Motor vehicle door handle assembly

A motor vehicle door handle assembly comprising an outside door handle, an outside door handle linkage for connecting the outside door handle to a door latch, an inside door handle, and an inside door handle linkage for connecting the inside door handle to the door latch, characterized in that:

• the outside and inside door handle linkages share a common spring element which is interposed in each linkage and acts to yieldably resist opening movement of the inside and outside door handles and provide a spring biased return movement of the inside and outside door handles upon release of the handle;
• the outside door handle and inside door handle further share a common latch actuator element and a common linkage element for interconnecting the latch actuator element and the latch;
• the common latch actuator element is moved to actuate the common linkage element and thereby actuate the latch in response to opening movement of either of the outside door handle or the inside door handle;
• the assembly further includes lost motion means allowing movement of the common latch actuator element in response to opening movement of either handle without corresponding opening movement of the other handle;
• the spring is arranged to resist movement of the common latch actuator element;
• the common latch actuator element is configured to define first gear means;
• and
• the assembly further includes a damper mechanism including second gear means meshing with said first gear means and a damper element driven by the second gear means.

A motor vehicle door handle assembly comprising an outside door handle, an outside door handle linkage connecting the outside door handle to a door latch, an inside door handle, and an inside door handle linkage connecting the inside door handle to the door latch, characterized in that:

• the outside and inside door handle linkages are operatively connected at a location remote from the latch and share a common linkage element extending from the remote location to the latch;
• one of said linkages includes a cable extending from the respective handle to the remote location;
• the operative connection at the remote location includes lost motion means operative to allow opening movement of the outside door handle without disturbing the inside door handle and opening movement of the inside door handle without disturbing the outside door handle;
• said one linkage comprises the inside door handle linkage;
• the outside door handle linkage includes a first lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof proximate the remote location for pivotal movement about a fixed axis and operatively connected proximate a free end thereof to the outside door handle;
• the assembly further includes a second lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said fixed axis and operatively connected to said cable and to the shared common linkage element;
• and
• the lost motion means includes a first lost motion connection between the one end of the first and second levers operative to allow relative pivotal movement between the levers.

A motor vehicle door handle assembly comprising an outside door handle, an outside door handle linkage connecting the outside door handle to a door latch, an inside door handle, and an inside door handle linkage connecting the inside door handle to the door latch, characterized in that:

• the outside and inside door handle linkages are operatively connected at a location remote from the latch and share a common linkage element extending from the remote location to the latch;
• the operative connection at the remote location includes lost motion means operative to allow opening movement of the outside door handle without disturbing the inside door handle and opening movement of the inside door handle without disturbing the outside door handle;
• the outside door handle linkage includes a first lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof proximate the remote location for pivotal movement about a fixed axis and operatively connected proximate a free end thereof to the outside door handle;
• the assembly further includes a second lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said fixed axis and operatively connected to the inside door handle and to the shared common linkage element;
• the lost motion means includes a first lost motion connection between the one end of the first and second levers operative to allow relative pivotal movement between the levers;
• and
• the assembly further includes a coil spring positioned on said fixed axis and operative to resiliently resist opening movement of said inside door handle and said outside door handle and provide a positive return of each door handle to a closed position following release of the handle.

A motor vehicle door handle assembly comprising an outside door handle, an outside door handle linkage connecting the outside door handle to a door latch, an inside door handle, and an inside door handle linkage connecting the inside door handle to the door latch, characterized in that:

• the outside and inside door handle linkages are operatively connected at a location remote from the latch and share a common linkage element extending from the remote location to the latch;
• the outside and inside door handle linkages further share a common spring element which is interposed in each linkage proximate the remote location and which acts to yieldably resist opening movement of the inside and outside door handles and provide a spring biased return movement of the inside and outside door handles upon release of the handles;
• the assembly includes a common latch actuator element positioned at said remote location and movable to unlatch the latch in response to opening movement of either the inside door handle or the outside door handle;
• the common spring element resiliently resists movement of the common latch actuator element in an unlatching direction in response to opening movement of the outside door handle or the inside door handle and returns the common latch actuator to a rest position upon release of the actuated handle;
• the common latch actuator element comprises a latch lever mounted for pivotal movement about a fixed axis;
• the common spring element comprises a coil spring centered on said axis and resisting movement of the latch lever in an unlatching direction;
• and
• the assembly further includes a common damper mechanism including a housing containing a viscous fluid and a vane movable in the housing against the resistance of the viscous fluid in response to pivotal movement of the latch lever.

A motor vehicle door handle assembly comprising an outside door handle, an outside door handle linkage connecting the outside door handle to a door latch, an inside door handle, and an inside door handle linkage connecting the inside door handle to the door latch, characterized in that:

• the outside and inside door handle linkages are operatively connected at a location remote from the latch and share a common linkage element extending from the remote location to the latch;
• the outside and inside door handle linkages further share a common spring element which is interposed in each linkage proximate the remote location and which acts to yieldably resist opening movement of the inside and outside door handles and provide a spring biased return movement of the inside and outside door handles upon release of the handles;
• and
• the outside and inside door handle linkages further share a common damper mechanism which is interposed in each linkage proximate the remote location and which acts to cushion the spring biased return movement of the door handles.