# US 12,180,754 B2 · Door opener for vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,754 B2 - Document ID: US12180754B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/821,532 - Filed: 2022-08-23 - Published: 2022-12-15 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-13 - Assignees: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Takayuki Saijo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180754B2 ## CPC - E05B 79/20: using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables - E05B 81/56: Control of actuators - B60J 5/00: Doors (B60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00 {; side board or tailgate structures for open load compartments B62D33/023}) - E05B 79/22: Operative connections between handles, sill buttons or lock knobs and the lock unit (mounting of non-movable base elements of a handle to a lock E05B79/06) - E05B 81/76: Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles - E05B 81/90: Manual override in case of power failure - E05B 85/12: Inner door handles - E05B 85/103: {creating a completely closed wing surface} - E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS - B60J: WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES (fastening, suspending, closing, or opening of such devices E05) ## Abstract A door opener for a vehicle includes a housing; an operation lever attached to the housing such as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft between an initial position and a terminal position; a first switch configured to generate a control signal; a connector connected to a second switch that mechanically opens a door of a vehicle; a tactile sensation generating mechanism; and an elastic body that returns the operation lever. The first and second switch are turned off when a rotation angle of the operation lever is in a first angle range. When the rotation angle is in a second angle range, the first switch is turned on, a tactile sensation is generated by the tactile sensation generating mechanism, and the second switch remains turned off. When the rotation angle is in a third angle range, the second switch is turned on. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A door opener for a vehicle comprising: a housing; an operation lever attached to the housing rotatably around a rotation shaft between an initial position and a terminal position; a first switch configured to generate a control signal; a connector connected to a second switching device that mechanically opens a door of a vehicle; a tactile sensation generating mechanism; and a first elastic body that returns the operation lever, wherein, when a rotation angle of the operation lever is in a first angle range, the first switch is turned off and the second switching device does not transmit a driving force, wherein, when the rotation angle of the operation lever is in a second angle range of greater angles than in the first angle range, the first switch is turned on, a tactile sensation is generated by the tactile sensation generating mechanism, and the second switching device does not transmit the driving force, and wherein when the rotation angle of the operation lever is in a third angle range of greater angles than in the second angle range, the first switch is turned off and the second switching device transmits the driving force. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tactile sensation generating mechanism includes a second elastic body that generates a tactile sensation according to a rotation of the operation lever, and, in the first angle range, returns the operation lever. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first elastic body includes a fixed end portion and a movable end portion, and applies a restoring force to the operation lever. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the first elastic body applies the restoring force to the operation lever in the second angle range and the third angle range. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein one end portion of the first elastic body is supported by the operation lever, and another end portion opposite from the one end portion is not in contact with the housing in the first angle range. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, in the second angle range and the third angle range, one end portion of the first elastic body is in contact with the operation lever, and the restoring force for returning the operation lever is generated in the first elastic body, or wherein, in the second angle range and the third angle range, another end portion opposite from the one end portion of the first elastic body is in contact with the housing, and the restoring force for returning the operation lever is generated in the first elastic body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the tactile sensation generating mechanism includes: a sliding surface provided on the housing; the second elastic body; and a protrusion member that is attached to a side of the sliding surface of the operation lever so as to face the sliding surface, wherein the protrusion member comes into contact with the sliding surface by being pressed toward the side of the sliding surface due to a restoring force from the second elastic body, and slides on the sliding surface according to the rotation of the operation lever, wherein the sliding surface includes a protruding portion and a recessed portion, wherein the protruding portion is provided in a range where the protrusion member comes into contact with a tip portion of the protrusion member when the operation lever is rotated in the second angle range, and the recessed portion comes into contact with the protrusion member when the operation lever is rotated and switched from the second angle range to the third angle range. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the first elastic body is a torsion spring, one end portion of the torsion spring is fixed to the operation lever, and another end portion opposite from the one end portion of the torsion spring, when the operation lever rotates and moves from the first angle range to the second angle range, comes into contact with a locking portion provided on the housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, in a fourth angle range, the fourth angle range being between the second angle range and the third angle range, the first switch is turned off and the second switching device does not transmit the driving force. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein a restoring force by the tactile sensation generating mechanism acts in a direction in which the rotation angle becomes wider in the third angle range and the fourth angle range. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operation lever includes a pressing portion that is provided to face the first switch and is configured to change a distance from the first switch according to a rotation of the operation lever, wherein the pressing portion includes a first pressing surface that comes into contact with the first switch according to a rotation operation and a second pressing surface that is farther from the first switch than the first pressing surface, and the first pressing surface and the second pressing surface are formed continuously, and wherein the first pressing surface, when the operation lever is rotated in the second angle range, comes into contact with the first switch and presses the first switch to electrically turn on the first switch. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the connector is connected to the second switching device via a transmission member that transmits an operation force from an operator who operates the operation lever. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The door opener for a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the connector is provided on the operation lever at a position spaced apart from the rotation axis of the operation lever, and the transmission member is moved by the connector being rotated together with a rotation of the operation lever, and the second switching device transmits the driving force according to the movement of the transmission member.