Collapsible door trim pull handle

Abstract

A collapsible vehicle door pull handle comprising two separate pieces joined together by a break away feature. This arrangement allows the pull handle to be strong when the occupant pulls the vehicle door closed, but allows deflection because of the break away feature during a side impact event. The collapsible vehicle door pull handle comprises a handle, a base, an attachment member fitted to one of the handle and the base, and an elastic deformable portion having a keyway for receiving and holding the attachment member with the attachment portion being on the other of the base and the handle. According to this arrangement the handle and the base may be moved toward one another on deformation of the deformable portion during a side impact event. The attachment member includes a post having a pair of opposed flat surfaces and a pair of opposed curved surfaces. The keyway includes a channel which terminates into a post retaining area that is wider than said channel. The channel is defined by a pair of opposed walls. The post retaining area is defined by a curved wall.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.