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EP-4737665-A1 - IMPROVED DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE DOOR

EP4737665A1EP 4737665 A1EP4737665 A1EP 4737665A1EP-4737665-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a door handle assembly (10) for a door (2) of a vehicle (1), comprising: - a grip member (12); - an actuation system (14), configured to move the grip member (12) between a flush position, in which the grip member (12) is intended to remain flush with an outer surface of a door (2) of a vehicle (1), and a deployed position, in which the grip member (12) is intended to project from an outer surface of a door (2) of a vehicle (1), the actuation system (14) comprising a linkage (16) connecting the grip member (12) to a bracket (18) intended to be fixed relative to the door, and an actuator assembly (20) configured to actuate the linkage (16) to move the grip member (12), the handle assembly (10) comprising a removable covert part (28) intended to be disposed within a handle opening (2a) of a door (2) of a vehicle (1), so that an external side of the removable part (28) is visible from the outside when the grip member (12) is in its deployed position, the handle assembly further comprising a connector (30) connecting a first wire harness (32) and a second wire harness (34), the first wire harness (32) being connected to the grip member (12), the connector (30) being removably attached to an internal side of the removable cover part (28), the removable cover part (28) being secured to the bracket (18) by a detachable snap-in connection.

Inventors

  • PEDROLETTI, David
  • ROCCI, ANTONIO
  • FRATTINI, MASSIMO

Assignees

  • Minebea AccessSolutions Italia S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241029

Claims (10)

  1. A door handle assembly (10) for a door (2) of a vehicle (1), comprising: - a grip member (12); - an actuation system (14), configured to move the grip member (12) between a flush position, in which the grip member (12) is intended to remain flush with an outer surface of a door (2) of a vehicle (1), and a deployed position, in which the grip member (12) is intended to project from an outer surface of a door (2) of a vehicle (1), the actuation system (14) comprising a linkage (16) connecting the grip member (12) to a bracket (18) intended to be fixed relative to the door, and an actuator assembly (20) configured to actuate the linkage (16) to move the grip member (12), the handle assembly (10) comprising a removable covert part (28) intended to be disposed within a handle opening (2a) of a door (2) of a vehicle (1), so that an external side of the removable part (28) is visible from the outside when the grip member (12) is in its deployed position, the handle assembly further comprising a connector (30) connecting a first wire harness (32) and a second wire harness (34), the first wire harness (32) being connected to the grip member (12), the connector (30) being removably attached to an internal side of the removable cover part (28), the removable cover part (28) being secured to the bracket (18) by a detachable snap-in connection.
  2. The door handle assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover part (28) includes clips (282) and the bracket (18) includes corresponding retaining elements (180), such as lugs or recesses.
  3. The door handle assembly (10) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the removable cover part (28) includes four clips (282) which constitute hooks and are all oriented towards the same direction.
  4. The door handle assembly (10) according to claims 1 to 3, wherein the clips (282) of the removable cover part (28) are L-shaped.
  5. The door handle assembly (10) according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the connector (30) is secured to the removable cover part (28) by a detachable snap-in connection, either directly or via a removable intermediate support (36).
  6. The door assembly (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the removable cover part (38) is plate shaped.
  7. The door assembly (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator assembly (20) includes an electric rotary actuator and an output member, such as a cam, configured to move the second lever (24) from a first position, in which the grip member (12) is in the flush position, to a second position, in which the grip member (12) is in the deployed position.
  8. The door assembly (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the linkage (16) includes an elastic biasing device, the elastic biasing device being configured to bias the second lever (24) towards its first position.
  9. The door assembly (10) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the actuator is a non-reversible actuator.
  10. A vehicle (1) comprising a door handle assembly (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims.

Description

Field of the invention The present invention relates generally to vehicles and, more particularly, to a door handle assembly for a vehicle. Background of the invention Handle assemblies for vehicle doors generally comprise a handle, a bracket to which the handle is secured and mechanical and/or electronic means configured to unlock the vehicle door and to activate a latch to open the vehicle door. Handles for vehicle doors are components having a significant influence on the style of vehicles. In this respect, vehicle manufacturers often seek to arrange the handle in the plane of the vehicle door so that it occupies a flush position also called a flush arrangement. A flush handle generally renders the handle as invisible as possible. Moreover, flush handles have the advantage of reducing the aerodynamic noise caused by the rush of air as the vehicle is being driven along. A flush handle generally comprises a grip member configured to cooperate with a latch mechanism so as to unlatch the vehicle door. The grip member is movable between a flush position in which it extends flush to an external panel of the vehicle door, a deployed position in which it projects with respect to the external panel and becomes graspable, and an open position in which it cooperates with the latch mechanism to unlatch the vehicle door. The grip member is generally connected to an actuator configured to move the grip member to the deployed position so that a user can grasp the grip member to open the vehicle door. This type of flush handle is called a motorized flush handle. The grip member of a motorized flush handle is generally equipped with various electronic components, such as sensors. The electronic components are connected to the handle assembly via a connector and a wire harness, the connector being located in the grip member. It is generally needed, in particular for maintenance purposes, that the grip member may be easily disassembled. However, the handles assemblies are becoming more and more complex, and the grip members include more and more electronic components; which renders difficult to integrate the connector within the grip member. It may therefore be easier to integrate the connector within the handle assembly, in the vicinity of the grip member. However, locating the connector outside the grip member can render more complex the disassembling of the grip member from the outside of the vehicle, that is, without disassembling the inner door panel. Summary of the invention An object of the invention is to provide a flush motorized handle having a grip member which can be easily disassembled from outside of the vehicle, even when a connector connecting the electronic components is located outside from the grip member. To this end, the invention relates to a door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle, comprising: a grip member;an actuation system, configured to move the grip member between a flush position, in which the grip member is intended to remain flush with an outer surface of a door of a vehicle, and a deployed position, in which the grip member is intended to project from an outer surface of a door of a vehicle, the actuation system comprising a linkage connecting the grip member to a bracket intended to be fixed relative to the door, and an actuator assembly configured to actuate the linkage to move the grip member, the handle assembly comprising a removable covert part intended to be disposed within a handle opening of a door of a vehicle, so that an external side of the removable part is visible from the outside when the grip member is in its deployed position,the handle assembly further comprising a connector connecting a first wire harness and a second wire harness, the first wire harness being connected to the grip member, the connector being removably attached to an internal side of the removable cover part, the removable cover part being secured to the bracket by a detachable snap-in connection. The handle assembly may comprise the following features, considered either alone or in any technically possible combination: The removable cover part includes clips and the bracket includes corresponding retaining elements, such as lugs or recesses. The removable cover part includes four clips which constitute hooks and are all oriented towards the same direction. The clips of the removable cover part are L-shaped. The connector is secured to the removable cover part by a detachable snap-in connection, either directly or via a removable intermediate support. The removable cover part is plate shaped. The actuator assembly includes an electric rotary actuator and an output member, such as a cam, configured to move the second lever from a first position, in which the grip member is in the flush position, to a second position, in which the grip member is in the deployed position. The linkage includes an elastic biasing device, the elastic biasing device being configured to bias the second lever towards its firs