1. An inertial blocking member subassembly being part of a release handle assembly associated with a vehicle door, the inertial blocking member subassembly being activated by an acceleration force associated with an impact event, the release handle assembly having a release handle framework supporting a bell crank assembly and a manually actuatable door handle grip, the door handle grip operatively coupled to the bell crank assembly to unlatch the vehicle door upon actuation, the inertial blocking member subassembly comprising:
a blocking member associated with the release handle assembly framework, movable in at least one of rotation about an axis of rotation and translation along the axis of rotation;
wherein the blocking member has a center of gravity which is offset from the axis of rotation; and
the blocking member being movable between an at-rest position, in which the blocking member does not interfere with the bell crank assembly to prevent unlatching of the vehicle door by actuation of the door handle grip, and an engagement position, in which the blocking member interferes with the bell crank assembly to prevent unlatching of the vehicle door by actuation of the door handle grip, and in which engagement position the center of gravity is approximately aligned with a vector of the acceleration force and the axis of rotation;
whereby, as a result of the acceleration force acting on the blocking member center of gravity, the blocking member is moved to the engagement position;
further comprising a biasing element associated with the blocking member, the biasing element biasing the blocking member to the at-rest position, and a blocking member retainer comprising at least a first element associated with the release handle assembly framework and at least a second element associated with the blocking member;
wherein the engagement of the at least first and second elements of the blocking member retainer with one another retains the blocking member in the engagement position even after the acceleration force has attenuated sufficiently so that the biasing element could move the blocking member to the at-rest position; and
wherein the release handle grip is operative to disengage the at least first and second elements of the blocking member retainer from each other so that, after the acceleration force has attenuated sufficiently for the biasing element to move the blocking member to the at-rest position, the biasing element can move the blocking member to the at-rest position.
2. A release handle mechanism for unlatching a vehicle door, the release handle mechanism comprising:
a release handle framework supporting a bell crank assembly and a manually actuatable door handle grip, the door handle grip operatively coupled to the bell crank assembly to unlatch the vehicle door upon manual actuation;
an inertial blocking member subassembly activated by an acceleration force associated with an impact event, the inertial blocking member subassembly comprising a blocking member associated with the release handle framework, the blocking member being movable in at least one of rotation about an axis of rotation and translation along the axis of rotation, a biasing element associated with the blocking member for biasing the blocking member to an at-rest position in which the bell crank assembly can be activated by corresponding actuation of the door handle grip to unlatch the vehicle door, and a blocking member retainer associated with at least one of the release handle framework and the blocking member; and
wherein the blocking member has a center of gravity which is offset from the axis of rotation so that, as a result of the acceleration force acting on the blocking member center of gravity, the blocking member is moveable to an engagement position in which the center of gravity is approximately aligned with a vector of the acceleration force and the axis of rotation of the blocking member, in which the blocking member interferes with the bell crank assembly to prevent unlatching of the vehicle door by actuation of the door handle grip other than by manual actuation, and in which engagement position the blocking member is held by the blocking member retainer until disengagement of the blocking member retainer from the blocking member;
wherein the blocking member retainer comprises an arcuate wedge wall disposed on the release handle framework to cooperate with an arcuate wedge disposed on the blocking member, the arcuate wedge wall and the arcuate wedge co-acting during movement of the blocking member to retain the blocking member in the engagement position thereof;
wherein the blocking member is movably disposed between upper and lower support features provided on the release handle assembly framework, one of the upper and lower support features including the arcuate wedge wall;
wherein the blocking member is movable in each of rotation about the axis of rotation and translation along the axis of rotation; and
wherein manual actuation of the door handle grip effects separation of the arcuate wedge from the arcuate wedge wall so that the biasing element can move the blocking member to the at-rest position.
3. A release handle mechanism for unlatching a vehicle door, the release handle mechanism comprising:
a release handle framework supporting a bell crank assembly and a manually actuatable door handle grip, the door handle grip operatively coupled to the bell crank assembly to unlatch the vehicle door upon actuation;
an inertial blocking member subassembly activated by an acceleration force associated with an impact event, the blocking member subassembly comprising an inertial blocking member associated with the release handle assembly framework, the blocking member movable in rotation about an axis of rotation and translation along the axis of rotation, between an at-rest position in which the blocking member does not interfere with the bell crank assembly to prevent unlatching of the vehicle door by actuation of the door handle grip, and an engagement position in which the blocking member interferes with the bell crank assembly to prevent unlatching of the vehicle door by actuation of the door handle grip; and
wherein the blocking member has a center of gravity which is offset from the axis of rotation so that, as a result of the acceleration force acting on the blocking member center of gravity, the blocking member is rotationally moved about the axis of rotation and translationally moved along the axis of rotation to the engagement position, and in which engagement position the blocking member is temporarily held against at least further rotational movement by contacting elements provided on each of the blocking member and the release handle framework ; and
wherein the contacting elements comprise a stop boss disposed on the blocking member and a blocking member surface provided on the release handle framework, the stop boss contacting the blocking member surface in the engagement position of the blocking member to temporarily prevent at least further rotational movement of the blocking member.
4. An inertial blocking member subassembly for a vehicle-door release handle mechanism including a release handle framework supporting a bell crank assembly and a manually actuatable door handle grip, the door handle grip operatively coupled to the bell crank assembly to activate the bell crank assembly to unlatch the vehicle door upon actuation, the inertial blocking member subassembly comprising:
a blocking member associated with the release handle framework, the blocking member movable in at least one of rotation about an axis of rotation and translation along the axis of rotation; and
wherein the blocking member has a center of gravity which is offset from the axis of rotation; and
the blocking member being movable between an at-rest position, in which the blocking member does not prevent activation of the bell crank assembly to unlatch the vehicle door, and an engagement position, in which the blocking member intercepts and prevents activation of the bell crank assembly to unlatch the vehicle door, and in which engagement position the center of gravity is approximately aligned with the axis of rotation and a vector of an acceleration force associated with an impact event;
whereby, as a result of the acceleration force associated with an impact event acting on the blocking member center of gravity, the blocking member moves to the engagement position;
wherein the axis of rotation is generally vertically oriented, and wherein the blocking member rotates about the axis of rotation between the engagement position and the at-rest position;
further comprising a biasing element associated with the blocking member, the biasing element biasing the blocking member to the at-rest position, and a blocking member retainer comprising at least a first element associated with the release handle assembly framework and at least a second element associated with the blocking member;
wherein engagement of the at least first and second elements of the blocking member retainer with one another retain the blocking member in the engagement position even after the acceleration force has attenuated sufficiently so that the biasing element could move the blocking member to the at-rest position; and
wherein the release handle grip is manually operative to disengage the at least first and second elements of the blocking member retainer from one another so that, after the acceleration force has attenuated sufficiently for the biasing element to move the blocking member to the at-rest position, the biasing element can move the blocking member to the at-rest position.
5. An inertial blocking member subassembly for a vehicle-door release handle mechanism including a release handle framework supporting a bell crank assembly and a manually actuatable door handle grip, the door handle grip operatively coupled to the bell crank assembly to unlatch the vehicle door upon actuation, the inertial blocking member subassembly comprising:
a blocking member associated with the release handle framework, the blocking member movable in at least one of rotation about an axis of rotation and translation along the axis of rotation, and the blocking member having a center of gravity offset from the axis of rotation; and
the blocking member being movable between an at-rest position, in which the blocking member does not interfere with the bell crank assembly to prevent unlatching of the vehicle door by actuation of the door handle grip, and an engagement position, in which the blocking member interferes with the bell crank assembly to prevent unlatching of the vehicle door by actuation of the door handle grip, and in which engagement position the center of gravity is approximately aligned with a vector of an acceleration force and the axis of rotation; and
wherein further, in an impact event having both an acceleration phase and a subsequent deformation phase, the acceleration force associated with the acceleration phase of the impact event acts on the blocking member center of gravity to move the blocking member into the engagement position, and in which engagement position the blocking member is maintained at least into the deformation phase of the impact event; and
wherein, in moving between the at-rest position and the engagement position, the blocking member both rotates about, and translates along, the axis of rotation.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A data retrieval system comprising:
a computer system having a processor that supports operation of at least one software application that is used for retrieving data in the computer system;
a plurality of storage media communicatively coupled to the processor, the plurality of storage media having data stored in at least one of the plurality of storage media;
the software application having a retrieval module for retrieving data from the plurality of storage media; and
a storage and backup map that indicates to the retrieval module a particular location of the data that is to be retrieved by the retrieval module.
2. The data retrieval system of claim 1 wherein the software application includes a tool bar that allows access to particular characteristics of a file that has been stored in at least one of the plurality of storage media.
3. The data retrieval system of claim 2 wherein the particular characteristics comprise file creation date, file backup dates, and file access dates.
4. The data retrieval system of claim 1 wherein the software application comprises a view menu that offers a user an option to select a date in which to begin displaying a history of a selected file(s).
5. A method for retrieving data in a computer system, the computer system having a plurality of storage media where the data is stored, the method comprising:
requesting access to selected data of the computer system;
activating a retrieval control to find a particular location of the selected data that has been requested;
searching, with the retrieval control, the plurality of storage media for the selected data based upon instructions contained in a storage map;
retrieving an indication of the selected data from the particular location in the plurality of storage media; and
displaying the indication such that a user has an option of gaining additional information regarding the selected data.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising selecting the indication to display a backup history of a portion of the selected data.
7. The method of claim 5 further comprising selecting the indication to display a history of access times for a portion of the selected data.
8. The method of claim 5 further comprising selecting the indication to display an origination date of a portion of the selected data.