Exterior door handle for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11286694-B2
Application number	US-201615745106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 13, 2015
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to an exterior door handle (10) for a vehicle (3) particularly for an activation of an electric lock (2) of the vehicle (3) comprising:a door handle body (20) with a wall (22), wherein the door handle body (20) is configured such that an activation action is performable by a user (5) at the door handle body (20) in the deformation area (40),at least one inductive activation means (60) which is arranged in the deformation area (40),at least one sensor device (30) arranged within the door handle body (20) for inductivity measurements at the activation means (60),wherein the door handle body (20) is at least configured elastically deformable in the deformation area (40) andthe sensor device (30) for the detection of the activation action is arranged spaced apart to the activation means (60) such that the deformation of the door handle body (20) is detectable by the inductivity measurement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An exterior door handle for a vehicle comprising:
a door handle body with a wall, wherein the door handle body is configured such that an activation action is performable by a user at the door handle body in at least one deformation area,
at least one inductive activation means which is arranged in the at least one deformation area,
at least one sensor device comprising an inductive sensor, arranged within the door handle body for an inductivity measurement at the at least one inductive activation means,

wherein the door handle body is at least configured elastically deformable in the at least one deformation area and
the at least one sensor device for the detection of the activation action is arranged spaced apart to the at least one inductive activation means such that deformation of the door handle body is detectable by the inductivity measurement; and
wherein at least a first deformation area of the at least one deformation area is provided with at least a first inductive activation means of the at least one inductive activation means on a side at the door handle body facing to the vehicle, and at least a second deformation area of the at least one deformation area is provided with at least a second inductive activation means of the at least one inductive activation means at another side of the door handle body facing away from the vehicle, wherein the first inductive means and the second inductive means are galvanically separated from the at least one sensor device.

2. The exterior door handle according to claim 1 , wherein
the exterior door handle is configured as a fixed exterior door handle.

3. The exterior door handle according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one sensor device comprises a LDC-sensor.

4. The exterior door handle according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one inductive activation means is configured at least as an electrically conducting film or an electrically conducting coating or at least one electrically conducting element, or at least elastically deformable.

5. The exterior door handle according to claim 1 , wherein
a first sensor device of the at least one sensor device and a second sensor device of the at least one sensor device are provided within the door handle body.

6. The exterior door handle according to claim 1 , wherein
the wall in the at least one deformation area of the door handle body comprises a structural adjustment, wherein at least the wall or the door handle body in the area of the structural adjustment comprises a sufficiently elastic deformability for the detection with the at least one sensor device.

7. The exterior door handle according to claim 6 , wherein
the structural adjustment is configured at an outer side of the door handle body.

8. The exterior door handle according to claim 1 , wherein
an average wall thickness of the wall outside the deformation area is at least 50% greater than in the deformation area.

9. The exterior door handle according to claim 1 , wherein
a distance between the at least one sensor device and the at least one inductive activation means surveyed by the at least one sensor device is in the area of 1 mm to 5 mm.

10. The exterior door handle according to claim 1 , wherein
an area between the at least one sensor device and the at least one inductive activation means and an inner space of the door handle body is at least partially filled with a filling element.

11. The exterior door handle according to claim 1 , wherein
a sensoric element is provided within the door handle body.

12. A method for a detection of an activation action at an exterior door handle of a vehicle, wherein the activation action is performed by a user at a door handle body of the exterior door handle in at least one deformation area and a sensor device comprising an inductive sensor performs an inductivity measurement within the door handle body in order to detect the activation action, wherein by the inductivity measurement a deformation of the door handle body is detected during the activation action,
wherein the door handle body is configured elastically deformable in the at least one deformation area and at least one inductive activation means is arranged in the at least one deformation area, wherein the sensor device for the detection of the activation action is arranged spaced apart to the at least one inductive activation means such that the deformation of the door handle body is detected by the inductivity measurement; and
wherein at least a first deformation area of the at least one deformation area is provided with at least a first inductive activation means of the at least one inductive activation means on a side at the door handle body facing to the vehicle, and at least a second deformation area of the at least one deformation area is provided with at least a second inductive activation means of the at least one inductive activation means at another side of the door handle body facing away from the vehicle,
wherein the at least first inductive activation means and the at least second inductive activation means are galvanically separated from the sensor device.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein
the sensor device transmits an opening signal during the detection of the activation action.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein
a sensoric element is provided, wherein the sensoric element detects an approaching of the user.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the exterior door handle comprises:
the door handle body having a wall.

16. The exterior door handle according to claim 5 , wherein the first sensor device is configured for the inductivity measurement at the first deformation area of the at least one deformation area and the second sensor device for the inductivity measurement at the second deformation area of the at least one deformation area.

17. The exterior door handle according to claim 8 , wherein a structural adjustment is in the area of 1 mm to 2 mm.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the sensor device transmits the opening signal during the detection of the activation action to an electric lock of the vehicle, wherein the detection occurs during the detection of a deformation of approximately 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm.

Assignees

• Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Beck Andreas
• Bitirim Serdal
• MüLLER DIRK
• Witte Martin

Classifications

• E05B1/0015

  Knobs or handles which do not operate the bolt or lock, e.g. non-movable; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• E05B81/76 Primary

  Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles · CPC title

• E05B81/77

  comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user · CPC title

• E05B85/10

  Handles · CPC title