Steering wheel hands-off sensing mat and method of manufacturing the same, steering wheel

Abstract

The application provides a steering wheel hand-off sensing mat and a preparation method thereof, and a steering wheel. The sensing mat comprises a supporting member and a conductive fabric laid on the surface of the supporting member. The supporting member comprises a body part and a tongue part, the tongue part extends outward from the body part, the conductive fabric is cut from a whole cloth and comprises a main body part and side end parts, and the laying step of the conductive fabric is configured to lay the main body part of the conductive fabric on the body part, and then fold and lay the end parts on the tongue part. The application can improve the conductive capacity of the hand-off sensing mat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of steering wheel off-hand detection technology, and in particular to a steering wheel off-hand sensing pad, its preparation method, and a steering wheel. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in automotive steering wheel applications, to better assist driving and improve customer experience, a hands-off sensor is integrated into the steering wheel to detect whether the driver's hands are on the steering wheel. Specifically, as follows... Figure 1A and 1B As shown, the off-hand sensing pad generally consists of a support 1' and a conductive fabric 2' laid on the surface of the support 1'.

[0003] The conductive fabric 2' can be woven using warp, weft, or warp-weft knitting methods. When using warp knitting, such as... Figure 2A As shown, the conductive yarn 10' extends along the warp direction of the fabric, meaning that the warp direction relies on the inherent conductivity of the yarn itself and has good conductivity; while in the weft direction, conductivity relies on the contact of the conductive yarns, and the weft conductivity is weaker. When a weft knitting method is used, such as... Figure 2B As shown, the conductive yarn 10' extends along the weft direction of the fabric, meaning that its weft direction relies on the conductivity of the yarn itself and has good conductivity; while in the warp direction, it relies on the contact of the conductive yarn for conduction, and its warp conductivity is weaker.

[0004] To facilitate the connection of wires for electrical connection to the vehicle's Electronic Control Unit (ECU), the support 1' of the hand-off sensor typically includes a body 11' and a tongue 12' extending outward from the body 11' (see...). Figure 1A and Figure 1B Accordingly, an extension area matching the tongue portion 12' needs to be cut out on the conductive fabric 2'. Since the width of the tongue portion 12' is small, the conductivity of the cut extension area depends on the contact between the conductive yarns, thus the conductivity is unreliable.

[0005] For example, see as Figure 1A The hands-off sensing pad shown has conductive fabric 2' woven in a weft direction. Due to the narrow width of the tongue portion 12', the extension area of ​​the conductive fabric 2' on the tongue portion 12' relies on fewer conductive yarns for warp-direction connection, significantly reducing its conductivity and connection reliability. When the steering wheel is installed in a vehicle, due to factors such as vehicle vibration, exposure to sunlight, and pressure on the tongue position, the conductive fabric 2' on the tongue will experience intermittent poor contact, causing the steering wheel hands-off detection system to fail to correctly identify the driver's hand grip status.

[0006] For example, see Ru Figure 1BThe conductive fabric 2' of the off-hand sensing pad shown is woven in a warp and weft direction. Because the width of the tongue 12' is relatively narrow, the effective connection area of ​​the conductive fabric 2' corresponding to the position of the tongue 12' is small, and the conductivity is still unreliable. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, this invention provides a steering wheel hands-off sensing pad, its preparation method, and a steering wheel, thereby improving the conductivity of the hands-off sensing pad.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a steering wheel hands-off sensing pad, comprising a support member and a conductive fabric laid on the surface of the support member, wherein the support member comprises a body portion and a tongue portion, the tongue portion extending outward from the body portion, and the conductive fabric is cut from a whole fabric, comprising a main body portion and side ends, wherein the laying step of the conductive fabric is configured to lay the main body portion of the conductive fabric on the body portion, and then fold the side ends and lay them on the tongue portion.

[0010] Preferably, the body portion is elongated, the tongue portion extends outward along the width direction of the body portion, and the laying step of the conductive fabric is configured to lay the main body portion of the conductive fabric on the body portion, and then fold the end on either side at 45° and lay it on the tongue portion.

[0011] Preferably, the main body is elongated, and the end extends outward along the length of the main body. The width of the end is narrower than the width of the main body. When the end is folded, the fold is performed based on the position where the end meets the main body, so that the folded end partially overlaps with the main body.

[0012] Preferably, the integral fabric is woven with conductive yarns using a weft knitting method, wherein the conductive yarns extend along the weft direction of the integral fabric, and the conductive fabric is cut so that its length direction is along the extension direction of the conductive yarns.

[0013] Preferably, the width of the end is less than 3 centimeters.

[0014] Preferably, the surface of the support member is covered with multiple pieces of the conductive fabric that are separated from each other, and the body portion extends outward with at least one tongue portion, and the ends of different conductive fabrics are folded over and laid on the same tongue portion or different tongue portions.

[0015] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for preparing a steering wheel hands-off sensing pad, comprising:

[0016] A support member and an integral fabric woven from conductive yarns are provided. The support member includes a body portion and a tongue portion, the tongue portion extending outward from the body portion.

[0017] The entire fabric is cut to form a conductive fabric including a main body and side ends;

[0018] The main body of the conductive fabric is laid on the body portion, and the end portion is folded over and laid on the tongue portion.

[0019] Preferably, the body portion is elongated, and the tongue portion extends outward along the width direction of the body portion;

[0020] The step of folding the end over and laying it onto the tongue portion includes:

[0021] Fold the end over 45° and lay it on the tongue portion.

[0022] Thirdly, the present invention provides a steering wheel, the steering wheel including the steering wheel off-hand sensing pad as described above.

[0023] Preferably, the sensing pad comprises three pieces of conductive fabric separated from each other; when installing the sensing pad, the three pieces of conductive fabric are respectively installed on the left side of the front of the steering wheel, the right side of the front of the steering wheel, and the back of the steering wheel.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] This invention involves cutting conductive fabric into sections including a main body and side ends. During the laying process, the main body of the conductive fabric is placed on the main body, and then the side ends are folded over and laid onto the tongue section. Because the folded ends create an overlapping area, this increased contact between the materials enhances the conductivity and connection reliability of the conductive fabric. Furthermore, the width of the end sections can be customized to meet various application requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the structure of a steering wheel hands-off sensing pad in the prior art;

[0027] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of another existing steering wheel hands-off sensing pad.

[0028] Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of a typical warp weaving pattern;

[0029] Figure 2BThis is a schematic diagram of a typical weft knitting pattern;

[0030] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the steering wheel hands-off sensing pad according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, wherein the end is in an unfolded state;

[0031] Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of the steering wheel hands-off sensing pad according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, wherein the end is in a folded state;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the preparation method of the steering wheel hands-off sensing pad in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the steering wheel structure of Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0035] The terminology used in this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] This embodiment provides a steering wheel hands-off sensing pad, such as Figures 3A-3B As shown, the sensing pad includes a support member 1 and a conductive fabric 2 laid on the surface of the support member 1. The support member 1 includes a body portion 11 and a tongue portion 12, with the tongue portion 12 extending outward from the body portion 11. The conductive fabric 2 is cut from a single piece of fabric and includes a main body portion 21 and side end portions 22. The laying process of the conductive fabric 2 is configured such that firstly, the main body portion 21 of the conductive fabric 2 is laid on the body portion 11 (see...). Figure 3A Then, fold the end 22 over and lay it on the tongue portion 12 (see...). Figure 3B ).

[0038] See Figure 3BAs shown, since the end 22 of the conductive fabric 2 forms an overlapping area after being folded, this overlapping area increases the contact between the materials of the conductive fabric 2, thereby increasing the conductivity and connection reliability of the conductive fabric 2. Moreover, the width of the end 22 can be cut according to different needs to meet different application requirements.

[0039] Specifically, see Figures 3A-3B As shown, in this embodiment, the body portion 11 of the support member 1 is configured to be elongated, and its tongue portion 12 is configured to extend outward along the width direction of the body portion 11, that is, the extension direction of the tongue portion 12 is at 90° with the length direction of the body portion 11. Based on this, the laying step of the conductive fabric 2 is configured as follows: the main body portion 21 of the conductive fabric 2 is laid on the body portion 11, and then the end portion 22 is folded 45° and laid on the tongue portion 12.

[0040] It should be understood that when the extension direction of the tongue portion 12 is at a different angle from the length direction of the body portion 11, it is sufficient to adjust the folding angle θ of the end portion 22 so that it folds to correspond to the position of the tongue.

[0041] In addition, refer to again Figure 3A As shown, in this embodiment, the main body 21 of the conductive fabric 2 is also cut into a long strip, and the end 22 is cut to extend outward along the length direction of the main body 21. The length of the main body 21 should be less than the length of the body 11 of the support member 1, and the width of the end 22 should be narrower than the width of the main body 21 and the width of the tongue 12. The width of the end 22 is generally less than 3 cm. When laying the conductive fabric 2, its main body 21 is laid along the length direction of the body 11 of the support member 1. Then, when folding the end 22, the length direction of the end 22 is adjusted based on the position of the junction between the end 22 and the main body 21 (e.g., ...). Figure 3A Fold point A in the middle at a 45° angle (i.e., along point A) Figure 3A (The dotted lines in the text are folded over) so that end 22 partially overlaps with the main body 21 (see... Figure 3B ).

[0042] In this embodiment, the main body 11 of the support member 1 of the sensing pad and the main body 21 of the conductive fabric 2 are set in a long strip shape, and the length direction of the main body 21 is laid along the length direction of the main body 11. When the sensing pad is installed on the steering wheel, its length direction covers the circumference of the steering wheel rim, thereby forming a sensing range with a certain circumferential length on the steering wheel, which is convenient for detecting the driver's hand contact in different positions.

[0043] In addition, it should be noted that the blank area formed by folding in this embodiment (see Figure 3BThe area of ​​the dotted triangle region (in the diagram) is typically less than 4 square centimeters, thus having a negligible impact on the steering wheel's off-hand sensing effect. Furthermore, due to the small thickness of the conductive yarn itself, the impact of the folded area on the overall thickness of the steering wheel rim is also negligible and does not affect the steering wheel's appearance.

[0044] In this embodiment, as Figures 3A-3B As shown, the conductive fabric 2 is woven from conductive yarns using a weft knitting method. Based on the characteristics of weft knitting, the conductive yarns extend along the weft direction of the entire fabric, and conduction occurs in the warp direction due to contact between the conductive yarns. When cutting the conductive fabric 2, it is cut so that its length follows the extension direction of the conductive yarns. This allows the main body 21 and end 22 of the conductive fabric 2 to be connected by the entire conductive yarn, thus providing excellent conductivity. This avoids intermittent poor contact during steering wheel use, thereby ensuring the reliability and stability of the steering wheel hands-off sensing function.

[0045] It should be understood that, in addition to weft knitting, the entire fabric can also be woven using warp knitting or warp-weft knitting to weave the conductive yarns. Specifically, when the entire fabric is woven using warp knitting, the conductive fabric 2 is cut so that its length extends along the warp direction of the entire fabric. Based on the characteristics of warp knitting, the length of the conductive fabric 2 is a single, continuous conductive yarn. When the entire fabric is woven using warp-weft knitting (e.g., the warp and weft conductive yarns are woven in a cross-shaped, staggered, interlocking pattern), the conductive fabric 2 is cut so that its length extends along either the warp or weft direction of the entire fabric. Again, based on the characteristics of warp-weft knitting, the length of the conductive fabric 2 is a single, continuous conductive yarn. This allows the main body 21 and the end 22 of the conductive fabric 2 to be connected by a single conductive yarn, avoiding intermittent poor contact during steering wheel use.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the surface of the support member 1 can be covered with multiple pieces of conductive fabric 2 that are separated from each other. The body part 11 of the support member 1 extends outward with at least one tongue part 12. The ends 22 of different conductive fabrics 2 can be folded and laid on the same tongue part 12 at intervals, or they can be laid on different tongue parts 12, depending on the actual needs.

[0047] For example, such as Figure 3A , 3BAs shown, the support member 1 has two tongue portions 12, and its surface is covered with three separate conductive fabrics 2A, 2B, and 2C. The ends of conductive fabrics 2A and 2C are folded over and laid at intervals on the tongue portion 12 on the left side of the support member 1, while the end of conductive fabric 2B is folded over and laid on the tongue portion 12 on the right side of the support member 1. Therefore, when the sensing pad is installed along the rim of the steering wheel, the conductive fabrics 2A, 2B, and 2C can be used to sense the driver's hand contact with different areas of the steering wheel, facilitating subsequent intelligent control by the electronic control unit.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a steering wheel hands-off sensing pad, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0050] S1, a support member 1 and an integral fabric woven from conductive yarn are provided, wherein the support member 1 includes a body portion 11 and a tongue portion 12, and the tongue portion 12 extends outward from the body portion 11.

[0051] S2, the entire fabric is cut to form a conductive fabric 2 including the main body 21 and the side end 22.

[0052] S3, the main body 21 of the conductive fabric 2 is laid on the body 11 (see...) Figure 3A ), and then fold the end 22 over and lay it on the tongue portion 12 (see Figure 3B This allows for the creation of the desired steering wheel off-hand sensor pad.

[0053] By employing the above steps, the end 22 of the conductive fabric 2 is folded over to form an overlapping area of ​​conductive fabric. This overlapping area will increase the contact between the materials of the conductive fabric 2, thereby increasing the conductivity and connection reliability of the conductive fabric 2.

[0054] In this embodiment, the support member 1 provided in step S1 has a long strip-shaped body portion 11, and the tongue portion 12 extends outward along the width direction of the body portion 11 (see...). Figure 3A Based on this, the specific implementation process of step S3, which involves folding the end 22 and laying it onto the tongue portion 12, is as follows: fold the end 22 at 45° and lay it onto the tongue portion 12.

[0055] In step S2 of this embodiment, when cutting the overall fabric, the main body 21 of the conductive fabric 2 is also cut into a long strip, and the end portion 22 is cut to extend outward along the length direction of the main body 21. The length of the main body 21 should be less than the length of the body portion 11 of the support member 1, and the width of the end portion 22 should be narrower than the width of the main body 21 and the width of the tongue portion 12. The width of the end portion 22 is generally less than 3 centimeters.

[0056] In step S3 of this embodiment, when laying the main body 21 of the conductive fabric 2, the length direction of the main body 21 is laid along the length direction of the body 11 of the support member 1. Then, when folding the end 22, it is folded at 45° based on the position (point A) where the end 22 intersects with the main body 21, so that the end 22 partially overlaps with the main body 21 (see...). Figure 3B ).

[0057] In this embodiment, the overall fabric used for cutting the conductive fabric 2 can be woven from conductive yarns using any of the following methods: weft knitting, warp knitting, and warp-weft knitting. Specifically, when the overall fabric is woven using weft knitting, the conductive fabric 2 is cut so that its length extends along the weft direction of the overall fabric; based on the characteristics of weft knitting, the length direction of the conductive fabric 2 is a single conductive yarn. When the overall fabric is woven using warp knitting, the conductive fabric 2 is cut so that its length extends along the warp direction of the overall fabric; based on the characteristics of warp knitting, the length direction of the conductive fabric 2 is a single conductive yarn. When the overall fabric is woven using warp-weft knitting, the conductive fabric 2 is cut so that its length extends along either the warp or weft direction of the overall fabric; based on the characteristics of warp-weft knitting, the length direction of the conductive fabric 2 is a single conductive yarn.

[0058] This allows the main body 21 and end 22 of the conductive fabric 2 to be connected by a single conductive yarn, thus providing excellent conductivity, avoiding intermittent poor contact during steering wheel use, and ensuring the reliability and stability of the hands-off sensing function.

[0059] Example 3

[0060] This embodiment provides a steering wheel, such as Figure 5 As shown, the system includes a wheel rim 3, wheel spokes 4, and a hands-free sensor pad (not shown) as provided in Embodiment 1. The hands-free sensor pad at least partially covers the wheel rim 3, the outermost layer of which is covered with leather, which in turn covers both the wheel rim 3 and the hands-free sensor pad. The end portion 22 of the tongue portion 12 of each sensor pad is connected via a wire from the wheel spokes 4 of the steering wheel to an electronic control unit, thereby enabling the vehicle to power and control the sensor pad.

[0061] This embodiment uses the hands-off sensing pad provided in Embodiment 1, which has good conductivity and avoids intermittent poor contact during steering wheel use, thereby ensuring the reliability and stability of the steering wheel hands-off sensing function.

[0062] Preferably, the off-hand sensing pad used in this embodiment comprises three separate conductive fabric pieces 2A, 2B, and 2C, as detailed below. Figures 3A-3BAs shown, the main body portions 21 of conductive fabrics 2A and 2B have the same width and are flush with each other on the upper side of the body portion 11 along their length. The main body portion 21 of conductive fabric 2C is located on the lower side of the body portion 11 and is parallel to conductive fabrics 2A and 2B. When the sensor pad is installed on the steering wheel, conductive fabric 2A (or 2B) is installed on the left side of the front of the steering wheel to sense the driver's contact with the left side of the front of the steering wheel, conductive fabric 2B (or 2A) is installed on the right side of the front of the steering wheel to sense the driver's contact with the right side of the front of the steering wheel, and conductive fabric 2C is installed on the back of the steering wheel to sense the driver's contact with the back of the steering wheel. This allows the hands-free sensor pad to detect hands at different positions on the steering wheel.

[0063] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A steering wheel hands-off sensing pad, comprising a support member and a conductive fabric laid on the surface of the support member, characterized in that, The support member includes a body portion and a tongue portion, the tongue portion extending outward from the body portion. The conductive fabric is cut from a whole fabric and includes a main body portion and side ends. The laying steps of the conductive fabric are configured to lay the main body portion of the conductive fabric on the body portion, and then fold the ends over and lay them on the tongue portion.

2. The steering wheel hands-off sensing pad as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main body is elongated, and the tongue extends outward along the width of the main body. The laying step of the conductive fabric is configured to lay the main body of the conductive fabric on the main body, and then fold the end on either side at 45° and lay it on the tongue.

3. The steering wheel hands-off sensing pad as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The main body is elongated, and the end extends outward along the length of the main body. The width of the end is narrower than the width of the main body. When the end is folded, it is folded based on the position where the end meets the main body so that the folded end partially overlaps with the main body.

4. The steering wheel hands-off sensing pad as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The overall fabric is woven with conductive yarns using a weft knitting method, wherein the conductive yarns extend along the weft direction of the overall fabric, and the conductive fabric is cut with its length direction along the extension direction of the conductive yarns.

5. The steering wheel hands-off sensing pad as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The width of the end is less than 3 centimeters.

6. The steering wheel hands-off sensing pad as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The surface of the support member is covered with multiple pieces of the conductive fabric that are separated from each other, and the body portion extends outward with at least one tongue portion. The ends of different conductive fabrics are folded over and laid on the same tongue portion or different tongue portions.

7. A method for preparing a steering wheel hands-off sensing pad, characterized in that, include: A support member and an integral fabric woven from conductive yarns are provided. The support member includes a body portion and a tongue portion, the tongue portion extending outward from the body portion. The entire fabric is cut to form a conductive fabric including a main body and side ends; The main body of the conductive fabric is laid on the body portion, and the end portion is folded over and laid on the tongue portion.

8. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The main body is elongated, and the tongue extends outward along the width of the main body. The step of folding the end over and laying it onto the tongue portion includes: Fold the end over 45° and lay it on the tongue portion.

9. A steering wheel, characterized in that, The steering wheel includes a steering wheel off-hand sensor pad as described in any one of claims 1-6.

10. The steering wheel as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The steering wheel hands-off sensing pad includes three separate pieces of conductive fabric, which are arranged to be installed on the left side of the front of the steering wheel, the right side of the front of the steering wheel, and the back of the steering wheel, respectively.

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