Hand-leaving detection steering wheel

Abstract

The invention provides a hand-leaving detection steering wheel which is applied to the technical field of hand-leaving detection of steering wheels, a supporting piece is fixed to the periphery of a handle ring of a steering wheel framework, and a conductive element forms a detection area on the supporting face of the supporting piece in an electroplating mode and is used for detecting approaching and / or contact between limbs of a user and a sensing element. According to the invention, the supporting surface comprises the electroplating area made of the first plastic and the non-electroplating area made of the second plastic, when the conductive element is electroplated, the detection area is formed in the electroplating area, the first isolation area is formed in the non-electroplating area, and the first isolation area can be arranged around the contour of the detection area mostly, so that the detection area can be electrically isolated from the detection area. The detection area is easily determined according to the electroplating area, the position range of the detection area can be easily controlled, the process is simplified, time and cost are saved, the electroplating accuracy of the detection area is improved, and the induction function is more accurate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of steering wheel hands-off detection, and in particular to a steering wheel for hands-off detection. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, there is a hands-off detection steering wheel, which includes a steering wheel frame and a sensing element. The sensing element includes a support member and a conductive element. The support member is fixed to the outer periphery of the handle ring, and the conductive element forms a detection area on the supporting surface of the support member by electroplating, which is used to detect the proximity and / or contact between the user's limbs and the sensing element. However, it is difficult to control the position range of the detection area formed by electroplating the conductive element on the supporting surface.

[0003] Based on this, a new technical solution is needed. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, an embodiment of the present specification provides a hands-off detection steering wheel implemented by two-color injection molding.

[0005] The embodiments of this specification provide the following technical solutions:

[0006] The embodiment of the present specification provides a hands-off detection steering wheel, comprising a steering wheel frame and a sensing element arranged at the outer periphery of the handle ring of the steering wheel frame, wherein the sensing element comprises a supporting member and a conductive element, wherein the supporting member is fixed at the outer periphery of the handle ring and has a supporting surface matching the extending direction of the handle ring, and the conductive element forms a detection area on the supporting surface by electroplating, for detecting the proximity and / or contact between the user's limbs and the sensing element;

[0007] The supporting surface includes a plateable area formed of a first plastic and a non-plateable area formed of a second plastic, and the electroplating method of the conductive element is configured to form the detection area in the plateable area and a first isolation area in the non-plateable area, and the first isolation area is arranged at least around most of the circumferential contour of the detection area.

[0008] Preferably, the side of the supporting surface facing away from the handle is a first surface, the detection area and the first isolation area are formed on the first surface to form a sensing layer, and the side of the supporting surface facing the handle is a second surface, and the second surface also includes a plateable area formed by the first plastic and a non-electroplatable area formed by the second plastic;

[0009] The electroplating method of the conductive element is also configured to, during the electroplating forming process of the sensing layer, simultaneously form a shielding area in the electroplatable area of ​​the second surface and a second isolation area in the non-electroplatable area of ​​the second surface to form a shielding layer, the second isolation area is arranged at least around most of the circumferential contour of the shielding area, and the shielding area is arranged opposite to the detection area for shielding signal interference from the opposite direction.

[0010] Preferably, the support member is an integral member formed by two-component injection molding of the first plastic and the second plastic.

[0011] Preferably, the first plastic includes one of ABS, PC, a mixed material of ABS and PC, TPU and PMMA; the second plastic includes one of polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride and polystyrene.

[0012] Preferably, the support member is also integrally injection molded to form a wiring socket containing a lead pin, one end of the lead pin is placed in the wiring socket, and the other end of the lead pin extends to the surface of the first plastic.

[0013] Preferably, the sensing element comprises a first sensing element and a second sensing element, and the first sensing element and the second sensing element are arranged opposite to each other and fixed by a buckle;

[0014] The support member of the second sensing element is provided with a limiting portion which is in limiting contact with the handle to maintain a gap between the supporting surfaces of the first sensing element and the second sensing element and the handle;

[0015] The steering wheel further includes a foam body, which fills the gap and covers the handle, the first sensing element and the second sensing element to form a handle body.

[0016] Preferably, the first sensing element is arranged on a side of the handle facing the user, and the second sensing element is arranged on a side of the handle facing away from the user.

[0017] Preferably, the supporting surface of the first sensing element forms a first sensing area on the left side and a second sensing area on the right side, and the supporting surface of the second sensing element forms a third sensing area surrounding the entire back side.

[0018] Preferably, the buckle is made of the second plastic, and includes a protrusion and a buckle ring that are interlocked, the protrusion is fixed to a non-electroplatable area of ​​the first sensing element close to the handle, and the buckle ring is fixed to a non-electroplatable area of ​​the second sensing element close to the first sensing element.

[0019] Preferably, the limiting portion is made of the second plastic and is block-shaped, and the surface where the block-shaped limiting portion abuts against the handle ring includes an arc shape or a step shape.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the at least one technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this specification can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The supporting surface of the present application contains a plateable area formed of a first plastic and a non-plateable area formed of a second plastic. When the conductive element is plated, a detection area is formed in the plateable area, and a first isolation area is formed in the non-plateable area. The first isolation area can be mostly arranged around the contour of the detection area. Therefore, the detection area can be easily determined based on the plateable area, and the position range of the detection area can be relatively easily controlled, thereby simplifying the process, saving time and cost, improving the plating accuracy of the detection area, and making the sensing function more accurate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hands-off detection steering wheel of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the side of the steering wheel for hands-off detection;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the shielding area and the detection area in the hands-off detection steering wheel;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a side view of the hands-off detection steering wheel of the present application without the steering wheel frame;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a front view schematic diagram of the hands-off detection steering wheel of the present application;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the back of the hands-off detection steering wheel of this application;

[0029] Figure 7 It is the first schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the buckle structure;

[0030] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the location of the buckle through the dotted line portion;

[0031] Fig. 9is the second schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the buckle structure;

[0032] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 CC section view of section A;

[0033] Fig.11 yes Figure 8 Cross-sectional view of the middle DD;

[0034] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the location of the wiring socket;

[0035] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the wiring socket structure;

[0036] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of the present application connecting the detection area and the shielding area respectively through the wiring socket;

[0037] Fig.15 yes Fig.14 Schematic diagram of part B;

[0038] Fig.16 It is a first structural schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the lead-in needle;

[0039] Fig.17 It is a second structural schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the lead pin;

[0040] Fig.18 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the female end of the connector;

[0041] Fig.19 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application highlighting the shielding area;

[0042] Fig. 20 It is a structural schematic diagram of the hands-off detection steering wheel of the present application, viewed in section along the buckle position.

[0043] Figure numerals: 1. first sensing element; 101. first sensing area; 102. second sensing area; 2. steering wheel frame; 201. handle; 3. second sensing element; 301. third sensing area; 4. supporting surface; 401. non-electroplating area; 402. electroplating area; 5. wiring socket; 501. lead pin; 6. female end of connector; 7. buckle; 701. buckle ring; 702. protrusion; 8. first isolation area; 9. second isolation area; 10. shielding area; 11. detection area; 12. foam; 13. leather; 14. limit part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] The following describes the implementation methods of the present application through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation methods, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0046] It should be noted that various aspects of the embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It should be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any specific structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on the present application, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that an aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspect described herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. In addition, other structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects described herein can be used to implement this device and / or practice this method.

[0047] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present application. The drawings only show components related to the present application rather than being drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component may be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout may also be more complicated.

[0048] Additionally, in the following description, specific details are provided to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the examples can be practiced without these specific details.

[0049] The technical solutions provided by various embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0050] The embodiments of this specification propose a steering wheel with hands-off detection, such as Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Fig. 20As shown, it includes a steering wheel frame 2 and a sensing element arranged on the periphery of the handle 201 of the steering wheel frame 2, the sensing element contains a supporting member and a conductive element, the supporting member is fixed on the periphery of the handle 201, and the supporting member has a supporting surface 4 matching the extension direction of the handle 201, the conductive element forms a detection area 11 on the supporting surface 4 by electroplating, which is used to detect the proximity and / or contact between the user's limbs and the sensing element.

[0051] like Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 As shown, the support surface 4 includes a plateable area 402 composed of a first plastic and a non-plateable area 401 composed of a second plastic. The electroplating method of the conductive element is configured to form a detection area 11 in the plateable area 402 and a first isolation area 8 in the non-plateable area 401. The first isolation area 8 is arranged at least around most of the circumferential contour of the detection area 11. For example, when the conductive element is electroplated in the plateable area 402 and the non-plateable area 401 at the same time, only the plateable area 402 is electroplated. Most of the circumferential contour can be understood as more than half of the circumferential contour. The first isolation area 1 surrounds the entire area of ​​the detection area 11 except the lead end to prevent short circuits with other functional areas. The non-plateable area 401 is also called a non-plateable area.

[0052] In one embodiment, if Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Fig. 20 As shown, the side of the supporting surface 4 facing away from the handle 201 forms a first surface, and a plateable area 402 composed of the first plastic and a non-plateable area 401 composed of the second plastic exist on the first surface, so that the detection area 11 and the first isolation area 8 are formed on the first surface to form a sensing layer, and the side of the supporting surface 4 facing the handle 201 forms a second surface; the second surface also includes a plateable area 402 composed of the first plastic and a non-plateable area 401 composed of the second plastic.

[0053] like Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Fig.19 As shown, the electroplating method of the conductive element is also configured such that, during the electroplating forming process of the sensing layer, a shielding area 10 is formed in the electroplatable area 402 of the second surface and a second isolation area 9 is formed in the non-electroplatable area 401 of the second surface to form a shielding layer, and the second isolation area 9 is arranged at least around most of the circumferential contour of the shielding area 10, and the shielding area 10 is arranged opposite to the detection area 11 to shield signal interference from the opposite direction. The first isolation area 8 and the second isolation area 9 can be arranged in contact with each other.

[0054] In one embodiment, the support member is an integral member formed by a first plastic and a second plastic by a two-component injection molding method, also known as a two-color injection molded member. Two-color injection molding refers to a molding process in which two different materials are injected into the same mold to form a product formed by the two materials. The two materials may have different colors or different hardness, which can improve the appearance and assembly performance of the product.

[0055] In one embodiment, the first plastic, i.e., the material that can be electroplated, includes one of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), a mixed material of ABS and PC (ABS+PC), thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA); the second plastic, i.e., the material that cannot be electroplated, includes one of polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and polystyrene (PS).

[0056] In one embodiment, if Fig.12 , Fig.13 as well as Fig.14 As shown, the support member is also integrally injection molded to form a wiring socket 5 containing a lead pin 501. One end of the lead pin 501 is placed in the wiring socket 5, and the other end of the lead pin 501 extends to the surface of the first plastic. For example, the wiring socket 5 can have two lead pins 501, which contact the detection area 11 and the shielding area 10 respectively, and serve as the wiring terminals of the sensing layer and the shielding layer. The wiring socket 5 is located at the 3 o'clock position and the 9 o'clock position of the hand-off detection steering wheel. The lead pin 501 can be a metal needle, a metal wire, a metal PIN needle, etc. Fig.15 and Fig.18 As shown, the wiring socket 5 can be a male end of a plug connector, which can be plugged with a female end 6 of the plug connector. Fig.18 BK in the figure indicates black, and WH indicates white.

[0057] like Fig.15 , Fig.16 and Fig.17 As shown in the figure, one metal PIN needle is on the outer side and the other is on the inner side. When the two-color injection molding is performed, the metal wire is molded on the inner and outer surfaces of the part together with the injection molding, and then electroplated together. The two metal wires are used as the wiring male terminals of the sensing layer and the shielding layer. The two metal PIN needles are used as the wiring male terminal PIN angles of the sensing layer and the shielding layer.

[0058] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 , Figure 7 as well as Fig.11As shown, the sensing element comprises a first sensing element 1 and a second sensing element 3 , and the first sensing element 1 and the second sensing element 3 are arranged opposite to each other and fixed by a buckle 7 .

[0059] The support member of the second sensing element 3 is provided with a limiting portion 14 that is in limiting contact with the handle 201 to maintain a gap between the supporting surfaces 4 of the first sensing element 1 and the second sensing element 3 and the handle 201. Optimally, the limiting portion 14 can also be formed on the first sensing element 1, or formed on both the first sensing element 1 and the second sensing element 3, and the limiting portion 14 of the support member of the first sensing element 1 and the second sensing element 3 can clamp the handle 201 to fix the supporting surface 4.

[0060] like Fig. 20 As shown, the steering wheel further includes a foam body 12, which fills the gap and covers the handle 201, the first sensing element 1 and the second sensing element 3 to form the main body of the handle 201. When there are two gaps, the two gaps are connected.

[0061] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the two-color injection molded part is divided into two parts, upper and lower parts, which can be buckled together by a buckle 7, and the frame is buckled in the middle by the two-color injection molded part. Foam can be applied before coating, or secondary foaming can be performed before coating.

[0062] One material of the two-color injection molded part is formed using a plateable material, and the other material is formed using a non-plateable material. The two-color injection molded part is plated, and its inner and outer parts can be used as the sensing layer and shielding layer of the hands off detection (HOD). The non-plateable area 401 can exist in the edge area of ​​the supporting surface 4, and the edge area is made of a non-plateable material, which serves as a safe area to isolate the sensing layer and the shielding layer. The non-plateable area 401, or the first isolation area 8 and the second isolation area 9 formed on the non-plateable area 401, also serve as the boundary area between the first sensing element 1 and the second sensing element 3.

[0063] In the two-color injection molding process, non-electroplatable materials are used to separate the electroplatable materials. After the two-color injection molded parts are electroplated, the electroplating areas are separated to form different sensing areas.

[0064] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 and Fig.11 As shown, the first sensing element 1 is arranged on the side of the handle 201 facing the user, and the second sensing element 3 is arranged on the side of the handle 201 facing away from the user.

[0065] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 and Figure 5As shown, the support surface 4 of the first sensing element 1 forms a first sensing area 101 on the left and a second sensing area 102 on the right, and the support surface 4 of the second sensing element 3 forms a third sensing area 301 surrounding the entire back surface.

[0066] In one embodiment, if Fig. 9 , Fig.10 as well as Fig.11 As shown, the buckle 7 is made of the second plastic, and the buckle 7 includes a protrusion 702 and a buckle ring 701 that are engaged with each other. Figure 1 , Figure 7 as well as Figure 8 As shown, the protrusion 702 is fixed to the non-electroplatable area 401 of the first sensing element 1 near the handle 201, and the buckle 701 is fixed to the non-electroplatable area 401 of the second sensing element 3 near the first sensing element 1. For example, the non-electroplatable area 401 exists at the 12 o'clock position and the 6 o'clock position of the supporting surface 4 of the first sensing element 1, so that the first sensing area 101 and the second sensing area 102 are symmetrically arranged. The buckle 7 position is also located at the 12 o'clock position and the 6 o'clock position of the hand-off detection steering wheel. That is, the buckle 7 structure is arranged in the partitioned area at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock, and is formed using non-electroplatable materials. The non-electroplatable area 401 serves as the partition boundary area of ​​the two-color injection molded part. The first sensing element 1 serves as the upper part of the two-color injection molded part, and the second sensing element 3 serves as the lower part of the two-color injection molded part.

[0067] In one embodiment, if Fig. 20 As shown, the limiting portion 14 is made of the second plastic, and the limiting portion 14 is block-shaped. The surface where the block-shaped limiting portion 14 and the handle 201 are in contact with each other can be used as a part of the supporting surface 4, including an arc shape and / or a step shape. For example, the surface where the limiting portion 14 of the first sensing element 1 and the handle 201 are in contact with each other includes an arc shape, and is adapted to contact the handle 201. The surface where the limiting portion 14 of the second sensing element 3 and the handle 201 are in contact with each other is in a step shape, and contacts the two ends of the handle 201.

[0068] In one embodiment, if Fig. 20 As shown, the hand-off detection steering wheel also includes leather 13, and the leather 13 covers the main body of the handle 201, that is, the foam body 12. The present application can complete the components with the functions of the sensing layer and the shielding layer through a one-time injection molding and electroplating process, and at the same time form different sensing partitions; the wiring position is flexible and can be injection molded at any boundary; it is easy to install, and it is buckled on the skeleton through the buckle 7, saving the coating time; there is no need to consider the arrangement of the sensing wire or the conductive cloth, and there is no risk of short circuit between the inner and outer conductive layers, the sensing area can be maximized, and the sensing function is better; there will be no situation where the foam material invades the cushion and affects the HOD function; there will be no coating problems of traditional cushions, such as missing cushions, missing lines, overlapping cushions at the joints, or too large gaps; there is no need to repeatedly adjust the pattern, saving time and cost.

[0069] In this specification, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the embodiments described later, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the previous embodiments.

[0070] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A hands-off detection steering wheel, comprising a steering wheel frame and a sensing element arranged at the periphery of a handle of the steering wheel frame, wherein the sensing element comprises a support member and a conductive element, wherein the support member is fixed at the periphery of the handle and has a supporting surface matching the extending direction of the handle, and the conductive element forms a detection area on the supporting surface by electroplating, for detecting the proximity and / or contact between a user's limbs and the sensing element, wherein: The supporting surface includes a plateable area formed of a first plastic and a non-plateable area formed of a second plastic, and the electroplating method of the conductive element is configured to form the detection area in the plateable area and a first isolation area in the non-plateable area, and the first isolation area is arranged at least around most of the circumferential contour of the detection area.

2. The hands-off detection steering wheel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side of the support surface facing away from the handle is a first surface, the detection area and the first isolation area are formed on the first surface to form a sensing layer, and the side of the support surface facing the handle is a second surface, and the second surface also includes a plateable area formed by the first plastic and a non-electroplatable area formed by the second plastic; The electroplating method of the conductive element is also configured to, during the electroplating forming process of the sensing layer, simultaneously form a shielding area in the electroplatable area of ​​the second surface and a second isolation area in the non-electroplatable area of ​​the second surface to form a shielding layer, the second isolation area is arranged at least around most of the circumferential contour of the shielding area, and the shielding area is arranged opposite to the detection area for shielding signal interference from the opposite direction.

3. The hands-off detection steering wheel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member is an integral member formed by using the first plastic and the second plastic by a two-component injection molding method.

4. The hands-off detection steering wheel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first plastic includes one of ABS, PC, a mixed material of ABS and PC, TPU and PMMA; the second plastic includes one of polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride and polystyrene.

5. The hands-off detection steering wheel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support member is also integrally injection molded to form a wiring socket containing a lead pin, one end of the lead pin is placed in the wiring socket, and the other end of the lead pin extends to the surface of the first plastic.

6. The hands-off detection steering wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The sensing element comprises a first sensing element and a second sensing element, wherein the first sensing element and the second sensing element are arranged opposite to each other and fixed by a buckle; The support member of the second sensing element is provided with a limiting portion which is in limiting contact with the handle to maintain a gap between the supporting surfaces of the first sensing element and the second sensing element and the handle; The steering wheel further includes a foam body, which fills the gap and covers the handle, the first sensing element and the second sensing element to form a handle body.

7. The hands-off detection steering wheel according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first sensing element is arranged on a side of the handle facing the user, and the second sensing element is arranged on a side of the handle facing away from the user.

8. The hands-off detection steering wheel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The supporting surface of the first sensing element forms a first sensing area on the left and a second sensing area on the right, and the supporting surface of the second sensing element forms a third sensing area surrounding the entire back surface.

9. The hands-off detection steering wheel according to claim 6, characterized in that: The buckle is made of the second plastic, and includes a protrusion and a buckle ring that are buckled together. The protrusion is fixed to a non-electroplatable area of ​​the first sensing element close to the handle, and the buckle ring is fixed to a non-electroplatable area of ​​the second sensing element close to the first sensing element.

10. The hands-off detection steering wheel according to claim 6, characterized in that: The limiting portion is made of the second plastic and is block-shaped. The surface where the block-shaped limiting portion abuts against the handle ring includes an arc shape or a step shape.

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