Vehicular door handle including secondary latch

US7513544B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• ADAC Plastics, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Jerry Cummins · Grand Ledge, US
• Jim Larabel · Newaygo, US
• Brian Herrema · Caledonia, US
• Joe Meinke · Gowen, US
• Mark McWilliams · San Diego, US
• Richard Young · Lowell, US
• Bradley T. Kuehn · Sunfield, US
• Kathy L. Gross · Byron Center, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 11, 2007
• Grant date: Apr 7, 2009
• Expiry date: Sep 11, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T292/57
• WIPO field: Civil engineering
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

A vehicular door handle assembly comprises a secondary latch with a default active condition for preventing inadvertent opening of a door during an impact, such as a collision. The door handle assembly comprises a primary actuator and a secondary actuator in operative communication with the secondary latch for selective deactivation thereof. When the user's hand grasps and pulls the primary actuator in a normal fashion to open the vehicle door, the user's hand simultaneously grasps the secondary actuator and moves the secondary actuator to deactivate the secondary latch and allow movement of the primary actuator and thereby open the vehicular door.