Capacitive Pushbutton Design for Reliable Touchless Operation
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Summary
Problems
Existing pushbuttons for motor vehicles are complex and costly to manufacture, with electronic contacts that often interfere with the haptic feedback, and lack efficient touchless operation for selecting functions outside the driver's field of view.
Innovation solutions
A capacitive pushbutton design where a metallic area on the surface forms one electrode, and the user's finger forms the second electrode, allowing for a simple, economical construction with touchless operation and minimized haptic interference, using additional capacitors between housing walls to maintain haptic integrity.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If traditional electronic contacts are used in the pushbutton, then reliable electrical connection is achieved, but the haptic feedback is interfered with and the construction becomes complex
Why choose this principle:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical electronic contacts with a capacitive sensing system. The pushbutton surface is metallized to form one electrode of a capacitor, while a corresponding electrode is placed on the housing. When a user touches or approaches the button, the capacitive coupling changes, enabling touchless detection and actuation. This eliminates mechanical wear and haptic interference while maintaining reliable electrical connection through electronic sensing.
Principle concept:
If traditional electronic contacts are used in the pushbutton, then reliable electrical connection is achieved, but the haptic feedback is interfered with and the construction becomes complex
Why choose this principle:
The patent introduces a dielectric layer between the metallized pushbutton surface and the housing electrode, creating a capacitive coupling mechanism. This intermediary layer enables electrical sensing without direct contact, allowing the system to detect user input through capacitive changes while isolating the electrical components from mechanical wear and haptic interference.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
A capacitive pushbutton design where a metallic area on the surface forms one electrode, and the user's finger forms the second electrode, allowing for a simple, economical construction with touchless operation and minimized haptic interference, using additional capacitors between housing walls to maintain haptic integrity.
Abstract
The invention concerns an operating element, in particular a pushbutton, for a motor vehicle, having at least of a touch-sensitive pushbutton operating on a capacitive basis and a housing, wherein the pushbutton is movably mounted in the housing, wherein a capacitor that forms the capacitance is composed of a metallic area applied to an inner or outer side of a surface facing the user, and the metallic area forms an electrode of the capacitor that is electrically contacted in the housing.