Capacitive proximity and/or contact sensor and electrically conductive plastic body for such a sensor

• US 20050248544A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Adam, Paul, Puchta, Ralf, Grauvogl, Erwin, Sams, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96076 with spring electrode

Abstract

A capacitive proximity and/or contact sensor has an electrically conductive plastic body, which is disposed between an electrically insulating cover plate and an electrically conductive contact surface of a carrier plate disposed at a distance therefrom. The contact surface can be connected to a gating circuit, through which a change in a capacitance of a condenser formed by the cover plate, the plastic body and the contact surface as a result of proximity and/or contact of a contact region of the cover plate by an element, having a potential different to the potential of the contact surface, can be ascertained and evaluated. The plastic body is configured as a plug-in and/or clamp part and by plugging-in or clipping on the or by clamping on the carrier plate is connected form lockingly and/or force lockingly to the latter and thus to the contact surface.

Claims

1. A capacitive proximity and/or touch sensor, comprising:

an electrically insulating cover plate having a lower-side region and a touch region opposite said lower-side region;

a carrier plate having an electrically conducting contact area and disposed at a distance from said cover plate; and

an electrically conductive plastic body disposed between said lower-side region of said cover plate and said contact area of said carrier plate, a position of said carrier plate being fixed in relation to said cover plate and it being possible to connect said contact area of said carrier plate to an evaluation circuit for detecting and evaluating a change in capacitance of a capacitor, said capacitor being formed by said cover plate, said plastic body and said contact area, the change in capacitance being caused by an element having a potential differing from a potential of said contact area, coming into proximity of and/or touching said touch region of said cover plate;

said plastic body being a clamping part and being form lockingly connected to said carrier plate and thus to said contact area by clamping said carrier plate, said plastic body having at least one clamping slot formed therein for holding said carrier plate at said contact area.

2. The capacitive proximity and/or touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein said clamping slot runs in a plugging direction of said plastic body and in which said carrier plate is held in an area of said contact area.

3. The capacitive proximity and/or touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein said clamping part has two clamping slots formed therein for holding said carrier plate in an area of said contact area.

4. The capacitive proximity and/or touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein said plastic body has a cross-section selected from the group consisting of polygonal cross sections, quadrilateral cross sections, and round cross sections in a region between its abutment against said lower-side region of said cover plate and said contact area of said carrier plate.

5. The capacitive proximity and/or touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein said plastic body is formed as a punched, injection-molded, cast or extruded part.

6. The capacitive proximity and/or touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein said plastic body has at least one cavity formed therein.

7. The capacitive proximity and/or touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein said plastic body is composed of an electrically conductive silicon.

8. The capacitive proximity and/or touch sensor according to claim 1, wherein said contact area is held at ground potential.

9. A plastic body for a capacitive proximity and/or touch sensor having an electrically non-conducting cover plate with a lower-side region and a carrier plate with a contact area, the plastic body comprising:

a body with a surface adapted for abutment against the lower-side region of the electrically non-conducting cover plate and a clamping part to be connected to the contact area of the carrier plate.

10. The plastic body according to claim 9, wherein said body is formed of an electrically conductive silicon.

11. A plastic body for a capacitive proximity and/or contact sensor having an electrically non-conducting cover plate with a lower-side region and a carrier plate with a contact area, the plastic body comprising:

a body configured as a plug-in and/or clamp part for bearing on the lower-side region of the electrically non-conductive cover plate, said body having a surface adapted to the lower-side and in an area to be connected to the contact surface of the carrier plate.