VEHICLE HANDLE WITH A LIGHTING DEVICE

The present invention relates to a handle for doors and the like, and in particular to a handle with a lever which can be employed for unlocking and simultaneously opening the door of a motor vehicle and is provided with a device for illuminating the space around the handle.

DE 10039685 discloses a handle provided with a lever in which a lighting device is arranged, however the electric connection for powering said device is relatively complex, since the lever is mobile and must be accurately sealed from water. The lever of the handle disclosed in DE 19809716 is provided with an optical coupling device arranged in the lower portion of the lever for transmitting downwards the light emitted by a lighting device arranged in the door.

DE 19822733 discloses a handle with an eyelid-like lever, i.e. with a substantially horizontal rotation axis, which hides a lighting device arranged in the door. DE 19822733 also discloses a handle with a traditional lever, i.e. with a rotation axis substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the door, which lever is provided with lighting devices, with the same disadvantages of the handle of DE 10039685.

DE 19757085 discloses a lighting device arranged in the door in a position relatively far from the handle, which therefore requires an optical guide for transmitting the light emitted by said device toward the handle.

Also EP 1060948 discloses a lighting device which transmits the light toward the handle by means of optical guides.

Due to the particular arrangement of the levers, the lighting devices and the optical guides, said known handles are asymmetric, so that two different kinds of handles must be manufactured for the left and right sides, respectively, of a motor vehicle. Furthermore, the opening for the illumination is often visible from the outside, with a consequent reduction of the aesthetics of the motor vehicle. The use of optical guides, sometimes very long, requires more powerful lighting device for compensating the attenuation due to the optical guide, thereby causing a higher energy consumption. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a handle free from said disadvantages. Said object is achieved with a handle, whose main features are disclosed

in the first claim, while other features are disclosed in the remaining claims.

Thanks to the particular arrangement and structure of the lighting device, the handle according to the present invention can be completely or almost completely made of symmetric components, so that it can be mounted both on the left and right sides of a motor vehicle.

Furthermore, said lighting device is preferably arranged in a position hidden behind the lever, so as to not spoil the aesthetics of the handle, even if it directly illuminates the space around it, in particular the recess for the user's hand and/or the ground under the door. According to a particular aspect of the invention, the lighting device can be snap- fastened, preferably in a removable manner, to the frame of the handle by operating from the outside of the door, so as to simplify the assembly and maintenance procedures of the handle.

The light of the lighting device can be transmitted with short optical guides or even without optical guides, so as to improve the lighting efficiency. The lever can also be provided with a particular opaque cover with openings for orienting the light of the lighting device only where required.

Further advantages and features of the handle according to the present invention will become clear to those skilled in the art from the following detailed and non-limiting description of three embodiment thereof with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a front view of the first embodiment of the handle; figure 2 shows a view cross-sectioned along plane II-II of figure 1 ; figure 3 shows the handle of figure 2 during its assembly; - figure 4 shows a front view of the second embodiment of the handle; figure 5 shows a view cross-sectioned along plane V-V of figure 4; figure 6 shows a front view of the third embodiment of the handle; and figure 7 shows a view cross-sectioned along plane VII-VII of figure 6.

Referring to figures 1 and 2, it is seen that the handle according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises in a known way a frame 1 suitable to be fixed for example behind the outer surface of a door 2 of a motor vehicle. Frame 1 is

provided with a transversal pin 3 acting as a fulcrum, around which a shaped extension 4 of a lever 5 suitable for being pulled outwards in the direction of arrow 6 for opening door 2 can rotate. Lever 5 thus rotates around an axis substantially parallel to the rotation axis of door 2. The other end of lever 5 is provided with an appendix 7 which protrudes into frame 1 for the mechanical connection to the unlocking mechanism (not shown in the figures) of door 2, so that the latter can be opened by pulling lever 5. Door 2 and/or lever 5 are shaped for obtaining recesses 8 and/or 9, respectively, arranged between frame 1 and lever 5 for the hand of the user which must pull lever 5.

According to the invention a lighting device 10 is fixed to frame 1 and crosses an opening, preferably closed partially by a gasket (not shown in the figures), made in the outer surface of door 2, in particular the same opening crossed by the shaped extension 4 of lever 5. The lighting device 10 is thus preferably arranged between fulcrum 3 and the middle of lever 5, however it could also be arranged close to appendix 7 or in the opening made for the latter in the outer surface of door 2. The outer portion 10a of the lighting device 10, i.e. the portion outside door 2, protrudes behind lever 5 and is arranged at least partially in recess 9 of lever 5. The outer portion 10a of the lighting device 10 is further housed at least partially in a seat 11 which is made in lever 5 and is open toward frame 1. Lever 5 is symmetric with respect to a longitudinal median plane, in particular plane H-II. The lighting device 10 is crossed by said median plane and its outer portion 10a is provided with at least one lamp 12 protruding into recess 9 of lever 5. Lamp 12 is for example a LED mounted on a board 13 connected by means of conductors to a control circuit 14. Board 13 and the control circuit 14 are arranged in the housing of the lighting device 10, which is sealed and completely transparent. The control circuit 14 is in turn connected to a plug 15 which is provided with gaskets and is suitable for being coupled electrically and mechanically with a socket 16. For this purpose, plug 15 and socket 16 are provided with a snap-coupling 17 for fixing in a preferably removable manner the lighting member 10 to frame 1. Also plug 16 is provided with a snap-coupling 18 for being fixed to frame 1 preferably in a removable manner. Board 13 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal median plane of lever 5, so that light 19 emitted by lamp 12 is turned only toward one side of said median plane, in particular downwards.

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Referring to figure 3, it is seen that during the assembly of the handle according to the present invention the lighting device 10 is inserted for being fixed to frame 1 from the outside of door 2 in a transversal direction 20 with respect to the position of the outer surface of door 2, with lever 5 rotated outwards and with frame 1 already fixed into door 2, until plug 15 and socket 16 are mutually joined by means of snap-coupling 17. For disassembling the lighting device 10 it is sufficient to insert, a point, for example of a screwdriver, into the opening made in door 2 for the lighting device 10, so as to unlock snap-coupling 17 and allow the outward extraction of the lighting device 10.

Referring to figures 4 and 5, it is seen that the handle according to the second embodiment of the present invention comprises again a lighting device 30 which protrudes into seat 11 made in lever 5 and crosses an opening made in the outer surface of door 2 for being fixed to frame 1 by means of a snap-coupling 31. The lighting device 30 is provided with at least one lamp 32 mounted on a board 33 which includes a control circuit 34 and is connected to a plug 35 inserted into a socket 36 which can also be separated from frame 1. A window 37 preferably closed by a transparent wall or a prism is made in lever 5 along a surface turned toward recesses 8 and/or 9, i.e. toward door 2, so as to transmit the light emitted by lamp 32 toward recess 8, as well as upwards and/or downwards, according to the position of obscuring means, if any, arranged on lever 5. Window 37 is arranged beside seat 11 of lever 5. Board 33 is substantially perpendicular to the median plane of lever 5.

Referring to figures 6 and 7, it is seen that the handle according to the third embodiment of the present invention comprises a lighting device 40 which protrudes into seat 11 made in lever 5 and which may also be made of a single piece with frame 1. In particular, the lighting device 40 comprises a cavity which is closed by a cover 41 and houses two lamps 42, 42' mounted on at least one board 43. The first lamp 42 is arranged along the median plane of lever 5 while the second lamp 42' is arranged on a side, of this plane, in particular under it. The lighting device .40 is. provided, with a transparent portion 44 for transmitting the light emitted by lamps 42, 42' toward at least two, in particular three optical guides 45, 45', 45" arranged side by side in lever 5 for transmitting said light toward recesses 8 and/or 9, downwards and upwards, respectively. Lever 5 is provided with an opaque cover 46 provided with a window 47

arranged in correspondence with the optical guide 45' turned downwards, so as to transmit light downwards, not upwards. For employing the handle according to the third embodiment on the opposite side of a motor vehicle, the opaque cover 46 can be substituted with a similar cover, but provided with a window on the opposite side with respect to the median plane of lever 5, and a board provided with lamps arranged in a specular manner compared with lamps 42, 42' mounted on board 43 can be inserted into the lighting device 40.

Possible modifications and/or additions may be made by those skilled in the art to the hereinabove disclosed and illustrated embodiments while remaining within the scope of the following claims.