Collapsible door trim pull handle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorPaul Schryer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A collapsible vehicle door pull handle comprises 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. A molded handle might enclose part of the handle or might enclose the entire handle.
Claims16
A vehicle door assembly comprising:
- an inner sheet metal panel positioned within a vehicle door;
- a base assembly comprising an anchoring plate attached to the inner sheet metal panel and a first side base bracket and a second side base bracket extending from the anchoring plate;
- a handle assembly comprising a handle bar and a first handle bracket and a second handle bracket extending from the handle bar, wherein the first side base bracket is slidably connected to the first handle bracket by a first post in a first keyway and the second side bracket is slidably connected to the second handle bracket by a second post in a second keyway, at least one of said keyways including a deformable cantilevered element;
- and
- a molded handle assembly that enclosed the base assembly and the handle assembly that is attached to the vehicle door.
A vehicle door assembly attached to a vehicle comprising:
- an inner sheet metal panel positioned within a vehicle door, the inner sheet metal panel having a surface configured to face an interior of a vehicle;
- a base assembly comprising an anchoring plate attached to the surface of the inner sheet metal panel and a plurality of side base brackets extending from the anchoring plate, each side base bracket of the plurality including a respective keyway, said respective keyway being partially defined by a deformable cantilevered element;
- a handle assembly comprising a handle bar and a plurality of handle brackets extending from the handle bar, each handle bracket of the plurality including a respective post, wherein each said base bracket of the plurality of side base brackets is connected to a respective handle bracket included amount the plurality of handle brackets by a respective post slidably inserted through a respective keyway;
- and
- a molded interior-trim handle that encloses the handle assembly and that comprises a portion of an interior trim of the vehicle door.
A door trim pull handle that is coupled to a vehicle door and that is configured to face towards an interior of a vehicle, the door trim pull handle comprising:
- a base assembly comprising an anchoring plate, which is attached to an inner sheet metal panel positioned within the vehicle door, and a first side base bracket and a second side base bracket extending from the anchoring plate, wherein the first side base bracket includes a first keyway that is at least partially defined by a first cantilevered arm and the second side bracket includes a second keyway that is at least partially defined by a second cantilevered arm, and wherein at least one of said cantilevered arms is deformable;
- a handle assembly comprising a handle bar and a first handle bracket and a second handle bracket extending from the handle bar, wherein the first handle bracket includes a first post and the second handle bracket include a second post, and wherein the first post is slidably received in the first keyway and the second post is slidably received in the second keyway;
- and
- a molded interior trim handle that encloses the handle assembly and that comprises a portion of an interior trim of the vehicle door.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.