a base. The handle portion may, however, also be pivoted when the outside door handle is exposed to a high inertia force. The pivoting of the handle portion relative to the base in response to the high inertia force can cause inadvertent opening of the door.  
         [0003]     In recent years, there has been development of locking mechanisms to attempt to prevent the opening of a vehicular door in the event of such a high inertia force. While the existing mechanisms work for some crash situations, there is a need in the art for a locking mechanism that does not allow the vehicle door to open in the event of a high acceleration impact or during a vehicle rollover.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a handle assembly for selectively allowing the door latch of a door of a motor vehicle to be released. The handle assembly includes a base fixedly secured to the door. The handle assembly also includes a handle portion and a lock trigger. The handle portion is operatively connected to a door latch mechanism effectuating the opening of the door. The lock trigger is movably engaged with the handle portion to allow or disallow the movement of the handle assembly and hence the opening of the door.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]     Advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a motor vehicle including a handle assembly;  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a handle assembly in the locked position;  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  3 - 3  of a handle assembly in the locked position;  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of a second embodiment of a handle assembly in a locked position;  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of the second embodiment of the handle assembly in an unlocked position;  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a third embodiment of a handle assembly;  
         [0012]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the handle assembly of  FIG. 6 ; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a lock trigger of the handle assembly of  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0014]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a handle assembly, generally indicated at  10 , is mounted to a door  12  of a motor vehicle  14 . The handle assembly  10  is operatively connected to a door latch mechanism  16 . When the door latch mechanism  16  is unlocked, the handle assembly  10  may be actuated from outside the motor vehicle  14  to unlatch the door latch mechanism  16  and open the door  12 .  
         [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a first embodiment of the handle assembly  10  includes a base  18  adapted to be fixedly secured to the door  12 . The base  18  defines an aperture  20  having a handle edge  20   a  and a lock edge  20   b.  A handle portion  22  is pivotally coupled to the base  18  at the handle edge  20   a.  The handle portion  22  includes a grip  24  that is manually grasped by a user for pivoting the handle portion  22  at the handle edge  20   a  relative to the base  18  in order to actuate the handle assembly  10 . The handle portion  22  pivots outwards from and back towards the base  20  and is operably connected to the door latch mechanism  16 .  
         [0016]     The handle assembly  10  also includes a lock trigger  28  pivotally coupled to the base  18  at the lock edge  20   b  of the aperture  20  for preventing inadvertent release of the door latch mechanism  16  when an unintended force causes the handle portion  22  to pivot relative to the base  20 . The lock trigger  28  moves inwardly to unlock the handle portion  22  and back towards the outer face of the base  18  to lock the handle portion  22 . The lock trigger  28  locks the handle portion  22  by abutting thereagainst preventing the pivotal movement of the handle portion  22 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , a cross section of the handle assembly  10  is shown along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . The handle portion  22  and the lock trigger  28  are shaped such that pivoting of the handle portion  22  outward in the direction shown by the arrow C about the handle edge  20   a  of the base  18  is prevented unless the lock trigger  28  is first pivoted inward in the direction shown by the arrow D about the lock edge  20   b  of the base  18 .  
         [0017]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , wherein like primed reference numerals represent similar elements as those described above, a second embodiment of the handle assembly  10 ′ is shown. The handle assembly  10 ′ includes a base  18 ′ adapted to be fixedly secured to the door  12 . The handle assembly  10 ′ further includes a handle portion  22 ′ operatively connected to the door latch mechanism  16 ′ and a lock trigger  28 ′ for preventing inadvertent release of the door latch mechanism  16 ′.  
         [0018]     The handle portion  22 ′ is pivotally coupled to the base  18 ′ by a first pivot pin  29 . A handle bias spring  30 , operatively connected to the pivot pin  29 , biases the handle portion  22 ′ towards the base  18 ′. The handle portion  22 ′ further includes an internal handle arm  32  and a grip  24 ′ that is manually grabbed by a user for pivoting the handle portion  22 ′ relative to the base  18 ′ in order to actuate the handle assembly  10 ′. The handle portion  22 ′ pivots about the pivot pin  29  and is operatively connected to the door latch mechanism  16 ′. Preferably the grip  24 ′ is substantially L-shaped to facilitate a user pulling the handle portion  22 ′ with a cupped hand, but it should be appreciated that the grip  24 ′ could be a variety of shapes. The handle portion  22 ′ also includes a lock tab  44  and will be discussed in more detail hereinbelow.  
         [0019]     The handle assembly  10 ′ also includes a lock trigger  28 ′ pivotally coupled to the base  18 ′ by a second pivot pin  35 . The lock trigger  28 ′ includes a lock arm  36  that abuts the grip  24 ′ to prevent the user from grabbing and pulling the grip  24 ′ without first activating the lock trigger  28 ′ by pivoting (pushing) the lock trigger  28 ′ towards the base  18 ′. The handle assembly  10 ′ further includes a hook lever  40  pivotally coupled to the base  18 ′ by a third pivot pin  42 , for preventing pivoting of the handle portion  22 ′ until the lock trigger  28 ′ has been activated. A positioning spring  43 , operatively connected to the third pivot pin  42 , biases the hook lever  40  to selectively abut against the lock trigger  28 ′ and interfere with the movement thereof. The hook lever  40  includes a handle tab  46  that extends upwardly therefrom. When locked, the handle tab  46  interferes with the handle portion  22 ′ by blocking the path of the lock tab  44 , thus preventing pivoting of the handle portion  22 ′.  
         [0020]     In operation, the handle assembly  22 ′ starts in the locked position as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the locked position, the handle tab  46  of the hook lever  40  engages with the lock tab  44  of the handle portion  22 ′ to prevent pivoting of the handle portion  22 ′ and thereby preventing the opening of the door  12 ′. In order to open the door  12 ′, the user must first push the lock trigger  28 ′ inwards causing the lock trigger  28 ′ to pivot towards the base  18 ′. As the lock trigger  28 ′ pivots about the second pivot pin  35 , it operatively engages the hook lever  40 , thereby causing the hook lever  40  to pivot against the positioning spring  43 . The pivoting of the hook lever  40  causes the handle tab  46  to move away from its blocking orientation of the lock tab  44  of the handle portion  22 ′, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Once the user has pushed the lock trigger  28 ′ inwardly (or inboard), and the handle tab  46  has moved away from the lock tab  44 , the user may then pull or pivot the grip  24 ′ of the handle portion  22 ′ to activate the door latch mechanism  16 ′ and open the door  12 ′. Once the user releases the handle portion  22 ′ and the lock trigger  28 ′, the handle bias spring  30  and positioning spring  43  urge the handle assembly  10 ′ to return to the locked position.  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , wherein like double primed reference numerals represent similar elements as those described above, a third embodiment of the handle assembly  10 ″ is shown. The handle assembly  10 ″ includes a base  18 ″ adapted to be fixedly secured to the door  12 ″. The base  18 ″ includes a leg aperture  50  having a relief  51 . The handle assembly  10 ″ further includes a handle portion  22 ″ having an outboard side  52  and an opposite inboard side  54 , the handle portion  22 ″ being operatively connected to the door latch mechanism  16 ″ and a lock trigger  28 ″. The handle portion  22 ″ includes a grip  24 ″ that is manually grabbed by a user for pulling the handle portion  22 ″ in an outboard direction relative to the base  18 ″ in order to actuate the handle assembly  10 ″. The handle portion  22 ″ has a door end  56  and an opposite, base end  58 . The base end  58  further includes a leg  60  extending outwardly therefrom into the door  12 ″ and extending through the leg aperture  50  of the base  18 ″, allowing for a sliding engagement between the leg  60  and the leg aperture  50 . The door end  56  of the handle portion  22 ″ is adapted to be pivotally engaged with the door  12 ″.  
         [0022]     With this configuration, the handle assembly  10 ″ operates as a strap type outside handle as is known in the art. Typically, the user will grasp the grip  24 ″ of the handle portion  22 ″ and pull the handle portion  22 ″ outboard relative to the base  18 ″. Pulling the handle portion  22 ″ causes the door end  56  of the handle portion  22 ″ to pivot relative to the door  12 ″ while the leg  60  at the base end  58  slides through the leg aperture  50  allowing the base end  58  of the handle portion  22 ″ to extend away from the base  18 ″.  
         [0023]     The leg  60  of the handle portion  22 ″ includes a stop tab  62  having a fixed end  63  and an opposite stop end  64 . The fixed end  63  of the stop tab  62  is fixedly secured to the leg  60  while the stop end  64  is movable relative to the leg  60  in a springboard-like motion. The stop end  64  of the stop tab  62  includes a boss  65  which abuts the relief  51  of the leg aperture  50 , thereby preventing the leg  60  from sliding through the leg aperture  50  in an outboard direction.  
         [0024]     The handle assembly  10 ″ further includes a lock trigger  28 ″ on the inboard side  54  of the handle portion  22 ″, to selectively disengage the boss  65  of the stop tab  62  from the relief  51  of the leg aperture  50 , to allow the sliding of the leg  60  through the aperture  50  and thereby release the door  12 ″. Referring to  FIG. 8 , the lock trigger  28 ″ has a mounting end  66  and a distal end  68 . The mounting end  66  includes a spring  70 , preferably a cantilever spring, fixedly attached to the mounting end  66  by a mounting pin  72 . The lock trigger  28 ″ is pivotally attached to the base end  58  of the handle portion  22 ″ by the mounting pin  72  as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The mounting pin  72  defines a pivot axis, which is located such that full inertia balancing of the lock trigger  28 ″ is possible. The spring  70  urges the lock trigger  28 ″ away from the handle portion  22 ″. The mounting end  66  of the lock trigger  28 ″ further includes a tip  74  for engagement with the stop tab  62  of the leg  60 . When the lock trigger  28 ″ is pulled toward the handle portion  22 ″, the tip  74  of the lock trigger  28 ″ slides over the boss  65  of the stop tab  62 , thereby pressing the stop tab  62  towards the leg  60 . Once pressed towards the leg  60 , the boss  65  of the stop tab  62  no longer abuts the relief  51  of the leg aperture  50 , thereby allowing the leg  60  to slide through the aperture  50  in an outboard direction.  
         [0025]     In operation, the lock trigger  28 ″ prevents the normal operation of the user pulling the handle portion  22 ″ to open the door  12 ″ unless the lock trigger  28 ″ is first activated. When in the locked position, the cantilever spring  70  of the lock trigger  28 ″ urges the lock trigger  28 ″ away from the handle portion  22 ″. When in this position, the tip  74  of the lock trigger does not pressingly engage the boss  65  of the stop tab  62 . As such, the boss  65  abuts the relief  51  of the leg aperture  50 , thereby preventing movement of the handle portion  22 ″ in the outboard direction by preventing the sliding movement of the leg  60  through the leg aperture  50 . Thus, if a force is applied to pull the handle portion  22 ″ in an outboard direction without engaging the lock trigger  28 ″, the handle assembly  10 ″ is locked and will not allow release of the door  12 ″.  
         [0026]     To unlock the handle assembly  10 ″ and release the car door  12 ″, the operator must first pull the lock trigger  28 ″ toward the handle portion  22 ″ (outward movement relative to the door  12 ″). As the lock trigger  28 ″ is urged toward the handle portion  22 ″, the tip  74  of the lock trigger  28 ″ moves over the boss  65  of the stop tab  62 , pressing the stop end  64  of the stop tab  62  towards the leg  60 . Once the stop tab  62  is pressed towards the leg  60 , the boss  65  no longer abuts with the relief  51  of the leg aperture  50 , unlocking the handle assembly  10 ″ by allowing the leg  60  to slide through the aperture  50 . Once unlocked, the operator can pull the handle portion  22 ″ in an outboard direction to activate the door latch mechanism  16 ″ and release the door  12 ″.  
         [0027]     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.  
         [0028]     Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.