4,041.
1
KEY ILLUMINATING DOOR HANDLE
The invention relates to a lift bar door handle assembly for a motor vehicle and more particularly a lift bar door handle having reflective means on the undersur- 5 face for directing light from a door mounted light source onto a door lock key cylinder.
It is known in the prior art to provide a light source in the push button of a push button door handle assembly to illuminate a door lock key cylinder. It is also known 10 in the prior art to provide a light source in a housing on the exterior of the door for directing illumination onto the door lock key cylinder.
It is also known to energize the light source by means of a switch which is closed when the push button is ^ manually depressed.
A disadvantage of mounting the light source in a housing on the exterior of the door is that such a light source is susceptible to damage and vandalism and also presents a styling and appearance problem. 20
The prior art teachings of mounting the light source in the push button of a door assembly is not applicable to a lift bar door handle assembly because the lift bar has a long and slender configuration which renders it inca- ^ pable of housing a light source.
The present invention provides a key cylinder illuminating device for a lift bar door handle assembly. A conventional vehicle door has a recess in the outer panel thereof with a lift bar pivoted to the door and 3Q overlying the recess in the panel. The lift bar is pivotally movable between a first position overlying the recess and a second position away from the recess wherein a door latch is operated to unlatched position. The door latch also has a lock which prevents the door latch from 35 being operated to the unlatched position even though the lift bar is lifted. A key cylinder is located on the door panel generally beneath the lift bar door handle assembly and receives a key by which the door latch can be unlocked. According to the invention, a light 49 source is mounted on the vehicle door panel within the recess so that it is concealed from view and protected from damage by the lift bar when the lift bar is in its normal first position. A switch is provided on the lift bar door handle assembly and is closed when the lift bar 45 is pivoted to the second position so that an electrical circuit is completed to energize the light source. A reflective surface is provided on the undersurface of the lift bar for reflecting light from the light source onto the key cylinder when the lift bar is pivoted to its second 50 position for operating the door latch.
One feature of the invention is that the light source is offered the protection of being mounted in a recess in the door panel and being overlaid by the lift bar.
Another feature of the invenion is that a lift bar door 55 handle is provided with a reflective undersurface for reflecting light from a door panel mounted light source onto the key cylinder.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration 60 of the specification and the appended drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle body having a lift bar door handle for illuminating a key cylinder;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of FIG. 1 but having parts 65 broken away in section;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 3—3 of FIG. 2;
301
2
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the lift bar lifted to the door unlatching and light energizing position;
FIG.5 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 5—5 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the lift bar lifted to the door unlatching and light energizing position;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 7—7 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a view taken in the direction of arrows 8—8 of FIG. 5; and
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 9—9 of FIG. 8.
Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle body 10 has a conventional door 12 which has its forward end pivoted to the vehicle body for conventional swinging movement about a generally vertical axis between open and closed positions. A conventional door latch 14 is shown by hidden lines and latches, the door 12 in closed position in the usual manner. A lift bar door handle assembly, generally indicated at 16, includes a handle or lift bar 18 which can be manually lifted to unlatch the door latch 14 and move the door from the closed to open position. A conventional key cylinder 20 is mounted on the door 12 just below the lift bar 18 and receives a key for locking and unlocking the door latch 14. When the door latch 14 is locked, the lift bar 18 can be lifted but is not effective to unlatch the door latch 14.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, it is seen that the door 12 has a door panel 22 with a recess 24 formed therein. The lift bar door handle assembly 16 includes a mounting bracket 26 which includes a base plate 30 having a pair of studs 32 engaged therein and extending through apertures 34 in the door panel 22. Nuts 36 are threadedly engaged on the studs 32. A plastic escutcheon 40 overlies and surrounds the base plate 30 to seal against entry of water. Mounting bracket 26 also has laterally spaced mounting arms 44 and 46 which extend through appropriately aligned apertures in the door panel 22.
As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lift bar 18 has an outer surface 52 and an inner surface 54 which define a thin wall cross section of the lift bar. The lift bar is preferbly of die cast manufacture and has integral pivot arms 58 and 60 which are juxtaposed with the mounting arms 44 and 46 of the mounting bracket 26. A headed pivot shaft 62 extends from the pivot arm 58 and is pivotally received in an aperture of the mounting arm 44. A headed pivot shaft 64 extends from the pivot arm 60 and is pivotally received in an aperture of the mounting arm 46. Thus, the lift bar 18 is pivotally mounted for pivotal movement between the positions of FIGS. 3 and 4.
As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 7, a torsion spring 68 has a plurality of coils which encircle an extension portion 70 of the pivot shaft 62. One end 72 of the torsion spring 68 is engaged in a recess 74 formed in a laterally extending portion 76 of the pivot arm 58. The other arm 78 of the torsion spring 68 is engaged against the mounting bracket base plate 30. The torsion spring 68 biases the lift bar 18 to its normal position shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 7. Referring to FIG. 7, this normal position is defined by engagement of a stop projectin 80 on the mountng arm 44 with an abutment surface 82 on the laterally extending portion 76 of the pivot arm 58. When the lift bar 18 is lifted and pivoted upwardly from its position of FIG. 7, a stop face 84 of an abutment 86 on the pivot arm 58 is carried into engagement with an
