Patent Publication Number: US-9404293-B2

Title: Vehicle door handle device

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a door handle device for a vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Patent Document 1 discloses a handle device for preventing the occurrence of collision noise when returning to an initial rotational position. In the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a guide arm is projected in a handle (operation handle) connected to a base member (handle base) and moves between guide walls of the handle base. A cushion member is fixed to a connecting plate portion connecting the lower ends of the guide walls. The cushion member prevents the occurrence of the collision noise by abutting against a lower end of the guide arm when the operation handle is returned to the initial rotational position. 
     However, in this device, an undercut to a drawing direction of a mold is configured due to the connecting plate portion for connecting the leading ends of the guide walls that are long in a moving direction of the guide arm. Therefore, there is a problem that the structure of a forming mold becomes extremely complex. Furthermore, a separate cushion is required and therefore an increase in the number of components and an increase in the process number of component mounting working are caused. 
     RELATED ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Document 
     
         
         Patent Document 1: JP-A-2008-121363 
       
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The embodiment of the present invention relates to a door handle device for a vehicle, which is capable of reducing the collision noise of an operation handle at the time of returning with a simple configuration. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a handle device, in which section (a) is a front view showing the handle device; an upper half thereof shows a state where a door panel is eliminated and a lower half thereof shows a state where the handle device is mounted to the door panel, and section (b) is a sectional view taken along a line  1 B- 1 B in section (a) of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  shows an operation of the handle device, in which section (a) is a longitudinal sectional view showing an initial state of the operation of the handle device and section (b) is a longitudinal sectional view showing an operating state of the operation of the handle device. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing an operation for fixing the handle device to the door panel. 
         FIG. 4  shows a gasket, in which section (a) is a perspective view of the gasket as viewed from a top surface, section (b) is a perspective view of the gasket as viewed from a bottom surface, section (c) is a plan view of the gasket, section (d) is a sectional view taken along a line  4 D- 4 D in section (c) of  FIG. 4 , section (e) is a bottom view of the gasket and section (f) is a sectional view taken along a line  4 F- 4 F in section (e) of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 5  shows a handle base, in which section (a) is a front view of the handle base, section (b) is a sectional view taken along a line  5 B- 5 B in section (a) of  FIG. 5  and section (c) is a sectional view taken along a line  5 C- 5 C in section (a) of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 6  shows enlarged views of essential parts showing a mounted state of the gasket, in which section (a) is a sectional view, section (b) is an enlarged view of “ 6 B” portion in section (a) of  FIG. 6 , section (c) is a sectional view taken along a line  6 C- 6 C in section (a) of  FIG. 6  and section (d) is an enlarged view of “ 6 D” portion in section (c) of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the embodiments are illustrative of the present invention and not intended to limit the present invention. It should be noted that all the features and their combinations described in the illustrative embodiments are not necessarily considered as an essential part of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , a door handle device of a vehicle is formed in such a way that an operation handle  5  is rotatably connected to one end of a handle base  2  disposed along a bottom surface of a door panel  1 . In this embodiment, the handle device is mounted in a posture where a left side thereof in section (a) of  FIG. 1  is directed toward the front of a vehicle. Hereinafter, in the present specification, with reference to a mounting posture to a vehicle, a longitudinal direction of a vehicle is referred to as “a front and rear” and a width direction of a vehicle is referred to as “a top and bottom”. 
     The operation handle  5  includes a grip portion  5   a  corresponding to a handheld recess  1   a  recessed on a top surface of the door panel  1 , a hinge leg  5   b  provided on a front end of the grip portion  5   a  and an operation leg  4  provided on a rear end thereof. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the hinge leg  5   b  is inserted into a door body through a front introduction opening  3 A opened in the door panel  1 , the operation leg  4  is inserted into the door body through a rear introduction opening  3 B of the door panel  1  and then the whole operation handle  5  is mounted while being slid forward. As shown in section (a) of  FIG. 5 , front and rear openings  2   a ,  2   b  for accommodating the hinge leg  5   b  and the operation leg  4  of the operation handle  5  are opened in the handle base  2 . 
     When the operation handle  5  in a state of being mounted to the handle base  2  is operated to rotate from an initial rotational position shown in section (a) of  FIG. 2  to an operating rotational position shown in section (b) of  FIG. 2  about a front end thereof, the operation leg  4  is moved in a drawing direction. Then, a lever  15  is mounted to the handle base  2  by locking an actuation arm  15   a  to a locking end  4   a  formed on the operation leg  4  and driven to rotate when an operating force is applied to the actuation arm  15   a . In response to this, a door lock device (not shown) disposed in a door body is actuated through a cable device  16  connected to the lever  15 . 
     The lever  15  is urged toward the initial rotational position by a torsion spring  17  wrapped around the rotation center  15   a . As this urging force is transmitted to the operation handle  5 , an urging force toward the initial rotational position is applied to the operation handle  5 . 
     Further, in the present embodiment, a counterweight  18  is mounted to the handle base  2  in coaxial with the lever  15  and cancels an inertia force generated in the operation handle  5  when a side collision force is applied to a vehicle, so that an inadvertent door opening operation of the operation handle  2  is prevented. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , in order to prevent a gap in a peripheral edge of the front and rear introduction openings  3 , a gasket  6  made of synthetic resin is mounted in a boundary portion between a top surface of the door panel  1  and the operation handle  5 . As shown in section (a) to section (f) of  FIG. 4 , one gasket  6  of two gaskets  6  is arranged in the rear introduction opening  3 B side and includes lateral pieces along front and rear side edges of the rear introduction opening  3 B and longitudinal pieces connecting these lateral pieces to each other. This gasket  6  is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape to surround an opening  3   a  of a central portion thereof and the front lateral piece and front ends of the longitudinal pieces are formed in a thickness thinner than the remaining portion. As shown in section (f) of  FIG. 4 , the thin-walled portion and the remaining thick-walled portion have top surfaces (general surface) flush with each other and are formed in such a way that a plate thickness thereof is variable in a bottom-surface direction, as shown in section (e) of  FIG. 4 . 
     The gasket  6  includes a rear locking piece  6   a , a handle stopper part  7  and an elastic locking leg  11 . The rear locking piece  6   a  is arranged at a bottom surface of a center portion of the rear lateral piece and has an L shape section whose free end is directed rearward. 
     The handle stopper portion  7  is formed into a block shape with a suitable thickness by bulging a widthwise center-side half region of the thin-walled portion of the longitudinal piece in both top and bottom directions and a top surface of the bulging portion toward the top side is used as a stopper surface  9 . Further, the bulging portion toward the bottom side is used as a support portion and the elastic locking leg  11  is formed at a part of the support portion. 
     The elastic locking leg  11  is formed by further extending an inner side edge of a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the protruding portion toward the bottom side and providing a locking protrusion  11   a  projected to the outside at a free end thereof. 
     Further, the front lateral piece of the gasket  6  is used as a flexible lip piece  8  over the entire length thereof. As shown in section (f) of  FIG. 4 , the flexible lip piece  8  is formed by bending the free end edge of the gasket toward the bottom side so that a height of a bottom surface thereof substantially coincides with the height of a bottom surface of the thick-walled portion. In this embodiment, in order to give a uniform flexibility over the entire length of the lateral piece and to cause the entire length thereof to serve as the flexible lip piece  8 , it is considered that a boundary portion and a front side edge of the opening have a uniform bending value by positioning a bending boundary at a border of the lateral piece and longitudinal piece that are disposed on a straight line continuous to the front side edge of the opening  3   a  and forming the bending boundary as a straight changing point rather than the curvature surface. 
     The handle base  2  for supporting the gasket  6  is shown in section (a) of  FIG. 5 . As described above, although the lever  15  or the like is mounted to the handle base  2 , section (a) of  FIG. 5  shows the handle base without the mounted parts such as the lever  15 , for ease of understanding. 
     As shown in section (a) of  FIG. 5 , at the top surface of the handle base  2 , fitting recesses  14  are formed at positions corresponding to the support portion of the gasket  6 . On a portion of the fitting recess  14 , a leg penetrating hole  14   a  is opened so as to correspond to the elastic locking leg  11  of the gasket  6  and a locked portion  14   b  to which the locking protrusion  11   a  of the elastic locking leg  11  can be locked is formed at a lower end of the leg penetrating hole  14   a . The gasket  6  is retained on the door panel  1  by locking the rear locking piece  6   a  to a front end edge of the rear introduction opening  3 B and resiliently locking the elastic locking leg  11  to the locked portion  14   b  of the handle base  2 , as shown in section (d) of  FIG. 6 . 
     As described above, the handle device using the handle base  2  thus configured is mounted by connecting the operation handle  5  to the handle base  2  temporarily fixed to the door panel  1  in advance and a rear end of the handle device is made by connecting the fixing member  12  to the handle base  2 . 
     In addition to fixing the handle base  2  to the door panel  1 , the fixing member  12  has a function to prevent the detachment of the operation handle  5  by restricting a rearward sliding movement of the operation handle  5 . As shown in section (a) of  FIG. 1 , the fixing member  12  includes a pressing head  13  exposed to the outside of the door panel  1  by a size to cover an peripheral edge of the rear introduction opening  3 B of the door panel  1  and a shaft portion  12   a  protruding from a bottom surface of the pressing head  13 . The fixation of the fixing member  12  is made by inserting the shaft portion  12   a  into the rear opening  2   b  opened in the handle base  2  and then screwing the shaft  12   a  to the handle base  2 . 
     The fixing member  12  is drawn obliquely rearward in a vehicle width direction by the screwing operation of the shaft portion  12   a  and a peripheral edge portion of the rear introduction opening  3 B of the door panel  1  is sandwiched by the pressing head  13  and the top surface of the handle base  2 . As a result, the handle base  2  is fixed to the door panel  1  so as not to be detached therefrom. 
     The thick-walled portion of the gasket  6  corresponds substantially to a bottom surface of the pressing head  13  of the fixing member  12 . As shown in section (b) of  FIG. 6 , in a state where the fixing member  12  is fixed, the thick-walled portion of the gasket  6  is strongly sandwiched between the door panel  1  and the pressing head  13  to completely close a gap between the fixing member  12  and the door panel  1 . 
     In a state where the thick-walled portion is completely fixed, a support portion of the handle stopper part  7  formed on the thin-walled portion is fitted into the fitting recess  14  of the handle base  2  and the stopper surface  9  of the handle stopper part  7  projected toward the top surface than the general surface of the gasket  6  abuts against a ceiling wall of the stopper recess  10  recessed at a base end of the operation leg  4  of the operation handle  5 , thereby determining an initial rotational position side stroke end of the operation handle  5 . 
     Meanwhile, the thin-walled portion of the gasket  6  is located at a height slightly floated from the top surface of the panel, as shown in section (d) of  FIG. 6  and a leading end of the flexible lip piece  8  is brought into contact with the top surface of the door panel  1  to configure a sealing edge, as shown in section (b) of  FIG. 6 . 
     In this state, the operation handle  5  is rotated to an initial rotational position by an urging force when the operation handle  5  is operated and then an operating force thereto is released. At this time, the stopper recess  10  of the operation handle  5  collides with the stopper surface  9  of the gasket  6  and therefore the operation handle is stopped at the initial rotational position. As shown in section (a) to section (d) of  FIG. 6 , the handle stopper passes through the rear introduction opening  3  of the door panel  1  and a support portion thereof is directly supported by the fitting recess  14  of the handle base  2 . In addition, the thin-walled portion is floated from the top surface of the door panel  1  and thus not in direct contact with the door panel  1 . Accordingly, the impact noise or the like is not propagated to the door panel  1  and amplification of noise or vibration of the door panel  1  does not occur. 
     In this case, since the impact absorbing performance is also expected when the gasket  6  is formed of somewhat flexible synthetic resin material, it is possible to reliably prevent the propagation of the impact noise or the like. 
     Further, as described above, in a state where the fixing member  12  is fixed, the flexible lip piece  8  abuts against the top surface of the door panel  1  to configure the sealing edge and therefore inundation through the sealed portion is prevented. 
     Although an example where the gasket  6  is formed to have a frame piece abutting against only the top surface of the door panel  1  has been described in the foregoing description, the gasket  6  may be formed to have a pair of frame pieces opposed to each other so as to sandwich the door panel  1  by abutting against the top and bottom surface of the door panel  1 . 
     According to the above embodiment, the door handle device for a vehicle may include the handle base  2  disposed along a bottom surface of the door panel  1 , the introduction opening  3  opened in the door panel  1  and supporting the handle base  2  therein, the operation handle  5  connected to the handle base  2  and the gasket  6  disposed between the handle base  2  and the operation handle  5 . The gasket  6  may be formed of an elastic body. The gasket  6  may be integrally provided with the handle stopper part that has one end passing through the introduction opening  3  and supported by the handle base  2  and the other end abutting against the operation handle  5 . 
     Further, according to the above embodiment, the door handle device may include the handle base  2  that is disposed along a bottom surface of the door panel  1 , the operation handle  5  that has one end connected to the handle base  2  and the other end provided with the operation leg  4  entering into a door body through the introduction opening  3  opened in the door panel  1  and is capable of rotating from an initial rotational position to an operating rotational position and the gasket  6  that has a frame shape and is disposed at a peripheral edge of the introduction opening  3 . The gasket  6  includes the handle stopper part  7  that is provided at a frame piece of the gasket  6 , has one end passing through the introduction opening  3  and supported by the handle base  2  and determines an initial rotational position side stroke end of the operation handle  5  and the flexible lip piece  8  that is projected in a side edge of the frame piece so as to be resiliently deformable and whose free end edge abuts against a top surface of the door panel  1  to form a sealing edge between the top surface of the door panel  1  and the free end edge. 
     According to the above structure, the operation handle  5  connected to the handle base  2  is provided at its one end with the operation leg  4  that is inserted into a panel body through the introduction opening  3  opened in the door panel  1  (in this case, “one end” as used herein refers to not only a leading end of a narrow region but also a suitable range from one-side leading end to an intermediate portion and the operation handle  5  of the present invention also includes the operation handle  5  that is connected to the handle base  2  at a site shifted toward the other end from a leading end thereof). The gasket  6  is disposed on the top surface of the door panel  1  so as to surround the introduction opening  3 . The handle stopper part  7  is formed in the gasket  6  and adapted to restrict the position of an initial rotational position side stroke end of the operation handle  5 . 
     According to the above structure, since the gasket  6  is integrally formed with the handle stopper part  7 , a particular part is not necessary as a stopper. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the reduction in the number of parts and, accordingly, the reduction in the mounting man-hour. Further, according to the above structure, the handle stopper part  7  is configured in such a way that a lower end thereof passes through the introduction opening  3  and is supported by the handle base  2 . Accordingly, the collision noise generated when the operation handle  5  collides with the handle stopper part  7  is not propagated to the door panel  1 . Since the handle base  2  has a resonance capacity lower than the thin plate-shaped door panel  1 , the collision noise is not expanded and therefore it is possible to improve the quietness. 
     According to the above structure, the gasket  6  is further provided with the flexible lip piece  8  that is projected in a cantilever manner so as to be resiliently deformable. Sealing edge is formed at the abutted portions by abutting a free end edge of the flexible lip piece  8  against the top surface of the door panel  1 , so that shielding performance to the regions requiring waterproof or the like is also ensured. 
     The gasket  6  is formed into a generally sheet shape and the transmission performance of the impact received in the handle stopper part  7  thereof is low by its nature. 
     However, the frame piece of the gasket  6  may be formed so that a portion thereof other than the sealing edge is disposed at a position suitably spaced and floated from the top surface of the door panel  1 . According to this structure, the impact noise or the like can be completely prevented from being propagated to the door panel  1 . 
     The handle stopper part  7  can be variously modified, as long as the handle stopper part can abut against the corresponding portion of the operation handle  5  when the operation handle  5  is in an initial rotational position. For example, the top surface of the handle stopper part  7  can be set flush with the general surface of the gasket  6  or at a position that is recessed from the general surface. Further, in a case where a lower end of the handle stopper part  7  is supported by the handle base  2 , the thickness dimension of the handle stopper part  7  is not limited. When the thickness dimension of the handle stopper part  7  is set to be larger, the sound absorption capacity and impact absorption capacity of the handle stopper part  7  itself can be expected and therefore it is possible to further improve the quietness. 
     In the above structure, the handle stopper part  7  may be formed in a block shape whose stopper surface  9  is projected to a suitable height from the top surface of the door panel  1 . Further, the operation handle  5  may be formed with the stopper recess  10  that includes an abutting portion abutting against the stopper surface  9  and accommodates the handle stopper part  7 . According to this structure, it is possible not only to arrange the thick-walled handle stopper part  7  within a small space but also to expect a sealing performance for the fitting region of the handle stopper part  7  to the stopper recess  10  of the operation handle  5 . 
     The shape, position and connecting target of the connecting means for preventing the detachment of the gasket  6  can be suitably determined. 
     According to the above embodiment, the elastic locking leg  11  may be formed at a support portion of the handle stopper part  7  to the handle base  2  and the elastic locking leg  11  may be resiliently locked to the handle base  2  to restrict the detachment of the gasket  6 . 
     According to the above structure, since the elastic locking leg  11  is connected to the handle base  2 , impact on the handle stopper part  7  is transmitted through the elastic locking leg  11  and therefore prevented from being propagated to the door panel  1 . Furthermore, since the elastic lock leg  11  is formed at a part of the handle stopper part  7  penetrating the introduction opening  3 , it is not necessary to consider a new sealing portion. 
     The door handle device may be configured in such a way that a portion thereof is covered with the fixing member  12  fixing the handle base  2  to the door panel  1 , instead of covering the entire peripheral edge region of the introduction opening  3  with a base end portion of the operation leg  4 . 
     According to the above embodiment, a rear end of the gasket  6  may be interposed and compressed between the top surface of the door panel  1  and the pressing head  13  of the fixing member  12  fixing a rear end of the handle base  2  to the door panel  1 . The flexible lip piece  8  may be disposed over the entire length of a front end of the gasket  6 . The handle stopper part  7  is formed at the substantially entire region of the gasket  6  except for a portion to be pressed by the pressing head  13  and the frame piece having the flexible lip piece  8  formed thereon and the handle stopper part  7  includes a lower end to be fitted into the fitting recess  14  formed in the handle base  2 . 
     According to the structure of the above embodiment, since the collision noise of the operation handle at the time of returning can be prevented from being propagated to the door panel with a simple configuration, it is possible to reduce the collision noise and to effectively suppress the vibration or the like of the door panel. 
     DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SIGNS 
     
         
         
           
               1  Door Panel 
               2  Handle Base 
               3  Introduction Opening 
               4  Operation Leg 
               5  Operation Handle 
               6  Gasket 
               7  Handle stopper part 
               8  Flexible Lip Piece 
               9  Stopper Surface 
               10  Stopper Recess 
               11  Elastic Locking Leg 
               12  Fixing Member 
               13  Pressing Head 
               14  Fitting Recess