Patent Publication Number: US-7712798-B2

Title: Locking handle, in particular for a motor vehicle

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority to German Patent Application Serial No. 10 2005 011 388.5 filed Mar. 11, 2005, and German Patent Application Serial No. 10 2005 042 090.7 filed Sep. 5, 2005, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
   FIELD 
   The present disclosure relates to a locking handle, in particular for a vehicle. The locking handle is suitable for vehicles of all types, that is for land vehicles, water vehicles, aeronautical vehicles, etc. It is in particular suitable for a motor vehicle. The locking handle is particularly suitable for a moving window, in particular for a sliding window, of a vehicle or of a motor vehicle. 
   BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
   A locking handle for a vehicle is disclosed in EP 1 253 267 A1. The locking handle comprises a star handle, referred to therein as a disk, which is rotatably supported around an axle and to which two locking rods, referred to as drive rods, can be fastened or are fastened. The star handle is driven by a rocker actuator whose axis of rotation extends substantially at a right angle to the axis of rotation of the star handle. 
   The present disclosure provides an improved locking handle for a vehicle, comprising a longitudinally displaceably guided slide actuator which has an actuator part. The star handle is provided with an engagement part. The actuator part and the engagement part cooperate with one another such that a movement of the actuator part can be transmitted to the engagement part. The star handle is rotated by the movement of the actuator part transmitted to the engagement part. It can be sufficient for this purpose for the actuator part to be in active connection to the slide actuator and/or for the engagement part to be in active connection to the star handle. 
   Additionally, a compression spring may be supported at the slide actuator. A bias of the slide actuator is hereby produced which is preferably outwardly directed. 
   Additionally, the slide actuator may be covered by a panel. 
   It may be advantageous for two locking rods to be able to be secured or to be secured to the star handle. The locking rods can preferably be secured or are secured to oppositely disposed sides of the axle of the star handle. They preferably face in opposite directions. A movement of the locking rods in the opposite sense can be produced by the arrangement described. 
   It may be advantageous in specific cases to provide a further slide actuator. The slide actuator and the further slide actuator are preferably longitudinally displaceably guided in opposite directions. A compression spring supported at both slide actuators is preferably present. 
   Another advantageous further development is characterized in that a further star handle is provided. The further star handle can be rotatably supported around the same axle as the star handle. It is, however, also possible for the further star handle to be rotatably supported around a further axle which is spaced apart from the axle for the star handle. 
   The present disclosure further relates to a moving window, in particular to a sliding window, for a vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle. In accordance with the present disclosure, this moving window or sliding window is characterized by one or more locking handles in accordance with the present disclosure. 
   It may be advantageous for the locking handle to be actuable in the direction of the displacement of the sliding window. The locking handle is preferably installed in the sliding window or connected to the sliding window such that it is actuable in the same direction in which the sliding window is also displaceable. If the sliding window extends in a vertical plane and is displaceable in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the locking handle is preferably provided at a vertically extending frame part of the sliding window, and indeed such that the slide actuator is likewise longitudinally displaceably guided in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the vehicle. 
   The locking handle is preferably provided in a frame part of the sliding window. The frame can completely surround the sliding window. It is, however, also possible for the frame only to partly surround the sliding window. The frame can be present in a rectangular sliding window at, for example, three sides, at two sides or only at one side. 
   Another advantageous further development is characterized in that the slide actuator of the locking handle is longitudinally displaceably guided in a direction transversely to the longitudinal direction of the frame part. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained in detail in the following with reference to the enclosed drawings. There are shown in the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  shows a part of a frame of a sliding window with a locking handle in a perspective view; 
       FIG. 2  shows the components of  FIG. 1  without the panel of the locking handle; 
       FIG. 3  shows the components of  FIG. 1  without the covers of the frame part; 
       FIG. 4  shows a second embodiment of a locking handle with two slide actuators; 
       FIG. 5  shows the locking handle of  FIG. 4  without a cover; 
       FIG. 6  shows the slide actuator of the locking handle of  FIGS. 4 and 5  in a different perspective representation; 
       FIG. 7  shows the slide actuator of  FIGS. 4 to 6  in a different perspective representation; 
       FIG. 8  shows the locking handle of  FIGS. 4 to 7  in a representation corresponding to  FIG. 4  without the covers of the frame part; 
       FIG. 9  shows a third embodiment of a locking handle with two slide actuators and two star handles; 
       FIG. 10  shows the third embodiment of the locking handle in a representation corresponding to  FIG. 9  without the panel of the locking handle and without the covers of the frame part; 
       FIG. 11  shows a vehicle in a side view; 
       FIG. 12  shows a sliding window of a motor vehicle in a side view; and 
       FIG. 13  shows a modification of the sliding window of  FIG. 12 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS. 1 to 3  show a first embodiment in which the locking handle  1  has a slide actuator  2 . The locking handle  1  is located in a frame part  3  of a sliding window. The frame part  3  comprises a base strip  4  and a cover  5 . In the region of the locking handle  1 , a cut-out  6  is provided in the base strip  4  of the frame part  3  and two guide rails  7  are located therein which are parallel, spaced apart and extend in a direction transversely to the longitudinal direction of the frame part  3 . The slide actuator  2  is guided longitudinally displaceably along these guide rails  7 . The slide actuator  2  includes a pair of walls  15  extending perpendicularly to the direction of the sliding movement of the slide actuator  2 . The pair of walls  15  extend perpendicularly from a base of the frame part  3  on which the pair of walls  15  of the slide actuator  2  are positioned against in order to allow the slide actuator  2  to be displaceable. 
   The slide actuator  2  is covered by a panel  8  which is fixedly connected to the frame part  3 . For this purpose, the panel  8  has a respective projection with an eye  9  at its ends, with the panel  8  being able to be screwed to the frame part  3  through said eye. The surface of the panel  8  coincides with the adjacent covers  5  of the frame part  3 . It has gripping dimples  10  in the region of the cut-out  6 . The slide actuator  2  comprises a gripping part  11  having gripping dimples  12  which are disposed opposite to the gripping dimples  10  of the panel  8 . 
   The locking handle furthermore comprises a star handle  13  which is rotatably supported in the cut-out  6  around an axle  14  extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame part  3  and perpendicular to the guide rails  7 . A first locking rod  15  and a second locking rod  16  are fastened to the star handle  13 . The locking rods  15 ,  16  extend in the longitudinal direction of the frame part  3 , and indeed in opposite directions. The fastening positions of the locking rods  15 ,  16  to the star handle  13  are disposed on opposite sides of the axle  14  of the star handle  13 . The locking rods  15 ,  16  accordingly carry out the movements in opposite senses when the star handle  13  is rotated around the axle  14 . 
   To initiate a rotary movement in the star handle  13 , the slide actuator  2  is provided with an actuator part  17  which cooperates with an engagement part  18  provided at the star handle  13 . The slide actuator  2  is biased by a compressing spring  19  in an outward direction. For this purpose, the end of the compression spring  19  shown at the top right in  FIG. 2  is supported at an abutment of the slide actuator  2 . The other end of the compression spring  19  is supported at the frame part  3  (not shown in the drawing). 
   If the slide actuator  2  is pressed inwardly, the actuator part  17  of the slide actuator  2  presses the engagement part  18  of the star handle  13  contacting it inwardly, whereby a rotary movement of the star handle  13  is produced in a counter clockwise direction around the axle  14 . The locking rods  15 ,  16  are thereby pulled inwardly. The other ends of the locking rods  15 ,  16  move out of engagement in this manner (not shown in the drawing), whereby the locking of the slide window is released. 
   When the slide actuator  2  is released, it is pressed outwardly by the force of the compression spring  19 . A further actuator part  20 , which is provided at the slide actuator  2  and which contacts the engagement part  18  on the side disposed opposite the actuator part  17 , presses this engagement part  18  in an outward direction, whereby the star handle  13  is rotated in a clockwise direction around the axle  14 . The locking rods  15 ,  16  each move outwardly in opposite senses until the position shown in  FIG. 2  is adopted again in which the sliding window is again locked. 
   A second embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 4 to 8  in which coinciding parts are provided with the same reference numerals and are not explained again. In contrast to the first embodiment, the second embodiment comprises a further slide actuator  21  and a further star handle  22 . The star handles  13 ,  22  are rotatably supported around the same axle  14 . 
   The further slide actuator  21  has a further actuator part  23  which cooperates with a further engagement part  24  provided at the further star handle  22 . 
   At their upper sides, the slide actuators  2 ,  21  have semi-cylindrical recesses which lie opposite one another in the manner visible in particular from  FIG. 5  and which serve as abutments for a compression spring  25 . The compression spring  25  is supported at both slide actuators  2 ,  21 . 
   In the third embodiment which is shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the coinciding components are again provided with the same reference numerals. In contrast to the second embodiment, the further star handle is here rotatably supported around a further axle  26  which is spaced apart from the axle  14  for the star handle  13 . The axles  14 ,  26  are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the frame part  3 . 
   In all the embodiments, the frame part  3  in which the respective sliding handle is provided is a vertically extending part of the frame of a sliding window which extends in the vertical direction and which can be displaced in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Accordingly, the slide actuators  2 ,  21  are likewise displaceably supported in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The locking handles of the embodiments shown are accordingly actuable in the direction of displacement of the sliding window. 
   A vehicle is shown in a side view in  FIG. 11 . The side window  27  comprises a fixed window  28  which is connected, in particular adhesively bonded, to the body of the motor vehicle and a sliding window  29  which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle. The guide rails  30 , which are shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13  and are provided at the fixed window  28 , serve this purpose. The guide rails  30  are preferably adhesively bonded to the fixed window  28 . They extend parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. 
   In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 , the sliding window  29  has a peripheral frame which covers all four sides of the rectangular sliding window  29 . A locking handle  1  is provided at the vertically extending frame part  3 . The sliding window  29  is displaceable in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Accordingly, the slide actuators  2 ,  21  of the latching handle  1  are likewise displaceably supported in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the vehicle. 
   In the embodiment of  FIG. 13 , a frame part is only present at one side of the sliding window  29 , namely the vertically extending frame part  3  at which the locking handle  1  is provided. 
   A locking handle is provided by the present disclosure which is in particular suitable for sliding windows of vehicles or of motor vehicles. The actuation takes place by a pressure actuation. The actuation direction of the locking handle is preferably the same as the displacement direction of the sliding window. The advantage can hereby be achieved that the force applied for the actuation of the handle can be utilized for the opening or closing of the moving window.