Adac Plastics, Inc.

Michael Boorsma

Christian Michael Norton

James Lee Salmon

David Bruce Lehmkuhl

David R Stuart

James Larabet

A motor vehicle door handle assembly combining the use of a counterweight to preclude inadvertent opening movement of the door in a side impact scenario and the ability to install the handle assembly from outside of the vehicle by passing the handle assembly through an aperture in an outer skin of the door. The handle assembly includes a housing; a handle mounted for opening and closing movement on the housing; an actuator mechanism operative in response to opening movement of the handle to unlatch a latch mechanism of the door and allow opening of the door; and a counterweight. The counterweight is mounted on the housing for movement between an installation position within a profile of the housing, to facilitate installation of the handle assembly in a motor vehicle door by insertion of the handle assembly through an aperture in an outer skin, and an operative position in juxtaposition to the actuator mechanism in which it is operative in response to an impact against the side of the vehicle proximate the door handle assembly to resist movement of actuator mechanism in a door unlatching direction. Following passage of the handle assembly through the aperture in the door with the counterweight in its installation position, the handle member is moved relative to the housing to release the counterweight and allow it to be moved to its operative position under the biasing of the handle assembly return spring which normally acts to yieldably resist opening movement of the handle. The counterweight in its operative position pushes against the actuator mechanism but is free to move away from the actuator mechanism so as not to act to urge the actuator mechanism in a door unlatching direction in response to an impact against the side of the vehicle remote from the door handle assembly.

Handle with side impact counterweight having installation position

An outside door handle assembly for a motor vehicle. The handle assembly includes a housing mounted in the door and a handle having a grip portion and an arm portion extending inwardly from one end of the handle for passage through an opening in the handle for coaction with a latch release mechanism positioned within the door. An annular resilient member is mounted on the arm portion proximate the juncture of the arm portion and the grip portion. The resilient member includes a plurality of cushion portions which project inwardly from the inner surface of the resilient member to cushion the impact of the handle with the housing as the handle moves to its closed position and the resilient member further includes an annular peripheral seal portion projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the resilient member in surrounding relation to the cushion portions and movable into sealing coaction with the housing to preclude the entry of moisture and contaminants into the interior of the door with the handle in its closed position.

Growing community of inventors

Grandville, MI, United States of America

Michael Boorsma