Circuit arrangement for a capacitive proximity switch

• US 7,479,791 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2004
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Original Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Inventors: Kraus, Randolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez; Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHU, JOHN X
• Application Number:
  US10/543,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 324/678, 324/687, 327/399, 327/517
• US Class Current: 324/678
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960725 Charge-transfer

Abstract

Disclosed is a charge transfer-based circuit arrangement for capacitive proximity switches comprising a capacitive sensor element (C3), the capacity of which changes according to the actuation mode. The circuit arrangement includes a central capacitor (C2), a first controllable connecting means (D2) that impinges the capacitive sensor element with a charging voltage (U3) according to a triggering signal, and a second controllable connecting means (T1) which connects the capacitive sensor element to the central capacitor according to the triggering signal in order to transfer the charge from the capacitive sensor element to the central capacitor. The charging voltage can be an AC voltage while the connecting means can be impinged upon by the AC voltage in such a way that the first connecting means or the second connecting means is alternately conductive.

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement for a capacitive proximity switch for the determination of an operating state and having:

a capacitive sensor element, whose capacitance changes as a function of said operating state;

a central capacitor;

a first controllable connecting means which, as a function of a triggering signal, supplies a charging voltage to said capacitive sensor element; and

a second controllable connecting means, which, as a function of said triggering signal, connects said capacitive sensor element to said central capacitor for a transfer of charge from said capacitive sensor element to said central capacitor,

wherein said charging voltage is an AC voltage supplied from an AC voltage source and said AC voltage is supplied to said connecting means as the triggering signal in such a way that, in alternating manner, said first connecting means or said second connecting means is conductive.

2. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said charging voltage is generated with the aid of a DC voltage source and a square-wave voltage source with a common reference potential, a clamping diode being looped in the conducting direction between a charging voltage node and said DC voltage source and a capacitor and a resistor are looped in series between said charging voltage node and said square-wave voltage source.

3. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first connecting means is a diode.

4. The circuit arrangement according to claim 3, wherein an anode of said diode is connected to said charging voltage node and that a cathode of said diode is connected to a filter resistor, which is coupled to said capacitive sensor element.

5. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a switch is connected in parallel to the central capacitor.

6. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein it has several capacitive sensor elements, wherein with each of which is associated a first and a second connecting means, and only has one single central capacitor, which is connected in a conducting direction across in each case one decoupling diode to the particular second connecting means, said anode of said decoupling diode being connected by a selection diode in said conducting direction with a selection signal.

7. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said capacitive sensor element is constructed for application to an underside of a surface or a cover having dielectric characteristics.

8. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said capacitive sensor element is a voluminous, elastic, elongated body of electrically conductive material.

9. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said second connecting means is a bipolar transistor.

10. The circuit arrangement according to claim 9, wherein a base of said transistor is connected to said charging voltage node, that an emitter of said transistor is connected to a filter resistor, which is coupled to said capacitive sensor element and that a collector of said transistor is connected to said central capacitor whose other terminal is connected to a reference voltage.

11. The circuit arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said capacitive sensor element has a smooth, planar surface for engagement purposes.