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US 9,810,006 B2Granted
Low effort outside release handle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsKosta Papanikolaou, Livianu Dorin Puscas, Rajesh K. Patel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle door includes a handle having an angled or inclined ramp surface. A bellcrank is rotatably connected to the door structure for rotation about a generally horizontal axis. The bellcrank includes a follower that engages the inclined ramp surface such that movement of the exterior handle from the rest position to the opened position causes the bellcrank to rotate and shift linkage that unlatches a the latch mechanism.
Claims16
A vehicle door comprising:
- a door structure having upright inner and outer sides, the door structure defining a generally horizontal axis that is transverse to the upright inner and outer sides;
- an exterior handle movably mounted to the door structure for movement between a rest position and an opened position, the exterior handle including a handle strap and a rigid extension attached to the handle strap, the rigid extension defining an upper flat surface and a lower inclined ramp surface that extends from the handle strap toward an opposed end of the rigid extension such that the inclined ramp surface moves relative to the handle strap;
- a bellcrank rotatably connected to the door structure for rotation about the generally horizontal axis, the bellcrank including a follower that engages the inclined ramp surface such that movement of the exterior handle from the rest position to the opened position causes the bellcrank to rotate about the generally horizontal axis;
- a latch mechanism configured to selectively retain the door in a dosed position when latched;
- and
- linkage operably interconnecting the bellcrank and the latch mechanism such that rotation of the bellcrank unlatches the latch mechanism.
3 more elements
A vehicle door comprising:
- a door structure defining an outside side and an inside side and a generally horizontal axis that is transverse to the outside side and the inside side;
- a latch mechanism;
- a handle pivotably connected to the door structure, the handle including a handle strap and a rigid extension attached to the handle strap, the rigid extension defining an upper flat surface and a lower inclined ramp surface that extends from the handle strap toward an opposed end of the rigid extension such that the inclined ramp surface moves relative to the handle strap;
- a bell crank having a rounded follower surface;
- a cable interconnecting the latch mechanism and the bellcrank;
- and wherein:
- the rounded follower surface of the bellcrank slidably engage the ramp surface and rotates the bellcrank about the horizontal axis and pulls the cable to unlatch the latch mechanism as the handle pivots open.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.