Patent Publication Number: US-11643857-B2

Title: Vehicle door for a motor vehicle

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a vehicle door fora motor vehicle having a door handle which, in the closed state, is not accessible from the outside. 
     Various solutions for this are known, wherein the door handle is often arranged so as to be able to be countersunk in a hollow, such as is known from DE 20 2017 103 702 U1 or DE 10 2013 215 896 A1, for example. 
     Furthermore, a door edge protector that can fold out outwardly is known from DE 10 2004 031 798 A1, which is fixed on the inside on the door edge opposite a door axis and can be pivoted from a folded-in position to a folded-out position by a movement forcibly coupled to a pivoting movement of the vehicle door. The door edge protector protectively surrounds the door edge in the folded-out position, in order to avoid damage to the door edge and to adjacent vehicles in narrow parking spaces. 
     Exemplary embodiments of the invention are directed to a vehicle door for a motor vehicle in which, in the closed state of the door, the door handle is not visible from outside, yet the vehicle door is nevertheless to be opened conveniently from the outside by means of a manual actuation. 
     According to embodiments
         a door handle unit, which is fixed on the inside on the door edge opposite a door hinge and can be pivoted motorically between a folded-in and a folded-out position, wherein, in the folded-in position when the vehicle door is closed, the door handle unit is arranged behind it and, in the folded-out position, protrudes laterally outwards by encompassing the door edge and can be manually gripped for opening the door,   a door mover unit, which is formed to move the vehicle door in a closed position out of a closed position into a stand-by position, in which the door handle unit can be pivoted from the folded-in to the folded-out position,   a control unit with a signal input, which, upon obtaining the opening signal, controls the door mover unit to move into the standby position and controls the door handle unit to pivot into the folded-out position.       

     The invention provides a vehicle door for a motor vehicle, in which, when the door is closed, the door handle is arranged to be concealed from the outside completely behind the door, such that the vehicle door does not have any door handle elements visible from the outside, but rather a flat contour. In this position, the door handle is thus in a protected and clean region. In the folded-in state, the door handle is not disruptive and does not require any design space. If the door is to be opened from the outside, the door handle is provided to be easily accessible from the outside by actuating a door opener, preferably a wireless key, after a gap-width opening of the vehicle door, such that the vehicle door can be opened conveniently and ergonomically favorably. According to the invention, this is achieved by the door handle unit being able to be pivoted between two positions and the vehicle door being moved out of the closed position into the stand-by position by the door mover unit, in which stand-by position the vehicle door is opened by a gap which is sufficient for pivoting the door handle unit out into the folded-out or grippable position. 
     According to an advantageous development of the invention, the door mover unit has a push rod that can be moved laterally with respect to the vehicle. In doing so—after unlocking a door lock—the vehicle door can be moved simply, in terms of construction, out of the closed position into the stand-by position. Particularly preferably, the door mover unit is formed as a threaded drive or gear rack drive. 
     According to an advantageous development of the invention, the door mover unit is fixed on the vehicle door and is supported on a vehicle chassis. Thus, this can be easily electrically attached to the other components coupled to it, such as the control unit, the door lock, and a drive for the door handle unit, which also simplifies assembly. 
     According to an alternative development of the invention, the door mover unit is fixed on the vehicle chassis and is supported on the vehicle door. This design enables a greater movement stroke when moving the vehicle door into the stand-by position. 
     According to a further alternative development of the invention, the door mover unit is arranged on a door hinge and generates a rotational movement of the vehicle door. This can be implemented by means of an arcuate gear rack, which meshes with an electric engine. Alternatively, a hydraulic or pneumatic actuation is possible. 
     According to an advantageous development of the invention, the door mover unit is set up to move back into a closed position after a manual opening movement, departing from the stand-by position, of the vehicle door. In doing so, it is achieved that the vehicle door can be closed again at any time as needed by a user without leading to damage to the door mover unit, when such a closing movement is carried out immediately or vigorously. Alternatively, the door mover unit can also be provided with means enabling a return movement, caused from the outside, of the door mover unit into the closed position after reaching the final position, i.e., the stand-by position. 
     According to an advantageous development, the door mover unit has a latch device on the free end, the latch device being formed to come into positive engagement with a counterpiece with its support-side free end before the movement into the closed position, in order to thus create the possibility of pulling the vehicle door shut again out of the stand-by position. When the door mover unit is arranged in the vehicle door, the engagement counterpiece is formed in the chassis and vice versa. This design makes it possible to close the vehicle door again out of the stand-by position by means of the door mover unit, i.e., to pull it shut into the closed position, which is naturally only possible after the door handle unit is moved back out of the folded-out position into the folded-in position. The door mover unit here serves as an opening and closing device for the vehicle door. Such an automatic closing movement can be triggered, in particular, by a radio signal of a remote control or a switching element in the vehicle interior. 
     The invention also comprises a motor vehicle having a vehicle door according to one of the embodiments described above. 
     A method for operating a vehicle door described above involves:
         providing an opening signal via a manually actuatable switching element or a radio signal,   unlocking a door lock,   actuating the door mover unit out of the closed position into the stand-by position,   waiting until this has been moved a predetermined distance, which defines a sufficiently wide door gap, in order to pivot the door handle unit out of the folded-in position into the folded-out position,   actuating the door handle unit in order to pivot this out of the folded-in position into the folded-out position.       

     Further advantages, features and details emerge from the description below, in which—optionally with reference to the drawings—at least one exemplary embodiment is described in detail. Identical, similar and/or functionally identical parts are provided with the same reference numerals. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       Here are shown: 
         FIG.  1   : a schematic sectional depiction of a door handle device in the folded-in state, 
         FIG.  2   : a schematic sectional depiction of the same door handle device in the folded-out state, 
         FIG.  3   : a schematic sectional depiction through a vehicle door, 
         FIG.  4   : a flow diagram during the opening or closing process of the vehicle door. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A door handle device  10  for opening a vehicle door  12  of a motor vehicle (not depicted in more detail), is in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , of which only one chassis part  14 , for example a part of a B-pillar, is depicted. 
     In  FIG.  1   , the vehicle door  12  is shown in the closed state, such that its exterior surface  16  is flush with the exterior surface  18  of the chassis  14 . The vehicle door  12  is formed relatively thinly in the region of its rear edge  20 . In this region, a door handle unit  22  is fixed on the inside, which comprises a door handle  24 , which can be pivoted around a pivot axis  26 , which runs in parallel to the rear edge  20 . In this figure, the door handle unit  22  is shown in the folded-in position in which the door handle  24  protrudes inwardly. 
     In  FIG.  2   , the door handle unit  22  is shown in the folded-out position in which the door handle  24  is pivoted or folded out by c. 120° outwardly around the door rear edge  20 . Here, the door handle unit  22  has a shape adhering to the shape of the vehicle door  12  in the region of the door rear edge  20  and, in the contact region, preferably has an elastic material layer, in order to cushion the pivoting movement and to avoid damage of the door rear edge  20 . The folding movement of the door handle unit  22  is caused by a preferably electromotive adjustment device (not depicted). A spring device can also be installed, such that a return folding movement of the door handle unit  22  in the one direction can automatically be carried out by spring force, e.g., the pivoting movement out of the folded-out position into the folded-in position. 
     In  FIGS.  1  and  2   , a translational door mover unit  28  is furthermore depicted, which is attached to the vehicle chassis  29  via fixing means not depicted in more detail (e.g., in the foot rocker panels), which is supported on a strengthening part  30  of the vehicle door  12 . In  FIG.  1   , the door mover unit  28  is depicted in the retracted state, i.e., when the vehicle door  12  is closed. 
     In  FIG.  2   , the vehicle door  12  is shown in the stand-by position, in which the rear door edge is shifted laterally outwards by a distance X. In fact, the vehicle door  12  naturally pivots around a rotational axis, not shown, in door hinges, which is caused by the door mover unit  28  being extended by the distance X after unlocking a door lock and thus the vehicle door  12  shifting laterally outwards. The distance X is measured here in such a way that the door handle unit can fold out without the door handle  24  abutting on the chassis part  14 . 
     In  FIG.  3   , a section of the vehicle door  12  is shown on a lateral plane. In this design, the door mover unit  28  is arranged in the vehicle door  12 , which is supported on the vehicle chassis  29 . In this figure, a door lock  32  for the vehicle door  12  is also depicted, as well as a drive device  33  for the door handle unit  22 . 
     An electronic control unit  34  is electrically connected to the door lock  32 , the door mover unit  28 , the drive device  33  for the door handle unit  22 , and a switching element  36 . The switching element  36  (e.g., a button) is preferably located in the vehicle interior, in order to move the vehicle door  12  into the stand-by position ( FIG.  2   ) from the inside. A switching element  36  accessible from the outside can additionally be provided, which, in a similar manner, can move the vehicle door  12  into the stand-by position from the outside when the door lock is not bolted. 
     Furthermore, the control unit  34  can have a signal input  38  for receiving opening or closing signals by means of a remote control. 
     The opening procedure carried out by the control unit  34  is depicted in  FIG.  4   . 
     In step  100 , when the vehicle door  12  is closed ( FIG.  1   ), it is checked as to whether an opening command from the switching element  36  or signal input  38  is present. If this is the case, in step  102 , the door lock  32  is unlocked by the control unit  34  and then, in step  104 , the door mover unit  28  is put into motion, such that it pushes the vehicle door  12  in the closed state out of the closed position shown in  FIG.  1    into the stand-by position shown in  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3   . Then, in step  106 , the drive device  33  is activated, which moves the door handle unit  22  from the internal, folded-in position shown in  FIG.  1    by c. 120° outwards into the folded-out position shown in  FIG.  2   . 
     In this state, the door handle  24  can be gripped by a person located outside, and the vehicle door  12  can be opened completely. 
     In step  108 , in an embodiment with the vehicle door  12  in the stand-by position, it is checked as to whether the vehicle door  12  has been manually opened again. If this is the case, in step  110 , the door mover unit  28  is retracted again, such that a manual closing of the vehicle door  12  can be carried out in an unimpeded manner by slamming from the outside or pulling shut from the inside. 
     However, in the state of the vehicle door  12  in the stand-by position, if it is established in step  108  that an actuation signal has been obtained via the switching element  36  or the signal input  38 , then, in step  112 , the drive device  36  is prompted to move the door handle unit  22  back into the folded-in position ( FIG.  1   ), and then, in step  110 , the door mover unit  28  is retracted again. In one embodiment, the door mover unit  28  can be formed in such a way that its retraction pulls the vehicle door  12  shut again. A timer can also be integrated in the control unit  34 , which automatically pulls the vehicle door  12  shut again when a manual opening movement of the vehicle is not carried out for a certain period of time (e.g., 10-60 sec). 
     Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in more detail by means of preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived from this by the person skilled in the art, without leaving the protected scope of the invention. It is thus clear that a plurality of variation possibilities exist. It is also clear that the embodiments mentioned by way of example really only constitute examples which cannot be interpreted in any way as limiting, for example, the protective scope, the application possibilities, or the configuration of the invention. Instead, the description above and the description of the figures put the person skilled in the art in the position to concretely implement the exemplary embodiments, wherein the person skilled in the art, with the knowledge of the inventive concept disclosed, can undertake various changes, for example in terms of the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment without leaving the scope of protection, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents.