JP6766789B2 - Backdoor handle device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a backdoor handle device.

Conventionally, there is known a technique for integrating a license lamp attached to the inside of a back door garnish of an automobile and a handle switch for opening and closing the back door (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

By integrating the license lamp and the handle switch for opening and closing the back door, the overall size can be reduced as compared with the case where they are used separately. If the size can be reduced, the space occupied in the back door garnish can be reduced, the installation space for other parts can be secured, and the degree of freedom in the installation position of each part can be improved.

JP-A-2007-001524 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-039920

However, the LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) used in license lamps have strong directivity, and in order to illuminate the license plate from end to end in the vehicle width direction, it is necessary to increase the number of LEDs arranged in the vehicle width direction. There is. As the number of LEDs increases, the size of the housing increases, so it is not possible to effectively reduce the size simply by integrating the license lamp and the handle switch for opening and closing the back door.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a back door handle device that is small in size and can irradiate a wide range in the vehicle width direction with a license lamp and a handle switch for opening and closing the back door. is there.

One aspect of the present invention provides the following backdoor handle devices [1] to [8] in order to achieve the above object.

[1] A back door handle device installed above the number plate of the back door of a vehicle, which also serves as a license lamp for illuminating the license plate and a handle switch for opening and closing the back door. A light emitting element that emits light, a light guide lens having a first reflecting surface that intersects the optical axis of the light emitting element, an outer lens, and a switch for opening and closing the back door, and the first reflecting surface is It is a reflecting surface that totally reflects the light emitted from the light emitting element in the direction of the optical axis and changes the traveling direction in a direction away from the central axis in the vertical direction of the light guide lens, and is emitted from the light emitting element. A back door handle device in which light is taken out through the light guide lens and the outer lens.

[2] The light guide lens reflects light emitted from the light emitting element and traveling in a direction away from the central axis, and reduces a component of the direction vector in a direction away from the central axis. The back door handle device according to the above [1].

[3] A plurality of the light emitting elements arranged along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and the light guide lens having a plurality of the first reflecting surfaces arranged along the vehicle width direction. The back door handle device according to the above [1] or [2], wherein the farther the first reflecting surface is from the center of the light guide lens, the greater the inclination from the vertical direction.

[4] Any of the above [1] to [3], wherein both ends of the outer lens in the vehicle width direction are located outside the vehicle width direction of both ends of the light guide lens in the vehicle width direction. The back door handle device according to item 1.

[5] The backdoor handle device according to any one of [1] to [4] above, wherein the light guide lens and the outer lens are integrated.

[6] The item according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the light emitting element and the switch are installed on the same substrate, and the light emitting element is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the switch. Backdoor handle device.

[7] The light guide lens has a protrusion having the first reflecting surface, and the contour of the vertical cross section of the protrusion parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle is a curve that is convex to the rear lower side of the vehicle. The back door handle device according to any one of the above [1] to [6], which has an inclination toward the lower rear side of the vehicle so that the vertical line faces the lower rear side of the vehicle.

[8] Any one of the above [1] to [7], wherein the surface of the outer lens on the light guide lens side has irregularities, and the surface of the outer lens opposite to the light guide lens is flat. The backdoor handle device described in the section.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a back door handle device that is small in size and can irradiate a wide range in the vehicle width direction with a license lamp and a back door opening / closing handle switch.

It is a vertical sectional view of the back door which installed the back door handle device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a view of the vertical cross section of the backdoor handle device at the cutting line AA shown in FIG. 1 viewed in the direction of the arrow. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a modified example of the back door handle device. FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of another modification of the back door handle device.

[Embodiment]
(Overall configuration of backdoor handle device)
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a back door 20 in which the back door handle device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is installed. FIG. 2 is a view of the vertical cross section of the back door handle device 1 at the cutting line AA shown in FIG. 1 viewed in the direction of the arrow. The cross section of the backdoor handle device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a cross section of the backdoor handle device 1 at the cutting line BB shown in FIG.

The back door 20 is a door provided on the rear surface of a vehicle such as an automobile, and is also called a rear hatch or a tailgate. The license plate 22 is attached to the license plate attachment portion 21 of the back door 20.

A back door garnish 23 is attached above the license plate 22 of the back door 20, and the license plate 22 is irradiated with light inside the back door garnish 23 (the space between the back door 20 and the back door garnish 23). A back door handle device 1 that also serves as a license lamp for the purpose and a handle switch for opening and closing the back door 20 is installed.

The back door handle device 1 includes a light emitting element 10 constituting a license lamp, a light guide lens 11, an outer lens 121, a push switch 14 constituting a handle switch for opening and closing the back door, an arm type switch knob 15, and a switch knob support portion 122. , The operation unit cover 123 is provided.

The housing 12 of the back door handle device 1 includes a box-shaped main body 120 having an opening on the lower side of the vehicle, an outer lens 121 that closes the opening of the main body 120, a switch knob support portion 122, and an operation portion cover 123. The light emitting element 10, the light guide lens 11, the push switch 14, and the arm type switch knob 15 are housed inside the housing 12.

The light emitting element 10 and the push switch 14 are preferably installed on the same substrate 13 in order to reduce the size of the back door handle device 1, reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts, and reduce the assembly man-hours.

Further, it is preferable that the light emitting element 10 is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the push switch 14. As a result, the vehicle width of the outer lens 121, which is the light extraction portion of the back door handle device 1, and the handle switch for opening and closing the back door (push switch 14, arm type switch knob 15, switch knob support portion 122, and operation portion cover 123). Since the positions of the directions can be overlapped, it becomes easy to identify the position of the back door opening / closing handle switch using the light as a mark.

Further, since the light emitting element 10 is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle, when the camera is installed in the back door garnish 23, the light blocking range of the light emitted from the back door handle device 1 by the camera can be narrowed. , The camera can be placed closer to the backdoor handle device 1. That is, the camera can be arranged at a position closer to the center in the vehicle width direction of the back door 20 having good visibility.

Although not shown, a cable with a connector extends from the substrate 13, and the light emitting element 10 and the push switch 14 and an external device (power supply device, unlocking device, or lock) are passed through the cable with the connector. (Device, etc.) is connected.

(Configuration related to license lamp function)
Since the back door handle device 1 has a license lamp function, the back door handle device 1 includes a light emitting element 10 that emits light, a light guide lens 11 having a first reflecting surface 110 (110a, 110b) that intersects the optical axis L of the light emitting element 10. It is provided with an outer lens 121. In the back door handle device 1, the light emitted from the light emitting element 10 is taken out through the light guide lens 11 and the outer lens 121 to illuminate the license plate 22.

As the light emitting element 10, an LED is typically used. The LED is a small light emitting element, has low power consumption and heat generation, and has a long life, so that it is suitable for use as the light emitting element 10. The light guide lens 11 and the outer lens 121 are made of a transparent material such as acrylic resin.

The first reflecting surface 110 of the light guide lens 11 totally reflects the light emitted from the light emitting element 10 in the direction of the optical axis L facing downward from the vehicle, and sets the traveling direction as the central axis in the vertical direction of the light guide lens 11. It is a reflective surface that can be changed in a direction away from C. P ₁ in FIG. 2 is emitted from the light emitting element 10 in the direction of the optical axis L, and an optical path of the light after being reflected by the first reflecting surface 110. The first reflecting surface 110 may be a curved surface or a flat surface.

Since the light guide lens 11 has the first reflecting surface 110, the light emitting range of the back door handle device 1 is widened. Therefore, the number of light emitting elements 10 required to illuminate the license plate 22 with a desired brightness (brightness satisfying the light distribution regulation) can be reduced, and the back door handle device 1 can be miniaturized.

Further, since the back door handle device 1 has a wide light emitting range with respect to its size, it exerts a great effect even when applied to a license lamp of a European car having a wide width in the vehicle width direction of a license plate, for example.

The first reflecting surface 110 is included in the surface of the light guide lens 11 on the outer lens 121 side (light extraction side), and is formed as, for example, the side surface of the protrusion 112 provided on the outer lens 121 side of the light guide lens 11. The lens. The first reflecting surface 110 may be located at the intersection with the optical axis L of the light emitting element 10 or inside the optical axis L in the vehicle width direction.

The inclination angle of the first reflecting surface 110 affects the light emission range of the back door handle device 1, and the light guide lens 11 is in a range where the angle from the vertical direction is larger than 0 ° and smaller than 90 °. It is determined according to the distance between the license plate 22 and the license plate 22 and the width of the license plate 22 in the vehicle width direction.

The back door handle device 1 preferably has a plurality of light emitting elements 10 and a plurality of first reflecting surfaces 110 arranged along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle in order to increase the light emitting intensity and the light emitting range. In a typical configuration, one first reflecting surface 110 is formed for one light emitting element 10, so that the number of light emitting elements 10 and the number of first reflecting surfaces 110 are equal.

When a plurality of first reflecting surfaces 110 are provided, it is preferable that the first reflecting surface 110 farther from the center of the light guide lens 11 has a larger inclination from the vertical direction. As a result, the light reflected by the first reflecting surface 110 (first reflecting surface 110a) near the center of the light guide lens 11 is transferred to the first reflecting surface 110 (first reflecting surface 110) far from the center of the light guide lens 11. It is possible to suppress being blocked by the reflecting surface 110b).

For example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the inclination of the first reflecting surface 110b farther from the center of the light guide lens 11 than the first reflecting surface 110a from the vertical direction is the vertical direction of the first reflecting surface 110a. It is preferably larger than the slope from. When the first reflecting surface 110 is a curved surface, the average value of the inclination from the vertical direction may be larger as the first reflecting surface 110 is farther from the center of the light guide lens.

Further, the light guide lens 11 reflects light emitted from the light emitting element 10 and traveling in a direction away from the central axis C in the vertical direction of the light guide lens 11, and reduces a component of the direction vector in the direction away from the central axis. It is preferable to have a second reflecting surface 111 to make the lens. Since the light guide lens 11 has the second reflecting surface 111, it is possible to suppress a decrease in brightness in a region near the central axis C. P ₂ in Figure 2, is emitted from the light emitting element 10, and an optical path of light reflected by the second reflecting surface 111. The second reflecting surface 111 may be a curved surface or a flat surface.

The second reflecting surface 111 is included in the surface of the light guide lens 11 on the light emitting element 10 side (incident side), and is formed as, for example, the inner surface of the groove 113 provided on the light emitting element 10 side of the light guide lens 11. .. The second reflecting surface 111 does not intersect with the optical axis L and is located outside the optical axis L in the vehicle width direction. Further, the second reflecting surface 111 is continuous with the surface of the light guide lens 11 on the light emitting element 10 side (connected to the surface of the light guide lens 11 on the light emitting element 10 side), and the first reflecting surface 110 Facing.

When the light emitting element 10 is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the push switch 14, the contour of the vertical cross section of the protrusion 112 of the light guide lens 11 parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle is convex on the rear lower side of the vehicle. It is preferable to have a curve or an inclination toward the lower rear side of the vehicle so that the vertical line faces the lower rear side of the vehicle. In this case, the light reflected by the surface of the protrusion 112 is directed toward the front of the vehicle, and the license plate 22 can be easily illuminated to a desired brightness.

In FIG. 1, the contour of the vertical cross section of the protrusion 112 of the light guide lens 11 parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle has a curve convex to the rear lower side of the vehicle on the rear lower side of the vehicle, and is emitted from the light emitting element 10. It is shown that the optical path P of the light is directed to the front of the vehicle by reflection on the surface of the protrusion 112.

Further, since the first reflecting surface 110a of the light guide lens 11 widens the emission range of the light emitted from the back door handle device 1, the width of the outer lens 121 in the vehicle width direction is the vehicle width of the light guide lens 11. It is preferably larger than the width in the direction. As a result, both ends of the outer lens 121 in the vehicle width direction are positioned outside the vehicle width direction of both ends of the light guide lens 11 in the vehicle width direction, and the light emitted from the light guide lens 11 is extracted in a wide range. Can be done.

Further, when both ends of the outer lens 121 in the vehicle width direction are located outside the vehicle width direction of both ends of the light guide lens 11 in the vehicle width direction, the light is distributed on both sides of the housing 12 in the vehicle width direction. Unnecessary areas (areas that are not optically used) are created. In this light distribution unnecessary area, a mounting portion 124 having a mounting hole 125 for mounting the back door handle device 1 to the back door 20 can be provided.

The mounting portion 124 is provided integrally with the main body 120 of the housing 12, and extends in the vehicle width direction from the surface of the main body 120 in contact with the back door 20. Since the mounting portion 124 is provided in an area unnecessary for light distribution of the back door handle device 1, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the back door handle device 1 due to the provision of the mounting portion 124.

As described above, in the backdoor handle device 1, since the optical design is mainly performed by the light guide lens 11, the outer surface (the surface opposite to the light guide lens 11) of the outer lens 121 is flat without unevenness. Can be a face. As a result, it is possible to reduce the hazard when the user touches the outer lens 121 and to make it difficult for dirt to adhere.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the back door handle device 2 which is a modification of the back door handle device 1. The position of the cross section of the back door handle device 2 of FIG. 3 corresponds to the position of the cross section of the back door handle device 1 of FIG.

In the back door handle device 2, unevenness 121a is formed on the inner surface (the surface on the light guide lens 11 side) of the outer lens 121, and the optical design can be performed on both the light guide lens 11 and the outer lens 121. it can. However, also in the back door handle device 2, since the outer surface of the outer lens 121 can be made a flat surface without unevenness, the hazard when the user touches the outer lens 121 is reduced, and the outer lens 121 becomes dirty. Can be made difficult to adhere.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the back door handle device 3, which is another modification of the back door handle device 1. The position of the cross section of the back door handle device 3 of FIG. 4 corresponds to the position of the cross section of the back door handle device 1 of FIG.

In the back door handle device 3, a light guide lens 16 that also serves as an outer lens that is a part of the housing 12 is used. The light guide lens 16 has a first reflecting surface 110 (110a, 110b) like the light guide lens 11 of the back door handle device 1. Further, it may have a second reflecting surface 111, a protrusion 112 having the first reflecting surface 110 as a side surface, and a groove 113 having a second reflecting surface 111 as an inner surface.

In the back door handle device 3, since the outer surface of the outer lens has irregularities, the effect when the outer surface is flat cannot be obtained, but the light guide lens 16 holds the light guide lens and the outer lens. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

(Configuration related to the handle switch function for opening and closing the back door)
Since the back door handle device 1 has a handle switch function for opening and closing the back door, a push switch 14 that outputs a signal for opening or locking the back door 20 to an external unlocking device or a locking device, and a user's hand pressing Opening / closing operation of the arm type switch knob 15 for changing the direction and pushing the push switch vertically, the switch knob support portion 122 for holding the arm type switch knob 15 together with the main body 120 of the housing 12, and the back door 20. It is provided with an operation unit cover 123 that the user's hand 30 touches at the time of.

The push switch 14 is a switch that outputs a contact signal (a signal indicating whether or not the contacts are connected) when the internal contacts are electrically connected by pressing. When the contact signal output from the push switch 14 is input to the unlocking device or the locking device, these devices operate to open or lock the back door 20. In the back door handle device 1, instead of the push switch 14, another type of switch such as an electrostatic switch may be used.

The arm type switch knob 15 is a member required when the push switch 14 is installed on the same substrate 13 as the light emitting element 10. Since the light emitting element 10 is installed so that the optical axis faces the lower side of the vehicle, when the push switch 14 is installed on the same substrate 13 as the light emitting element 10, the direction in which the push switch 14 is pushed is the upper side of the vehicle.

On the other hand, since the user inserts the hand 30 into the back door garnish 23 from below to open and close the back door 20, the pressing direction on the operation unit cover 123 is the rear upper side of the vehicle (upper right direction in FIG. 1). Turn to. The arm-type switch knob 15 can convert the pressing direction of the user's hand 30 toward the rear upper side of the vehicle to the upper side of the vehicle for pushing the push switch 14.

The operation unit cover 123 is made of a flexible member such as rubber, and the push switch 14 can be pressed via the arm type switch knob 15 by pushing the operation unit cover 123 by hand 30.

The switch knob support portion 122 can be formed integrally with the outer lens 121.

(Effect of embodiment)
In the backdoor handle devices 1 to 3 of the above embodiment, since the light emitting range is widened by the light guide lens 11, the number of light emitting elements 10 required to illuminate the license plate 22 with a desired brightness is increased. It can be reduced and miniaturized. Further, the back door handle devices 1 to 3 also serve as a license lamp and a handle switch for opening and closing the back door.

That is, according to the above embodiment, the back door handle devices 1 to 3 which are small in size and can irradiate a wide range in the vehicle width direction, which also serve as a license lamp and a back door opening / closing handle switch. Can be provided.

By using the back door handle devices 1 to 3, the space occupied by the license lamp and the back door opening / closing handle switch in the back door garnish 23 can be reduced, and the installation space for other parts such as the camera and the lock switch can be secured. It is possible to improve the degree of freedom in the installation position of each component and effectively exert the function of each component.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

Moreover, the above-described embodiment does not limit the invention according to the claims. It should also be noted that not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention.

1, 2, 3 Backdoor handle device 10 Light emitting element 11, 16 Light guide lens 12 Housing 121 Outer lens 13 Board 14 Push switch 20 Backdoor 22 License plate 23 Backdoor garnish 110 (110a, 110b) First reflective surface 111 Second reflective surface 112 Protrusion 113 Groove

Claims (8)

A back door handle device installed above the license plate of the back door of a vehicle, which also serves as a license lamp for illuminating the license plate and a handle switch for opening and closing the back door.
A light emitting element that emits light and
A light guide lens having a first reflecting surface that intersects the optical axis of the light emitting element, and
With an outer lens
A switch for opening and closing the back door,
With
The first reflecting surface is a reflecting surface that totally reflects the light emitted from the light emitting element in the direction of the optical axis and changes the traveling direction in a direction away from the central axis in the vertical direction of the light guide lens. ,
The light emitted from the light emitting element is taken out through the light guide lens and the outer lens.
Backdoor handle device. The light guide lens has a second reflecting surface that reflects light emitted from the light emitting element and traveling in a direction away from the central axis, and reduces a component of the direction vector in a direction away from the central axis.
The backdoor handle device according to claim 1. A plurality of the light emitting elements arranged along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle are provided.
The light guide lens has a plurality of the first reflecting surfaces arranged along the vehicle width direction.
The farther the plurality of first reflecting surfaces are from the center of the light guide lens, the greater the inclination from the vertical direction.
The backdoor handle device according to claim 1 or 2. Both ends of the outer lens in the vehicle width direction are located outside the vehicle width direction of both ends of the light guide lens in the vehicle width direction.
The backdoor handle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The light guide lens and the outer lens are integrated.
The backdoor handle device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The light emitting element and the switch are installed on the same substrate,
The light emitting element is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the switch.
The backdoor handle device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The light guide lens has a protrusion having the first reflecting surface, and the light guide lens has a protrusion.
The contour of the vertical cross section of the protrusion parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle has a convex curve toward the rear lower side of the vehicle or an inclination with a perpendicular line toward the rear lower side of the vehicle on the rear lower side of the vehicle. ,
The backdoor handle device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The surface of the outer lens on the light guide lens side has irregularities.
The surface of the outer lens opposite to the light guide lens is flat.
The backdoor handle device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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