Push button type door handle assembly for energizing an auxiliary lighting circuit of a vehicle

Claim 2

A push button type door handle assembly adapted for use with a vehicle door having a door lock including an electrically conductive and grounded unlatching member, the door handle assembly comprising: a handle defining a housing; a push button mounted by the housing for movement from an extended position to a depressed position upon manual depression thereof; a spring for biasing the push button to the extended position; an electrically conductive push rod of an elongated configuration with one end thereof mounted to the push button; an electrically conductive terminal mounted on the housing and defining an aperture that slidably receives the push rod in a guiding manner; and an insulator on the push rod that engages the terminal to electrically isolate the push rod and terminal when the push button is in the extended position, the push rod sliding through the terminal upon manual depression of the push button so that the insulator moves out of engagement with the terminal as the push rod moves into electrical engagement therewith, and the manual depression of the push button moving the other end of the push rod into electrical contact with the electrically grounded unlatching member of the door lock so that the push rod electrically grounds the terminal upon such depression and thereby permits the handle assembly to be used to energize an auxiliary lighting circuit of the vehicle.

Claim 3

A push button type door handle assembly adapted for use with a vehicle door having a door lock including an electrically conductive and grounded unlatching member, the handle assembly comprising: a handle including a housing defining a push button opening which opens laterally outwardly with respect to a vehicle on which the door handle is used, the housing also including a pair of spaced flanges located inwardly with respect to the vehicle from the push button opening on opposite sides thereof; a push button received by the opening of the housing for movement from an extended position to a depressed position upon manual depression thereof; an electrically conductive push rod of an elongated configuration with one end thereof mounted to the push button; an electrically insulated insert received by the housing between the push button opening and the flanges and having an electrically conductive terminal with an annular configuration supported thereon, the terminal slidably receiving the push rod in a guiding manner; a helical spring encircling the push rod with one end thereof seated against the push button and the other end thereof seated against the insert so as to bias the push button to the extended position and to also bias the insert into engagement with the spaced flanges of the housing in a manner that locates the insert; and an insulator on the push rod that engages the terminal to electrically isolate the push rod and terminal when the push button is in the extended position, the push rod sliding through the terminal upon manual depression of the push button so that the insulator moves out of engagement with the terminal as the push rod moves into electrical engagement therewith, and manual depression of the push button moving the other end of the push rod into electrical engagement with the electrically grounded unlatching member of the door lock so that the push rod electrically grounds the terminal upon such depressioN and thereby permits the handle assembly to be used to energize an auxiliary lighting circuit of the vehicle.

Claim 4

A push button type door handle assembly adapted for use with a vehicle door having a door lock including an electrically conductive and grounded unlatching member, the handle assembly comprising: a handle including a housing defining a push button opening which opens laterally outwardly with respect to a vehicle on which the door handle is used, the housing also including a pair of spaced flanges located inwardly with respect to the vehicle from the push button opening on opposite sides thereof; a push button received by the opening of the housing for movement from an extended position to a depressed position upon manual depression thereof; an electrically conductive push rod of an elongated configuration with one end thereof mounted to the push button; an electrically insulated insert received by the housing between the push button opening and the flanges and having an electrically conductive terminal with an annular configuration supported thereon, the terminal slidably receiving the push rod in a guiding manner; a helical spring encircling the push rod with one end thereof seated against the push button and the other end thereof seated against the insert so as to bias the push button to the extended position and to also bias the insert into engagement with the spaced flanges of the housing in a manner that locates the insert; and an insulator on the push rod that engages the terminal to electrically isolate the push rod and terminal when the push button is in the extended position, the push rod sliding through the terminal upon manual depression of the push button so that the insulator moves out of engagement with the terminal as the push rod moves into electrical engagement therewith, and manual depression of the push button moving the other end of the push rod into electrical engagement with the electrically grounded unlatching member of the door lock so that the push rod electrically grounds the terminal upon such depressioN and thereby permits the handle assembly to be used to energize an auxiliary lighting circuit of the vehicle.

Claim 5

A push button type door handle assembly adapted for use with a vehicle door having an outside key cylinder for controlling the locked or unlocked condition of an associated door lock carried by the door and including an electrically conductive and grounded unlatching member, the handle assembly comprising: a handle including a housing defining a push button opening which opens laterally outward with respect to a vehicle on which the door handle assembly is used, the housing including a pair of spaced positioning flanges located inwardly with respect to the vehicle from the push button opening on opposite sides thereof and defining respective positioning slots in alignment with each other, the lower side of the housing having positioning means for receiving a lens; a light transmitting lens received by the housing so as to transmit light onto the outside key cylinder; an elongated fiber optic arrangement with one end thereof connected to the lens to transmit light thereto and with the other end thereof adapted to receive light from an auxiliary lighting circuit of the vehicle; a push button received by the opening of the housing for movement from an extended position to a depressed position upon manual depression thereof; an electrically conductive push rod of an elongated configuration having a circular cross section, one end of the push rod being mounted on the push button; a plastic insert received by the housing between the push button opening and the positioning flanges of the housing, the insert having a pair of positioning flanges with projections thereon pointing toward the slots in the positioning flanges of the housing, and the insert also having an electrically conductive terminal with an annular configuration supported thereon and slidably receiving the push rod in a guiding manner; a helical spring encircling the push rod with one end thereof seated against the push button and the other end thereof seated against the insert so as to bias the push button to the extended position and to also bias the insert so the flanges thereof engage the flanges of the housing with the projections of the insert flanges received by the slots of the housing flanges to thereby locate the insert; and an insulator on the push rod that engages the terminal to electrically isolate the push rod and terminal when the push button is in the extended position, the push rod sliding through the terminal upon manual depression of the push button so that the insulator moves out of engagement with the terminal as the push rod moves into electrical contact therewith, and the manual depression of the push button moving the other end of the push rod into electrical contact with the electrically grounded unlatching member of the door lock so that the push rod electrically grounds the terminal and thereby permits the handle assembly to be used with the auxiliary lighting circuit to energize the circuit and thus shine light onto the outside key cylinder.

Claim 6

A push button type door handle assembly adapted for use with a vehicle door having an outside key cylinder for controlling the locked or unlocked condition of an associated door lock carried by the door and including an electrically conductive and grounded unlatching member, the handle assembly comprising: a handle including a housing defining a push button opening which opens laterally outward with respect to a vehicle on which the door handle assembly is used, the housing including a pair of spaced positioning flanges located inwardly with respect to the vehicle from the push button opening on opposite sides thereof and defining respective positioning slots in alignment with each other, the lower side of the housing having positioning means for receiving a lens; a light transmitting lens received by the housing so as to transmit light onto the outside key cylinder; an elongated fiber optic arrangement with one end thereof connected to the lens to transmit light thereto and with the other end thereof adapted to receive light from an auxiliary lighting circuit of the vehicle; a push button received by the opening of the housing for movement from an extended position to a depressed position upon manual depression thereof; an electrically conductive push rod of an elongated configuration having a circular cross section, one end of the push rod being mounted on the push button; a plastic insert received by the housing between the push button opening and the positioning flanges of the housing, the insert having a pair of positioning flanges with projections thereon pointing toward the slots in the positioning flanges of the housing, and the insert also having an electrically conductive terminal with an annular configuration supported thereon and slidably receiving the push rod in a guiding manner; a helical spring encircling the push rod with one end thereof seated against the push button and the other end thereof seated against the insert so as to bias the push button to the extended position and to also bias the insert so the flanges thereof engage the flanges of the housing with the projections of the insert flanges received by the slots of the housing flanges to thereby locate the insert; and an insulator on the push rod that engages the terminal to electrically isolate the push rod and terminal when the push button is in the extended position, the push rod sliding through the terminal upon manual depression of the push button so that the insulator moves out of engagement with the terminal as the push rod moves into electrical contact therewith, and the manual depression of the push button moving the other end of the push rod into electrical contact with the electrically grounded unlatching member of the door lock so that the push rod electrically grounds the terminal and thereby permits the handle assembly to be used with the auxiliary lighting circuit to energize the circuit and thus shine light onto the outside key cylinder.