Title of Invention

OUTER DOOR HANDLE IN PARTICULAR FOR VECHILES WITH A BOW TYPE HANDLE

Abstract Outer door handle in particular for vehicles with a bow type handle (10) with a recess (13) at the end of the bow-type handle(10), and with a push actuator (15) of an electrical switch (16) or the like which has (he shape of a cap (30) and is inserted Into the recess (13) characterized In that the push actuator (15) Is a composite plug-in insert comprised of two components (21,22) and forming a combination Insert (20), that the first component of the combination insert (20) Is a plate (25) of hard, scratch-resistant plastic material and forms a hard component (21) of the combination insert (20), wherein the hard component (21) is arranged in the central area (33) of the outer cap bottom (31) and forms the outwardly directed push actuation location in the bow-type handle (10), that the second component of the combination insert (20) is comprised of a soft, shape-elastic plastic material and forms a soft component (22) of the combination insert (20), that the soft component (22) extends across the entire cap (30) but extends only on the inner surface (26) of the plate (25) formed of the hard component (21) in the central area (33) of (he cap bottom (31), that the combination insert (20) is formed in the area of the cap mantle (32) exclusively of the soft component (22), and that the soft component (22) in the area of the cap mantle (32) is provided with radial contact surfaces (42), with axial shoulders (41) and with locking elements (43) which are active for the insertion assembly, which serve for supporting and securing the combination insert (20) in (he recess (13) of the bow-type handle (10).
Full Text VERIFICATION OF TRANSLATION
I, Gudrun E. Huckett, of 1105 Summit Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA, hereby declare:
I am knowledgeable in the German and English languages;
I have prepared the attached English language translation of German language international application
Ser. No. PCT/EP99/08044 Filing Date: October 23, 1999
to the best of my knowledge and belief, the attached is a true and complete translation of the above identified priority document/international application.


May 12, 2001
(date)

Translation of WO 00/34604 (PCT/EP99/08044)
Outer Door Handle, Especially for Motor Vehicles, with a Bow-type Handle and with a Pressure-actuated Element Integrated Therein
The invention relates to a door handle of the type defined in the preamble of claim 1. In the known door handle the pressure-actuated element is formed as a uniform plastic member in the form of a cap which is inserted into the recess at the end of the bow-type handle.
In a known door handle (DE 18 42 237 U), a cap-shaped push button is pressed outwardly by a pressure spring in a telescope-like way from a bore in the door handle, a pressure spring at the inner end face of the push button being responsible for this action. The mantle area of the push button is surrounded at its lower area with a plastic sleeve which improves the slide guiding of the push button and is supposed to prevent riffle formation on the push button.
It is also known {DE 19 44 225 U) to provide a seal of elastomeric material for the purpose of a telescope-like guiding- of a push button in the area of a handle. This sealing material is fastened in a door recess by ring-shaped laminas. In this case, the axial movability of the push button is also realized by separate pressure springs which are supported on the inner push button end.
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There are also push actuators in door handles whose restoring force
is provided by the plastic material itself. Such caps with integrated restoring action are favorable with regard to manufacturing technology and assembly.
In the known handle, the push actuators is hard to move when it is desired to use a scratch-resistant, hard plastic material for making the cap. If a softer plastic material were to be used for making the push actuator, its pleasant appearance would disadvantageously change within a short period of time by scratches or bulges.
The invention has the object to develop a push actuator of the kind mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 which, even after extended use, maintains its pleasant appearance and its functionality but can still be easily actuated. This is achieved according to the invention by the measures defined in the claim which have the following special meaning.
The push actuator according to the invention is comprised of a combination insert which is comprised of two components which are different with respect to their material. One component, which in the following is referred to as the "hard component" is arranged at least in the central area of the outer cap bottom and is comprised of a hard, scratch-resistant plastic material. On the other hand, the second component is formed of an essentially softer shape-elastic plastic material which forms the entire cap but in the area of the cap bottom extends only on the inner surface, below the hard component. This second component is therefore referred to in the following as "soft component". The push actuator can be
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manufactured easily and precisely of these two components in a two-step injection molding process. Because the soft component is arranged exclusively in the area of the cap mantle, a good push actuation possibility of the mounted combination insert is provided. The good elastic properties of the soft component are used in this context. The push button actuator is easily movable. The hard component, on the other hand, is arranged in the zone of the cap bottom where the push actuation is realized. It provides a reinforcement of the cap bottom which is very favorable for the actuation of the electrical switch. The securing and arresting of the combination insert in the recess of the bow-type handle are not endangered according to the invention, despite the use of the soft component in this zone, because these parts of the combination which are inherently soft are supported by radial contact surfaces, axial shoulders and the like on the strong material of the bow-type handle at the desired locations. The formation of locking elements of the soft component is favorable for a precise plug-in assembly and fixation.
Further advantages of the invention result from the dependent claims, the following description, and the drawings. In the drawings, the invention is illustrated by means of one embodiment. It is shown in:
Fig. 1 a plan view onto the bow-type handle of a disassembled door handle,
Fig. 2 a cross-section, on a greatly enlarged scale, of the end area of the bow-type handle according to
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Fig. l, viewed in the direction of the indicated section line II-II, and
Fig. 3 in a. representation analog to Fig. 2 a section of the same end of the bow-type handle in the direction of section line III-III of Fig. 1.
Fig. 1 shows only the disassembled bow-type handle 10 of the outer door grip which is designed for automobiles. It is a pull action door grip where one end 11 of the bow member is pivotably rotatably supported on a support of the door and its other bow member end 12 can be pulled out against a spring load. In this bow member end 12 a recess 13 is provided in which a push actuator 15 is arranged which acts on an electrical switch 16 arranged therein. The switch 16 has a push button 17 which is actuatable for triggering the electrical contacts in the direction of the double arrow 18. This is realized by a manual push actuation 15 in the direction of the illustrated arrow 14. According to the invention, this push actuator 15 is configured in a special way.
The push actuator 15 is a plug-in insert comprised of two different components 21, 22, which insert is referred to in the following as "combination insert" and which is identified by reference numeral 20. As already mentioned before, one component 21 is comprised of a hard, scratch-resistant plastic material 23 and will be referred to as the "hard component" of this combination insert 20. On the other hand, the other component 22 is formed of a soft, shape-elastic plastic material 24 and is therefore referred to as "soft component". This combination insert 20 has a special shape which will be explained with the aid of Fig. 3.
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The combination insert 20 has a cap shape 30 which can be divided in principle into a cap bottom 31 and a cap mantle 32. The plan view of Fig. 1 shows that the cap bottom 31 has a rectangular contour when the rounded portions and curvatures are disregarded. While the cap mantle 32 is comprised exclusively of the soft component 22, the cap bottom 31 is of a very complex configuration. The central area 33 of the cap 30 is covered at its outer side with a plate of the hard component 21 which defines the push actuation location for the electrical switch. The inner surface 26 of this plate 25 is already covered with a layer of the soft component 22. The plate 25 is provided with elements 27, 28 at the edges and/or at the center which penetrate the wall layer of the soft component 22 arranged underneath. In this way, a positive-locking connection of the two components 21, 22 is realized as is illustrated clearly in Fig. 3. The elements 27 at the edge are stop elements which interact with corresponding shoulders 46, illustrated in Fig. 2, in the bow-type handle 10 when actuation 14 of the plate 25 occurs. These stops 27, 46 are coordinated with the central element 28. It is an actuator formed as a central shaft which is axially aligned with the push button 17 of the electrical switch 16. A gap 48, illustrated in Fig. 2, is present in the rest position between the shaft 28 and the upper end face of the push button 17. This gap 48 is smaller than the height spacing 47, also illustrated in Fig. 2, between the end face of the stop elements and the corresponding shoulder 46.
The edge zone of the cap bottom 31, shown in Fig. 3 and identified with 34, is already exclusively comprised of the soft component 22 and surrounds the plate 25 of the hard component 21 like a frame on all sides, as can be seen in Fig. 1. According to the axial
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section of Fig. 3, the transition area 35 between the contour of the plate 25 and the cap remainder 34, 32, formed of the soft component 22, has a bent profile 29 which in the present embodiment has a U-shape. In this way, an upwardly oriented open groove 36 is formed which surrounds the plate 35 annularly, as can be seen best in Fig. 1. This U-shaped profile 29 has a considerably reduced wall thickness 39 in comparison to the wall thickness 38 of the neighboring cap mantle 32. This bent profile 29 acts then as an especially elastically yielding pull-back spring which provides the defined initial position of the cap bottom 31 illustrated in Fig. 3.
The cap mantle 32 is comprised exclusively of the soft component 22 which is, however, enclosed by the special profiling of the recess 13 in the bow member end 12. The recess 13 is formed as an annular chamber whose chamber opening width 19, illustrated in Fig. 2, is matched to the aforementioned mantle thickness 38 of the cap mantle 32. The soft component 32 provided there is seated by pressfit in the annular chamber 13. The chamber 13 illustrated in Fig. 2 has thus in the bow member material 37 defined radial contact surfaces 42 as well as axial shoulders 41 for the soft cap mantle 32.
On the cap mantle 32 locking elements are provided, which, as shown in Fig. 2, are comprised of radially springy hooks 43. At the base of the annular chamber 13 a penetration 44 is provided from which the hooks 43 of the mounted cap 30 project axially and are anchored in a locking plate 40. The locking plate 40 is positioned areally on the backside cutout of the oppositely positioned side of the annular chamber 13 and comprises holes 4 5 correlated with and complementary to the hooks 43. They allow during coupling the
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radially elastic deflection movement of the hooks 43. The hook head engages behind the edge of the hole. With the aforementioned axial shoulders 41, on the one hand, and the snap-in hooks 43, on the other hand, the combination insert 20 is secured positive-lockingly in the chamber 13. This secures the position of the locking plate 40. The locking plate 40 is a support for the electrical switch 16 which is glued, onto the outwardly-positioned-plate side. The locking plate 40 can be secured at its edge, as illustrated in Fig. 3, positive-lockingly in corresponding recesses of the bow member material 37, and this is the case before as well as during and after assembly of the insert 15 in the bow-type handle.
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List of Reference Numerals
10 bow-type handle
11 first bow member end of 10
12 second bow member end of 10
13 recess in 12, annular chamber
14 push actuation arrow of 15
15 push actuator in 12
16 electrical switch
17 pushbutton of 16
18 double arrow of the button movement of 17
19 radial opening width of 13
20 combination insert for 15
21 first component of 20, hard component
22 second component of 20, soft component
23 hard, scratch-resistant plastic material for 21
24 form-stable, soft plastic material for 22
25 plate of 21
26 inner surface of 25
27 stop element, edge-side element on 25 (Fig. 3)
28 actuation element for 17, central shaft of 25 (Fig. 3
29 bent profile of 35, U-profile
30 cap shape of 20
31 cap bottom of 30
32 cap mantle of 30 made of 22
33 central area of 31
34 edge zone of 31
35 transition area between 25, 32
36 groove of 29 (Fig. 3)
37 bow member material of 10
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38 mantle thickness of 32
39 wall thickness of 22
40 locking plate
41 axial shoulder for 32 in 13
42 contact surface for 32 in 13
43 locking element (radially springy hook)
44 penetration in the base of 13
45 hole in 40 for 43
46 shoulder on 10
47 height spacing between 17 and 46
48 gap between 28 and 17
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WE CLAIM:
1. Outer door handle in particular for vehicles with a bow type handle (10)
with a recess (13) at the end of the bow-type handle(10), and with a push
actuator (15) of an electrical switch (16) or the like which has the shape of
a cap (30) and Is inserted into the recess (13)
characterized in that the push actuator (15) is a composite plug-In insert
comprised of two components (21,22) and forming a combination insert
(20),
that the first component of the combination insert (20) is a plate (25) of
hard, scratch-resistant plastic material and forms a hard component (21)
of the combination insert (20).
wherein the hard component (21) is arranged in the central area (33) of
the outer cap bottom (31) and forms the outwardly directed push actuation
location in the bow-type handle (10),
that the second component of the combination insert (20) is comprised of
a soft, shape-elastic plastic material and forms a soft component (22) of
the combination insert (20),
that the soft component (22) extends across the entire cap (30) but
extends only on the inner surface (26) of the plate (25) formed of the hard
component (21) in the central area (33) of the cap bottom (31),
that the combination insert (20) is formed In the area of the cap mantle
(32) exclusively of the soft component (22),
and that the soft component (22) in the area of the cap mantle (32) is
provided with radial contact surfaces (42), with axial shoulders (41) and
with locking elements (43) which are active for the insertion assembly,
which serve for supporting and securing the combination insert (20) in the
recess (13) of the bow-type handle (10).
2. Door handle claimed in claim 1, wherein also the edge zone (34) of the
cap bottom (31) is exclusively comprised of the soft component (22) of
the combination insert (20)
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and that this edge zone (34) surrounds the plate (25) comprised of the hard component (21) on all sides like a frame.
3. Door handle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the transition (35),
surrounding the contour of the plate (25), into the cap remainder (32, 34)
comprised of the soft component (22) has a bent profile (29) when viewed
in an axial section of the cap 30,
Which transition serves as an efastically yielding pull-back spring for the push actuator (14).
4. Door handle as claimed In one of the claim 1 to 3, wherein the soft
component (22) at the transition (35) between the contour of the plate (25)
and the cap remainder (32, 34) has a smaller wall thickness (39) than in
the remaining area (38) of the cap mantle (32) that is not covered.
5. Door handle as claimed In claim 3 or 4, wherein the transition (35) is
comprised of a U-shaped groove (36)
Which surrounds the plate (35) annularly and is lowered relative to the outer visible surface of the push actuator (13).
6. Door handle as claimed in one of the claim 1 to 5, wherein the recess (13)
in the bow-type handle (10) Is comprised of an annular chamber,
Whose chamber opening width (19) is matched to the mantle thickness (38) of the cap mantle such that the soft component (22) provided thereat of the combination insert (20) is received at least at portions thereof by pressfit.
7. Door handle as claimed In one of the claim 1 to 6, wherein the locking
element (43) provided on the cap mantle (32) is a radiafry springy hook
which is formed of the soft component (22)
Whose hook shaft in the assembly situation penetrates a perforation (44) at the base of the recess (13) and is anchored with a hook head in a locking plate (40).
8. The door handle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the locking plate (40) is
arranged behind the base of the recess (13)
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£S
and that the locking plate (40) is provided with holes (45) penetrated by the hook shaft In the assembly situation and the hook head engages behind the hole edge.
9. Door handle as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the locking plate (40) is the support of a microswftch (16) whose switch button (17) engages underneath areas of the cap bottom.
10.Door handle as claimed in claim 9, wherein actuation elements (28) of the hard component (21) of the visible plate (25) penetrate the soft component (22) and are aligned with the switch button (17) of the microswftch (16).
11. Door handle as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein stop elements (27) of the hard component (21) of the visible plate (25) penetrate the soft component (22) and interact with shoulders (46) of the bow-type handle (10) upon actuation (14) of the push actuator (15) and limit the pushed-fn position.

OFL.S.DAVAR&CO.
APPLICANTS' AGENT
Dated this 9th day of July 2001
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Outer door handle in particular for vehicles with a bow type handle (10) with a recess (13) at the end of the bow-type handle(10), and with a push actuator (15) of an electrical switch (16) or the like which has (he shape of a cap (30) and is inserted Into the recess (13) characterized In that the push actuator (15) Is a composite plug-in insert comprised of two components (21,22) and forming a combination Insert (20), that the first component of the combination insert (20) Is a plate (25) of hard, scratch-resistant plastic material and forms a hard component (21) of the combination insert (20), wherein the hard component (21) is arranged in the central area (33) of the outer cap bottom (31) and forms the outwardly directed push actuation location in the bow-type handle (10), that the second component of the combination insert (20) is comprised of a soft, shape-elastic plastic material and forms a soft component (22) of the combination insert (20), that the soft component (22) extends across the entire cap (30) but extends only on the inner surface (26) of the plate (25) formed of the hard component (21) in the central area (33) of (he cap bottom (31), that the combination insert (20) is formed in the area of the cap mantle (32) exclusively of the soft component (22), and that the soft component (22) in the area of the cap mantle (32) is provided with radial contact surfaces (42), with axial shoulders (41) and with locking elements (43) which are active for the insertion assembly, which serve for supporting and securing the combination insert (20) in (he recess (13) of the bow-type handle (10).

Documents:


Patent Number 202505
Indian Patent Application Number IN/PCT/2001/0710/KOL
PG Journal Number 08/2007
Publication Date 23-Feb-2007
Grant Date 23-Feb-2007
Date of Filing 09-Jul-2001
Name of Patentee HUF HULSBECK & FURST GMBH & CO.KG.
Applicant Address STEEGER STRASSE 17, D-42551 VELBERT
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 KLEIN HELMUT HEIDEKAMP 51, D-43549 VELBERT
2 MULLER ULRICH Schneegelskothen 7c,D-42549 velbert
PCT International Classification Number E 05 B 1/00
PCT International Application Number PCT/EP99/08044
PCT International Filing date 1999-10-23
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 19856902.5 1998-12-10 Germany