Patent Publication Number: US-6218933-B1

Title: Security system for a motor vehicle opening leaf

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a security system for a motor vehicle opening leaf including means for detecting the approach of a user&#39;s hand. 
     The invention relates more particularly to a security system for a motor vehicle opening leaf, of the type in which the system comprises a handle, of which an external lever for grasping is articulated to a handle support arranged on the inside of a bodywork panel, the lever being moved by a user from a position of rest as far as a position of opening so as to operate a lock which keeps the opening leaf in the closed position, of the type in which the security system includes means for remotely detecting, by means of an electromagnetic signal, the presence of a user&#39;s hand near the handle, and of the type in which the detection means include a control circuit and at least one sensor capable of emitting or of receiving the electromagnetic signal. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     More specifically, the object of the invention is to propose a design of detection means which allow easy integration of the security system into the opening leaf when the vehicle is being constructed. 
     Specifically, the problem involves being able to mount these detection means easily on the opening leaf while at the same time ensuring the correct relative positioning of the various components of the security system and while at the same time guaranteeing that the detection means which involve sensors and electronic circuits which are somewhat delicate are appropriately protected. 
     To this end, the invention proposes a security system for a motor vehicle opening leaf, of the type in which the system comprises a handle, of which an external lever for grasping is articulated to a handle support arranged on the inside of a bodywork panel, the lever being moved by a user from a position of rest as far as a position of opening so as to operate a lock which keeps the opening leaf in the closed position, of the type in which the security system includes means for remotely detecting, by means of an electromagnetic signal, the presence of a user&#39;s hand near the handle, and of the type in which the detection means include a control circuit and at least one sensor capable of emitting or of receiving the electromagnetic signal, wherein the detection means are arranged in a casing which is fixed by elastic snap-fastening on an external face of the handle support so that a window made in an external face of the casing lies facing a window formed in the bodywork panel. 
     According to other features of the invention: 
     the casing includes positioning pegs which extend transversely inward from an internal face of the casing and which are intended to be housed in corresponding orifices formed in the external face of the handle support; 
     the support includes elastic tabs which extend transversely outward and which collaborate with catching lugs of the casing so as to fasten the casing to the support; 
     the casing is produced by injection-molding of plastic, and includes a connector body molded integrally so as to allow the control circuit to be connected to an antitheft unit; 
     the connector body extends vertically as a downward protrusion from a main body of the casing in which the control circuit and the sensor are arranged; 
     the connector body extends roughly in a plane which is parallel to the plane of the bodywork panel and which is offset transversely outward with respect to a plane in which the main body of the casing extends; 
     the window in the casing is delimited by a tubular wall which extends transversely outward and on which there is overmolded a seal intended to collaborate with a complementary tubular skirt belonging to a cover which is made of a material that is transparent to the electromagnetic signal and which closes off the window in the bodywork panel; 
     the detection means include a switch which is intended to be operated by an actuator of the security system, the switch is arranged inside the casing facing an opening which is formed inside the internal face of the casing and which lies facing a corresponding opening formed in the handle support so that the switch can be operated by the actuator through the two corresponding openings; and 
     the actuating opening formed in the casing is closed in leaktight fashion by a flexible membrane which is deformed by the actuator to operate the switch. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the detailed description which follows, for an understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a view in exploded perspective of the main components of a security system for a motor vehicle opening leaf according to the teachings of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view in cross section on a longitudinal and transverse plane of the security system of FIG. 1, once mounted on the opening leaf; 
     FIG. 3 is a detail view of FIG. 1, more particularly illustrating the fastening of the casing containing the detection means to the handle support; 
     FIG. 4 is a detail view of FIG. 3, more particularly illustrating the means providing sealing between the casing of the detection means and the cover which closes off the window in the bodywork panel; 
     FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view in part section on a vertical and transverse plane, more particularly illustrating the mounting of the casing on the handle support; and 
     FIG. 6 is a view in perspective from the inside illustrating the operating means by which a lever of the handle can operate a switch arranged inside the casing of the detection means. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a motor vehicle security system  10  including a handle for the opening leaf of a motor vehicle. 
     The handle includes a handle support  14  which is intended to be fastened to an outer bodywork panel  12  of the opening leaf, more particularly on an internal face thereof. A lever  16  for grasping is intended to be mounted on the outside of this panel  12 , being articulated to the support  14  by a front longitudinal end  18 , about an axis Al. 
     To do this, the front end  18  of the lever  16 , which is roughly in the shape of a bar directed longitudinally, includes a pull bar  20  intended to be engaged through a front orifice  22  in the bodywork panel  12 , so as to be mounted so that it can rotate on the support  14 . 
     The rear end  24  of the grasping lever  16  includes a rear leg  26  which extends transversely inward through a rear orifice  28  formed in the panel  12  so as to collaborate with a linkage, a bellcrank  30  of which has been depicted in FIG.  1 . 
     A user can thus manipulate the grasping lever by grasping hold of a roughly central part of the lever  16  and pulling it transversely outward from a position of rest as far as a position of opening. During this rotational movement about the axis Al of the lever  16 , the rear leg  26  is intended to cause the bellcrank  30  to rotate about the axis A 2  between a position of rest and a position of opening, which positions correspond to those of the grasping lever  16 . 
     The bellcrank  30  makes it possible, for example, to open a lock, via a cable (not depicted) 
     To bring the lever for grasping toward its position of opening, the user of the vehicle has therefore to insert his hand between the bodywork panel  12  and a surface  32  for grasping the lever  16  so as to be able to pull this lever toward him, outward with respect to the panel  12 . To do this, there is a space  34  between the panel  12  and the lever  16  which space, in a plane perpendicular to the axis Al, is delimited transversely by an inward depression  36  in the panel  12  and by the surface  32  for grasping the lever  16 , which face one another. 
     According to the teachings of the invention, the security system includes detection means which are able to detect the presence of the user&#39;s hand in the space  34  before this user has actually grasped hold of the lever  16  via its grasping surface  32 , and which are borne by the handle support  14  arranged on the internal face side of the panel  12 . 
     More specifically, and as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, detection means in particular include an emitter  38  and a receiver  40  which are borne by a casing  42  itself fastened to the handle support  14 . The emitter  38  and the receiver  40  are both connected to an electronic control module  44  which is arranged inside the casing  42 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated, the emitter  38  emits a signal of the electromagnetic type which is intended to be received by the receiver  40 . The signal is emitted in such a way as to follow a path which extends through the space  34  so that, when the user&#39;s hand enters this space  34 , it has of necessity to cross the path of the signal so that the transmission of the signal between the emitter and the receiver is broken. The receiver  40 , no longer receiving the signal, deduces from this information relating to the presence of the hand in this space  34 . 
     The signal emitted by the emitter  38  is, for example, a light signal in the infrared domain. In the example illustrated, the emitter  38  and the receiver  40  are arranged roughly side by side set back toward the inside with respect to the bodywork panel. They are arranged facing a window  46  which is cut in the indentation  36  in the bodywork panel  12 . In the embodiment illustrated, the emitter and the receiver are arranged facing the same window  46 . The signal emitted by the emitter  38  is therefore directed toward the outside through the window  46  in the panel  12  and a reflector  48  is provided, borne by the lever  16 , which reflects the signal back toward the receiver  40 , again through the window  46 . 
     According to the teachings of the invention, the casing  42  which combines the detection means together is intended to be fastened to the support  14  by simple elastic snap-fastening. More specifically, it can be seen that the support  14  includes, on its external face side facing the panel  12 , a recessed recess  50  which is roughly of a shape that complements that of the casing  42 , more specifically of a shape that complements that of a main body  52  of the casing  42 . In this particular instance, the main body  52  is roughly parallelepipedal. 
     As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the casing  42  can be engaged transversely from the outside inward into the recess  50  and has positioning pegs  54  which extend transversely inward from an internal face  56  and which are intended to be housed in corresponding orifices  58  made in the external face  60  of the handle support  14  which in this particular instance forms the closed end of the recess  50 . 
     The two positioning pegs  54  thus make it possible to position, on the one hand, the casing  42  bearing the emitter  38  and the receiver  40  with respect to, on the other hand, the handle support  14 , with great precision. 
     To fasten the casing  42  to the support  14  there are two elastic tabs  61  which extend transversely outward from the closed end of the recess  50  and the hook-shaped free end of which is intended to collaborate with catching lugs  62  formed on lateral faces of the main body of the casing  42 . 
     The casing  42  is thus fastened onto the support  14  by simple elastic snap-fastening or clipping. 
     The casing  42  includes, in addition to the main body  52 , a connector body  64 . The connector body contains connection pins by means of which the control circuit  44  of the detection means is intended to be connected to, on the one hand, an electrical power supply and, on the other hand, an antitheft unit (not depicted). 
     Advantageously, the main body  52  and the connector body  64  are formed integrally as one single piece by the injection-molding of plastic. As can be seen, the main body  52  extends roughly in a plane parallel to the plane of the bodywork panel  12  and the connector body  64  extends vertically downward, open toward the bottom. However, the connector body  64  extends in a plane which is parallel to but offset transversely outward from the plane in which the main body  52  extends. 
     Thus, the connector body  64 , which extends out of the recess  50  has, at the point where it meets the main body  52 , a smaller transverse thickness which delimits a longitudinal slit  66  which is open transversely inward. This slit  66  is intended to take an element  68  of a sidewall of the support  14  which delimits the recess  50 . 
     Thus, by virtue of the offset of the connector body and by virtue of the presence of the slit  66 , it is possible to maintain right around the recess  50  a sidewall which is continuous and provides the support  14  with good rigidity. 
     Furthermore, the detection means include a switch which is arranged inside the casing  42 . This switch is intended to be operated by an actuator  70  connected to the lock opening linkage. Specifically, such a switch may, for example, be used to back up any failure of the remote detection system which uses the electromagnetic signal. 
     In the example illustrated, it may be seen that the actuator  70  is a rocking actuator articulated about the same axis A 2  as the bellcrank  30  of the linkage. When the bellcrank  30  is in the position of rest, it forces the actuator  70  toward an inactive position, against elastic return means  72 . As soon as the bellcrank  30  leaves its position of rest, the elastic means  72  can urge the actuator  70  to rotate about the axis A 2  toward an active position in which an actuating finger  74  of the actuator  70 , which extends on the inside of the support  14 , moves transversely outward. 
     According to the invention, the switch is arranged in the casing in such a way as to lie just facing a window made in the internal face  56  of the casing  42 , which window lies facing a corresponding window  76  made in the internal face  60  of the support  14  which forms the closed end of the recess  50 . Advantageously, the window of the casing  42  is closed in a sealed manner by a flexible membrane  78 . 
     Thus the actuating finger  74  can transversely penetrate from the inside outward through the window  76  of the support  14  so as to deform the membrane  78  and actuate the switch arranged in the casing  42 . 
     Furthermore, it can be seen in the figures that the emitter  38  and the receiver  40  are arranged facing a window  47  which is made in an external face of the main body  52  of the casing  42  and which corresponds to the window  46  in the bodywork panel  12  so that the two sensors can “watch” the space  34 . Around the window  47  there is a tubular wall  49  which extends axially outward toward the panel  12 , without reaching the latter. 
     In the example illustrated, the window  46  in the bodywork panel  12  is intended to be closed off by a cover  80 , an external transverse wall  82  of which extends roughly parallel to the bodywork panel  12 , on the outside thereof. Of course, the external transverse wall  82  of the cover  80  is made of a material which is transparent to the electromagnetic signal. 
     The cover  80  includes a tubular skirt  84  which extends axially inward from the external transverse wall  82 , through the window  38  in the panel  12 . The internal end of the skirt  84  is intended to surround the tubular wall  49  of the casing  42 , on the outside, and there are sealing means inserted between the tubular wall  49  of the casing  42  and the tubular skirt  84  of the cover  80  to prevent dust or moisture from being able to enter the casing  42 . 
     As can be seen in FIG. 4, the sealing means may, for example, be produced in the form of a seal  86  of elastomeric material overmolded around the external end of the tubular wall  49 . This seal  86  in this particular instance has three lips  88  directed radially outward, these three lips being concentric and transversely offset from one another. These lips  88  are intended to come into contact with the tubular skirt  84  of the cover  80 , to provide sealing.