Patent Description:
Such vehicle door handle assemblies generally comprise a back-up mechanism, to enable the opening of the door in case of, for example, electric motor or car battery failure, that is when the electric motor cannot be actuated.

This back-up mechanism comprises for example a push-push mechanism, in which the user pushes the handle grip inwards from its flushing position until reaching a clicking position in which a preloaded spring is released. Said preloaded spring, when released, pushes the handle grip from the inward clicking position in the protruding ready position.

Such a back-up mechanism may comprise an important number of elements, which occupy an important space inside the handle. Consequently, there is a need for a simple, compact architecture of the back-up mechanism for the vehicle door handle that enables a user to easily interact with said handle in case of an electric motor or car battery failure. Furthermore, document <CIT> discloses a vehicle door handle assembly according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

It is therefore a goal of the present invention to overcome at least partially the previous drawbacks of the state of the art and to provide a cost-effective and space-saving solution.

Thus, the present invention refers to a vehicle door handle assembly comprising a handle grip which is movable between a flushing position in which it is flush with an exterior door panel surface and a ready position in which it is protruding and graspable by a user, wherein the vehicle door handle assembly also comprises a back-up mechanism that enables a user to easily interact with said handle in case of an electric motor or car battery failure, said back-up mechanism comprising a flap covering at least partially a cavity arranged inside the handle grip, the flap being movable between a closed position in which it covers the cavity inside the handle grip and an open position in which it permits access to the inside of said cavity, hence allowing a user to insert his fingers or an object inside the cavity and to pull on the handle grip in order to move it from the flushing position into the ready position, characterized in that the flap is movable around a pivot axis located on an edge of the cavity arranged inside the handle grip.

The vehicle door handle assembly according to the invention may present one or more of the following dependent characteristics, taken separately or in combination.

According to a first dependent aspect of the invention, the vehicle door handle assembly comprises an elastic return element configured to move the flap from the open position back into the closed position.

According to a further dependent aspect of the invention, the cavity and the flap are located in a middle section of the handle grip.

According to a further dependent aspect of the invention, the flap has a different colour than the handle grip.

According to a further dependent aspect of the invention, at least a portion of the external surface of the flap has a different texture to the touch than the handle grip.

According to a further dependent aspect of the invention, the vehicle door handle assembly comprises a bracket which is linked to the handle grip and the bracket comprises a stopper mechanism for adjusting the position of the handle grip in the flush position.

According to a further dependent aspect of the invention, the stopper mechanism comprises a contact surface that is intended to make contact with a portion of the handle grip in order to adjust the position of the handle grip in the flush position.

According to a further dependent aspect of the invention, the stopper mechanism comprises a housing, an elastic return element and a cap.

According to a further dependent aspect of the invention, the housing and the cap present a geometry of revolution.

In these figures, identical elements have the same reference numbers. An XYZ trihedron is shown in some figures to define the orientation of the handle grip in space. A first direction, noted X, corresponds to a longitudinal direction of the handle grip. A second direction, denoted Y, is directed to the inner side of the vehicle door handle assembly. Finally, a third direction, denoted Z, points towards a general upward direction. The directions, X, Y, Z, are orthogonal to each other.

The following achievements are examples. Although the specification refers to one or several embodiments, it does not imply that each reference refers to the same embodiment or that the features apply only to a single embodiment. Simple features of different embodiments can also be combined to provide other embodiments.

In the following description, the terms up, upper, low, lower, vertical, horizontal refer to relative positions or directions when the door handle is assembled to a vehicle. In the description, certain items can be indexed, as the first item or second item. In this case, it is a simple indexing to differentiate and name similar but not identical elements. This indexing does not imply a priority of one element over another and such names can easily be interchanged without going beyond the scope of the present description. Nor does this indexing imply an order in time.

<FIG> shows a vehicle door handle assembly comprising a bracket <NUM> located on the inner side of the vehicle door and a handle grip <NUM> which is linked to the bracket <NUM>. The handle grip <NUM> is in a flushing position in which it is flush with an exterior door panel surface.

The handle grip <NUM> of the vehicle door handle assembly is also linked to an electric motor (not illustrated) which, when actuated, moves the handle grip <NUM> between the flush position and a ready position in which the handle grip <NUM> is protruding and graspable by a user. For instance, the motor can push one end of the handle grip <NUM> in an outward direction. In that case, the handle grip <NUM> is moved around a substantially vertical axis. The ready position is not shown in the figures.

Once the handle grip <NUM> is in the ready position, the user can grasp said handle grip <NUM> and unlatch the door by pulling it in a further protruding unlocking position, in which the handle grip <NUM> interacts (via a Bowden cable, a rotating pin or a gear mechanism) with a latch mechanism and unlatches the door.

The handle grip <NUM> is for example made of two half-shells 3a, 3b that are assembled together. The assembled handle grip <NUM> is hence at least partially hollow inside. <FIG> shows the exterior surface of the outer shell 3a and <FIG> and <FIG> show the inner side of this same outer shell 3a. An assembled version of the handle grip <NUM> comprising both the outer shell 3a and the inner shell 3b is shown in <FIG>.

The vehicle door handle assembly also comprises a back-up mechanism which enables a user to manually move the handle grip <NUM> between the flushing position and the ready position in case of an electric failure, such as a battery failure.

This back-up mechanism comprises a flap <NUM> which covers at least partially a cavity arranged inside the handle grip <NUM>. In the embodiment shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the outer shell 3a of the handle grip <NUM> has a hole <NUM>. Said hole <NUM> marks the entrance to the cavity arranged inside the handle grip <NUM>.

According to the embodiment illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the cavity arranged inside the handle grip <NUM> and the flap <NUM> are located in a middle section of the handle grip <NUM>. The cavity and the flap <NUM> might be located elsewhere, but in the middle section of the handle grip <NUM> they are easier to spot and easier to use if needed.

The flap <NUM> is movable between a closed position (<FIG>) and an open position (<FIG>). In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the flap <NUM> covers the cavity inside the handle grip <NUM>, meaning that the edges of the flap <NUM> correspond to the contours of the hole <NUM>. In this same embodiment, the outer surface of the flap <NUM> is flush with the outer surface of the outer shell 3a of the handle grip <NUM> when the flap is in the closed position.

When the flap <NUM> is in the open position, it permits access to the inside of the cavity, hence allowing a user to insert his fingers or an object, like a hook or a key for instance, inside the cavity and to pull on the handle grip <NUM> in order to move it from the flushing position to the ready position. For instance, the user can curl his fingers around an edge of the hole <NUM> and pull on said edge in order to move the handle grip <NUM> from the flush position into the ready position in case of an electric failure.

According to another embodiment, a pulling element can be located inside the cavity. A user can pull on this pulling element with his fingers or with an object in order to move the handle grip <NUM> from the flush position into the ready position.

The flap <NUM> is movable around a pivot axis P located on an edge of the cavity arranged inside the handle grip <NUM>, as it is shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. This pivot axis P can be parallel to the vertical direction Z. Other directions, like a horizontal direction for instance, can also be considered. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the pivot axis P can be located on a side of the hole <NUM> arranged in the outer half-shell 3a of the handle grip <NUM>. The pivot axis P may be parallel to the axis around which the handle grip <NUM> is rotated by the electric motor when said handle grip <NUM> is moved from the flush position to a ready position. In order to make the flap <NUM> more efficient, the pivot axis P is located on the edge of the hole <NUM> that is the closest to the end of the handle grip <NUM> that is not being pushed by the electric motor. Such an arrangement of the pivot axes facilitates the movement of the various parts, especially the flap <NUM> and the handle grip <NUM>, and increases efficiency during handling.

The flap <NUM> may comprise at least one hinge <NUM> configured to cooperate with a rod <NUM> that is aligned with the pivot axis P. In the embodiment illustrated on <FIG> and <FIG> for example, the flap <NUM> comprises two distinct hinges <NUM>.

The flap <NUM> and the pivot axis P may be arranged in such a way that in order to reach the open position, the flap <NUM> must be moved inwards. A simple push on the exterior side of the flap <NUM> can hence be enough to move it from the closed position into the open position. In the open position, the flap <NUM> is then located inside the cavity of the handle grip <NUM>.

According to a preferred embodiment of the flap <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the flap <NUM> comprises at least one stopper <NUM> arranged on the inner side of the flap <NUM>. In the embodiment illustrated on <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG> for example, two stoppers <NUM> are arranged on the upper and lower edges of the flap <NUM>. The stoppers <NUM> are for example located in the middle of said upper and lower edges and project over said edges of the flap <NUM> so that when the latter is in the closed position, the stoppers <NUM> rest against the inner surface of the outer shell 3a of the handle grip <NUM>. In other words, the stoppers <NUM> serve to position the flap <NUM> in its closed position: they prevent the flap <NUM> from protruding outwards from the handle grip <NUM>.

In <FIG> and <FIG>, the stoppers <NUM> have a generally square shape, but any other shape is possible for these stoppers <NUM>, such as a rectangular shape, a circular shape or a half-moon shape.

In an embodiment not shown, the flap <NUM> may comprise a single stopper <NUM> located, for example, in the middle of the edge opposite the edge equipped with the hinge or hinges <NUM>.

According to a different embodiment (not shown in the figures), the flap <NUM> and the pivot axis P around which the flap <NUM> rotates can be arranged in such a way that the flap <NUM> protrudes from the outside surface of the outer shell 3a of the handle grip <NUM> when the flap <NUM> is in the open position. In this particular embodiment, the flap <NUM> may be used as an additional pulling element for moving the handle grip <NUM> from the flush position into the ready position. In this particular embodiment, the flap <NUM> does not comprise the stoppers <NUM> described earlier.

The back-up mechanism can also comprise an elastic return element <NUM> configured to move the flap <NUM> from the open position back into the closed position. According to the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the elastic return element <NUM> is a helical spring with coils that are arranged around the rod <NUM> that is aligned with the pivot axis P. More specifically, the helical spring can be located between the two hinges <NUM> of the flap <NUM>.

For example, one end of the elastic return element <NUM> is attached to the flap <NUM> while the other end of the elastic return element <NUM> is attached to another part of the vehicle door handle assembly. Such an elastic return element <NUM> ensures that the flap <NUM> is moved back into the closed position even if the user makes little effort to put the flap <NUM> back in the original position after it has served its purpose. The elastic return element <NUM> also ensures that the flap <NUM> doesn't move freely when the car is used (acceleration, turns, shifts, slope change,.

According to a specific embodiment, the flap <NUM> can have a different colour than the handle grip <NUM>, making it easier to spot when searching for the cavity said flap <NUM> covers. For example, the handle grip <NUM> can have a light colour and the flap <NUM> a dark colour, or vice-versa.

Moreover, at least a portion of the external surface of the flap <NUM> can have a different texture to the touch than the handle grip <NUM>. For example, the handle grip <NUM> can have a smooth surface while at least a portion of the external surface of the flap <NUM> can have a rough surface. This way the flap <NUM> can be easily found by touch and used even in the absence of light, by night for example. In another non-illustrated embodiment, the contour of the flap <NUM> may be illuminated to enable it to be delineated from the rest of the handle grip <NUM> in the absence of light, by night for example.

According to another embodiment (not shown in the figures), the flap <NUM> can be slid from the closed position in which it covers the cavity inside the handle grip <NUM> into the open position in which it gives access to the cavity. In this particular embodiment, the flap is not pivoted around an axis, but slid sideways in a translational movement along the longitudinal direction of the handle grip <NUM>, for example.

After multiple use of the handle grip <NUM> and/or the back-up mechanism, it might happen that in the flush position, the handle grip <NUM> is not flush with the door panel any more. In other words; alignment errors may occur over time, which may result in the handle grip <NUM> protruding a bit from the exterior surface of the door panel. This can lead to an unaesthetic arrangement and a less effective streamline. In order to prevent such a disruption of the position of the handle grip <NUM>, the bracket <NUM> of the vehicle door handle assembly <NUM> can be equipped with a stopper mechanism <NUM> for adjusting the position of the handle grip <NUM> in the flush position after it has been used.

In addition, the stopper mechanism <NUM> can also be used to adjust the flush position of the handle grip <NUM> even when the handle grip <NUM> is new or first installed. The mechanism can enable the flush position by itself or be a solution to compensate for a deviation as described.

The stopper mechanism <NUM> does this by making contact with a specific portion of the handle grip <NUM> whenever the latter is moved back into the flush position. For instance, the inner half-shell 3b of the handle grip <NUM> can comprise a bent portion <NUM> on each of its longitudinal endings, such as illustrated in <FIG>. These bent portions <NUM> are usually used to guide the handle grip <NUM> in translation when it is moved from the flush position into the ready position. Here however, one of the bent portions of the inner half-shell 3b of the handle grip <NUM> also serves another purpose.

The tip <NUM> of said bent portion <NUM> comes into contact with a surface of the stopper mechanism <NUM> in order to repeatedly adjust the position of the handle grip <NUM> in the flush position, as shown in <FIG>. The stopper mechanism <NUM> helps to adjust an exact and reliable position of the handle grip <NUM> every time it is moved back into the flush position.

According to one embodiment of the stopper mechanism <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the stopper mechanism <NUM> comprises a housing <NUM>, an elastic return element <NUM> and a cap <NUM>. It's the cap <NUM> that comes into contact with the tip <NUM> of the bent portion <NUM> of the inner half-shell 3b of the handle grip <NUM>. The housing <NUM>, the elastic return element <NUM> and the cap <NUM> are stacked on top of each other along an assembly axis A shown in <FIG>. When assembled, at least a portion of the elastic return element <NUM> is located inside the housing <NUM> and at least a portion of the cap <NUM> is also arranged inside the housing <NUM>. A portion of the elastic return element <NUM> can peak out of the housing <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

The cap <NUM> has a mostly longitudinal shape. One end of the cap <NUM> comprises a flat surface <NUM> that is shaped like a disk. This disk-shaped flat surface <NUM> is intended to make contact with the tip <NUM> of the bent portion of the inner half-shell 3a of the handle grip <NUM> in order to adjust the flush position of said handle grip <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> can have a geometry of revolution and present for instance an overall cylindrical shape. In particular, the inside of the housing <NUM> can present an overall cylindrical shape. The end of the housing <NUM> located on the opposite side of the disk-shaped flat surface <NUM> of the cap <NUM> may comprise a hexagonal-shaped head, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. With this specific embodiment of the housing <NUM>, the relative position of the stopper mechanism <NUM> with respect to the tip <NUM> of the bent portion <NUM> of the inner half-shell 3a of the handle grip <NUM> can be adjusted by screwing said housing <NUM> along the assembly axis A, thereby moving the stopper mechanism <NUM> along said axis. Because the flat surface <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is disk-shaped, a change in angular placement of the stopper mechanism <NUM> about the axis A does not affect the flatness of the contact surface between the flat surface <NUM> of the cap <NUM> and the tip <NUM> of the bent portion <NUM> of the handle grip <NUM>. This reinforces the reliability of the stopper mechanism <NUM> when it comes to repeatedly positioning the handle grip <NUM> in the flush position.

The elastic return element <NUM> can have the form of a helical spring that is arranged inside the cylindrical opening of the housing <NUM>. The elastic return element <NUM> is rigid enough to withstand the force that will be received from the handle grip <NUM> when the latter is being moved. In the embodiment where the elastic return element <NUM> is formed like helical spring, part of the coils of this elastic return element <NUM> can be arranged around the rod-shaped middle section of the cap <NUM>.

The tip of this rod-shaped middle section can comprise an enlarged section <NUM> configured to retain the spring coils of the elastic return element <NUM> around said middle section. When assembled, the enlarged section <NUM> of the rod-shaped middle section of the cap <NUM> is stored inside the cylindrical opening of the housing <NUM>.

Unlike a back-up mechanism comprising a push-push mechanism in which all the parts are interconnected, the flap <NUM> and the stopper mechanism <NUM> can work independently of each other. In case one of these features is deficient, it is possible to replace only the deficient part without having to replace the entire back-up mechanism.

Claim 1:
Vehicle door handle assembly (<NUM>) comprising a handle grip (<NUM>) which is movable between a flushing position, in which it is flush with an exterior door panel surface, and a ready position in which it is protruding and graspable by a user, wherein the vehicle door handle assembly (<NUM>) comprises a back-up mechanism for a vehicle door handle assembly that enables a user to easily interact with said handle in case of an electric motor or car battery failure, said back-up mechanism comprising a flap (<NUM>) covering at least partially a cavity arranged inside the handle grip (<NUM>), the flap (<NUM>) being movable between a closed position in which it covers the cavity inside the handle grip (<NUM>) and an open position in which it permits access to the inside of said cavity, hence allowing a user to insert his fingers or an object inside the cavity and to pull on the handle grip (<NUM>) in order to move the handle grip (<NUM>) from the flushing position to the ready position, characterized in that the flap (<NUM>) is movable around a pivot axis (P) located on an edge of the cavity arranged inside the handle grip (<NUM>).