Capacitive sensor assembly

• US 8,970,232 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Germany GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata AG (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kandler, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US13/520,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 324660-686
• US Class Current: 324/686
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9613 using two electrodes per touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9615 using three electrodes per touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96078 Sensor being a wire or a strip, e.g. used in automobile door handles or bumpers

Abstract

A capacitive sensor assembly for a motor vehicle is provided. The capacitive sensor assembly includes a capacitive sensor element which has at least one first electrical conductor element, and a reference conductor element defining an electrical reference potential and being interspaced from the first electrical conductor element. The first electrical conductor element is designed as an outer conductor surrounding the reference conductor element which represents the inner conductor.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle steering wheel with a steering wheel body and at least one capacitive sensor assembly provided on the steering wheel body, the capacitive sensor assembly being for recognizing a hand rest of a vehicle driver on the steering wheel, wherein the capacitive sensor assembly is arranged between a cover surrounding a steering wheel skeleton and a cover forming an outer surface of the steering wheel and comprises:

a capacitive sensor element, which comprises at least one first electrical conductor element, the capacitive sensor element being configured to be connected to an evaluation unit, which detects and evaluates at least one measured value depending on the capacitive coupling of the capacitive sensor element to its surrounding, and

a reference conductor element, which defines an electrical reference potential and which is being arranged with a distance from the first electrical conductor element,

wherein the first electrical conductor element is designed as an outer conductor element which surrounds the reference conductor element as the inner conductor,

wherein in addition a second conductor element extends between the first conductor element as the outer conductor element and the reference conductor element as the inner conductor, and

wherein the first and the second conductor element as well as the reference conductor element form an n-axial cable design.

2. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first conductor element completely surrounds the reference conductor element as viewed in a cross sectional plane of the sensor assembly, which extends perpendicular to and intersects the first conductor element and the reference conductor element.

3. The sensor assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first conductor element encloses the reference conductor element as a closed curve in the cross-sectional plane of the sensor assembly, which extends perpendicular to and intersects the first conductor element and the reference conductor element.

4. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reference conductor element and the first conductor element are distanced from each other as viewed in a cross-sectional plane of the capacitive sensor assembly that extends perpendicular to and intersects the first conductor element and the reference conductor element such that a straight line, which intersects the first conductor element and the reference conductor element, can be brought is shiftable independent of the spatial orientation of the straight line in the cross-sectional plane by parallel displacement in the cross-sectional plane in a direction orthogonal to the straight line into a position in which it forms a curve secant of the first conductor element without intersecting the reference conductor element.

5. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first conductor element as outer conductor element and the reference conductor element as inner conductor form a coaxial cable design.

6. The sensor assembly according to claim 5, wherein the second conductor element is provided as potential controlled shield.

7. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first conductor element as outer conductor element and the reference conductor element as inner conductor form a shielded cable design.

8. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second conductor element shields the first conductor element and the reference conductor element against each other.

9. The sensor assembly according to claim 8, wherein compressibility of the dielectric is dependent on at least one of location and direction of force applied thereto.

10. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein a reference conductor element is at least partially surrounded by a dielectric.

11. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric is compressable under pressure.

12. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reference conductor element serves at the same time as heating conductor for heating at least one vehicle component.

13. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first conductor is provided with an alternating current and a measuring device is provided for determining parameters of the alternating current in order to determine the effect of the sensor assembly on the alternating current.

14. The sensor assembly according to claim 1 wherein the sensor assembly is a part of a sensor mat.

15. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein a sensor mat serves as a heating mat for heating at least one vehicle component.

16. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly forms furthermore a temperature sensor.

17. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly formed and provided for being assembled into a motor vehicle part in order to recognize herewith the presence of a vehicle occupant in a certain seat.

18. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is formed and provided for being assembled into a motor vehicle seat and/or a steering wheel and/or a safety belt system.