# US 9,518,410 B2 · Flush mounted vehicle handle

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- Number: US 9,518,410 B2
- Document ID: US9518410B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/267,490
- Filed: 2014-05-01
- Published: 2015-11-05
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-01
- Assignees: Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc.
- Applicants: Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc.
- Inventors: Stephanie Vasi; Eric Archambeau; Mike Howlett; Patrick Stewart
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518410B2

## CPC

- E05B 85/103: {creating a completely closed wing surface}
- E05B 5/006: {essentially defining a completely closed surface together with the wing}
- E05B 81/08: using electromagnets or solenoids
- E05B 81/14: operating on bolt detents, e.g. for unlatching the bolt
- Y10T 292/57: Operators with knobs or handles
- E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An outside handle of a door of a vehicle that opens a latch, including a rotatable flap that sits flush against an outer panel of the vehicle in a closed position and that provides an opening to an interior of the handle in an open position, and a rotating lever behind the outer panel, movement of the lever opening the latch of the door. The handle is arranged such that the flap rotates to the open position when the door is unlocked and rotates to the closed position when the door is locked.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An outside handle of a door of a vehicle that opens a latch, comprising:
a flap that sits flush against an outer panel of the vehicle in a closed position and that provides an opening to an interior of the handle in an open position;
a rotating lever behind the outer panel, movement of the lever opening the latch of the door;
a case that encloses the lever and that defines the interior of the handle, the flap rotating relative to the case;
a solenoid on an outer surface of the case that rotates the flap to the open position when the door is unlocked and that rotates to the closed position when the door is locked, the solenoid including a solenoid shaft; and
a bent rod including a first portion around which the flap rotates, a second portion which connects to an end of the solenoid shaft, and a third portion that connects the first and second portions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The outside handle of claim 1, wherein:
the bent rod translates a vertical movement of the solenoid to a rotational movement of the flap.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The outside handle of claim 1, further comprising:
a sensor provided to an interior the case that detects an object inside the case,
wherein the solenoid rotates the flap to the open position when the sensor detects the object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The outside handle of claim 1, wherein a complete range of rotation of the lever is within in a space defined by the case and outer panel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The outside handle of claim 3, wherein the sensor is on facing interior walls of the case.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The outside handle of claim 5, wherein the sensor is a photoelectric sensor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The outside handle of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are substantially parallel and the third portion is substantially perpendicular to both the first and second portions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The outside handle of claim 7, wherein the first portion is inside the case and the second and third portions are outside the case.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The outside handle of claim 1, wherein the solenoid shaft is circumferentially surrounded by a compression spring which biases the solenoid shaft upward toward the open position of the flap.