Pivotable and rotatable door lock button assembly
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsRobin C. Creesy, Conrad F. Hempel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automotive vehicle door (10) has a door lock mechanism (18) mounted therein which is mechanically operated by a door lock button assembly (24) between a lock position and an open position. The door lock button assembly (24) has a control rod (28) connected on one end (32) to the door lock mechanism (18) and is non-threadingly retained on the other end (34) to a button member (26) so as to permit the control rod (28) to pendulumingly swing a predetermined angle (.beta.) with respect to the longitudinal axis (50) thereof and to allow the button member (26) to rotate around the longitudinal axis (50) so as to prevent binding when moving through an opening (45) in a trim panel (12) of the vehicle door (10).
Claims11
In a vehicle door having an interior section defined by a door outer panel and a trim panel, and having a door lock mechanism mounted within the interior section movable between a lock position preventing the door from opening and an unlock position allowing the door to open, a door lock button assembly comprising:
- a control rod adapted for mechanical connection on a first end thereof to the door lock mechanism for effecting a change in the door lock mechanism between the lock position and the unlock position when the control rod is moved between a first position and a second position, respectively;
- a button member adapted to extend outwardly from the interior section through an opening in the trim panel to allow an operator to grasp a surface thereof to move the control rod between the first and second positions, the control rod pendulumingly mounted on a second end thereof to the button member so as to permit a predetermined angle of swivel with respect to the button member;
- and
- the button member having a sleeve extending therefrom with a frusto-conically shaped groove therethrough for receiving a portion of the second end of the control rod therein, the groove having a narrower end placed toward the button member so as to allow the control rod to swivel through the predetermined angle there.
In a vehicle door having an interior section defined by a door outer panel and a trim panel, and having a door lock mechanism mounted within the interior section movable between a lock position preventing the door from opening and an unlock position allowing the door to open, a door lock button assembly comprising:
- a control rod having a first end adapted for mechanical connection to the door lock mechanism for effecting a change in the door lock mechanism between the lock position and the unlock position when the control rod is moved between a first position and a second position, respectively, and a second end with a retainer thereon;
- a grommet adapted to fit into an opening in the trim panel;
- and
- a button member partially protruding outwardly from the interior section through the grommet and having:
- (a) a shoulder portion having a cavity for receiving the retainer therein in non-threading relationship so as to permit the control rod to pendulumingly pivot a predetermined angle with respect thereto and to allow the button member to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the control rod so as to prevent binding with the grommet when moving therethrough;
- (b) a sleeve extending from the shoulder with a frusto-conically shaped groove therethrough for receiving a portion of the second end of the control rod therein, a narrower end of the groove oriented toward the cavity so as to allow the control rod to pivot about the retainer;
- and
- (c) a button portion to allow an operator to grasp a surface thereof to move the control rod between the first and second positions.
In a vehicle door having a door lock mechanism mounted therein movable between a lock position preventing the door from opening and an unlock position allowing the door to open, said vehicle door having a trim panel mounted on an inner side thereof, a door lock button assembly comprising:
- control means adapted for mechanical connection that is connected on a first end thereof to said door lock mechanism for effecting a change in said door lock mechanism between said lock position and said unlock position when said control means is moved between a first position and a second position, respectively;
- button means adapted to extend through an opening inset trim panel for moving the control means between the first and second positions;
- and
- connection means for non-threadingly attaching the button means to the control means and for allowing rotational movement of the button means around a longitudinal axis of the control means and for preventing the button means from binding when moving through the opening in said trim panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.