Angle-detecting door handle assembly

Abstract

An angle-detecting door handle assembly comprises: a handle member; a four-bar link configured to move the handle member between at least retracted and presented positions relative to a door surface; a motor configured to actuate the four-bar link; a rotary sensor configured to detect an angle of the four-bar link throughout actuation and generate a signal corresponding to the detected angle; and a controller configured to control the motor based on the signal from the rotary sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An angle-detecting door handle assembly comprising:
 a handle member;   a four-bar link configured to move the handle member between at least retracted and presented positions relative to a door surface;   a motor configured to actuate the four-bar link;   a rotary sensor configured to detect an angle of the four-bar link throughout actuation and generate a signal corresponding to the detected angle; and   a controller configured to control the motor based on the signal from the rotary sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the four-bar link comprises a swing arm and a control arm, the swing arm pivoting about a shaft relative to the door surface, wherein the angle is detected by rotation of the shaft. 
     
     
         3 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a magnet, wherein the rotary sensor detects orientation of poles of the magnet. 
     
     
         4 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein one of the magnet and the rotary sensor is mounted relative to a carrier of the door handle assembly, and another of the magnet and the rotary sensor is mounted on a separate member attached to the carrier, wherein the separate member is adjustable relative to the carrier to change a gap between the magnet and the rotary sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the separate member is adjustable in a single dimension relative to the carrier. 
     
     
         6 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 5 , wherein one of the separate member and the carrier has at least one elongate slot and wherein another of the separate member and the carrier has at least one datum feature corresponding to the elongate slot. 
     
     
         7 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 4 , further comprising one or more oversized fastener openings on one of the separate member and the carrier to allow attachment that accommodates adjustment between them. 
     
     
         8 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the rotary sensor comprises a Hall sensor or a magnetoresistive sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to stop the motor from actuating the four-bar link upon detecting that the motor actuates the four-bar link to a specific angle. 
     
     
         10 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to start or stop the motor upon detecting user actuation of the four-bar link by touching the handle member. 
     
     
         11 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member acting on the four-bar link to bring the handle member to the retracted position, wherein the motor actuates the four-bar link against bias of the biasing member to bring the handle member to the presented position. 
     
     
         12 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a mounting member on which the rotary sensor is mounted, and further comprising a light in the handle member, wherein the mounting member serves as a breakout for signals to the motor and to the light. 
     
     
         13 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the mounting member comprises a printed circuit board, the door handle assembly further comprising a multi-connector harness that is a sole connector for the door handle assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a housing that accommodates the rotary sensor and the printed circuit board, the housing having a first cavity for the multi-connector harness at one end, and respective cavities for the motor and the light at an opposite end. 
     
     
         15 . The angle-detecting door handle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the mounting member comprises a lead frame. 
     
     
         16 . A method performed with regard to an angle-detecting door handle assembly, the method comprising:
 causing actuation of a four-bar link by a motor, the four-bar link connected to a handle member of the door handle assembly, the handle member initially in a retracted position relative to a door surface;   detecting an angle of the four-bar link throughout the actuation; and   when the detected angle corresponds to a presented position of the handle member, stopping the actuation of the four-bar link.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising, in the retracted position, detecting a change in the angle indicating user actuation of the four-bar link by pushing of the handle member, and causing the actuation of the four-bar link in response to the detected change. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising, in the presented position, detecting a change in the angle indicating user actuation of the four-bar link by pulling of the handle member, and, in response to the detected change, actuating the four-bar link to advance the handle member to a clamped position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising reprogramming the angle-detecting door handle assembly so that a different angle corresponds to the presented position of the handle member. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising also reprogramming the angle-detecting door handle assembly to change an angle corresponding to the retracted position of the handle member, or to change an angle corresponding to a clamped position of the handle member.