Abstract:
Disclosed is a door handle for a vehicle that includes an operation button which is pushed so as to unlock a door of the vehicle. The door handle includes a handle base plate to which the operation button is attached. A sliding wall is provided on the handle base plate and is in sliding contact with the operation button and guides the operation button. An arm has one end that moves linearly in a direction substantially orthogonal to the door when one end of the arm is pressed due to the operation button being pressed. Guiding structure is provided between the arm and the handle base plate. The guiding structure provides fixed guiding surfaces which slidably guide another end of the arm in a direction extending along the door when the arm moves. An unlocking cable is connected to the arm and is operable to unlock the door. Urging structure is configured to urge the arm in a direction such that the operation button returns to a position at which the operation button was located before being pressed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a door handle for a vehicle, and more particularly to a door handle for a vehicle that is provided with an operation button for unlocking a door of the vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, there has been known a door handle for a vehicle that has a door-unlocking button provided at one longitudinal end of the handle. Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) Nos. 63-37766 and 57-185862 disclose examples of the structure of such a door handle. A description will now be given of the door handle disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) No. 57-185862. 
     As shown in FIG. 9, a door handle 70 for a vehicle is designed such that while gripping a grip portion 72a, a passenger depresses a push button 74 against urging force of a spring 76. 
     As shown in FIG. 10, when the push button 74 is depressed from a position indicated by a solid line to a position indicted by a two-dot chain line, a bell crank 78 rotates in the clockwise direction (i.e., in the direction indicated by arrow Y) in FIG. 10 about a shaft 80 and reaches a position indicated by a two-dot chain line. With this operation, a rod 82 moves from a position indicated by a solid line to a position indicted by a two-dot chain line, so that the engagement between a door lock and a striker provided on a body side (both unillustrated) is canceled. 
     However, in the door handle 70, when the push button 74 is depressed as shown in FIG. 10, a shaft 84 connected to the push button 74 moves toward the inside of the door (i.e., the direction indicated by arrow X in FIG. 10). The stroke of the shaft 84 determines the rotational angle of the bell crank 78 and the amount by which the rod 82 is lowered. 
     Accordingly, it is necessary to maintain a large space for movement of the shaft 84 within the door at a location corresponding to the push button 74 and to provide a space for rotation of the bell crank 78. Therefore, when the conventional door handle 70 is employed, the door must have a large thickness at a location where the handle 70 is attached. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing fact, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a door handle for a vehicle that can decrease the thickness of a door at a location where the door handle is attached. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door handle for a vehicle including an operation button that is pushed so as to unlock a door of the vehicle. The door handle includes a handle base plate to which the operation button is attached, and a sliding wall provided on the handle base plate. The sliding wall is in sliding contact with the operation button and guides the operation button. There are further provided an arm, guide means, an unlocking cable, and urging means. The arm moves when one end of the arm is pressed due to the operation button being pressed. The guide means is provided between the arm and the handle base plate and is adapted to move the other end of the arm in a direction along a door attachment surface of the handle base plate when the arm moves. The unlocking cable is connected to the arm and is operable to unlock the door. The urging means urges the arm in a direction such that the operation button returns to a position at which the operation button was located before being pressed. 
     Accordingly, when the operation button is pressed so that the operation button slides along the sliding wall while being guided thereby, one end of the arm is pressed by the operation button so that the arm is moved. At this time, the other end of the arm moves in the direction along the door attachment surface of the handle base plate. Due to this movement, the unlocking cable connected to the arm is drawn in an unlocking direction, so that the door is unlocked. Accordingly, the door handle of the present invention has an excellent effect of decreasing the thickness of the door at the location where the door handle is attached to the door. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, the arm is bent toward the door attachment surface of the handle base plate. 
     Accordingly, the arm does not interfere with the sliding wall of the handle base plate even when the operation button is pressed. Moreover, the space on the door attachment surface around the operation button can be minimized. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a door handle for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the upper portion of the door handle for a vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view showing the upper portion of the door handle for a vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 and showing a state in which an operation button of the door handle, according to the embodiment of the present invention, is pushed; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing guide means of a door handle for a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the abutment between the lower end portion of an arm and an operation button of a door handle for a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8--8 in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of a conventional door handle for a vehicle; and 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10--10 in FIG. 9. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A door handle according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-5. 
     In these drawings, arrow FR indicates a direction toward the front end of a door, arrow UP indicates a direction toward the top of the door, and arrow IN indicates a direction toward the interior of the door. Hereinafter, &#34;inner side of the door&#34; denotes the surface of the door facing the interior of the vehicle, and &#34;outer side of the door&#34; denotes the surface of the door facing the exterior of the vehicle. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, a door handle 10 is integrally formed on a door trim provided on the inside of a door, and a handle base plate 12 is disposed on the back surface of the door trim. The handle base plate 12 extends in the vertical direction of the door. An operation button 14 is disposed on the upper portion of a door attachment surface 12A of the handle base plate 12 such that the operation button 14 can be pressed in a direction toward the outside of the door (in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1). 
     As shown in FIG. 2, on the upper portion of the door attachment surface 12A of the door base plate 12 is provided an operation button support portion 16 that has a rectangular tubular shape and that projects toward the inside of the door. At the lower-side portion of the inner-side opening of the operation button support portion 16 is formed a projection 18 that projects toward the center of the opening. A stepped portion 14A, which projects downward from the lower portion of the peripheral wall of the operation button 14, is formed in the vicinity of the base portion of the operation button 14. This stepped portion 14A is engaged with the projection 18 of the operation button support member 16. Moreover, a projection 19, which projects toward the center of the opening, is formed at the upper-side portion of the inner-side opening of the operation button support portion 16. A stepped portion 14B, which projects upward from the upper portion of the peripheral wall of the operation button 14, is formed in the vicinity of the base portion of the operation button 14. This stepped portion 14B is engaged with the projection 19 of the operation button support member 16. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, each of the front and rear walls of the operation button support portion 16 serves as a sliding wall 16A that is in contact with part of the peripheral surface of the operation button 14 and guides sliding movement of the operation button 14. Formed in each sliding wall 16A is a guide slit 20 that extends perpendicularly with respect to the door attachment surface 12A of the handle base plate 12. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, each of the guide slits 20 has a substantially h-like shape as viewed from the side. A branch portion 20B is formed above a straight base portion 20A. The bottom end 20C of the base portion 20A of the guide slit 20 is closed, while the bottom end of the branch portion 20B is opened. 
     At the upper portion of an outer side surface 12B (i.e., a surface facing the outside of the door) of the handle base plate 12 is formed guide slits 22 that extend in the vertical direction of the door along the door attachment surface 12A of the handle base plate 12 and that serves as guiding structure. The longitudinal direction of the guide slits 22 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide slits 20. At the upper end portion of each guide slit 22 is formed an opening 22A that faces the outside of the door. 
     On the outer side surface 12B of the handle base plate 12 there is disposed an arm 24 that extends in the vertical direction of the door along the door attachment surface 12A of the handle base plate 12. The arm 24 is bent at its approximate longitudinal center such that one end portion approaches the door attachment surface 12A of the handle base plate 12. 
     Cylindrical protrusions 26, which project from the upper end portion 24A in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the arm 24 and which serve as a guide means, are provided at the upper end portion 24A of the arm 24. As indicated by an arrow in FIG. 4, the protrusions 26 can be moved into the guide slits 22 through the openings 22A. 
     Cylindrical protrusions 28, which project from the lower end portion 24B in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the arm 24 and which serve as an auxiliary guiding structure, are provided at the lower end portion 24B of the arm 24. The protrusions 28 can be moved into the base portions 20A of the guide slits 20 through the branch portions 20B. The protrusions 28 are disposed such that they abut the end portion of the operation button 14 that face the outside of the door. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, upon pressing operation of the operation button 14, the protrusions 28 of the arm 24 move in the direction of arrow A along the guide slits 20 and abut the bottom portions 20C of the guide slits 20. 
     Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 1, when the operation button 14 moves in the direction of arrow A, the protrusions 28 of the arm 24 moves in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 while being guided by the guide slits 20. At the same time, the protrusions 26 of the arm 24 moves in a direction along the door attachment surface 12A of the handle base plate 12 (in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1) while being guided by the guide slits 22. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower end portion 24B of the arm 24 moves from a position inside the operation button support member 16 (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2) to a position along the handle base plate 12 (a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). 
     As shown in FIG. 1, one end portion 30A of a coil spring 30 that serves as a biasing element is in engagement with the protrusion 26 of the arm 24, while the other end portion 30B of the coil spring 30 is in engagement with a pin 32. The pin 32 projects from the upper end portion of an engagement portion 12C that projects from the substantially vertical direction central portion of the outer side surface 12B of the handle base plate 12. The coil spring 30 urges the protrusion 26 of the arm 24 downward (in a direction opposite the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1). Therefore, in a normal state, the arm 24 is located at the position shown in FIG. 1 due the urging force of the coil spring 30, and the operation button 14 is located at its projected position (the position shown in FIG. 1). 
     As shown in FIG. 2, a cable engagement hole 34, which is formed on the side of the protrusions 26 closer to the outside of the door, is provided at the upper end portion 24A of the arm 24. One end portion 36A of an unlocking cable 36 is engaged with the cable engagement hole 34. Although not shown in the drawings, the other end portion of the unlocking cable 36 is connected to a door unlocking device. 
     Accordingly, when the arm 24 is moved from the position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 against the urging force of the coil spring 30, the end portion 36A of the unlocking cable 36 is pulled, so that the unlocking cable 36 moves toward the upper end of the door (i.e., in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2). With this operation, the door is unlocked. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, at the lower portion of the handle base plate 12, a lock knob support portion 40 is formed such that it projects toward the inside of the door. A lock knob 42 is supported by the lock knob support portion 40 such that the lock knob 42 can be swung toward the upper end of the door (i.e., in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 1) and toward the lower end of the door (i.e., In the direction opposite the direction of arrow D in FIG. 1). On walls 42A of the lock knob 42 that extend perpendicularly to the swing direction of the lock knob 42 are formed cylindrical projections 44. The cylindrical projections 44 are inserted into holes 46 formed in wall portions 40A of the lock knob support portion 40. 
     In an end portion 42B of the lock knob 42 closer to the outside of the door is formed a cable engagement hole 50. One end 52A of a cable 52 is engaged with the cable engagement hole 50. Although not shown in the drawings, the other end of the cable 52 is connected to a door locking mechanism. When the lock knob 42 is rotated in the direction of arrow D from the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1, the cable 52 moves toward the lower end of the door (i.e., in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 1), so that the door is brought into an unlockable state. 
     Next, operation of the present embodiment will be described. 
     In the present embodiment, the lock knob 42 is first rotated in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 1 so as to make the door unlockable. In this state, when a passenger grips the door handle 10 and pushes the operation button 14 in the direction of arrow A with a fingertip, the operation button 14 moves within the operation button support portion 16 of the handle base plate 12. 
     Due to the movement of the operation button 14, the lower end portion 24B of the arm 24 is moved in the direction of arrow A, as shown in FIG. 5, via the protrusions 28 formed on the lower end portion 24B and being in engagement with the operation button 14. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the protrusions 28 move along the base portions 20A of the guide slits 20 against the urging force of the coil spring 30, and the projections 26 move along the guide slits 22. When the arm 24 moves from the position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the end portion 36A of the unlocking cable 36 is pulled, so that the unlocking cable 36 moves toward the upper end of the door (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2). As a result, the door is unlocked. 
     Meanwhile, when the finger is removed from the operation button 14, the arm 24 moves from the position indicated by the two-dot chain line to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2. Due to this movement of the arm 24, the unlocking cable 36 moves toward the lower end of the door (in the direction opposite the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2), so that the operation button 14 returns to the position assumed by the operation button 14 before being pressed. 
     Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the amount of projection of the arm 24 from the outer side surface 12B of the handle base plate 12 is very small, as shown in FIG. 2, even when the operation button 14 is pressed. That is, the distance H from the outer side surface 12B of the handle base plate 12 that is necessary for movement of the arm 24 is substantially equal to the maximum width W of the upper end portion 24A of the arm 24. Accordingly, the door thickness at the location where the door handle is attached can be decreased as compared to the conventional door handle shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. 
     Moreover, in the present embodiment, the arm 24 is bent at about its longitudinal center such that one end of the arm approaches toward the door attachment surface 12A of the handle base plate 12. Accordingly, the arm 24 does not interfere with the sliding wall 16A of the operation button support portion 16 even when the operation button 14 is pressed, so that the space on the door attachment surface around the operation button 14 can be minimized. 
     Moreover, in the present embodiment, since the guide means is formed by the guide slits 22 and the protrusions 26, the structure is simple. 
     In the present embodiment, the guides slits 20 that extend substantially perpendicularly to the door attachment surface 12A of the handle base plate 12 and the protrusions 28 of the arm 24 that move within the guide slits 20 are provided as an auxiliary guiding structure. Therefore, the arm 24 can be reliably moved in the direction perpendicular to the door attachment surface 12A by the guidance provided by the guide slits 20 and the protrusions 28. 
     In the door handle for a vehicle according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the guide slits 22 are formed on the handle base plate 12, while the protrusions 26 that move within the guide slits 22 are formed on the arm 24. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 6, guide slits 54 may be formed in the arm 24 as a guiding structure such that the guide slits 54 extends along the substantially longitudinal direction of the arm 24, and protrusions 56 may be formed on the handle base plate 12 as a guiding structure such that the protrusions 56 are movable within the guide slits 54. 
     In the door handle for a vehicle according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the protrusions 28 are formed on the lower end portion 24B of the arm 24, and the protrusions 28 are moved within the guide slits 20. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, protrusions 58 may be formed on the operation button 14 as an auxiliary guiding structure, and the protrusions 58 may be moved within the guide slits 20. The protrusions 58 function as stoppers that prevent the operation button 14 from coming off in the pressing direction Therefore, when there is provided a stopper that prevents the arm 24 or the operation button 14 from moving beyond a predetermined range that extends toward the outside of the door, the guide slits 20 and the protrusions 28, 58 that serve as an auxiliary guiding structure may be omitted. 
     Although the specific embodiments of the present invention are described above, the present invention is not limited to those embodiments. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that other various embodiments may be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, although the door handle for a vehicle of the present invention is applied to a door inner handle in the above-described embodiment, the door handle of the present invention can be applied to a door outer handle.