Locks – Special application – For automotive vehicles
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-12
2002-03-26
Nguyen, Tan (Department: 3661)
Locks
Special application
For automotive vehicles
C070S467000, C070S422000, C180S287000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06360572
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a motor vehicle handle.
The invention relates more particularly to a handle for operating an opening leaf of a motor vehicle, of the type in which the handle comprises an operating lever handle which is intended to be moved by a user from a position of rest into a position of opening, the movement of the lever handle being transmitted to a lock via a linkage comprising a transmission member, particularly an articulated transmission lever, which moves with the lever handle from a position of rest into a position of opening.
The invention relates more particularly to a handle for an opening leaf of a vehicle equipped with a security system which locks the opening leaf and the locking and unlocking of which are subordinated to a remote interrogation, by a vehicle antitheft unit, of a badge of the radio frequency type worn or carried by the user. The invention finds a more specific application in systems of the so-called “hands free” type.
2. Description of the Related Art
In systems such as this, before triggering unlocking, the antitheft unit emits an interrogation signal and waits for a coded response signal emitted by the badge to be returned. The antitheft unit compares the response signal received with a predetermined signal and, if the signals correspond, it then, at that instant, triggers the unlocking of the lock so that, by bringing the lever handle part of the handle into its position for opening, the user, duly authorized, can then open the opening leaf.
A security system such as this which makes it possible to get around the use of a key or a remote control, is often known as a “hands free access system”.
In applications such as this, the procedure for the exchange of data between the antitheft unit and the identity badge, the stage of recognizing the response signal, then the actual operation of unlocking the lock take a certain amount of time.
Now, for such a security system to be convenient to use, it is important for the authorized user to be able to open the opening leaf as soon as possible after he has brought the lever handle part of the handle into its position for opening.
Hence, to this end, it has been proposed that the identification procedure be triggered as early on as possible from the time when, by bringing his hand up close to the lever handle or by moving the lever handle, the user makes known his desire to open the opening leaf.
A solution such as this proves insufficient because the overall duration of the identification procedure depends on other steps which follow on from its initiation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a new design of handle which allows the user to rapidly achieve opening of the opening leaf after he has acted on the lever handle without him having to operate the lever handle twice, keeping his action applied to this lever handle so that it remains in a position for opening being enough to unlock the lock once the identification procedure has been completed, this new design having not in any way to impede the travel of the lever handle into its position for opening nor cause the user to have sensations other than those he would feel when manipulating the lever handle part of a handle of the state of the art, and this design having to be adaptable to a conventional handle without entailing any modification to the lock with its locking means and operating linkage.
To this end, the invention proposes a handle for operating an opening leaf of a motor vehicle, which is equipped with a security system which locks the opening leaf and the locking and unlocking of which are subordinated to a remote interrogation, by a vehicle antitheft unit, of an identifier, for example a badge of the radio frequency type, worn or carried by the user, and of the type in which, before triggering unlocking, the antitheft unit emits an interrogation system and waits for a response signal to be returned, the signal being emitted by the identifier, and which signal it compares with a predetermined signal and, if the signals correspond, then at that instant, triggers the unlocking, the handle comprising an operating lever handle which is intended to be moved by the user from a position of rest into a position for opening, and a transmission member which normally moves with the lever handle from a position of rest into a position of opening and which is connected to a linkage for operating the lock, wherein the transmission member is connected to the lever handle by means of a disengageable mechanism, the engagement of which is brought about by the antitheft unit when it detects said correspondence between the signals and which, in its disengaged state, stores up at least some of the mechanical energy of opening applied to the lever handle by the user so as to then restore this energy to the transmission member during engagement.
According to other features of the invention:
the disengageable mechanism comprises a motorized finger for immobilizing the transmission member, which is made to move between a deployed forward disengagement position in which it immobilizes the transmission member, and a retracted rear engagement position in which the transmission member is free to move under the action of a spring that stores up energy and that connects the lever handle to the transmission member;
the spring that stores up energy is a tension spring which is tensioned in order to store up energy when the immobilizing finger is in the deployed disengagement position and when the user moves the lever handle from its position of rest toward its position for opening;
the front free end of the motorized immobilizing finger can be housed in a corresponding immobilizing hole in the transmission member;
the transmission member is a transmission lever mounted in an articulated manner about a fixed spindle;
the opposed free ends of the tension spring are each fixed to the end of a radial arm of the lever handle and of the transmission lever, respectively;
the motorized finger that immobilizes the transmission lever is able to move in terms of translation in a direction parallel to the fixed spindle about which the transmission lever is articulated;
the handle comprises indexing means which automatically secure the transmission member and the lever handle at the end of the security unlocking of the opening leaf;
the automatic indexing means comprise an indexing finger borne by the lever handle and with respect to which it is mounted so that it can slide between a retracted forward position and a projecting rear position, toward which it is elastically returned, in which its rear free end can enter a corresponding indexing hole formed in the transmission member;
the immobilizing hole and the indexing hole consist of one and the same open hole formed in the transmission member and, when the lever handle is in the position of rest, causing the motorized finger that immobilizes the transmission member to move toward its deployed forward disengagement position, causes the indexing finger to slide toward its retracted forward position;
the motorized immobilizing finger is borne by an operating carriage mounted so that it can slide between two opposed positions toward one of which it is elastically returned, and the movements of the carriage are caused by a rotary operating cam which is rotated in both directions by an electric motor;
the operating carriage is returned elastically toward its extreme position that corresponds to the deployed forward disengagement position of the motorized immobilizing finger;
the handle is associated with a manual latch and a rotor for deploying the latch is capable of making the immobilizing finger move;
the lever handle is returned elastically toward its position of rest.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the detailed description which follows, for an understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings, in which:
REFERENCES:
patent: 4833465 (1989-05-01
Liniak Berenato Longacre & White
Nguyen Tan
Tran Dalena
Valeo Securite Habitacle
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