US 12,281,503 B2
Vehicular exterior door handle assembly
Kenneth C. Peterson, Ada, MI (US); and Justin E. Sobecki, Rockford, MI (US)
Assigned to Magna Mirrors of America, Inc., Holland, MI (US)
Filed by Magna Mirrors of America, Inc., Holland, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/389,911.
Application 18/389,911 is a division of application No. 17/302,186, filed on Apr. 27, 2021, granted, now 11,851,920.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/706,574, filed on Aug. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/704,216, filed on Apr. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0125154 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. E05B 81/76 (2014.01); B60Q 3/267 (2017.01); B60R 25/20 (2013.01); E05B 85/18 (2014.01)
CPC E05B 81/77 (2013.01) [B60Q 3/267 (2017.02); B60R 25/2045 (2013.01); E05B 85/18 (2013.01)] 34 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicular exterior door handle assembly, the vehicular exterior door handle assembly comprising:
a base portion configured to mount at an exterior door handle region of a vehicular door;
a handle pivotable relative to the base portion;
wherein the handle, with the base portion mounted at the exterior door handle region of the vehicular door, is pivotable about a pivot axis that is at and along a central portion of the handle between an upper portion of the handle and a lower portion of the handle;
a sensing device disposed at least partially along the handle and operable to sense presence of a person's fingers in a pocket region behind the lower portion of the handle;
wherein, with the base portion mounted at the exterior door handle region of the vehicular door, the handle is pivotable between a non-deployed orientation, where an outer surface of the handle is coplanar with an outer surface of the vehicular door at the exterior door handle region, and a deployed orientation, where the lower portion of the handle is outward of the outer surface of the vehicular door at the exterior door handle region and the upper portion of the handle is in the pocket region within the vehicular door;
wherein, with the handle in the deployed orientation, the person's fingers are inserted into the pocket region at the lower portion of the handle;
wherein, with the base portion mounted at the exterior door handle region of the vehicular door, and with the handle in the deployed orientation and when the person's fingers are inserted into the pocket region, the sensing device senses presence of the person's fingers at the pocket region and triggers an actuator of the vehicular exterior door handle assembly to unlatch the vehicular door;
wherein, with the handle in the non-deployed orientation, the person manually pivots the handle to the deployed orientation by pushing the upper portion of the handle into the pocket region; and
wherein, with the handle in the deployed orientation, the person pulls at the lower portion of the handle to pivot the handle to open the vehicular door.