Controller apparatus and sensors for a vehicle door handle

摘要

A door handle assembly for a vehicle door includes a door handle operated using a controller and sensors. In the door interior, an upper portion of a swing arm connects to a first post and a second post portion of the door handle. The lower portion of the swing arm, rotably attached to a shaft on the inner door, pivots between an extended and retracted position. When an extension force sensor contacts the upper portion of the arm, the extension force sensor on the inner door surface generates an extension force response signal. A retraction force sensor on the lower portion of the arm generates a retraction force response signal when the retraction force sensor on the lower portion of the arm contacts a flush adjuster rod. Both extension and retraction force response signals are used by the controller to operate the door handle.

主权项

1. A door handle assembly used in a vehicle handle, the door handle assembly comprising:
a door handle formed from a planar handle member having a first post portion and a second post portion; a swing arm having an upper portion and a lower portion wherein the upper portion of the swing arm is coupled near a distal portion of the first post portion of the door handle and a distal portion of the second post portion of the door handle and the lower portion is rotably attached to a shaft configured to be mounted to an inner door surface of the vehicle door; an extension force sensor configured to be fixedly attached to the inner door surface of the vehicle door that generates an extension force response signal when the extension force sensor comes into contact with the upper portion of the swing arm; a retraction force sensor fixedly attached to the lower portion of the swing arm that generates a retraction force response signal when the retraction force sensor on the lower portion of the swing arm comes into contact with a flush adjuster rod; and a handle controller that controls the operation of the door handle assembly, the controlling of the operation of the door handle assembly by the handle controller including moving the door handle assembly between retracted and extended positions and by processing the extension force response signal received from the extension force sensor and the retraction force response signal received from the retraction force sensor.