AU746504B2

AU746504B2 - Door handle of automobile

Info

Publication number: AU746504B2
Application number: AU71503/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jin Su Choo
Original assignee: Hyundai Motor Co
Current assignee: Hyundai Motor Co
Priority date: 1999-12-28
Filing date: 2000-11-09
Publication date: 2002-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 2020-11-09
Also published as: DE10053782A1; KR100348044B1; JP2001193318A; JP3467517B2; KR20010060903A; AU7150300A

Description

1928BN

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY Jin-Su CHOO HODGKINSON OLD McINNES Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 3, 20 Alfred Street MILSONS POINT NSW 2061 DOOR HANDLE OF AUTOMOBILE 04

V

Invention Title: Details of Associated Basic Application: Korean Patent Application No. 99-63361 dated 28 December 1999.

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: DOOR HANDLE OF AUTOMOBILE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a door handle of an automobile, and more particularly to a door handle of an automobile adaped to have a releaseable function of latch at a tailgate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART *..*Generally, an automobile is mounted at a body thereof with openable and closeable doors for passengers and loads. One of the doors vertically openable S 10 and closeable, so called a lift-up type tailgate as shown in Figure 1, is widely oooo used as a rear door for a hatch back type of automobile.

oooo In other words, the lift-up type tailgate 10 is mounted at a rear tip end of a roof panel 12 via hinge member (not shown) for vertical opening and closing thereof, and is also formed at a lower portion of door glass 14 thereof with a Si 15 recess 16 facing the interior of the automobile. The recess 16 is attached thereon with a garnish 18 for an exterior decoration and the garnish 18 is provided at an inner upper portion of the recess 16 with an external handle for a user to hold for opening and closing the door.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the external handle 20 is so arranged as to pierce an external panel 10a of the tailgate 10 and to be inserted into a space formed between the external panel lOa and an inner panel lOb while the external handle 20 is rotatably and axially coupled at a center portion thereof via a rotary axle 22a to a mounting bracket 22 externally screwed to the external panel 10a of the tailgate 10. The external handle 20 is connected at a rear tip end portion 20a thereof to an actuating rod 26 which is in turn connected to a latch (not shown) via a releaseable coupling member 24.

Unexplained reference numeral 27 in the drawing is a pad mounted between the external panel 10a of the tailgate 10 and the mounting bracket 22, 28 and 29 are a bolt and a nut respectively for coupling the mounting bracket 22 to the external panel 10a of the tailgate 10 while reference numeral 30 is a coil spring for rotatably and resiliently mounting the external handle 20 to the mounting bracket 22.

When the external handle 20 is lifted for opening the tailgate 10, the actuating rod 26 fixed to the rear tip end portion 20a of the external handle 10 via the coupling member 24 is moved to release the tailgate 10 and when the external handle 20 is further lifted, the tailgate 10 hinged to the roof panel 12 is vertically lifted to be opened.

However, there is a problem in the tailgate 10 thus described according i **to the prior art in that a manipulating force applied to the external handle 20 can break the garnish 18 in opening and closing the tailgate 10 because the external handle 20 is mounted within the garnish 18 upwardly attached to the recess 16 ooooo formed at the external panel 10a, such that, in order to avoid the problem, a user should first manipulate the external handle 20 to release the latch, in opening the tailgate 10, and hold a lower end of the tailgate 10 to lift same, and furthermore, the user should hold and push the lower end of the tailgate 10 to close same downward in closing the tailgate.

There is another problem in that attaching capability of the mounting bracket 22 rotatably supporting the external handle 20 to the external panel is deteriorated because the external handle 20 is rotatably mounted at the mounting bracket 22 fixed to the external panel 10a of the tailgate 10 via the rotary axle 22a, such that opening and closing manipulation of the tailgate via the external handle 20 is rendered impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the present invention consists in a door handle for an automobile, said handle comprising: a fixed handle part mounted at a door of said automobile; and a movable handle part rotatably mounted via a coil spring at an inner side of said fixed handle part so as to be held with said fixed handle part and connected to a latch of said door via an actuating rod in order to release said latch, said movable handle part comprises a connector for fixing said actuating rod and a grip part for a user to grip, and wherein said movable handle part comprises at least one boss including a stud bolt coupled to said door, and said boss is mounted at an outside panel of said door with an outwardly protruded reinforcing rib.

Preferably the fixed handle part is mounted with a first damper for absorbing a contact shock of the fixed handle part and the movable handle part.

Preferably also the coil spring is mounted with a second damper for absorbing S 15 a contact shock of the coil spring and the fixed handle part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 0**0 20 Figure 1 is a perspective view for partially illustrating a rear part of an automobile mounted with a tailgate according to the prior art; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view for illustrating a part where a handle is mounted at the tailgate of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view for partially illustrating a rear part of automobile mounted with a tailgate having a handle according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view for illustrating a part where a handle is mounted at the tailgate of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a constitutional diagram for illustrating a boss of handle taken in direction shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 4; and Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of Figure 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 10 Now, preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure 3 is a perspective view for partially illustrating a rear part of automobile mounted with a tailgate having a handle according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view for illustrating a part where a handle is mounted at the tailgate of S. 15 Figure 3, Figure 5 is a constitutional diagram for illustrating a boss of handle taken in direction shown in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of Figure 4.

As illustrated in the drawings, a door handle 20 of automobile according to the present invention mounted at the external panel 10a of the tailgate 10 for opening and closing includes a movable handle part 20a for releasing a latch and a fixed handle part 20b for firmly securing the movable handle part 20a to the tailgate 10, where the movable handle part 20a of the handle 20 is rotatably mounted at the fixed handle part 20b via a rotary axle The fixed handle part 20b at the handle 20 pierces a garnish 18 secured to the external panel lOa of the tailgate 10 to be screwed to a rear surface of the external panel lOa. The movable handle part 20a bent at an approximate shape of includes a grip part 20d extended at one side therefrom for a user to hold and a connecting part 20e coupled to an actuating rod 26 connected to a latch via a coupling member 24 at a tip end of the other side.

Furthermore, the fixed handle part 20b is integrally formed with a boss part 20g outwardly protruded for being screwed to the external panel 10a of the tailgate 10at each tip end portion thereof and for welding a stud bolt 20f therein, and a protruder 20h for mounting the rotary axle 20c for rotatably supporting the movable handle part The rotary axle 20c for rotatably supporting at the protruder 20h of the 10 movable handle part 20a is disposed at a periphery thereof with a coil spring for restoring the movable handle part 20a after movement.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the boss part 20g is integrally mounted with a reinforcing rib 20j externally protruded at each side, where the reinforcing rib 20j increases a contact area between the boss part and the external part 10a for alleviation of local stress concentration on the external panel ooooo The fixed handle part 20b of the handle 20 is respectively arranged therein with a first damper 20k for alleviating shock and noise generated while contacted with the grip part 20d when the movable handle part 20a moves and a second damper 209 for alleviating shock and noise generated while contacted with a tip end of the coil spring 20i when the movable handle part 20a is restored in movement.

The first damper 20k is a flat plate type of cushioning member for being fixedly coupled to a recess 20m formed inside of the fixed handle part 20b and the second damper 209 is a rod shaped cushioning member inserted into a tip end of the coil spring 20i for integral rotation therewith and for contact with a hitching pat 20n protruded into the fixed handle part Furthermore, the fixed handle part 20b is fixed at an inner side thereof with a recess 200 in which the grip part 20d of the movable handle part 20a is accommodated when the tailgatelO is opened, as illustrated in Figure 7.

Unexplained reference numeral 10b in the drawing is an inner panel of the tailgate 10, 27 is a pad between the garnish 18 of the tailgate 10 and the boss part 20g of the fixed handle part 20b and 29 is a nut screwing the stud bolt from the rear surface of the external panel When the grip part 20d of the movable handle part 20a is gripped and pulled when the tailgate 10 is opened or closed, the grip part 20d of the movable handle part 20a is accommodated into the recess 20o of the fixed handle part 20b, where the connecting part 20e positioned at a facing location of the grip part 20d of the movable handle part 20a is rotated about the rotary axle 20c to pull the actuating rod 26 and to release the latch.

Successively, when the movable handle part 20a is lifted along with a fixed handle part 20b, the tailgate 10 is opened.

At this time, no swaying or rocking of the handle 20 is generated because the fixed handle part 20b at the handle 20 is firmly secured by the bosses 20g at both sides to the external panel 10a of the tailgate 10 through the garnish 18, such that there is no need of lifting the tailgate 10 at a lower end thereof unlike the prior art.

In this case, the boss part 20g of the fixed handle part 20b is formed with the outwardly protruded reinforcing rib 20j, such that attachment strength of the fixed handle part 20b relative to the external panel 10a of the tailgate can be fully guaranteed and the handle 20 can be convenviently used in opening and closing the tailgate Furthermore, when the tailgate 10 is opened, and even the movable handle part 20a of the handle 20 is firmly gripped for rotation, the first damper 20k secured in the recess 20m at the internal surface of the fixed handle part 20b can reduce the shock generated by contact with the grip part 20d of the movable handle part Still furthermore, when the tailgate 10 is closed, and even when the movable handle part 20a of the handle 20 is abruptly released, a tip end portion of the coil spring 20i for providing a restoring force to the movable handle part 20a can be contacted with Less shock via the hitching part 20n inwardly formed at the fixed handle part 20b and the second damper 201.

10 As apparent from the foregoing, there is an advantage in the door handle of automobile thus described according to the present invention in that attachment strength of the handle 20 mounted on the tailgate 10 is reinforced to simultaneously obtain a release function of latch when the tailgate is opened and closed and a handle function necessary for opening of the door, thereby promoting a great convenience to a user.

oo oi S•The term "comprising" as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of "rdost "including" or "having" and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of".

Claims

1. A door handle for an automobile, said handle comprising: a fixed handle part mounted at a door of said automobile; and a movable handle part rotatably mounted via a coil spring at an inner side of said fixed handle part so as to be held with said fixed handle part and connected to a latch of said door via an actuating rod in order to release said latch, said movable handle part comprises a connector for fixing said actuating rod and a grip part for a user to grip, and wherein said movable handle part comprises at least one boss including a stud bolt coupled to said door, and said boss is mounted at an outside panel of said door with an outwardly protruded reinforcing rib.

2. The handle as defined in claim 1, wherein the fixed handle part is mounted with a first damper for absorbing a contact shock of the fixed handle part and the movable handle part.

3. The handle as defined in claim 3, wherein the coil spring is mounted with a second damper for absorbing a contact shock of the coil spring and the fixed handle part.

4. A door handle of an automobile as substantially hereinbefore described •m*o and with reference to the accompanying Figures 3 to 7. Dated this 14 t h Day of February, 2002. HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY BY: HODGKINSON OLD MclNNES Patent Attorneys for the Applicant