Seamless exterior handle without bezel or lock keyhole
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorRajesh K. Patel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle door includes a lock cylinder having an actuator member that is operably connected to a door latch mechanism. A door handle is movably connected to the door structure for movement from a first or home position covering an outer end of the lock cylinder to a partially open position wherein the outer end of the lock cylinder is exposed. When the door handle is in the partially open position, a user can access the lock cylinder and insert a key into the lock cylinder to unlock the door then pull the handle to a fully open position. Thus, the lock cylinder is covered and hidden behind a portion of the door handle when the door handle is in the first position to provide an uncluttered, visually appealing appearance.
Claims20
A door for motor vehicles, the door comprising:
- a door structure including inner and outer sides, an outer perimeter, and an interior space, the outer side of the door including a generally smooth outer surface defining a surface contour;
- a releasable latch mechanism that selectively retains the door in a closed position when the door is mounted to a vehicle;
- a lock mechanism defining locked and unlocked states;
- a handle member that releases the latch mechanism upon movement of the handle member to an open position if the lock mechanism is in an unlocked state, and wherein the handle member does not release the latch mechanism when the handle member is moved to an open position if the lock mechanism is in a locked state;
- a lock assembly having an outer end, the outer end having an opening configured to receive a key to actuate the lock assembly, wherein the outer end is disposed on the outer side of the door, and wherein the lock assembly is operably connected to the lock feature such that actuation of the lock assembly causes the lock feature to shift from the locked state to the unlocked state;
- wherein the handle member is movably connected to the door structure for movement from a closed position wherein a portion of the handle member substantially covers the outer end of the lock assembly, to an open position wherein the outer end of the lock assembly is exposed to permit a key to be inserted into the opening at the outer end of the lock assembly.
A door for motor vehicles, the door comprising:
- a door structure having inner and outer sides;
- a lock assembly configured to receive a key to unlock the door, the lock assembly having an outer portion configured to be disposed facing the outer side of the vehicle door;
- a handle member having a point that is configured to move relative to the outer portion of the lock assembly between covered and uncovered positions to selectively cover and uncover the outer portion of the lock assembly.
A vehicle door, comprising:
- a door structure;
- a handle having a forward end pivotably mounted to the door structure;
- a lock cylinder a keyhole, the keyhole being covered by a rearward end of the handle when the handle is in a closed position, the keyhole being freely accessible when the handle is in a partially open position with the rearward end of the handle spaced from the keyhole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.