Electronic safety device for controlling the drive motor attached to a sliding window
First Claim
1. An electrically operated sliding window equipped with a safety device which prevents the window from moving whenever a portion of a human body approaches the window, said safety device comprising:
- a capacitive pickup oriented along an upper edge of said window,an oscillator producing an output signal which is applied to said pickup and is responsive to the approach of said body portion, anda detector, having an input sensitivity and responsive to a signal appearing across said pickup, for ascertaining the approach of said body portion to said window as a function of whether the rate-of-change of said signal exceeds a pre-selected threshold value during a finite interval of time during which the input sensitivity is successively increased throughout a plurality of pre-defined values so as to minimize any spurious effects and erratic operation of the window.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for an electrically moved sliding window used in automotive applications, having a built-in safety device is described. This detector is a proximity detector which detects the approach of a portion of a human body, e.g. a gloved hand. This detector is advantageously comprised of a capacitive pickup carried along the upper edges of the window, connected to a detector stage which, as a function of the rate of change in the signal appearing across the pickup, acts, via an amplifier, to remove the electrical power supplied to the drive motor of the window.
179 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An electrically operated sliding window equipped with a safety device which prevents the window from moving whenever a portion of a human body approaches the window, said safety device comprising:
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a capacitive pickup oriented along an upper edge of said window, an oscillator producing an output signal which is applied to said pickup and is responsive to the approach of said body portion, and a detector, having an input sensitivity and responsive to a signal appearing across said pickup, for ascertaining the approach of said body portion to said window as a function of whether the rate-of-change of said signal exceeds a pre-selected threshold value during a finite interval of time during which the input sensitivity is successively increased throughout a plurality of pre-defined values so as to minimize any spurious effects and erratic operation of the window. - View Dependent Claims (11, 13)
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2. An electrically operated sliding window equipped with a safety device which prevents the window from moving whenever a portion of a human body approaches the window, said safety device comprising:
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a capacitive pickup directed along an upper edge of said window, an oscillator producing an output signal which is applied to said pickup and is responsive to the approach of said body portion, and a detector having a sensitivity and being responsive to signals appearing across said pickup for ascertaining the rate of change in said output signal and for determining, as a function of the rate, whether said body portion approaches said window, wherein the sensitivity of the detector is varied in response to the rate and said detector comprises a voltage comparator and at least one resistance element connected to said comparator which, when electrically connected to or short-circuited around the comparator, modifies the sensitivity of the detector from an initial value, and a time delay which, after an interval of time has elapsed, monitors the output of the comparator and disconnects the resistance element as long as the output of the comparator has not changed during that interval. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12)
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Specification