The invention pertains to an external door handle of the type indicated in the introductory clause of claim 1. The term “external door handle” is to be understood in the following as the entire structural unit which is attached externally to the door and in the door. This structural unit comprises a bracket, which is mounted permanently in the door; a grip, which is supported pivotably on this bracket on the outside surface of the door; and cover parts, located next to the grip, into which a lock cylinder and other functional parts can be integrated as needed. The lock cylinder, the functional parts, and the cover part are also fastened to the bracket.
To increase operating convenience, it is known (DE 196 17 938 C2) that a capacitative sensor can be provided in a locking device of a motor vehicle. This sensor is integrated into the grip of the external door handle. If the request for authorization is satisfied, this capacitative sensor serves to actuate the locking device and thus grants access to the vehicle. In this known device, the authorized person carries an identification transmitter (ID transmitter). When this person's hand approaches the grip, the capacitance of the capacitative sensor changes, and a signal is conveyed to the electronic control unit in the vehicle. This system then uses a send-and-receive device to initiate a search procedure for the ID transmitter, and data communications begin between the ID transmitter and the electronic control unit. The ID transmitter transmits an identification code, and if the person sending it is authorized, the electronic control unit will arrive at a positive code comparison, and the locking device will grant access to the vehicle. The capacitative sensor present inside the movable grip must be connected to the electronic control unit in the vehicle by electrical lines and an plug connection so that the signal can be transmitted. The electrical plug connection has a connector part, which is assigned to the grip, and an opposing connector part, which is assigned to the bracket. The disadvantage here, however, is that the electrical connection of the capacitative sensor to the control unit always requires a stationary connector part. This restricts the design freedom with respect to the arrangement of the capacitative sensor, and in particular a great deal of work is required to install and to connect the sensor. A large number of components is also required.
In a different external door handle (DE 101 53 142 C1), a capacitative sensor with two external electrodes acting in the outside area is integrated into a detachable housing unit, which, if needed, can be mounted on the outside surface of the bracket. Each of the external electrodes has its own sensor surface, one of which is used to trigger the unlocking, the other to trigger the locking of the lock. So that the sensor surfaces will be located at the desired points in the external door handle, the housing unit must have an appropriately subdivided, angled housing. This restricts the design freedom with respect to the installation of the sensor surfaces, because these points must always be readily accessible.
The invention is based on the task of developing an inexpensive external door handle of the type indicated in the introductory clause of claim 1 with reliably effective sensor surfaces. This is achieved according to the invention by the measures cited in claim 1, to which the following special meaning attaches.
At least two additional inner electrodes of the capacitative sensor, which serve to transfer an inner electronic coupling field, are installed in the interior of the external door handle. The active surface of the first electrode serving to build up this coupling field is called the “exciter surface”. The active surface of the other electrode is connected to the outward-acting sensor surface and is therefore called the “transfer surface” for the coupling field. In the invention, capacitative contact is established across the two inner electrodes. In electrical terms, the electrical coupling field between the transfer surface and the exciter surface is connected in series with the sensor surface. As a result of the electrical coupling field, gaps between the components of the external door handle attributable to production tolerances can be easily bridged, and thus the sensor surfaces can be located even in difficult-to-contact areas of the external door handle. A greater amount of freedom with respect to the planning of the dimensions and the arrangement of the various sensor surfaces is thus obtained.
The sensor surface and the transfer surface of the one inner electrode can be easily connected to each other by producing the outer electrode carrying the sensor surface and the inner electrode carrying the transfer surface as a single part. A one-piece component of this type can be very easily integrated into the corresponding component of the external door handle. This can be done by stacking, injection-molding, or by the deposition of electrically conductive layers or tracks.
Additional measures and advantages of the invention can be derived from the subclaims, from the following description, and from the drawings. The drawings illustrate several exemplary embodiments of the invention in schematic fashion:
In the interior 11 of the door, a bracket 10 is attached to the inward-facing 12 of the external skin 13 of the door. On the exterior surface 14 of the external door skin 13 is a grip 20, which is designed here as a pull-type grip. One end 21 of the grip is supported pivotably on the bracket 10 at 15, whereas the other end 22 carries an arm 23. The arm 23 is in the form of a hook, which cooperates with a working element 16, which belongs to a lock (not shown) in the door.
The lock can be switched between a locking position, in which actuation of the grip 20 to open the door is nonfunctional, and an unlocked position, in which actuation of the grip 20 in the direction of the arrow 24 is functional in terms of the lock and thus opens the lock. The actuating position of the grip is illustrated in broken line in the drawing and designated by the symbol 20′. The working element thus arrives in its working position, shown in broken line and designated by the symbol 16′.
Next to the grip 20 is a cover part 25, which is seated on the exterior side of the external door skin 13 and which conforms to the external profile of the grip 20. This cover part is advisably fastened to the bracket 10. In the present case, a locking cylinder barrel 17 is also fastened to the bracket 10, the output end 18 of which cooperates with the lock. A key (not shown) is able to access the exterior end surface 19 of the locking cylinder barrel 17 in the area of the cover part 25. This locking cylinder barrel 17 is usually used only in an emergency, i.e., when the electronic control system in the vehicle has failed. In many applications, the locking cylinder 17 can be omitted entirely and replaced by a dummy barrel.
A separate housing unit 30 is attached to the inward-facing 26 of the bracket 10; this unit is divided into a main housing 31 and a projecting housing “finger” 32. A first sensor surface 27 of a capacitative proximity or contact sensor is located on the free end 33 of the finger. This sensor acts in the outside area of the external door handle, and its electronic components, such as those indicated in broken line at 28, are integrated into the interior of the main housing 31. This sensor surface 27 serves to trigger the locking of the lock. Instead of the sensor surface 27, it would also be possible to use a contact switch or a pushbutton switch. When a person carrying proper access authorization brings his hand close to the sensor surface the process by which the lock is locked is initiated. It is therefore favorable for the end 33 of the finger to be as close as possible to the cover part 25. For this purpose, both the bracket 10 and the exterior door skin 13 are provided with an opening 29 in this area. The arm 23 of the pull-type grip 20 also passes through this opening 29.
The grip 20 is preferably provided with a cavity 42, in the interior of which an electrode acting in the outside area of the external door handle is installed and therefore remains protected. The active sensor surface of this electrode is designated 37. This sensor surface 37 also belongs to the capacitative sensor, but it serves to trigger the unlocking of the lock. At in the inner end of the arm 23 and in the area of the housing finger 32, two inner electrodes are provided, the active surfaces of which are designated 35, 36. When the grip 20 is in the resting position, as shown in the drawing, a small gap 39 remains between the two active surfaces 35, 36. The housing-side active surface 35 is connected to the electrical components 37 of the grip-side sensor electrode 37 by the electrical wiring 44, only partially illustrated, passing through the housing 30 and cooperates with the other electrode located in the arm 23 to build up the previously mentioned electrical coupling field 50.1 in the gap 39. This coupling field 50.1 is indicated by dots in
The signals received by the electronic sensor circuit 38 are sent via an electrical plug connection 40 and a cable 41 to an electronic control unit in the vehicle. The control unit then transmits a control pulse, which unlocks the lock in this particular door. If a central locking function is present in the vehicle, all the other doors and hatches of the vehicle are unlocked also.
It is obvious that the exciter and transfer surfaces 35, 36 can be positioned elsewhere on the grip 20 and on the bracket 10. The housing unit 30 could also be located in some other area of the bracket, e.g., in the area of the previously mentioned locking cylinder 17 or dummy barrel provided there. Instead of the two inner electrodes, contacts could also be provided, which are in contact with each other in the resting state and are thus able to transmit the various voltages and signals. The use of the previously described contactless inner electrodes, however, offers the advantage that production tolerances with respect to the gap between the exciter surface 35 serving to build up the coupling field 50.1 and the transfer surface 36 can be easily accommodated. The door lock can also be unlocked by way of the sensor surface 37 even while the grip 20 is in the resting position.
As previously mentioned,
In
The other inner electrode, i.e., the one with the exciter surface 45, is provided with an electrically conductive extension 48, which leads to the housing 31 of the previously described structural unit 30 and is connected there to the associated electronic sensor circuit 38. In this case as well, the structural unit 30, which contains the electronic sensor circuits 28, 38, is attached to the inward-facing 26 of the bracket 10. This is done from the inside of the door.
In
In
In
The extension 48 of the electrode belonging to the exciter surface 45 of the coupling field 50.2 is isolated from the other electrode 58. The two extensions 48, 58 lead to the housing 31 of the structural unit 30. At the outer end of the electrode 58, there is again an exciter surface 59, which creates another electrical coupling field 50.4 in the external door handle of
The conductor 60 is integrated into the previously described arm 23 of the grip 20, which is also designed here as a pull-type grip. At the outer end of the conductor 60 there is the previously described second sensor surface 67. The sensor surface 67 can extend up as far as the inside surface 62 of the preferably hollow grip 20 and is protected from the outside by a wall 61 of the grip 20.
Additional sensor surfaces can be provided in the area of the grip 20, of the cover part 25, or at other points and thus separated from each other both spatially and functionally. To facilitate assembly in this case as well, inner electrodes should be assigned to at least one or more of these sensor surfaces. By way of exciter surfaces and transfer surfaces, the inner electrodes will be able to generate the electrical coupling field. Upon the approach of an authorized person or upon contact by that person, different functions in the vehicle will thus be initiated.
In addition to the previously described unlocking and locking of the lock, it would also be possible to actuate other movable parts in the vehicle in the opening direction and/or closing direction when the associated sensor surface responds. For the opening and closing of such movable parts, it is also possible to provide only a single sensor surface, which, when approached or contacted, initiates movement in one direction and, when approached or contacted again, initiates movement in the other direction. Moving parts of the vehicle can be one or more of the windows, a sliding roof, a rear hatch, or even one or more doors of the vehicle.
The electrodes which are used to build up the coupling field can also be located anywhere in the external door handle. For example, it is possible, in analogy to
If some other additional functions are to be initiated in the vehicle, an additional sensor surface, a certain distance away from the sensor surface 47 in the cover part 25 described in conjunction with
The electrically conductive layer 52 according to
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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103 48 719 | Oct 2003 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2004/005473 | 5/21/2004 | WO | 00 | 1/16/2007 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2005/047629 | 5/26/2005 | WO | A |
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196 17 038 | Nov 1997 | DE |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20070182166 A1 | Aug 2007 | US |