ELECTROSTATIC GRIP DETECTION DEVICE

• US 20170079089A1
• Filed: 05/11/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: FUJIKAWA, SHINJI, OKAZAKI, YUTA, NAITOU, HIROSHI, NISHIO, TSUYOSHI, KATSUKI, NOBUHARU
• Application Number:
  US15/311,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20170079089A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/027 between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and column devices for measuring, signalling or controlling tyre pressure or temperature specially adapted for mounting on vehicles B60C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/065 Steering wheels with heating and ventilating means heating and ventilation of steering wheel when connected to vehicle HVAC B60H1/00292
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/14 by measuring variations in capacitance or inductance of electrical elements, e.g. by measuring variations of frequency of electrical oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/22 for measuring the force applied to control members, e.g. control members of vehicles, triggers
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/221 to steering wheels, e.g. for power assisted steering
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0236 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/18 the conductor being embedded in an insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/20 Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater H05B3/62, H05B3/68, H05B3/78, H05B3/84 take precedence

Abstract

An electrostatic grip detection device includes a base material, a heater wire, a sensor wire, and a detection unit. The heater wire is formed in the base material. The sensor wire is formed in the base material, and has a first end electrically connected to the heater wire and a second end opened. The detection unit is electrically connected to at least one of the heater wire and the sensor wire, and senses a change in electrostatic capacitance of at least one of the heater wire and the sensor wire.

Claims

1. An electrostatic grip detection device comprising:

a base material;

a heater wire formed in the base material;

a sensor wire formed in the base material, and having a first end electrically connected to the heater wire directly and a second end opened, for drawing out the sensor wire from the heater wire; and

a detection unit electrically connected to at least one of the heater wire and the sensor wire, and sensing a change in electrostatic capacitance of at least one of the heater wire and the sensor wire.

2. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 1, wherein a pattern density of the sensor wire is different from a pattern density of the heater wire.

3. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 2, wherein the pattern density of the sensor wire is sparser than the pattern density of the heater wire.

4. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 1, wherein

the sensor wire includes:

an end portion whose pattern density is sparse; and

an intermediate portion whose pattern density is denser than the pattern density of the end portion, and

the end portion includes the second end of the sensor wire, and

the intermediate portion is disposed between the heater wire and the end portion.

5. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 4, wherein the pattern density of the intermediate portion is sparser than a pattern density of the heater wire.

6. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 1, wherein the sensor wire and the heater wire have different thicknesses.

7. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 6, wherein the sensor wire is thicker than the heater wire.

8. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 6, wherein the sensor wire is thinner than the heater wire.

9. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a connection point, an inductor, and a detection circuit, the heater wire is electrically connected to the detection circuit and the inductor via the connection point, and the inductor is connectable to a ground.

10. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 1, wherein the base material is disposed on an entire circumference of a grip of a steering wheel.

11. An electrostatic grip detection device comprising:

a base material;

a heater wire formed in the base material;

a sensor wire formed in the base material, and having a first end electrically connected to the heater wire directly and a second end opened, for drawing out the sensor wire from the heater wire; and

a detection unit electrically connected to the heater wire via a lead wire, and sensing a change in electrostatic capacitance of at least one of the heater wire and the sensor wire.

12. The electrostatic grip detection device of claim 11, wherein the base material is disposed on an entire circumference of a grip of a steering wheel.