DOOR POSITION SENSOR

• US 20090072884A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Giordano, Roberto, Pimputkar, Girish, Uhov, Andrei
• Granted Patent: US 8,436,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/517
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/241 by relative movement of capacitor electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element

Abstract

The present invention relates to a capacitive sensor system comprising a sensor circuit connected to a first (15) and a second (11) antenna, the first antenna (15) is arranged on a first object (10) and the second antenna (11) is arranged on a second object (11) movable relative to said first object (10). The first antenna (15) is arranged right next to the second object (11) for the sensor circuit to detect the movement and/or position of the second object (11).

Claims

1. Capacitive sensor system comprising a sensor circuit connected to a first (15) and a second antenna (11), the first antenna (15) is arranged on a first object (10) and the second antenna (11) is arranged on a second object (11) movable relative to said first object (10) characterized in that the first antenna (15) is arranged right next to the second object (11) for the sensor circuit to detect the movement and/or position of the second object (11).

2. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 1 wherein the first antenna (15) is arranged substantially in parallel with a surface on the second object (11).

3. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 2 wherein the first antenna (15) and said surface on the second object (11) at least partly overlaps looking at the surface en face.

4. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 2 wherein the first antenna (15) and said surface on the second object (11) has an oblong shape, wherein the main extension direction for both the antenna (15) and the surface are substantially parallel at one position of the second object (11).

5. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 2 wherein the second object (11) is a door rotatably or slideably mounted on the first object (10), said surface on the second object (11) being part of the door'"'"'s shape, the surface being formed on the door edge.

6. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 5 wherein the second antenna (11) being formed as a cover sheet on the door.

7. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 5 wherein the first object (10) is a cabinet body and the body together with the door encloses a cabinet space, the first antenna (15) being arranged at an antenna surface facing said surface on the second object (11).

8. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 7 wherein the antenna surface is arranged on an extended portion of the cabinet body so as to face the door edge.

9. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 1 wherein the second antenna (11) is arranged for the sensor circuit to detect the movement and/or position of a user body part (16) next to the second object (11).

10. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 1 wherein a first capacitance (C1) is formed between the first antenna (15) and the first object (10).

11. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 1 wherein a second capacitance (C2) is formed between the second antenna (11) and ground level.

12. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 1 wherein a third capacitance (C3) is formed between the second antenna (11) and the first object (10).

13. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 1 wherein fourth capacitance (C4) is formed between the first antenna (15) and the second antenna (11).

14. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 13 wherein the value of the fourth capacitance (C4) is influenced by said movement of the second object (11) in relation to the first object (10).

15. Capacitive sensor system according to claim 11 wherein the value of the second capacitance (C2) is influenced by the presence of a human body (16) at the second object (11).

16. (canceled)

17. Method for a capacitive sensor system comprising a sensor circuit connected to a first (15) and a second (11) antenna, the first antenna (15) is arranged on a first object (10) and the second antenna (11) is arranged on a second object (11) movable relative to said first object (10), the arrangement of antennas forming an equivalent electrical circuit characterized in that the sensor circuit detects the position of the second object (11) by measuring the total capacitance (17) in the electrical circuit and compare it with a stored diagram of the relationship between total capacitance and the position of the second object (11).

18. Method according to claim 17 wherein the second object (11) is a door rotatably mounted on the first object (10) and the position of the second object (11) corresponds to its rotation angle in relation to the first object (10).

19. Method according to claim 17 wherein the sensor circuit when having detected the position of the second object (11) is able to detect the movement and/or position of a used body part next to the second object (11).