Hand-off detection of steering wheel

Abstract

The application provides a hand-off detection steering wheel, which is applied to the technical field of hand-off detection of steering wheels, wherein a supporting piece is fixed to the outer periphery of the handle of a steering wheel framework, and a conductive element is formed on the supporting surface of the supporting piece in an electroplating mode to form a detection area for detecting the approach and / or contact of a user's limbs to the conductive element. The supporting surface comprises an electroplatable area made of a first plastic and an un-electroplatable area made of a second plastic. When electroplating, the conductive element forms the detection area in the electroplatable area and forms a first isolation area in the un-electroplatable area. The first isolation area can be arranged around the contour of the detection area. Thus, the detection area can be easily determined according to the electroplatable 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 sensing function is more accurate.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of steering wheel off-hand detection, and particularly relates to a steering wheel for off-hand detection. BACKGROUND

[0002] There is a steering wheel for off-hand detection in the prior art, which comprises a steering wheel framework and a sensing element, the sensing element contains a support and a conductive element, the support is fixed on the outer periphery of a steering wheel rim, and the conductive element forms a detection area on the bearing surface of the support in an electroplating manner, which is used for detecting the proximity and / or contact of a user's limbs to the sensing element; but the position range of the detection area formed by the electroplating of the conductive element on the bearing surface is not easy to control.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for a new technical scheme. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, the present specification provides a steering wheel for off-hand detection achieved by using double-color injection molding.

[0005] The present specification provides the following technical scheme:

[0006] The present specification provides a steering wheel for off-hand detection, which comprises a steering wheel framework and a sensing element arranged on the outer periphery of a steering wheel rim of the steering wheel framework, the sensing element contains a support and a conductive element, the support is fixed on the outer periphery of the steering wheel rim, and the support has a bearing surface matched with the extension direction of the steering wheel rim, and the conductive element forms a detection area on the bearing surface in an electroplating manner, which is used for detecting the proximity and / or contact of a user's limbs to the sensing element.

[0007] The bearing surface comprises an electroplatable area composed of a first plastic and an un-electroplatable area composed of a second plastic, and the electroplating manner of the conductive element is configured to form the detection area on the electroplatable area and form a first isolation area on the un-electroplatable area, and the first isolation area is arranged at least around a part of the circumferential contour of the detection area.

[0008] Preferably, one side of the bearing surface away from the steering wheel rim is a first surface, the detection area and the first isolation area form a sensing layer on the first surface, and the other side of the bearing surface towards the steering wheel rim is a second surface, and the second surface also comprises an electroplatable area composed of the first plastic and an un-electroplatable area composed of the second plastic.

[0009] The electroplating mode of the conductive element is further configured to form a shielding region on the electroplatable region of the second surface and a second isolation region on the non-electroplatable region of the second surface to form a shielding layer during the electroplating forming of the sensing layer, the second isolation region is arranged at least around a majority of the circumferential profile of the shielding region, the shielding region is arranged opposite to the detection region, and is used to shield signal interference from the opposite direction.

[0010] Preferably, the support is an integral piece formed by the first plastic and the second plastic in a two-component injection molding method.

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

[0012] Preferably, the support further integrally injection-molds a wire insertion port containing a lead pin, one end of the lead pin is arranged in the wire insertion port, and the other end of the lead pin extends to the surface of the first plastic.

[0013] Preferably, the sensing element includes a first sensing element and a second sensing element, the first sensing element is arranged opposite to the second sensing element and is fixed by a buckle;

[0014] The support of the second sensing element is provided with a limiting portion in limiting abutment with the handle ring to keep the supporting surfaces of the first sensing element and the second sensing element respectively having a gap with the handle ring;

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

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

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

[0018] Preferably, the buckle is composed of the second plastic and includes a protrusion and a buckle ring that are buckled to each other, the protrusion is fixed to the non-electroplatable region of the first sensing element close to the handle ring, and the buckle ring is fixed to the non-electroplatable region of the second sensing element close to the first sensing element.

[0019] Preferably, the limiting part is made of the second plastic, and the limiting part is in a block shape, and the surface of the block-shaped limiting part abutting against the handle ring contains an arc shape or a stepped shape.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the at least one technical solution adopted by the embodiments of the present specification can achieve the beneficial effects at least including:

[0021] The support surface of the present application contains a platable area made of a first plastic and a non-platable area made of a second plastic. When the conductive element is electroplated, a detection area is formed in the platable area, and a first isolation area is formed in the non-platable area. The first isolation area can be arranged around the contour of the detection area. Thus, the detection area can be easily determined according to the platable area, the position range of the detection area can be more 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. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

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

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

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

[0026] Figure 4 is a side schematic diagram of the steering wheel for hand-off detection of the present application with the steering wheel skeleton removed;

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

[0028] Figure 6 is a back schematic diagram of the steering wheel for hand-off detection of the present application;

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

[0030] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the present application highlighting the buckle position through the dashed line part;

[0031] Figure 9is a second schematic view of the application highlighting the buckle structure;

[0032] Figure 10 is Figure 8 is a C-C sectional view of part A in the application;

[0033] Figure 11 is Figure 8 is a sectional view of D-D in the application;

[0034] Figure 12 is a schematic view of the application highlighting the wiring socket position;

[0035] Figure 13 is a schematic view of the application highlighting the wiring socket structure;

[0036] Figure 14 is a schematic view of the application connecting the detection area and the shielding area through the wiring socket respectively;

[0037] Figure 15 is Figure 14 is a schematic view of part B in the application;

[0038] Figure 16 is a first structure schematic view of the application highlighting the lead pin;

[0039] Figure 17 is a second structure schematic view of the application highlighting the lead pin;

[0040] Figure 18 is a structure schematic view of the application highlighting the female end of the connector;

[0041] Figure 19 is a structure schematic view of the application highlighting the shielding area;

[0042] Figure 20 is a structure schematic view of the application cutting along the buckle position of the steering wheel when the hand is off;

[0043] Reference signs: 1, first sensing element; 101, first sensing area; 102, second sensing area; 2, steering wheel framework; 201, handle; 3, second sensing element; 301, third sensing area; 4, supporting surface; 401, non-plating area; 402, plating area; 5, wiring socket; 501, lead pin; 6, female end of the connector; 7, buckle; 701, clasp; 702, protrusion; 8, first isolation area; 9, second isolation area; 10, shielding area; 11, detection area; 12, foaming body; 13, leather; 14, limiting part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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

[0045] The following detailed description is presented in terms of specific embodiments illustrating the application. These details are intended to describe aspects of implementations within the scope of the application and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. The description is presented for the purpose of simplicity and clarity. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the examples provided can be practiced with modifications and changes and are not limited by the details provided. The description is not intended to limit the scope of the application, but is intended to provide structure to the scope of the application. The description is presented based on the realization that one or more aspects of the application can implement, or use, one or more of the features then available. It is to be understood that features of the various embodiments described herein can be combined with each other, if appropriate, without departing from the scope of the application.

[0046] It is to be understood that the following description is based on various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that aspects described herein can be practiced in a wide variety of forms and that any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on the teachings provided herein one skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more aspects of the description described herein can be practiced without those specifically enumerated herein, and that this disclosure and described examples are to be considered as illustrative rather than restrictive of the inventive concept. Although specific aspects have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the application. For example, any of the methods described herein can be implemented as a computer program product or as an article of manufacture. Accordingly, the terms "method" and "process" used herein do not limit the application to a particular sequence or arrangement of steps, and one skilled in the art will appreciate that some steps can be performed in different sequences or arrangements, or omitted, without departing from the scope of the application. The terms "method" and "process" can refer to a computer program product including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of the method or process.

[0047] It is also to be understood that the following description is based on various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that aspects described herein can be practiced in a wide variety of forms and that any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on the teachings provided herein one skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more aspects of the description described herein can be practiced without those specifically enumerated herein, and that this disclosure and described examples are to be considered as illustrative rather than restrictive of the inventive concept. Although specific aspects have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the application. For example, any of the methods described herein can be implemented as a computer program product or as an article of manufacture. Accordingly, the terms "method" and "process" used herein do not limit the application to a particular sequence or arrangement of steps, and one skilled in the art will appreciate that some steps can be performed in different sequences or arrangements, or omitted, without departing from the scope of the application. The terms "method" and "process" can refer to a computer program product including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of the method or process.

[0048] In addition, in the following description, specific details are provided to thoroughly understand examples. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the examples can be practiced without these specific details.

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

[0050] The embodiments of the present application provide a hand-off detection steering wheel, such as Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 20As shown, the steering wheel skeleton 2 comprises a steering wheel rim 201 and a sensing element arranged at the outer periphery of the steering wheel rim 201, the sensing element comprises a support and a conductive element, the support is fixed at the outer periphery of the steering wheel rim 201, and the support has a support surface 4 matching the extending direction of the steering wheel rim 201, the conductive element forms a detection area 11 on the support surface 4 by electroplating, for detecting the proximity and / or contact of a user's limb to the sensing element.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the support surface 4 comprises a platable area 402 composed of a first plastic and a non-platable area 401 composed of a second plastic, the electroplating of the conductive element is configured to form the detection area 11 on the platable area 402 and a first isolation area 8 on the non-platable area 401, the first isolation area 8 is arranged at least around a majority of the circumferential profile of the detection area 11. For example, when the conductive element is electroplated at the same time on the platable area 402 and the non-platable area 401, only the platable area 402 is electroplated. The majority of the circumferential profile can be understood as more than half of the circumferential profile, the first isolation area 1 surrounds all areas of the detection area 11 except the lead end, preventing short circuit with other functional areas. The non-platable area 401 is also called a non-electroplated area.

[0052] In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 20 , the support surface 4 forms a first surface on the side away from the steering wheel rim 201, and the platable area 402 composed of the first plastic and the non-platable area 401 composed of the second plastic exist on the first surface, so that the detection area 11 and the first isolation area 8 form a sensing layer on the first surface; the support surface 4 forms a second surface on the side facing the steering wheel rim 201; the second surface also comprises the platable area 402 composed of the first plastic and the non-platable area 401 composed of the second plastic.

[0053] As shown in Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 19 , the electroplating of the conductive element is further configured to form a shielding area 10 on the platable area 402 of the second surface and a second isolation area 9 on the non-platable area 401 of the second surface at the same time in the electroplating forming process of the sensing layer to form a shielding layer, the second isolation area 9 is arranged at least around a majority of the circumferential profile of the shielding area 10, the shielding area 10 is arranged opposite to the detection area 11, for shielding signal interference from the opposite direction. The first isolation area 8 and the second isolation area 9 can be arranged integrally in contact.

[0054] In an embodiment, the support is an integral piece made by a two-component injection molding method with the first plastic and the second plastic, also known as a two-color injection molded piece. Two-color injection molding refers to the injection molding of two different materials into the same set of molds, thereby achieving the molding process of a product formed by two materials. The two materials are different in color or in hardness, which can improve the appearance and assembly performance of the product.

[0055] In an embodiment, the first plastic, i.e., the electroplatable material, includes one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), a mixed material of ABS and PC (ABS+PC), thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

[0056] In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 12 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 , the support is also integrally injection molded to form a wire insertion port 5 containing a lead pin 501, one end of the lead pin 501 is placed in the wire insertion port 5, and the other end of the lead pin 501 extends to the surface of the first plastic. For example, the wire insertion port 5 can have two lead pins 501, respectively contacting the detection area 11 and the shielding area 10, as the wire ends of the sensing layer and the shielding layer, and the position of the wire insertion port 5 is located at the 3 o'clock position and the 9 o'clock position of the steering wheel. The lead pin 501 can be a metal pin, a metal wire, a metal PIN, etc. As shown in Figure 15 and Figure 18 , the wire insertion port 5 can be a male end of a plug. The male end of the plug can be plugged with a female end 6 of the plug. Figure 18 In the table, BK represents black, and WH represents white.

[0057] As shown in Figure 15 , Figure 16 and Figure 17 , one metal PIN is on the outer side and one is on the inner side, and the metal wire is molded together with the injection molding of the two-color injection molded piece on the inner and outer surfaces of the part, and then electroplated together. The two metal wires drawn out are the male ends of the wires of the sensing layer and the shielding layer. The two metal PINs drawn out are the male PIN corners of the wires of the sensing layer and the shielding layer.

[0058] In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 11As shown, the inductive element includes a first inductive element 1 and a second inductive element 3, the first inductive element 1 is arranged opposite to the second inductive element 3 and is fixed by the buckle 7.

[0059] The support of the second inductive element 3 is provided with a limiting part 14 which limits the abutment of the handle 201 to keep the supporting surface 4 of the first inductive element 1 and the second inductive element 3 respectively from the handle 201 with a gap. Optimally, the limiting part 14 can also be formed on the first inductive element 1 or simultaneously on the first inductive element 1 and the second inductive element 3, the limiting part 14 of the support of the first inductive element 1 and the second inductive element 3 can clamp the handle 201 to fix the supporting surface 4.

[0060] As shown, Figure 20 The steering wheel further includes a foaming body 12 which fills the gap and covers the handle 201, the first inductive element 1 and the second inductive element 3 to form the main body of the handle 201. When there are two gaps, the two gaps are communicated.

[0061] As shown, Figure 1 and Figure 2 and Figure 4 The two-color injection molding part is divided into two parts, which can be buckled together by the buckle 7, and the skeleton is buckled in the middle by the two-color injection molding part. The foam can be attached and then covered, or the foam can be covered after secondary foaming.

[0062] One material of the two-color injection molding part is formed by electroplatable material, and the other material is formed by non-electroplatable material. The two-color injection molding part is electroplated, and the inner and outer parts thereof can be used as the inductive layer and the shielding layer of the hands-off detection (HOD). The non-electroplatable area 401 can exist in the edge area of the supporting surface 4, and the edge area is made of non-electroplatable material, which is used as a safety area for isolating the inductive layer and the shielding layer. The non-electroplatable area 401, or the first isolation area 8 and the second isolation area 9 formed on the non-electroplatable area 401, is also used as a boundary area of the first inductive element 1 and the second inductive element 3.

[0063] In the two-color injection molding process, the electroplatable material is separated by the non-electroplatable material, and after the electroplating of the two-color injection molding part, the electroplated area is separated to form different inductive areas.

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

[0065] In one embodiment, as shown, Figure 1 and Figure 5As shown, the supporting surface 4 of the first induction element 1 forms a left first induction area 101 and a right second induction area 102, and the supporting surface 4 of the second induction element 3 forms a third induction area 301 surrounding the whole back surface.

[0066] In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 9 、 Figure 10 and Figure 11 , the buckle 7 is composed of the second plastic, and the buckle 7 includes a protrusion 702 and a buckle ring 701 which are buckled to each other. As shown in Figure 1 、 Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the protrusion 702 is fixed to the non-plating area 401 of the first induction element 1 close to the handle 201, and the buckle ring 701 is fixed to the non-plating area 401 of the second induction element 3 close to the first induction element 1. For example, the non-plating area 401 exists at the 12 o'clock position and the 6 o'clock position of the supporting surface 4 of the first induction element 1, so that the first induction area 101 and the second induction area 102 are symmetrically arranged. The position of the buckle 7 is also at the 12 o'clock position and the 6 o'clock position of the handle 201. That is, the buckle 7 is arranged in the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock partition areas, and is formed by using the non-plating material. The non-plating area 401 is a partition boundary area of the two-color injection molding. The first induction element 1 is an upper part of the two-color injection molding, and the second induction element 3 is a lower part of the two-color injection molding.

[0067] In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 20 , the limiting part 14 is composed of the second plastic, and the limiting part 14 is in a block shape. The surface where the block-shaped limiting part 14 is in limiting abutment with the handle 201 can be part of the supporting surface 4, and includes an arc shape and / or a stepped shape. For example, the surface where the limiting part 14 of the first induction element 1 is in limiting abutment with the handle 201 includes an arc shape, and is adapted to abut against the handle 201. The surface where the limiting part 14 of the second induction element 3 is in limiting abutment with the handle 201 is in a stepped shape, and abuts against both end portions of the handle 201.

[0068] In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 20 , the hand-off detection steering wheel further includes a leather 13, and the leather 13 covers the main body of the handle 201, that is, covers the foaming body 12. The one-time injection molding and plating process of the present application can complete the parts with induction layer and shielding layer functions, and at the same time form different induction partition areas; the wire connection position is flexible and can be injection molded at any boundary; the installation is convenient, and the buckle 7 is buckled on the framework, saving the covering time; the arrangement of the induction wire or the conductive cloth does not need to be considered, the internal and external conductive layers will not have the risk of short circuit, the induction area can be maximized, and the induction function is better; there will be no situation that the foaming material invades the pad to affect the HOD function; there will be no covering problem of the traditional pad, such as the problems of missing pad, missing wire, overlapping or too large gap of the pad at the splicing position; there is no need to repeatedly adjust the version, saving time and cost.

[0069] In this specification, the same parts or similar parts among various embodiments are referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the difference from other embodiments. Especially, for the embodiments described later, the description is simple, and the relevant parts are referred to the part of the description of the foregoing embodiments.

[0070] The above merely illustrates the specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of the changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, which should be covered in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A hands-free detection steering wheel, comprising a steering wheel frame and a sensing element disposed on the outer periphery of the steering wheel frame, the sensing element comprising a support member and a conductive element, the support member being fixed to the outer periphery of the steering wheel frame and having a support surface matching the extension direction of the steering wheel frame, the conductive element forming a detection area on the support surface by electroplating, for detecting the proximity and / or contact between a user's limb and the sensing element, characterized in that, The support surface includes an electroplatable area made of a first plastic and a non-electroplated area made of a second plastic. The electroplating method of the conductive element is configured such that the detection area is formed in the electroplatable area and a first isolation area is formed in the non-electroplated area, wherein the first isolation area is disposed around at least most of the circumferential contour of the detection area. The side of the support surface away from the handle ring is a first surface. The detection area and the first isolation area are formed on the first surface to form a sensing layer. The side of the support surface facing the handle ring is a second surface. The second surface also includes an electroplatable area made of the first plastic and a non-electroplated area made of the second plastic. The electroplating method of the conductive element is further configured such that, during the electroplating process of the sensing layer, a shielding region is formed in the electroplatable area of ​​the second surface and a second isolation region is formed in the non-electroplated area of ​​the second surface to form a shielding layer. The second isolation region is arranged around at least most of the circumferential contour of the shielding region. The shielding region is arranged opposite to the detection region to shield signal interference from the opposite direction.

2. The hands-free detection steering wheel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support member is an integral part manufactured from the first plastic and the second plastic using a two-component injection molding method.

3. The hands-free detection steering wheel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first plastic includes one of ABS, PC, a mixture of ABS and PC, TPU, and PMMA; the second plastic includes one of polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, and polystyrene.

4. The hands-free detection steering wheel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support member is also integrally injection molded to form a wiring socket containing a pin, one end of which is placed in the wiring socket and the other end of which extends to the surface of the first plastic.

5. The hands-free detection steering wheel according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The sensing element includes a first sensing element and a second sensing element, wherein the first sensing element and the second sensing element are disposed opposite to each other and are fixed by a snap fastener; The support member of the second sensing element is provided with a limiting part that abuts against the handle ring to maintain a gap between the support surfaces of the first sensing element and the second sensing element and the handle ring, respectively. The steering wheel also includes a foam body that fills the gap and covers the handle ring, the first sensing element, and the second sensing element to form the handle ring body.

6. The hands-free detection steering wheel according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first sensing element is disposed on the side of the handlebar facing the user, and the second sensing element is disposed on the side of the handlebar facing away from the user.

7. The hands-free detection steering wheel according to claim 6, characterized in that, The support surface of the first sensing element forms a first sensing area on the left and a second sensing area on the right, and the support surface of the second sensing element forms a third sensing area surrounding the entire back surface.

8. The hands-free detection steering wheel according to claim 5, characterized in that, The buckle is made of the second plastic and includes a protrusion and a buckle that interlock. The protrusion is fixed to the non-platable area of ​​the first sensing element near the handle ring, and the buckle is fixed to the non-platable area of ​​the second sensing element near the first sensing element.

9. The hands-free detection steering wheel according to claim 5, characterized in that, The limiting part is made of the second plastic and is block-shaped. The surface of the block-shaped limiting part that abuts against the limiting ring includes an arc shape or a stepped shape.

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