Abstract:
A device for opening wings of a motor vehicle, more particularly for opening vehicle doors and vehicle hinged lids. An exterior handle is connected to a closing system. The exterior handle is arranged in the exterior skin of the a motor vehicle and is subjected to the action of a spring force. The exterior handle includes a holding fixture which can be brought into contact in an interactive manner with a connecting element which can be inserted from the exterior. In addition, the one end of the connecting element which is assigned to the closing system can be interactively connected to an actuating element which unlatches the one blocking element of the closing system. The other end of the connecting element is displaceably mounted on an insertion part which can be inserted from the exterior skin and which can be fixed with regard to the exterior skin.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of PCT International Application Number PCT/DE99/01696 filed on Jun. 4, 1999 and German patent Application No. 19826778.9, filed on Jun. 11, 1998. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a device for opening wings of a motor vehicle, more particularly for opening vehicle doors and vehicle hinged lids. 
     BACKGROUND 
     From DE 44 05 383 A1 an exterior handle assembly for a motor vehicle door is known having a bearing yoke which can be prefitted on the inside of the door exterior panel and in which are installed a draw bar separated from the door handle and acting on a lock release lever, as well as a holding plate for a closing cylinder. The door handle, which is loaded with spring force, and the closing cylinder are able to be mounted from outside by means of a detent device when the door is closed. For assembly, three openings are provided, namely a bearing opening for mounting the door handle, an operating opening for connecting the door handle to the draw bar, as well as a closing opening for the closing cylinder. 
     The known exterior handle assembly has a number of complicated individual parts so that the cost of manufacturing and assembling the known exterior door assembly is really quite high. Furthermore there is the drawback that the known assembly takes up a lot of room in the space between the exterior panel of the door and the interior panel. Furthermore the assembly has a relatively large number of openings in the exterior panel of the door which have to be sealed at high cost in order to prevent moisture from penetrating into the space between the interior and exterior panels of the door. 
     Furthermore, in order to connect the exterior handle assembly to the locking system (door lock), there are always at least three assembly steps which are required. First the draw bar which acts on the lock release lever has to be pre-assembled. Then in individual assembly steps, the door handle is connected to the draw bar, and the closing cylinder is connected to the locking system. 
     Thus there is a need for a device for opening wings of a motor vehicle which is simple and cost-effective to manufacture and which can be fitted at low cost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The device according to the invention has the advantage that an exterior handle of a wing, e.g. a door, and a connecting element which can be inserted from the exterior skin of a motor vehicle can be brought into interaction with each other so that the exterior handle and the connecting element are mutually entrained. By way of example, when the exterior handle is operated to open a vehicle door, the exterior handle entrains the connecting element. During the reverse procedure, the connecting element then entrains the exterior handle. The connecting element thereby serves as a connection between the exterior handle and a closing system of the door. 
     The device according to the invention furthermore has a small number of individual parts which can be manufactured without complication and at low cost. Furthermore, the small number of parts and their simple method of construction enables a low-cost assembly. More particularly, it is possible by means of an individual assembly step to connect the exterior handle to the closing system fixed inside a bodywork chamber. The term “closing system” is meant here as a lock with its individual components. 
     The space required by the device is small so that it can be installed without problem, in particular, in doors having a small structural space. Additionally, there is the special advantage that the device for connecting the exterior handle to the closing system enables fitting to be carried out from the outside of the door. In this way, assembly is particularly easy and simple. It is also ensured that a door which is already painted no longer becomes scratched during the assembly. 
     According to the invention, the connecting element is displaceably mounted on an insert part which can be inserted from the exterior skin of the vehicle door, and can be fixed relative to the exterior skin. This insert part preferably has a closing cylinder for manually actuating the closing system. As an alternative or in addition the insert part has an infrared receiver of an infrared control for automatically actuating the closing system. 
     In a further development of the invention the insert part has an illumination unit. This makes it easier to actuate the closing system manually by means of the closing cylinder in darkness. 
     A rotatable paddle of the closing cylinder mounted in the insert part is preferably in engagement with a follower of the closing system. By operating the closing cylinder, the paddle is moved so that a blocking element of the closing system is unlatched or locked. 
     A compression spring is preferably supported between the insert part and the connecting element for spring-tensioning the exterior handle. This compression spring serves to reset the exterior handle and connecting element. It is thus not necessary to provide a separate individual return spring for each of the exterior handle and connecting element. Furthermore, the compression spring restricts at the same time the setting path of the exterior handle. As an alternative, or in addition to the compression spring described, it is proposed to tension the exterior handle through a spring with a handle shell of the vehicle door. 
     The advantage of these spring arrangements is that by deliberately saving space the entire assembly becomes more compact and the manufacturing costs are reduced through the lower number of component parts. 
     In a further development of the invention, the insert part can be fixed relative to the exterior skin through an opening in the interior skin. By way of example, fixing is carried out by a positive locking connection between the insert part and handle shell. 
     The connection between the blocking element and the connecting element is preferably produced by snap-fitting or detent elements. By way of example, a detent element is provided on the blocking element and engages in a detent opening of the connecting element. As an alternative, or in addition to this it is proposed that the connection between the blocking element and connecting element is undertaken by a separate part which can be actuated through the interior skin of the vehicle door, for example, an actuating element which acts on the blocking element. For this, the interior skin has an assembly and dismantling opening for producing and disengaging the connection between the connecting element and closing cylinder. 
     In a further development of the invention, the blocking element is designed as a locking pawl which interacts with a rotary spring bolt of the door lock provided as the closing system. The locking pawl prevents the movement of the rotary spring bolt when the vehicle door is closed. By actuating the exterior handle the locking pawl is moved so that it releases the rotary spring bolt and the vehicle door can be opened through rotation of the rotary spring bolt with further actuation of the exterior handle. 
     The idea on which the invention is based will now be explained in further detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a section of a motor vehicle body with a vehicle door, 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic partial sectional view of an exterior handle of the vehicle door according to FIG. 1 connected to a door lock; 
     FIGS. 2 a  and  2   b  are views according to FIG. 2 with fastening devices for an insert part; 
     FIG. 2 c  is a diagrammatic partial sectional view of the exterior handle connected to the door lock and an infrared receiver mounted in the insert part; 
     FIG. 2 d  is a diagrammatic partial sectional view of the exterior handle connected to the door lock and tensioned with a handle shell; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the insert part with a closing cylinder and connecting element; and 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of an insert part with the closing cylinder and connecting element according to FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows an opened vehicle door  1  on which a window pane  2  is mounted. The vehicle door  1  has an exterior handle assembly  3  with exterior handle  31 , an insert part  32  as well as a closing cylinder  32 ′. The closing cylinder  32 ′ is thereby mounted in the insert part  32 . The insert part  32  can also include an illumination unit  32   c . Both the insert part  32  and exterior handle  31  are able to be mounted from the outside of the door. closed, the rotary spring bolt engages round a closing element  7  mounted on the B-pillar of the vehicle body. 
     FIG. 2 shows the exterior handle  31  mounted on the door exterior panel  8  of the vehicle door  1  and connected to the door lock  5 . This is part (f the exterior handle arrangement  3  which is provided for operating the aforementioned locking pawl, rotary spring bolt  6  and locking of the door lock  5  and is fitted into the end of the vehicle door  1  directed towards the B-pillar. The locking pawl and rotary spring bolt  6  are not shown in FIG.  2 . 
     The door exterior panel  8  of the vehicle door  1  is assigned a door interior panel  9  which are both provided as supports for various assemblies and modules, such as for example, an electric window lifter. On the door exterior panel  8  is a handle shell  33  into which the exterior handle  31  is inserted and supported to swivel about a bearing  34 . Thus the exterior handle  31  can be swivelled up out of the starting position shown by lifting its operating end which is opposite the bearing  34 . 
     A holding fixture  31 ′ formed in one piece on the exterior handle  31  and holding a sliding sleeve  40  projects into an assembly opening of the handle shell  33 . The sliding sleeve  40  lies on the holding fixture  31 ′ of the exterior handle  31  both during actuation and non-actuation of the exterior handle  31 . In an alternative embodiment (not shown here) it is proposed to only bring the sliding sleeve  40  into connection with the exterior handle  31  when the said exterior handle  31  is actuated. 
     The sliding sleeve  40  is mounted displaceable on the closing cylinder  32 ′ which is mounted in the insert part  32 . As an alternative or in addition to this, it is proposed to mount the sliding sleeve  40  displaceable on the insert part  32  itself, as will be explained in further detail below. 
     A compression spring  41  is mounted between the end of the sliding sleeve  40  resting on the exterior handle  31 , or  31 ′, and the insert part  32 , and completely encloses the closing cylinder  32 ′. This compression spring  41  is provided as a return spring of the external handle  31  or  31 ′, and the sliding sleeve  40 , which will be described in further detail below. 
     The insert part  32  is mounted and fixed in the door exterior panel  8  so that it is secured against unauthorized removal. This security action is provided by a detent connection (not shown) of the insert part  32  with the door exterior panel  8 . In order to prevent moisture from penetrating into the interspace between the door exterior panel  8  and door interior panel  9 , a seal (likewise not shown here) is mounted between the door exterior panel  8  and insert part  32 . This is of particular advantage for the proper functioning of the electric and/or electronic elements mounted in the vehicle door  1 , such as for example, sensors of a central locking system. In addition, further seals (not shown in further detail) are provided between the exterior handle  31  and door exterior panel  8  and the handle shell  33 . 
     The closing cylinder  32 ′ has a paddle  35  which is in active connection with a lock follower  36  of the door lock  5  mounted on the door interior panel  9 . By operating the closing cylinder  32 ′, the paddle  35  is moved so that the locking pawl or rotary spring bolt  6  of the door lock  5  is unlatched or locked. 
     The door lock  5  is connected to the sliding sleeve  40  through an operating lever  37  which is provided for actuating the locking pawl and rotary spring bolt  6 . To this end, the operating lever  37  has a detent element  39  which can lock in an opening  39 ′ of the sliding sleeve  40 . The connection between the door lock  5  and operating lever  37  is produced through a screw connection  38 . As an alternative to this however any other type of connection is also possible. 
     The exterior handle arrangement  3  described here, with its connection between the exterior handle  31  and door lock  5 , has many advantages. It requires only a small number of individual parts and is therefore cost-effective to manufacture. Furthermore, the assembly costs are very slight. This is due, on the one hand, to the small number of individual parts required and, on the other, to the small number of assembly steps which are necessary in order to fit the exterior handle assembly  3  into the vehicle door  1 . The number of assembly steps is substantially restricted to two steps. In a first step, the exterior handle  31  is inserted into the handle shell  33 . Then the insert part  32  is inserted together with the closing cylinder  32 ′ and sliding sleeve  40  into the aforementioned assembly opening and connected to the door lock  5 . The sliding sleeve  40  is thereby mounted on the exterior handle  31 ,  31 ′ and engaged in the door lock  5  by means of the detent connection  39 ,  39 ′. This single assembly movement thus ensures that both the insert part  32  is connected with the closing cylinder  32 ′ and also the exterior handle  31  or  31 ′ is connected with the door lock  5  through the sliding sleeve  40 . No additional assembly step is therefore required to connect the exterior handle  31  to the door lock  5 . 
     A further advantage lies in the small amount of space required. This is small so that the device according to the invention can be fitted particularly well in vehicle doors having a small assembly space. These are, for example, vehicle doors of mini-vans and also vehicle doors where a number of other modules (window lifter, speaker etc) are fitted which likewise take up a certain amount of assembly space. 
     The opening of the vehicle door  1  by means of the exterior handle assembly  3  described above will now be explained briefly. In order to open the vehicle door  1  first, the locking pawl or rotary spring bolt  6  of the door lock  5  must be unlatched by actuating the closing cylinder  32 ′. Then by actuating the exterior handle  31  the locking pawl is moved so that the rotary spring bolt  6  is released and is turned by pulling on the exterior handle  31 . The vehicle door  1  can then be opened. If the exterior handle  31  is now let go, then both the exterior handle  31  and also the sliding sleeve  40  are pushed simultaneously through the single compression spring  41  into their original position. The arrangement of a second return spring is therefore not necessary. This saves further space so that the exterior handle assembly becomes further compact. 
     As mentioned above, the insert part  32  is connected and fixed to the door exterior panel  8  by means of a detent connection according to FIG.  2 . An alternative fixing is shown in FIGS. 2 a  and  2   b.    
     FIG. 2 a  shows the fixing of the insert part  32  by means of a screw connection  50  on the handle shell  33 . A further possible screw connection  51  of the insert part  32  with the handle shell  33  is shown in FIG. 2 b . Openings  60  and  61  are provided in the door interior panel  9  for the purpose of assembling and dismantling these screw connections  50  and  51 . These are readily accessible when the vehicle door  1  is opened so that the screw connection  50  and  51  can be easily assembled and dismantled without problem. 
     As shown in FIG. 2 a , a further opening  60 ′ is provided for releasing the detent connection between the operating lever  37  and sliding sleeve  40 , which is likewise readily accessible when the vehicle door  1  is opened. 
     FIG. 2 c  shows the exterior handle  31 , which is connected to the door lock  5 , and whose associated insert part  32  has no closing cylinder but an infrared receiver  32   b  (shown in FIG. 1) of an automatic control system of the door lock  5 . The infrared receiver  32   b  serves to receive a control signal with which the locking pawl or rotary spring bolt  6  of the door lock  5  is unlatched and locked by means of servo motors (not shown). The embodiment illustrated here is particularly suitable for passenger doors and boot lids. For the vehicle door it is advantageous to provide the insert part  32  with both the infrared receiver  32   b  of the automatic control system of the door lock  5  and a closing cylinder  31 ′ for emergency opening of the vehicle door. 
     A further possible arrangement of the spring system of the exterior handle  31  is shown in FIG. 2 d . The exterior handle  31  is thereby tensioned with the handle shell  33  by means of a yoke spring  70  so that it is pushed after its actuation together with the sliding sleeve  40  back again into the original position prior to actuation. 
     FIG. 3 shows on an enlarged scale a further embodiment of an insert part  32  with a closing cylinder  32 ′ and a U-shaped connecting element  45 . 
     A closing cylinder  32 ′ is mounted centrally in the insert part  32  and its paddle  35  projects through an opening  45   b  of the connecting element  45 . Furthermore the insert part  32  has on either side guides  32   a  for guiding the guide elements  45   a  of the connecting element  45 . 
     The door lock  5  (not shown here) is connected to the connection element  45  through a detent connection. The connecting element  45  has an opening  45   c  into which a detent element (not shown here) of the door lock  5  engages for connecting the door lock  5  directly to the connecting element  45 . 
     The exterior handle  31  (not shown) lies in this embodiment on the stop faces  80  of the guide elements  45   a . If the exterior handle  31  is actuated, then the connecting element  45  is moved along the guides  32   a  towards the head of the insert part  32 . A compression spring  41 , whose arrangement is shown in FIG. 4, is thereby compressed so that after actuation of the exterior handle  31  (letting go the exterior handle) the exterior handle  31  and connecting element  45  are moved back into their original position prior to the actuation of the exterior handle. 
     The connecting element  45 , shown in FIG. 4 has, unlike the connecting element shown in FIG. 3, an indirect connection with the door lock  5 . For this, a detent element  45   c  is mounted on the connecting element  45  and engages in an opening  37 ′ of the operating lever  37 . This operating lever  37  is, as already explained above, connected to the door lock  5  and serves to actuate the locking pawl or rotary spring bolt  6  of the door lock  5 .