Flush vehicle door handle
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsBob Thomas, Jack E. Brown, Timothy V. McGrath, Christopher J. Twarog
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A handle assembly for a vehicle door and a method of operating the handle assembly is disclosed. The door handle assembly may include a pivot bracket mounted in the vehicle door, a handle arm pivotally mounted to the pivot bracket, a handle alignable flush with a door handle cutout, and a motor assembly operatively engaging the handle arm to selectively cause pivoting of the handle arm relative to the pivot bracket. The door handle assembly may also include a handle depression limit switch, a handle flush button, or a handle extension limit switch in communication with a control module that controls the motor.
Claims20
A door handle assembly for a vehicle door having an outer door panel with a door outboard surface and a door handle cutout, the door handle assembly comprising:
- a pivot bracket, mountable in the vehicle door, and having a pivot pin mounting flange;
- a handle arm pivotally mounted to the pivot bracket pivot pin mounting flange at a first location and having a handle support at a second location spaced from the first location;
- a handle, mounted on the handle support, and including a handle outboard surface with a periphery alignable with the door handle cutout;
- and
- a motor assembly, including a motor, mounted in fixed relation to the pivot bracket, and operatively engaging the handle arm to selectively cause pivoting of the handle arm relative to the pivot bracket.
A vehicle door comprising:
- an outer door panel having an outboard surface and a door handle cutout;
- a door handle assembly including a handle arm mounted inside the vehicle door adjacent to the outer door panel and pivotable relative to the outer door panel, the handle arm having a handle support;
- a handle, mounted on the handle support, and including a handle outboard surface with a periphery selectively extendable through the door handle cutout, the handle outboard surface selectively alignable flush with the outboard surface of the outer door panel;
- a motor assembly, including a motor mounted in fixed relation relative to the outer door panel, and operatively engaging the handle arm to selectively cause pivoting of the handle arm relative to the outer door panel;
- and
- a control module operatively engaging the motor assembly to selectively rotate the motor in a first rotational direction and an opposite second rotational direction, whereby rotation of the motor in the first rotational direction results in the handle outboard surface extending outboard of the outboard surface of the outer door panel and rotation of the motor in the second rotational direction allows the handle outboard surface to be made flush with the outboard surface of the outer door panel.
A method of operating a door handle assembly mounted in a vehicle door having an outer door panel with a door outboard surface, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) detecting a handle extension request for a handle of the door handle assembly;
- (b) actuating a motor assembly to pivot an outboard surface of the handle outboard of the door outboard surface if the handle extension request is detected;
- (c) unlatching a door e-latch mounted on the vehicle door;
- (d) detecting if the door e-latch becomes latched;
- and
- (e) actuating the motor assembly to pivot the outboard surface of the handle to a position flush with the door outboard surface if the latching of the door e-latch is detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.