Abstract:
An apparatus for operating an automotive vehicle door includes a pivoting door handle, a stop located exterior to the door and engageable by the handle to limit pivoting of the handle, a moveable door latch having an open state and a closed state, and a cable secured to the handle for transmitting movement of the handle to the latch.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to a door handle for an automotive vehicle, and more particularly to a mechanism for transmitting the handle&#39;s pivoting motion to a door latch. 
         [0002]    Generally the outside door handle of a motor vehicle includes a handle lever stop, which limits the range through which the door handle pivots. The handle lever stop is conventionally located inboard, i.e., on the interior surface of the door. This feature causes the distance from the window glass to the outer surface of the door panel to be about 55 mm. It is desirable to reduce the depth of the outside door handle sufficiently to enable the glass to outer panel dimension to be reduced to about 35 mm. 
         [0003]    Relocating the handle lever stop outboard to the cap reduces handle depth, but requires another method of transferring the opening energy from the handle to the door latch. Installing the handle assembly to the vehicle with a loose cable hanging from it is unacceptable. 
         [0004]    A need exists in the industry for an outside door handle that allows the outer door panel to be packaged closer to the window glass in order to enhance styling of the vehicle&#39;s body side. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0005]    An apparatus for operating an automotive vehicle door includes a pivoting door handle, a stop engageable by the handle to limit pivoting of the handle, a moveable door latch having an open state and a closed state, and a cable secured to the handle for transmitting movement of the handle to the latch. 
         [0006]    By moving a handle lever stop from a conventional position on the handle chassis to the handle cap, the stop can be moved outboard, thereby considerably reducing the depth of the handle packaging envelope. The reduced depth outside door handle allows the outside door handle to be packaged close to the side glass on the door, enabling a larger exterior styling envelope and leading to more dramatic body side styling. 
         [0007]    The scope of applicability of the preferred embodiment will become apparent from the following detailed description, claims and drawings. It should be understood, that the description and specific examples, although indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only. Various changes and modifications to the described embodiments and examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a door handle chassis secured to the interior of a door panel; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is perspective view showing the door handle, cap and bellcrank mounted on the handle chassis, with the door panel removed for clarity; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the cap and stop member shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the inboard surface of the door handle; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective side view of the door mechanism; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the door mechanism of  FIG. 1  showing the bellcrank connected to a door latch; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternate actuating mechanism. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in  FIG. 1  a door handle chassis  10 , preferably of molded plastic, secured to the inner surface of a door panel  12  at the location of a well or depression  14  where a door handle  16  and cap  18  are located on the outer surface of the panel  12 . 
         [0016]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show that the handle  16  is a lever that pivots at one end  19  and is restrained by a handle stop at an opposite end  20  to limit pivoting of the handle  16 . The cap  18  extends through the door panel  12 , is secured to the chassis  10 , and carries a handle lever stop member  22 . An arm  24 , extending inboard from the end  20  of handle  16 , travels in a channel  26  on the stop member  22  and contacts a stop surface  28  to limit the range in which the handle  16  can pivot. 
         [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a cable retainer  30  secured to the door handle  16  near the arm  24 . A cable  34  is retained to the door handle lever  16  with a snap-in retainer  30 , whose functions include retaining the cable to the handle chassis  10  in a pre-assembled condition, being retained in grooves on the handle lever  16 , snapping into a notch in a partially assembled position in the handle lever  16 , and snapping into a final position in the handle lever  16 . The cable retainer  30  is formed with a hole  32  through which a cable enters and is secured to the retainer  30  and the end  20  of the door handle  16 . 
         [0018]      FIGS. 2 and 5  show the cable  34  extending inboard from retainer  30 , engaging a pulley  36  mounted on the handle chassis  10  and connected to a bellcrank  38 , which is supported to pivot on an boss  40  formed on the inner surface of the chassis  10 . The bellcrank  38  has a first arm  42 , to which the cable  34  is connected, and a second arm  44  at the opposite side of the bellcrank pivot from arm  42 , for actuating a door latch. Preferably a torsion spring  46  engages boss  40  and bellcrank  38  and applies a moment to bellcrank  38  tending to pivot handle  16  inboard, arm  42  upward, and arm  44  downward. 
         [0019]    When the handle  16  is pulled outboard, arm  42  pivots downward and arm  44  pivots upward. A torsion spring  46  engages boss  40  and bellcrank  38  and applies a moment to the bellcrank tending to pivot handle  16  inboard, arm  42  upward, and arm  44  downward. When the handle  16  is released, arm  42  pivots upward and arm  44  pivots downward in the direction of the moment produced by spring  46 . Both the upward and downward positions of arms  42 ,  44  are illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  shows the positional state of the bellcrank  38  when handle  16  is released. An inertial lock lever pivots laterally on the handle chassis  10  toward and away from engagement with bellcrank  38 . When lever  50  is subjected to a high lateral acceleration directed outboard, the weighted end  52  of lever  50  pivots outboard and causes a latch  54  on the lower end of the lever to pivot inboard into engagement with bellcrank  38 , preventing bellcrank  38  from pivoting and retaining its arm  44  engaged with a door latch  62 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 6  shows a rod  60  connected to arm  44  of bellcrank  38  and connected at its opposite end to a door latch  62 , which alternately engages and disengages a striker. When arm  42  pivots upward, rod  60  moves latch  62  upward to disengage the striker and allow the door  12  to open as handle  16  is pulled outward. When arm  42  pivots downward, rod  60  moves latch  62  downward to engage the striker, preventing the door  12  from opening. 
         [0022]    Bellcrank  38  and pulley  36  may be replaced by a cable  66  and latch  72 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . The cable  66  is attached to the door handle  16 , moves in a conduit  68  along a cable track  70  formed in a handle chassis  10 ′ leading to the handle  16 , and is attached to the door latch  72 . The conduit encloses the cable along its length between the latch  72  and door handle  16 . 
         [0023]    When the door handle  16  is pulled outward, cable  66  moves latch  72  upward to disengage the striker and allow the door  12  to open. When the door handle  16  is released, latch  72  is forced downward by the cable  66  and handle  16 , causing the latch  72  to engage the striker and preventing the door  12  from opening. 
         [0024]    By moving the handle lever stop  28  from a conventional position on the handle chassis  10  to the handle cap  18 , the stop can be moved outboard, thereby considerably reducing the depth of the handle packaging envelope. 
         [0025]    While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims.