Patent Publication Number: US-6039366-A

Title: Door handle assembly and method of mounting

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to door handle assemblies and more particularly to door handle assemblies that are especially adapted for use on motor vehicles. 
     The cost of assembling a motor vehicle is an ongoing concern. One of the assembly costs is the labor cost required to install the motor vehicle door handle assemblies in the vehicle doors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to the provision of door handle assembly that may be installed in a motor vehicle door with a minimum of labor costs. 
     The door handle assembly of the invention is adapted to be mounted in an aperture in an outer skin of a motor vehicle door. According to the invention, the handle assembly includes an escutcheon plate sized to fit in the door aperture; a handle pivotally mounted on the escutcheon plate; a threaded fastener device secured to the escutcheon plate and extending rearwardly therefrom; and a clip of U-configuration having a bight portion and upper and lower leg portions extending forwardly from opposite edges of the bight portion in outwardly splayed, outwardly diverging disposition relative to each other and having an aperture in the bight portion fitted over the threaded fastener device to position the clip rearwardly of the escutcheon plate with the clip leg portions extending forwardly in embracing relation to the escutcheon plate. With this arrangement, once the door handle assembly has been installed in the aperture of the vehicle door skin, the mounting of the door handle assembly may be completed simply by manipulating the threaded fastener device in a tightening sense to move the clip forwardly and move the upper and lower leg portions into clamping relation with the door skin. 
     According to further feature of the invention, the handle assembly further includes a resilient cushion member fitted between one of the leg portions of the clip and an adjacent surface of the escutcheon plate and operative to compress in response to the tightening of the fastener device. The resilient cushion serves to stabilize and define the preinstalled handle assembly package and further serves to define and guide the forward movement of the clip in response to tightening of the threaded fastener device. In the disclosed embodiment the invention, the one clip leg portion is the upper clip leg portion. 
     According to further feature of the invention the handle assembly further includes slide means positioned between the lower leg portion of the clip and an adjacent escutcheon plate surface to facilitate sliding movement of the lower clip leg on the adjacent escutcheon plate surface in response to tightening of the fastener device. This arrangement, in combination with the cushion, further serves to define and guide the forward movement of the clip in response to tightening of the fastener device. In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the slide means comprises a plurality of dimples upstanding from the front face of the lower leg portion of the clip and slidably engaging the adjacent escutcheon plate surface. 
     The invention also defines an improved methodology for mounting an automotive door handle assembly in an aperture in an outer skin of a motor vehicle door. According to the invention methodology, the door handle assembly, including the clip, is passed through the aperture in the outer skin of the door to position a circumferential flange on the escutcheon plate against the outer face of the outer door skin in surrounding relation to the aperture and position the clip inside the door with the upper and lower clamping edges of the upper and lower leg portions positioned proximate upper and lower portions of the edge of the door skin aperture; and the threaded fastener device is thereafter tightened from a location inside the door to move the clip forwardly with respect to the escutcheon plate and move the free clamping edges of the clip leg portion against the upper and lower portions of the edge of the door skin aperture to firmly mount the door handle assembly in the door aperture. With this methodology, the clip functions to secure the door handle assembly in the door aperture along upper and lower edge portions of the door aperture and yet requires only tightening of the threaded fastener device following passage of the door handle assembly through the aperture in the door skin. 
     According to a further feature of the invention methodology, the upper and lower clamping edges of the upper and lower clip leg portions splay outwardly in response to forward movement of the threaded fastener device. This outward splaying spring movement loads the leg portions of the clip to augment the clamping action exerted against the door skin by the clip. 
     According to further features of the invention methodology, the resilient cushion associated with the upper clip leg portion and the slide means associated with the lower clip leg portion facilitate the forward clamping movement of the clamp in response to the tightening of the threaded fastener device, and the aperture in the bight portion of the clip is oversized with respect to the threaded fastener device so as to allow the clip to pivotally adjust relative to the escutcheon plate as it moves forwardly into clamping engagement with the door skin. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a motor vehicle embodying a door handle assembly according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective, exploded view of the invention door handle assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a door handle employed in the invention door handle assembly; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the door handle assembly in the process of being installed in a vehicle door; and 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the door handle assembly installed in the vehicle door. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention door handle assembly 10 is seen in FIG. 1 in association with a fragmentarily shown motor vehicle 12 including a windshield 14, a front quarter panel 16, a hood 18, an A pillar 20, a sill 22, a B pillar 24, and a door 26 positioned in the door opening defined by A pillar 20, front quarter panel 16, sill 22 and B pillar 24 and including an outer skin 26a. 
     Door handle assembly 10, broadly considered, includes an escutcheon or housing 30, a fastener assembly 32, a handle 34, and a clip or clamp 36. 
     Escutcheon 30 is preferably formed as a molded plastic part and includes a main body bowl portion 30a, a flange portion 30b extending around the entire periphery of bowl portion 30a, and a platform portion 30c extending rearwardly from the rear face 30d of main body bowl portion 30a. 
     Threaded fastener assembly 32 comprises a bolt 38, a nut assembly 40 including a nut 40a and washer 40b peened to the nut, and a circlet lock 42. The head 38a of bolt 38 is positioned in a recess 30e in the front face of escutcheon platform portion 30c and extends rearwardly through an aperture 30f in the platform portion to position the threaded shaft 38b of the bolt in a rearwardly extending position relative to the rear face 30g of platform portion 30c. Circlet lock 42 is positioned lockingly over threaded shaft 38b and against rear platform face 30g to lock the bolt in position relative to the escutcheon plate. 
     Handle 34 is preferable formed as a molded plastic part and includes an elongated main body portion 34a, an arm or lug 34b extending upwardly and rearwardly from main body portion 34a and including a hook portion 34c at the free end of the lug, and an arm or lug 34d extending upwardly and rearwardly from main body portion 34a in laterally spaced relation to lug 34b and having a crank arm configuration including a crank arm portion 34e. 
     Clip or clamp 36 is preferably formed as a spring steel sheet metal stamping and has a generally U-shaped configuration in cross section including a bight portion 36a with an aperture 36b; an upper leg portion 36c defining a clamping free edge flange 36d; and a lower leg portion 38e defining a clamping free edge flange 36f and dimples 36g. Upper and lower leg portions 36c, 36e extend forwardly from opposite upper and lower edges of bight portion 36a in outwardly splayed, outwardly diverging disposition relative to each other. A resilient cushion member 44, formed of a suitable foam material or the like, is adhesively secured to the front or under face of clip upper leg portion 36c and extends the full width of the upper leg portion. Aperture 36b in clip bight portion 36a is oversized with respect to the threaded shaft 38b of bolt 38. 
     In the assembled relation of the handle assembly, aperture 36b of clip bight portion 36a is positioned over the threaded shaft portion 38b of bolt 38 with upper and lower clip legs 36c and 36e extending forwardly from upper and lower edges of the bight portion in diverging outwardly splayed directions in embracing relation to the main body portion 30a of the escutcheon plate; nut 40a is threaded onto the shaft 38b to position the nut washer 40b proximate clip bight portion 36a; cushion member 44 is positioned between clip upper leg portion 36c and the confronting surface 30g of escutcheon plate 30 in generally relaxed or uncompressed condition; dimples 36g are positioned slidably against the adjacent outer surface 30h of escutcheon plate main body portion 30a to provide a sliding relationship between the lower leg portion 36e and the escutcheon plate; handle 34 is positioned within the upper region of the bowl shaped main body portion 30a of the escutcheon plate with lugs 34b and 34d extending rearwardly through notches or slots 30i in the escutcheon plate; the upper ends of lugs 34b, 34d are fixably secured to a pivot shaft 46 positioned between escutcheon plate lugs 30b; and a coil spring 48 is positioned around pivot pin 46 with one end 48a of the spring positioned in a slot 36h in the upper leg portion 36c of the clip and bearing against the rear face of the escutcheon plate main body portion 30a proximate platform portion 30c and the other spring end 48b received in the aperture 34f defined by lug hook portion 34c so as to bias the handle 34 for return movement to the position seen in FIG. 5 in which it is nestled in the upper region of the bowl shaped main body portion 30a of the escutcheon plate. 
     To mount handle assembly 10 in door 26, and following the formation in an outer door skin 26a of an aperture 26b defined by a flange portion 26c, the handle assembly is positioned as seen in FIG. 4 with clip edge flange 36d on one side of the upper portion of door flange 26c and the upper portion of the flange 30b of the escutcheon plate positioned on the other side of the flange 26c, whereafter the handle assembly is pivoted downwardly and inwardly about the pivot axis defined between clip portion 36d and escutcheon plate flange portion 30b to position the handle assembly in the door aperture 26b as seen in FIG. 5. In this position, flange 30b seats totally around the outer face of flange 26c; cushion member 44 is seated on the upper rear surface 30g of the escutcheon plate; dimples 36g are positioned slidably proximate surface 30h of the escutcheon plate; flange edge portion 36d of the upper arm portion is positioned proximate but spaced rearwardly from the rear face of the upper portion of door flange 26c; and flange edge portion 36f of the lower leg portion is positioned proximate but rearwardly of the inner face of the lower portion of door flange 26c. These positions are all seen in solid lines in FIG. 5. 
     After the door handle assembly has been installed in the door to assume the position seen in solid lines in FIG. 5, the installer reaches behind the outer door skin 26a and tightens the fastener device 38 and, specifically, turns nut 40 on threaded shaft 38b to move nut washer 40b against clip bight portion 36a. Thereafter, with continued threaded tightening movement of the nut on the threaded shaft, the clip is moved forwardly with respect to the escutcheon plate to the dotted line position seen in FIG. 5. Specifically, as the clip moves forwardly in response to tightening of the threaded fastener device the cushion member 44 is compressed, upper clip flange portion 36d moves forwardly into engagement with the inner face of upper door flange 26c, dimples 36g slidably guide on the surface 30h of the escutcheon plate as the lower clip leg portion slides downwardly and forwardly along the escutcheon plate to position clip flange portion 36f in engagement with the inner face of the lower portion of door flange 26c, and the clip adjusts pivotally as required to provide firm seating of the upper and lower clip flange portions with the pivotal movement being accommodated by the oversized relation of bight aperture 36b with respect to the threaded shaft 38a of the bolt. Following engagement of the clip flange portion 36d and the clip flange portion 36f with the door flange 26c, further tightening movement of nut 40 has the effect of splaying the flange portions 36d, 36f of the leg portions of the clip outwardly so as to introduce a spring bias force at the interface of the clip free edge portions and the flange 26c to augment the mounting force generated by the spring clip. 
     In the normal operation of the door, handle 34 is pivoted outwardly relative to the escutcheon plate about the axis of pivot pin 46 to move a control link 50 pivotally connected to the free end of crank arm portion 34e of handle lug 34d in a manner to unlatch a latch mechanism (not shown) associated with the door and allow opening of the door. 
     The invention door handle will be seen to minimize the labor costs required to install the door handle assembly in the vehicle door. Specifically, the only labor required after the handle has been positioned in the door aperture is tightening of the nut on the threaded shaft. 
     Whereas a preferred embodiment for the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in disclosed embodiment without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.