Door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism comprising an actuating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11946293-B2
Application number	US-202016860103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2020
Priority date	May 2, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism may have an actuating device that may have at least one actuating element, a housing, and at least one detection unit. The detection unit may have a sensor, a trigger element and an evaluation unit. The detection unit may be arranged in the housing. The actuating element may be arranged for an actuation outside the housing and in a region that is accessible from the outside. The trigger element may be arranged at a distance from the sensor in a locked state of the door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism. When the actuating element is actuated in the direction of the housing, to the actuating element deforms the trigger element. The sensor detects a change in the distance between the trigger element and the sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism comprising an actuating device, comprising:
at least one actuating element,
a housing, and
at least one detection unit comprising a sensor, a trigger element and an evaluation unit, wherein the detection unit is arranged in the housing,
wherein the actuating element is arranged for an actuation outside the housing and in a region that is accessible from the outside,
wherein the trigger element is arranged at a distance from the sensor in a locked state of the door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism,
wherein, when the actuating element is actuated in the direction of the housing and of the sensor arranged therein, the actuating element deforms the trigger element, and
wherein the sensor detects a change in a distance between the trigger element and the sensor, and
wherein the evaluation unit transmits an opening signal to the door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism when said evaluation unit identifies a reduction in distance between the trigger element and the sensor on the basis of the change in distance detected by the sensor,
wherein at least one resetting element for resetting the actuating element is arranged between the actuating element and a housing side of the housing,
wherein the actuating element and the detection unit are separated by the housing side of the housing, wherein the housing side runs parallel to the actuating element,
and the housing that contains the detection unit includes the housing side is made of one piece;
wherein the at least one resetting element is a closed-pore foam.

2. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger element is designed to be elastically deformable.

3. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is made of a plastic material.

4. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the housing side is an elastic housing side that covers the trigger element.

5. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the actuating element comprises angled edge regions which at least partially surround the elastic housing side on an edge side.

6. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.

7. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein the trigger element is connected to an electrical zero potential and coupled to the evaluation unit in an electrically switchable manner.

8. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an inductive sensor.

9. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element is arranged resting on the housing side.

10. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the resetting element is arranged in a gap between the actuating element and the housing side of the housing.

11. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element at least partially encloses and overlaps the detection unit with angled edge regions that engage beneath undercut regions of the housing.

12. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the angled edge regions are not coplanar with a bottom surface of the housing.

13. The door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one resetting element is two reset elements on either side of a downwardly extending centrally arranged reinforcement of the actuating element, wherein the centrally arranged reinforcement is adapted to deflect the housing side of the housing.

14. A door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism comprising an actuating device, comprising:
at least one actuating element,
a one-piece housing, and
at least one detection unit comprising a sensor, a trigger element and an evaluation unit, wherein the detection unit is arranged in the housing,

wherein the actuating element is arranged for an actuation outside the housing and in a region that is accessible from the outside,
wherein the trigger element is arranged at a distance from the sensor in a locked state of the door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism,
wherein, when the actuating element is actuated in the direction of the housing and of the sensor arranged therein, the actuating element deforms the trigger element, and
wherein the sensor detects a change in a distance between the trigger element and the sensor, and
wherein the evaluation unit transmits an opening signal to the door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism when said evaluation unit identifies a reduction in distance between the trigger element and the sensor on the basis of the change in distance detected by the sensor,
wherein the housing has an elastic housing side that covers the trigger element and the actuating element is arranged on the elastic housing side,
wherein the elastic housing side runs parallel to the actuating element and a reset element is arranged between the actuating element and the elastic housing side of the housing;
wherein the reset element is a closed-pore foam.

15. A door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism comprising an actuating device, comprising:
at least one actuating element,
a one piece housing, and
at least one detection unit comprising a sensor, a trigger element and an evaluation unit, wherein the detection unit is arranged in the housing,
wherein the actuating element is arranged for an actuation outside the housing and in a region that is accessible from the outside,
wherein the trigger element is arranged at a distance from the sensor in a locked state of the door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism,
wherein, when the actuating element is actuated in the direction of the housing and of the sensor arranged therein, the actuating element deforms the trigger element, and
wherein the sensor detects a change in a distance between the trigger element and the sensor,
wherein the evaluation unit transmits an opening signal to the door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism when said evaluation unit identifies a reduction in distance between the trigger element and the sensor on the basis of the change in distance detected by the sensor, and
wherein a reset element is arranged between the actuating element and a housing side of the housing on either side of a centrally arranged reinforcement of an actuating plate of the actuating element,
and wherein the actuating element and the detection unit are separated by the housing side of the housing which runs parallel to the actuating element;
wherein the reset element is a closed-pore foam.

Assignees

• Witte Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Hoffmann Andreas
• Herdering Markus
• Schlosser Patrick
• Höhn Ralf

Classifications

• E05B81/77 Primary

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

• G01D11/245

  Housings for sensors · CPC title

• H03K17/962

  Capacitive touch switches · 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

• E05B81/04

  Electrical (electrical circuits E05B81/54) · CPC title