Device for contactless actuation of a vehicle door, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10317251-B2
Application number	US-201615050668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Aug 23, 2013
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A device for actuating a door of a vehicle in a contact-free manner includes a capacitive proximity sensor. The proximity sensor has at least one sensor electrode for emitting an electric detection field in a detection area in front of the sensor electrode. An insulated electric conductor is arranged in front of the sensor electrode for shaping the detection field.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for actuating a vehicle door of a vehicle in a contact-free manner, the device comprising:
a capacitive proximity sensor having at least one sensor electrode which, upon being energized by an electrical alternating voltage, emits an electrical detection field into a detection space located in front of said sensor electrode; and
an insulated electrical conductor for shaping the detection field disposed in front of said sensor electrode;
said sensor electrode and said insulated electrical conductor together forming the detection field in front of said insulated electrical conductor for detecting a presence of an object in the detection field at a spacing distance from said insulated electrical conductor.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said insulated electrical conductor is a planar foil or coating applied to a vehicle part located in front of said sensor electrode or introduced into the vehicle part.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor electrode is a round conductor.

4. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle door to be actuated is a tailgate, and wherein said insulated electrical conductor is applied to a rear bumper trim of the vehicle or is introduced into the rear bumper trim.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein:
said sensor electrode is one of two sensor electrodes mounted at a given distance one above the other behind the bumper trim and configured to emit an upper detection field and a lower detection field, respectively, into a respectively assigned detection space; and
said insulated electrical conductor is assigned to said upper sensor electrode and, in order to spatially separate said upper and lower detection fields, is arranged at least approximately at a same level height as, or higher than, said upper sensor electrode.

6. A vehicle having a vehicle door and a device for actuating the vehicle door in a contact-free manner, the device comprising:
a capacitive proximity sensor having at least one sensor electrode which, upon being energized by an electrical alternating voltage, emits an electrical detection field into a detection space located in front of said sensor electrode; and
an insulated electrical conductor arranged in front of said sensor electrode for shaping the electrical detection field;
said sensor electrode and said insulated electrical conductor together forming the detection field in front of said insulated electrical conductor for detecting a presence of an object in the detection field at a spacing distance from said insulated electrical conductor.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein said insulated electrical conductor is a planar foil or coating applied to a vehicle part of the vehicle located in front of said sensor electrode or introduced into the vehicle part.

8. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein said sensor electrode is a round conductor.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the vehicle door to be actuated is a tailgate, and wherein said insulated electrical conductor is applied to a rear bumper trim of the vehicle or is introduced into the rear bumper trim.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein:
said sensor electrode is one of two sensor electrodes mounted at a given distance one above the other behind the bumper trim and configured to emit an upper detection field and a lower detection field, respectively, into a respectively assigned detection space; and
said insulated electrical conductor is assigned to said upper sensor electrode and, in order to spatially separate said upper and lower detection fields, is arranged at least approximately at a same level height as, or higher than, said upper sensor electrode.

Assignees

• Brose Fahrzeugteile

Inventors

• Sterk Felix
• Geuther Udo

Classifications

• E05Y2900/531

  Doors · CPC title

• H03K2217/96078

  Sensor being a wire or a strip, e.g. used in automobile door handles or bumpers · CPC title

• B60R25/2054

  by foot gestures · CPC title

• H02P1/00

  Arrangements for starting electric motors or dynamo-electric converters (starting of synchronous motors with electronic commutators H02P6/20, H02P6/22; starting dynamo-electric motors rotating step by step H02P8/04; vector control H02P21/00) · CPC title

• G01D5/24 Primary

  by varying capacitance · CPC title