Combination capacitive and resistive obstacle sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9477003-B2
Application number	US-201414766937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

An obstacle sensor for a closure panel of a vehicle includes an elongate non-conductive case which encloses a first, second, and third elongate conductive electrodes. The first and second electrodes are separated by a portion of the case, with a capacitance between the first and second electrodes changing when an obstacle approaches the first electrode. The changed capacitance of the obstacle sensor provides a proximity indication of the obstacle to the obstacle sensor. The second and third electrodes are separated by an air gap formed in the case, with a resistance between the second and third electrodes changing when the second and third electrodes come into contact upon compression of the case by the obstacle. The changed resistance of the obstacle sensor provides a contact indication of the obstacle with the obstacle sensor.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An obstacle sensor for a closure panel of a vehicle, comprising:
an elongate non-conductive case enclosing a first, second, and third elongate conductive electrodes;
said first and second electrodes being separated by a portion of said case, a capacitance between said first and second electrodes changing when an obstacle approaches said first electrode to provide a proximity indication of the obstacle to the obstacle sensor; and
said second and third electrodes being separated by an air gap formed in the case, a resistance between said second and third electrodes changing when the second and third electrodes come into contact upon compression of the case by the obstacle to provide a contact indication of the obstacle with the obstacle sensor, wherein said second and third electrodes are bounded by compressible spring side walls of said case to allow said second and third electrodes to contact one another when the obstacle sensor is contacted by the obstacle.

2. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said portion of said case includes a dielectric disposed between said first and second electrodes to isolate said first and second electrodes and maintain a spacing distance therebetween.

3. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the obstacle sensor is configured to be mounted to the closure panel for positioning said third electrode proximate the closure panel, positioning said second electrode farther away from the closure panel relative to said third electrode, and positioning said first electrode farthest away from the closure panel relative to both said second and third electrodes.

4. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said compressible spring side walls each have a predetermined side wall thickness to control a flexibility of the obstacle sensor during contact with the obstacle.

5. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said first electrode includes a first conductor embedded in a first partially conductive body.

6. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 5 , wherein said second electrode includes a second conductor embedded in a second partially conductive body and said third electrode includes a third conductor embedded in a third partially conductive body.

7. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein each of said partially conductive bodies of said second and third electrodes include an outer surface being shaped to increase an activation angle of the obstacle sensor.

8. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 7 , wherein said outer surface of said second partially conductive body is ball-shaped and said outer surface of said third partially conductive body is socket-shaped.

9. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said second partially conductive body includes an inner surface being shaped to improve a shielding function of said second electrode.

10. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 9 , wherein said inner surface of said second partially conductive body is flat.

11. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
said first and second electrodes each electrically connected at a first end of the obstacle sensor to a first resistor and in electrical communication at a second end of the obstacle sensor with a controller to form a capacitive sensor circuit of the obstacle sensor; and
said second and third electrodes each electrically connected at the first end of the obstacle sensor to a second resistor and in electrical communication at the second end of the obstacle sensor with said controller to form a resistive sensor circuit of the obstacle sensor.

12. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said controller is configured to detect the change in the capacitance between said first and second electrodes when the obstacle approaches the first electrode and is further configured to detect the change in the resistance between said second and third electrodes when said second and third electrodes come into contact with one another upon compression of said case by the obstacle.

13. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said controller is electrically connected to a drive mechanism of the closure panel and configured to cease operation of the drive mechanism in response to detecting either the change in the capacitance between said first and second electrodes or the change in resistance between said second and third electrodes.

14. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 11 , wherein each of the first, second, and third electrodes are electrically attached to a wire harness at the second end of the obstacle sensor, said wire harness adapted to plug into said controller.

15. An obstacle sensor for a closure panel of a vehicle, comprising:
an elongate non-conductive case enclosing a first, second, and third elongate conductive electrodes;
said first and second electrodes being separated by a portion of said case, a capacitance between said first and second electrodes changing when an obstacle approaches said first electrode to provide a proximity indication of the obstacle to the obstacle sensor; and
said second and third electrodes being separated by an air gap formed in the case, a resistance between said second and third electrodes changing when the second and third electrodes come into contact upon compression of the case by the obstacle to provide a contact indication of the obstacle with the obstacle sensor;
wherein the obstacle sensor is configured to be mounted to the closure panel for positioning said third electrode proximate the closure panel, positioning said second electrode farther away from the closure panel relative to said third electrode, and positioning said first electrode farthest away from the closure panel relative to both said second and third electrodes.

16. An obstacle sensor for a closure panel of a vehicle, comprising:
an elongate non-conductive case enclosing a first, second, and third elongate conductive electrodes;
said first and second electrodes being separated by a portion of said case, a capacitance between said first and second electrodes changing when an obstacle approaches said first electrode to provide a proximity indication of the obstacle to the obstacle sensor;
said second and third electrodes being separated by an air gap formed in the case, a resistance between said second and third electrodes changing when the second and third electrodes come into contact upon compression of the case by the obstacle to provide a contact indication of the obstacle with the obstacle sensor;
said first and second electrodes each electrically connected at a first end of the obstacle sensor to a first resistor and in electrical communication at a second end of the obstacle sensor with a controller to form a capacitive sensor circuit of the obstacle sensor; and
said second and third electrodes each electrically connected at the first end of the obstacle sensor to a second resistor and in electrical communication at the second end of the obstacle sensor with said controller to form a resistive sensor circuit of the obstacle sensor.

17. An obstacle sensor as set forth in claim 16 , wherein said controller is configured to detect the change in the capacitance between said first and second electrodes when the obstacle approaches the first electrode and is further configured to detect the change in the resistance between said second and third electrodes when said second and third electrodes come into contact with one another upon compression of said case by the obstacle.

18. An obst

Assignees

• Magna Closures Inc

Inventors

• Pribisic Mirko
• Bolbocianu Liviu
• Porat Alex
• Mellary Thomas
• Dezorzi Timothy
• Corner Allan
• Schattenmann Erik
• Nayani Anjan

Classifications

• E05Y2400/44

  Sensors not directly associated with the wing movement · CPC title

• G01V3/08 Primary

  operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12) · CPC title

• H03K17/955

  using a capacitive detector · CPC title

• E05F15/46 Primary

  responsive to changes in electrical capacitance · CPC title

• E05Y2800/73

  Multiple functions · CPC title