Vehicle door handle having ice handling

• US 10,435,924 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Glickman, David Brian, Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Papanikolaou, Kosta, Buttolo, Pietro
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US16/018,364
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 340 572
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/23 using manual input of alphanumerical codes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/243 with more than one way to gain access
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/10 Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/34 Protection against weather or dirt, e.g. against water ingress closures or guards for keyholes E05B17/14
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/76 Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/103 creating a completely closed wing surface
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/107 Pop-out handles, e.g. sliding outwardly before rotation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00658 operated by passive electrical keys
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00944 Details of construction or manufacture

Abstract

A vehicle door handle is provided that includes a deployable handle body located on a door, keypad contacts on an outer side of the handle body, an actuator configured to deploy the handle to a deployed position, a plurality of proximity sensors located on the handle body and generating activation fields, and a controller processing signals generated by the sensors to determine an input command for controlling the actuator and to determine a keypad input. The controller may sense ice on the handle and determine ice thickness and may control the actuator to break the ice based on the ice thickness.

Claims

1. A vehicle door handle comprising:

a handle body;

at least one capacitive sensor for sensing ice on the handle body;

an actuator for actuating the handle body; and

a controller for controlling activation of the actuator to break the ice on the handle body based on the sensed ice, wherein the at least one capacitive sensor senses a thickness of the ice and the controller controls actuation of the actuator based on the sensed thickness.

2. The vehicle door handle of claim 1 further comprising a temperature sensor for sensing temperature proximate the handle body, wherein the controller controls the activation of the actuator further based on the sensed temperature.

3. The vehicle door handle of claim 1, wherein the at least one capacitive sensor comprises a plurality of capacitive sensors.

4. The vehicle door handle of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of keypad contacts, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensors are arranged to sense inputs applied to respective keypad contacts.

5. The vehicle door handle of claim 4, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensors sense a gesture command.

6. The vehicle door handle of claim 1, wherein the handle body is deployable between a stowed position and an extended deployed position.

7. The vehicle door handle of claim 6, wherein the handle body pivots between the stowed and extended deployed positions.

8. A vehicle door handle comprising:

a handle body;

at least one capacitive sensor for sensing ice on the handle body;

an actuator comprising a motor for actuating the handle body; and

a controller for controlling activation of the actuator to break the ice on the handle body based on the sensed ice, wherein the controller activates the motor with increased torque when an increased thickness of ice is sensed.

9. The vehicle door handle of claim 8, wherein the controller controls a pulse width modulation signal of the motor to control the torque.

10. A vehicle door handle comprising:

a handle body located on a door;

a plurality of keypad contacts;

a plurality of capacitive sensors for sensing ice on the handle body;

an actuator for actuating the handle body to a deployed position; and

a controller for controlling activation of the actuator to break the ice on the handle body based on the sensed ice, wherein the at least one capacitive sensor senses a thickness of the ice and the controller controls actuation of the actuator based on the sensed thickness.

11. The vehicle door handle of claim 10 further comprising a temperature sensor for sensing temperature proximate the handle body, wherein the controller activates the actuator further based on the sensed temperature.

12. The vehicle door handle of claim 10, wherein the actuator comprises a motor.

13. The vehicle door handle of claim 12, wherein the controller activates the motor based on increased torque when an increased thickness of ice is sensed.

14. The vehicle door handle of claim 13, wherein the controller controls a pulse width modulation signal of the motor to control the torque.

15. The vehicle door handle of claim 10, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensors are arranged to sense inputs applied to respective keypad contacts.

16. The vehicle door handle of claim 15, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensors sense a gesture command.

17. The vehicle door handle of claim 10, wherein the handle body is deployable between a stowed position and an extended deployed position.