Patent Publication Number: US-10774568-B2

Title: Outer handle device for vehicle door

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-161240 filed Aug. 30, 2018, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an outer handle device for a vehicle door in which an operating handle having a handle main body disposed on an outer face side of an outer panel of the vehicle door is disposed on the vehicle door, the handle main body being capable of pivoting between a non-operated position and an operated position, a handle base is mounted on the outer panel, a cylinder lock having a key hole is mounted on the handle base in an attitude in which the cylinder lock is inclined downward or upward in going outward in a vehicle width direction while the key hole is made to face an outside when the operating handle is in the operated position but the key hole is covered by the handle main body when the operating handle is in the non-operated position, and a provisional holding device is provided between the handle base and the cylinder lock, the provisional holding device provisionally holding a mounted position and a mounted attitude of the cylinder lock with respect to the handle base before mounting the cylinder lock on the handle base. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     An outer handle for a vehicle door in which a cylinder lock is mounted on a handle base in an inclined manner so as to be positioned downward in going outward in the vehicle width direction, and a key hole of the cylinder lock faces the outside when a handle main body is in an operated position is known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2014-198939. Furthermore, an outer handle device for a vehicle door in which a cylinder lock, which is not inclined, is mounted on a handle base is known from Japanese Patent No. 3563632. 
     Since the outer handle device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2014-198939 does not have a function of provisionally holding the cylinder lock when mounting the cylinder lock on the handle base, it is necessary for an operator to manually hold the cylinder lock, which is in an inclined state, at the time of mounting, and the ease of mounting is poor. On the other hand, in the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3563632, the outer handle device has a function of provisionally holding the cylinder lock, and when this technique is used it is unnecessary for an operator to manually hold the cylinder lock, which is in an inclined state, at the time of mounting, thus improving the ease of mounting. In order to further improve the ease of mounting, it is desirable for the outer handle device to have a guiding function when inserting the cylinder lock into the handle base in an inclined state until it attains a mounted attitude, but it is also desirable to avoid any complication of the structure due to a guiding structure being formed in addition to the provisional holding structure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished in light of such circumstances, and it is an object thereof to provide an outer handle device for a vehicle door that enables complication of its structure to be avoided while enabling both insertion guiding for a cylinder lock and provisional holding of the cylinder lock when mounting the cylinder lock on a handle base. 
     In order to achieve the object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an outer handle device for a vehicle door in which an operating handle having a handle main body disposed on an outer face side of an outer panel of the vehicle door is disposed on the vehicle door, the handle main body being capable of pivoting between a non-operated position and an operated position, a handle base is mounted on the outer panel, a cylinder lock having a key hole is mounted on the handle base in an attitude in which the cylinder lock is inclined downward or upward in going outward in a vehicle width direction while the key hole is made to face an outside when the operating handle is in the operated position but the key hole is covered by the handle main body when the operating handle is in the non-operated position, and a provisional holding device is provided between the handle base and the cylinder lock, the provisional holding device provisionally holding a mounted position and a mounted attitude of the cylinder lock with respect to the handle base before mounting the cylinder lock on the handle base, wherein the provisional holding device is formed to guide the cylinder lock inserted into an insertion hole provided in the handle base so that the cylinder lock attains the mounted attitude at the mounted position. 
     In accordance with the aspect of the present invention, since the provisional holding device has a function of guiding insertion of the cylinder lock into the handle base, while simplifying the arrangement by avoiding as much as possible forming guide means in a section other than the provisional holding device, it is possible to improve the ease of mounting by enabling insertion guiding for the cylinder lock and provisional holding of the cylinder lock when mounting the cylinder lock on the handle base. 
     The above and other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be clear from detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment which will be provided below while referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of part of a vehicle door. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a cylinder lock in a state in which a rod is linked. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view showing a rear part of a handle base in a state in which a cylinder body is mounted. 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view when the rear part of the handle base is viewed from the front and obliquely above and the cylinder lock is viewed from the rear. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view when the rear part of the handle base is viewed from the rear and obliquely above and the cylinder lock is viewed from the front. 
         FIG. 7  is a longitudinal sectional view of the handle base and the cylinder body, which is a sectional view along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 9B . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view when the rear part of the handle base is viewed from the front and obliquely below. 
         FIGS. 9A to 9D  are diagrams showing the process of mounting the cylinder body on the handle base in sequence in a cross section along line  9 - 9  in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIGS. 10A to 10D  are diagrams showing the process of mounting the cylinder body on the handle base in sequence in a cross section along line  10 - 10  in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIGS. 11A and 11B  are diagrams showing a part shown by arrow  11 A in  FIG. 9B  enlarged in  FIG. 11A  and a part shown by arrow  11 B in  FIG. 9C  enlarged in  FIG. 11B . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An embodiment of the present invention is explained below by reference to the attached  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 11 ; first, in  FIG. 1 , disposed on a vehicle door D, for example a side door, is an operating handle  16  that has a handle main body  17  disposed on an outer face side of an outer panel  15  of the vehicle door D and extending in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, the operating handle  16  being capable of pivoting the handle main body  17  between a non-operated position and an operated position. 
     A handle base  19  extending in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction is fixed to an inner surface of the outer panel  15 , and a substantially L-shaped support arm  18 , provided integrally with one end part along the longitudinal direction of the handle main body  17  (a front end part in this embodiment) and projecting into the outer panel  15 , is pivotably supported on a front part of the handle base  19 . The handle main body  17  can thereby pivot between the non-operated position, in which the other end part thereof (a rear end part in this embodiment) is close to the outer panel  15 , and the operated position, in which it is spaced from the outer panel  15 , A depression  21 , that is provided to enable the hand of a vehicle user gripping the handle main body  17  to be inserted therein, is formed in the outer panel  15  so as to be indented inward in the width direction. 
     Referring in addition to  FIG. 2 , part of a rear part of the handle base  19  is disposed so as to face the outside from the outer panel  15  in a section corresponding to the other end part of the handle main body  17 , and a cylinder lock  23  is mounted on the rear part of the handle base  19 . The cylinder lock  23  includes a cylinder body  24  and an inner cylinder  25  pivotably inserted into the cylinder body  24 , and a key hole  26  (see  FIG. 1 ), for a mechanical key (not illustrated) to be inserted, is provided in the inner cylinder  25  so as to open on the outer face side of the handle base  19 . 
     A rod  27  extending toward a latch mechanism (not illustrated) provided within the vehicle door D is linked, via a universal joint  28 , to an end part of the inner cylinder  25  protruding from the cylinder body  24  toward the side opposite to the handle base  19 . The cylinder lock  23  is configured so that during operation thereof a pivoting force, accompanying locking and unlocking operations of the cylinder lock  23 , is inputted into the latch mechanism via the rod  27 , and in response to the input, the latch mechanism operates so as to switch the vehicle door D between a locked state and an unlocked state. 
     Referring in addition to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the cylinder body  24 , which has a support hole  29  into which the inner cylinder  25  is pivotably fitted, is inserted into the rear part of the handle base  19  and fastened to the handle base  19  by a bolt  30 . This cylinder body  24  is mounted on the handle base  19  in an attitude in which the cylinder body  24  is inclined downward or upward in going outward in the vehicle width direction while the key hole  26  is made to face the outside when the operating handle  16  is in the operated position but the key hole  26  is covered by the handle main body  17  when the operating handle  16  is in the non-operated position, and in this embodiment the cylinder body  24  is mounted on the handle base  19  in an attitude in which it is inclined downward in going outward in the vehicle width direction, that is, in an attitude in which it is inclined so that the support hole  29  is positioned downward in going outward in the vehicle width direction. 
     The cylinder body  24  is formed so as to integrally have a tubular body main part  31  having the support hole  29 , a to-be-mounted part  32  projecting rearward from a rear part of the outer periphery on one end side of the body main part  31 , and a protruding part  33  protruding sideways from one end of the body main part  31  and the to-be-mounted part  32 . 
     The to-be-mounted part  32  is formed into a rectangular block shape while having at the tip end part a to-be-mounted face  34  that is inclined so as to be positioned forward in going inward in the vehicle width direction and is disposed further rearward than the body main part  31 , and a bottomed threaded hole  35  for the bolt  30  to be screwed into is provided in the to-be-mounted face  34 . 
     Side faces of the to-be-mounted part  32  are formed from a flat first side face  32   a  joining the upper end of the to-be-mounted face  34  and the protruding part  33  and facing rearward in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, a second side face  32   b  joining the lower end of the to-be-mounted face  34  and the body main part  31  and facing obliquely forward and inward in the vehicle width direction, a third side face  32   c  joining upper ends of the to-be-mounted face  34 , the first side face  32   a , and the second side face  32   b  to the body main part  31  and the protruding part  33 , and a fourth side face  32   d  joining lower ends of the to-be-mounted face  34 , the first side face  32   a , and the second side face  32   b  to the body main part  31  and the protruding part  33 . 
     On the other hand, an insertion hole  37  for the cylinder body  24  to be inserted into is provided in the rear part of the handle base  19 , this insertion hole  37  being formed from a through hole part  38  extending through the handle base  19  so that the body main part  31  is inserted, and a housing recess part  39  connected to a rear part of the through hole part  38  along the vehicle fore-and-aft direction so as to house the to-be-mounted part  32  and opening on an outer face of the handle base  19 . The protruding part  33  of the cylinder body  24  is formed so as to cover an upper half part of the periphery of a part of the through hole part  38  opening on the outer face of the handle base  19  and the entire periphery of a part of the housing recess part  39  opening on the outer face of the handle base  19  when the cylinder body  24  is mounted on the handle base  19 . 
     Referring in addition to  FIG. 5  to  FIG. 8 , the housing recess part  39  has a shape corresponding to the outer face of the to-be-mounted part  32  and is formed from a support wall portion  39   a  that is inclined so as to be positioned forward in going inward in the vehicle width direction while opposing the to-be-mounted face  34  and the first side face  32   a  and that faces the through hole part  38  side, an upper wall portion  39   b  joined to the upper end of the support wall portion  39   a  at right angles so as to oppose the third side face  32   c , a lower wall portion  39   c  joined to the lower end of the support wall portion  39   a  at right angles so as to oppose the fourth side face  32   d , and an inner wall portion  39   d  connected to the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the support wall portion  39   a  so as to extend slightly toward the through hole part  38  side and having upper and lower ends connected to the upper wall portion  39   b  and the lower wall portion  39   c  at right angles. Formed in the support wall portion  39   a  is an insertion hole  40  through which the bolt  30  screwed into the threaded hole  35  is inserted when the to-be-mounted face  34  of the to-be-mounted part  32  abuts against the support wall portion  39   a.    
     When the cylinder body  24  of the cylinder lock  23  is mounted on the handle base  19 , the cylinder body  24  is inserted into the insertion hole  37  from the outside of the rear part of the handle base  19  in the vehicle width direction; upon said insertion, in a first step the cylinder body  24  is pushed in in the horizontal direction only by a predetermined distance, in a second step the cylinder body  24  is pivoted only by a predetermined angle, and in a third step the cylinder body  24  is pushed further in in the horizontal direction, thus being inserted into a mounted position. 
     In order to guide movement of the cylinder body  24  in the first step, for example, first to third guide means  41 ,  42 , and  43  are provided between the cylinder body  24  and the handle base  19 . 
     The first guide means  41  is formed from a first guide projection part  44  projectingly provided on a front part of a side wall of the body main part  31  of the cylinder body  24  close to the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the body main part  31  and extending in the longitudinal direction of the body main part  31 , and a first guide groove  45  formed in a front part of the inner periphery of the through hole part  38  so that the first guide projection part  44  is slidably fitted thereinto. The first guide groove  45  has only a length that guides the first guide projection part  44  when the cylinder body  24  moves in the first step, and a side face of a lower part of the first guide groove  45  is formed in an inclined manner so as to be positioned upward in going inward in the vehicle width direction when the handle base  19  is mounted on the outer panel  15 . 
     An escape groove  46  communicating with the inner end of the first guide groove  45  is formed in a front part of the inner periphery of the through hole part  38  so that it allows pivoting of the first guide projection part  44  when pivoting the cylinder body  24  in the second step. 
     The second guide means  42  is formed from a second guide projection part  47  projectingly provided on a lower part of the side wall of the body main part  31  of the cylinder body  24  close to the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the body main part  31  and extending in the longitudinal direction of the body main part  31 , and a first guide face  48  formed on the lower part of the inner periphery of the through hole part  38  so that the second guide projection part  47  slidably abuts thereagainst. This first guide face  48  is formed in an inclined manner so as to be positioned upward in going inward in the vehicle width direction when the handle base  19  is mounted on the outer panel  15 , while having only a length that guides the second guide projection part  47  when the cylinder body  24  moves in the first step. Moreover, part of the first guide face  48  is formed from the bottom of a recess part  49  opening on the outer face of the handle base  19 . 
     The third guide means  43  is formed from a flat plate-shaped guide plate part  50  provided further inside in the vehicle width direction than the to-be-mounted part  32  of an upper part of a side wall of the body main part  31  of the cylinder body  24 , and a second guide face  51  formed on an upper part of the inner periphery of the through hole part  38  so that the guide plate part  50  slidably abuts thereagainst. The length of the second guide face  51  in the longitudinal direction of the through hole part  38  is set at only a value that guides the guide plate part  50  when the cylinder body  24  moves in the first step. That is, of the inner periphery of the through hole part  38 , an upper inner periphery, which is the second guide face  51 , is formed so as to be short in the longitudinal direction of the through hole part  38 , and when the cylinder body  24  is pushed in in the third step the guide plate part  50  attains a position that deviates inward in the vehicle width direction from the second guide face  51 . 
     Pivoting of the cylinder body  24  in the second step occurs when the third side face  32   c  of the to-be-mounted part  32  abuts against an outer end part of the upper wall portion  39   b  of the housing recess part  39 . Formed on the outer end part of the upper wall portion  39   b  is a pivoting guide face  52 , inclined so as to be positioned downward in going inward in the vehicle width direction. This pivoting guide face  52  also functions as a stop member configured to temporarily stop and hold the cylinder lock in a first mounted position, shown in  FIG. 10B . Pushing the cylinder body  24  further in to the handle base  19  from the first mounted position, in a state in which the third side face  32   c  abuts against the pivoting guide face  52 , pivots the cylinder body  24  so that its outer end is oriented downward. 
     Furthermore, in order to provisionally hold the mounted position and mounted attitude of the cylinder body  24  with respect to the handle base  19  before mounting the cylinder body  24  on the handle base  19 , for example, first and second provisional holding means  54  and  55  are provided between the cylinder body  24  and the handle base  19 . 
     The first provisional holding means  54  is formed from a holding projection part  56  projectingly provided on an upper part of a side wall of the body main part  31  in an intermediate part in the vehicle width direction of the body main part  31  of the cylinder body  24  and projecting forward in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, and a holding groove  57  formed in an upper part of a front part of the inner periphery of the through hole part  38  so that the holding projection part  56  is fitted thereinto. A second guide groove  58  communicating with the outer end of the holding groove  57  in the vehicle width direction is formed in the upper part of the front part of the inner periphery of the through hole part  38  so as to open on the outer face of the handle base  19 . 
     The holding projection part  56  is formed so as to extend slightly in a direction that is angled with respect to the longitudinal direction of the body main part  31  of the cylinder body  24  so that it attains an attitude along the longitudinal direction of the holding groove  57  when the cylinder body  24  is moved in the horizontal direction in the third step but it attains an attitude angled with respect to the longitudinal direction of the holding groove  57  when the cylinder body  24  is moved in the horizontal direction in the first step. On the other hand, the second guide groove  58  is formed so as to have a width that allows the holding projection part  56 , which is in the attitude angled in the longitudinal direction of the holding groove  57 , to move toward the holding groove  57  side. 
     The second holding means  55  is formed from the to-be-mounted part  32  of the cylinder body  24 , and the housing recess part  39  formed in the handle base  19  so as to house the to-be-mounted part  32 . 
     Moreover, the first and second provisional holding means  54  and  55  also have a function of guiding movement of the cylinder body  24  in the third step, and the holding groove  57  is formed so as to have only a length that guides the holding projection part  56  fitted in the holding groove  57  when the cylinder body  24  moves in the third step. 
     Furthermore, in the second provisional holding means  55 , the support wall portion  39   a , the upper wall portion  39   b , and the lower wall portion  39   c  of the housing recess part  39  guide movement of the cylinder body  24  by making the to-be-mounted face  34 , the third side face  32   c , and the fourth side face  32   d  of the to-be-mounted part  32  be in sliding contact therewith in the third step. 
     The procedure for the operation of mounting the cylinder body  24  on the handle base  19  using the first to third guide means  41  to  43  and the first and second provisional holding means  54  and  55  is explained by reference to  FIG. 9  to  FIG. 11 ; first, in a first step the cylinder body  24  disposed outside the handle base  19  mounted on the outer panel  15  of the vehicle door D is moved toward the handle base  19  side, as shown in  FIG. 9A  the first guide projection part  44  of the first guide means  41  is fitted into the first guide groove  45 , as shown in  FIG. 9A  and  FIG. 10A  the second guide projection part  47  of the second guide means  42  is abutted against the first guide face  48 , and as shown in  FIG. 10A  the guide plate part  50  of the third guide means  43  is abutted against the second guide face  51 . Subsequently, when the cylinder body  24  is pushed in in the horizontal direction, the first guide projection part  44  moves within the first guide groove  45 , the second guide projection part  47  slides along the first guide face  48 , the guide plate part  50  slides along the second guide face  51  thereby guiding movement of the cylinder body  24 , and the cylinder body  24  is pushed in toward the handle base  19  side so as to move obliquely upward with respect to the handle base  19 . In such a process of movement in the first step in which the cylinder body  24  moves in the horizontal direction by a predetermined distance, the holding projection part  56  of the first provisional holding means  54  is inserted into the second guide groove  58 , which communicates with the outer end of the holding groove  57 . 
     When movement of the cylinder body  24  in the first step is completed, as shown in  FIG. 9B  the first guide projection part  44  of the first guide means  41  is at the inner end position of the first guide groove  45  while part thereof projects into the escape groove  46 , as shown in  FIG. 10B  the guide plate part  50  of the third guide means  43  is at a position that deviates inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner end of the second guide face  51 , and as shown in  FIG. 9B  and  FIG. 11A  the holding projection part  56  of the first provisional holding means  54  is at the position of the inner end part within the second guide groove  58 . Furthermore, the third side face  32   c  of the to-be-mounted part  32  of the cylinder body  24  abuts against the pivoting guide face  52  on the outer end part of the upper wall portion  39   b  of the housing recess part  39  as shown in  FIG. 10B . 
     When the cylinder body  24  is pushed in in a second step following the first step, as shown in  FIG. 9C  and  FIG. 10C , the cylinder body  24  pivots so that its outer end is oriented downward. In this process, the cylinder body  24  pivots with the holding projection part  56  of the first provisional holding means  54  as a pivot axis, and the holding projection part  56  thus pivoted attains an attitude in which it can be fitted into the holding groove  57  as shown in  FIG. 9C  and  FIG. 11B , that is, an attitude along the longitudinal direction of the holding groove  57 . Moreover, due to pivoting of the cylinder body  24  the first guide projection part  44  of the first guide means  41  enters the escape groove  46  as shown in  FIG. 9C , the second guide projection part  47  of the second guide means  42  deviates from the first guide face  48  as shown in  FIG. 9C  and  FIG. 10C , the guide plate part  50  of the third guide means  43  deviates from the second guide face  51  as shown in  FIG. 10C , and part of the to-be-mounted part  32  of the cylinder body  24 , which forms the second provisional holding means  55  together with the housing recess part  39 , is fitted into the housing recess part  39  as shown in  FIG. 10C . 
     In a third step following said pivoting of the cylinder body  24  in the second step, the cylinder body  24  is pushed further in in the horizontal direction, thus moving the holding projection part  56  of the first provisional holding means  54  within the holding groove  57  and moving the to-be-mounted part  32  of the second provisional holding means  55  within the housing recess part  39 , and the cylinder body  24  is guided so that the to-be-mounted face  34  of the to-be-mounted part  32  attains a mounted position and a mounted attitude in which it abuts against the support wall portion  39   a  of the handle base  19 . Furthermore, in the first provisional holding means  54 , as shown in  FIG. 9D  the holding projection part  56  is held within the holding groove  57  so that it cannot pivot, in the second provisional holding means  55 , as shown in  FIG. 10D  the to-be-mounted part  32  is held within the housing recess part  39  so that it cannot pivot, and the mounted position and mounted attitude of the cylinder body  24  with respect to the handle base  19  are provisionally held by the first and second provisional holding means  54  and  55  before mounting the cylinder body  24  on the handle base  19 . 
     The operation of this embodiment is now explained; since the first and second provisional holding means  54  and  55  for provisionally holding the mounted position and mounted attitude of the cylinder body  24  of the cylinder lock  23  with respect to the handle base  19  before mounting the cylinder body  24  on the handle base  19  are provided between the handle base  19  and the cylinder body  24 , and these provisional holding means  54  and  55  guide the cylinder body  24  inserted into the insertion hole  37  provided in the handle base  19  so that it attains the mounted attitude at the mounted position, it is possible to improve the ease of mounting by enabling insertion guiding of the cylinder body  24  and provisional holding of the cylinder body  24  when mounting the cylinder body  24  on the handle base  19  while simplifying the arrangement by avoiding, as much as possible, the formation of guide means in a section other than the first and second provisional holding means  54  and  55 . 
     An embodiment of the present invention is explained above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and may be modified in a variety of ways as long as the modifications do not depart from the gist of the present invention. 
     For example, in the above embodiment, a structure in which the cylinder lock  23  has the cylinder body  24 , and the provisional holding means  54  and  55  are provided between the cylinder body  24  and the handle base  19  is explained, but there is a case in which a cylinder lock without a cylinder body is mounted on a handle base, and in this case the present invention may be applied to a structure in which provisional holding means is provided between an inner cylinder and the handle base.