US-20260125928-A1 - VEHICULAR DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY

US20260125928A1US 20260125928 A1US20260125928 A1US 20260125928A1US-20260125928-A1

Abstract

A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion that mounts at a door and a handle portion. The handle portion is movable relative to the base portion between a recessed position and an extended position. The handle portion includes a slider element and a flexible cover element that is coupled to the slider element and that is graspable by the user. An actuator is electrically operable to move the handle portion between the recessed position and the extended position by imparting rotational movement of a cam shaft relative to the base portion. As the cam shaft rotates relative to the base portion, a cam rotates with the cam shaft and engages the slider element, which moves laterally relative to the base portion according to rotation of the cam to move the handle portion between the recessed position and the extended position.

Inventors

Marshall A. Zerbe

Assignees

MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251229

Claims (12)

1 . A vehicular door handle assembly, the vehicular door handle assembly comprising; a base portion configured to mount the vehicular door handle assembly at a door of a vehicle; a handle portion including a grasping portion; wherein, with the vehicular door handle assembly mounted at the door of the vehicle, the handle portion is movable relative to the base portion between (i) a recessed position where the grasping portion of the handle portion is recessed at the base portion and not graspable by a user and (ii) an extended position where the grasping portion of the handle portion protrudes outward from the base portion and is graspable by the user; wherein the handle portion comprises (i) a slider element that is laterally movable relative to the base portion to move the handle portion between the recessed position and the extended position and (ii) a flexible cover element that is coupled to the slider element and that flexes relative to the base portion to accommodate movement of the slider element as the slider element moves the handle portion between the recessed position and the extended position; wherein, with the handle portion in the extended position, the flexible cover element is graspable by the user; an actuator; wherein the actuator is electrically operable to move the handle portion between the recessed position and the extended position; wherein the actuator, when electrically operated, imparts rotational movement of a cam shaft relative to the base portion; and wherein as the cam shaft rotates relative to the base portion, a cam rotates with the cam shaft and engages the slider element, and wherein the slider element moves laterally relative to the base portion according to rotation of the cam to move the handle portion between the recessed position and the extended position.
2 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the handle portion comprises a plurality of slider elements, and wherein the flexible cover element extends along and over the plurality of slider elements.
3 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 2 , wherein each slider element of the plurality of slider elements is independently movable relative to the base portion.
4 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cam shaft comprises a plurality of cams, and wherein, as the plurality of cams rotate with the cam shaft, each cam of the plurality of cams engages a corresponding slider element of the plurality of slider elements, and wherein each slider element of the plurality of slider elements moves laterally relative to the base portion according to rotation of the corresponding cam of the plurality of cams.
5 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 2 , wherein the flexible cover element conforms to a profile of the plurality of slider elements.
6 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the slider element is biased toward engagement with the cam.
7 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein a release cable is coupled to the slider element, and wherein, with the handle portion in the extended position, and responsive to receiving a manual force at the handle portion, the manual force causes movement of the slider element and the release cable relative to the base portion and a latch mechanism of the door is released to allow the door to be opened.
8 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein, with the handle portion in the extended position, and responsive to the user grasping the handle portion and moving the handle portion beyond the extended position further from the recessed position, a latch mechanism of the door is released to allow the door to be opened.
9 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein, with the handle portion in the extended position, and responsive to the user grasping the handle portion and moving the handle portion from the extended position at least partially toward the recessed position, a latch mechanism of the door is released to allow the door to be opened.
10 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible cover element comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a leather material, (ii) a vinyl material, (iii) a rubber material and (iv) a woven fabric material.
11 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vehicular door handle assembly comprises a vehicular exterior door handle assembly.
12 . The vehicular door handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vehicular door handle assembly comprises a vehicular interior door handle assembly.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/894,389, filed Sep. 24, 2024, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,509,911, which claims the filing benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/592,594, filed Oct. 24, 2023, and U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/584,999, filed Sep. 25, 2023, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to handles for vehicles and, more particularly, to an exterior handle for opening a side door and/or liftgate of a vehicle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A door handle for a vehicle door typically includes a handle portion that is pivotable relative to a base portion, whereby pivotal movement of the handle portion actuates a latch mechanism to open the door. Typically, a door handle is a pull strap handle with a strap handle portion that protrudes outwardly from the side of the vehicle for grasping by the person opening the door of the vehicle. Alternately, paddle type door handle assemblies are known, where a paddle portion is pivotally mounted to a base portion and is pulled generally outwardly and upwardly to open the vehicle door. Such paddle type door handle assemblies typically protrude outwardly from the vehicle door when in their unpulled state and have an open recess below the paddle portion for receiving a user's fingers for grasping the paddle portion. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion configured to mount at a door of a vehicle equipped with the door handle assembly. A handle portion includes a grasping portion and the handle portion is movable relative to the base portion between (i) a recessed position, where the grasping portion of the handle portion is recessed at the base portion and is not graspable by a user, and (ii) an extended position, where the grasping portion of the handle portion protrudes outward from the base portion and is graspable by the user. A light module is electrically operable to emit light. With the base portion mounted at the door, the light module is disposed between the base portion and an outer panel of the door at or near a cutout region of the outer panel of the door. With the handle portion in the extended position, the handle portion extends at least partially through the cutout region of the outer panel of the door. When the light module is electrically operated to emit light, the light module emits light that emanates from between the base portion and the outer panel of the door and through the cutout region of the outer panel of the door to illuminate the handle portion. For example, the light module includes a bracket with a cutout region that substantially aligns with the cutout region of the door panel, and the bracket accommodates a light pipe that at least partially circumscribes the cutout region and a light source that is electrically operable to emit light to illuminate the light pipe. The light pipe may comprise a substantially U-shaped light pipe with a first leg or portion that extends above the cutout region and a second leg or portion that extends below the cutout region. Light sources or emitters may be disposed at the respective ends of the light pipe to provide even illumination along the light pipe. Thus, the light module provides perimeter back lighting for the handle portion so that a user may ascertain the location of the door handle region and view the handle portion while grasping the handle portion to open the vehicle door. Optionally, a vehicular exterior or interior door handle assembly includes a base portion configured to mount at a door of a vehicle equipped with the door handle assembly. A handle portion includes a grasping portion and the handle portion is movable relative to the base portion between (i) a recessed position, where the grasping portion of the handle portion is recessed at the base portion and is not graspable by a user, and (ii) an extended position, where the grasping portion of the handle portion protrudes outward from the base portion and is graspable by the user. The handle portion includes (i) one or more slider elements that are laterally movable relative to the base portion to move the handle portion between the recessed position and the extended position and (ii) a flexible cover element that is coupled to the one or more slider elements and that flexes relative to the base portion to accommodate movement of the slider elements as the slider elements moves the handle portion between the recessed position and the extended position. The flexible cover element is graspable by the user when the handle portion is in the extended position. An actuator includes an electrically operable motor and is operable to move the handle portion between the recessed position and the extended position. The actuator imparts rotational movement of a cam shaft relative to the base portion. As the cam