Actuation device for a vehicle access system for actuating a movable component of a vehicle

Abstract

An actuation device (1) for actuating a movable part (2) of a vehicle, particularly a door or cover of a vehicle, comprising: - a housing (20) made of a non-conductive material; - at least one sensor device (4) disposed within the housing (20), wherein the housing (20) has a wall (20) having at least one actuation region (3) formed at least partially of a conductive material by an injection molding process, the actuation region (3) interacting with the sensor device (4) to detect actuation operations by a user.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to an actuation device for a vehicle entry system, used to actuate movable parts of a vehicle, particularly doors or covers, characterized as described in the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to an exterior door handle with such an actuation device.

[0002] It is known in the prior art that an actuation device in the form of an exterior door handle is used to activate a vehicle's electric lock. An electric lock, for example, refers to an electronically controlled door lock. Unlocking can be triggered, for example, by an ID transmitter (identification transmitter), which sends a code to the vehicle's security system for authentication. Activation of the electric lock (e.g., waking up the ID transmitter and / or unlocking or opening the lock) can also occur only when an operator or one of their hands approaches the door and / or when the operator applies pressure to the exterior door handle after authentication. Proximity or pressure is detected by sensors on the exterior door handle. A disadvantage is that the detection by these sensors is often prone to errors and / or interference. For example, capacitive sensors can be used to detect proximity, but external factors such as humidity or rain often cause detection errors. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the sensors may be insufficient, reducing the ease with which the operator can activate the electric lock. Moreover, the placement of the corresponding sensors may be difficult to adapt to a door handle with a specific design.

[0003] Inductive sensors are a common type of sensor device. Their detection principle differs from that of capacitive sensors, leading to their increasingly widespread application in automotive engineering and door handles. These inductive sensors typically rely on detecting the movement of conductive objects, especially metallic ones. Inductive sensors offer high sensitivity and accuracy for such movements. Therefore, metallic components are often integrated into door handles, moving relative to the sensor (e.g., a sensor containing an induction coil) during user interaction. These movements can be very small, such as deformation of the door handle caused by mechanical tension.

[0004] Currently, more and more electronic components are being installed in the recesses of vehicle door handles, where the available space is very limited.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a solution that optimizes the use of available space for installing actuation devices while minimizing the complexity of the devices.

[0006] The characterizing portion of claim 1 achieves this objective. Other features and details of the invention will be described in the dependent claims, the specification, and the drawings.

[0007] According to the invention, the housing has a wall comprising at least one actuating region, which is at least partially formed of a conductive material by injection molding. This actuating region interacts with a sensor device to detect user actions. A key advantage of this actuation device according to the invention is that the sensor device does not require a separate target element (e.g., a metal foil), which would otherwise need to be attached to the housing wall. Furthermore, integrating the target element into the housing reduces assembly time. Moreover, injection molding of the target element facilitates automation, resulting in repeatable results and reduced assembly errors.

[0008] Advantageously, the sensor device may include an inductive sensor, with the actuation region serving as the target element of the inductive sensor. The inductive sensor is used to detect at least one change in inductance relative to the target element. This typically requires various components and / or circuits integrated into a single chip or integrated circuit of the inductive sensor. For example, the inductive sensor is designed to simultaneously measure the impedance and resonant frequency of an LC oscillating circuit. The sensor device is preferably insensitive to external influences (e.g., moisture or contamination) on the door handle body area. Therefore, false detections caused by factors such as rain, which could cause capacitive sensors to malfunction, can be reliably avoided. For example, false detections caused by external forces acting on the door handle body can be avoided by ensuring that only a portion of the door handle body has a trigger range and using a threshold corresponding to the respective trigger action. Furthermore, the inductive sensor has the advantage of high sensitivity to deformation, enabling very fast and reliable detection of trigger actions. The sensor device has characteristics such as a resolution of less than 1 micrometer and a bit depth of at least 16 bits or at least 24 bits for quantifying the measured inductance value. It is also conceivable to arrange at least two to four sensors inside the door handle body (i.e., the internal space of the door handle body), for example, these sensors may be distributed along the inner side of the door handle body. The sensors may be arranged on at least one circuit board and / or electrically connected to control electronics inside the door handle body. For example, the electronics of the outer door handle may be arranged on the same circuit board as the sensors. Inductive sensors are preferably located on the side of the circuit board facing the actuation area. Other electronic components may be arranged on the same side or opposite sides. The sensor arrangement may include at least one integrated circuit, at least one microprocessor, at least one coil, and / or at least one non-volatile data storage device. The sensors may be assigned to different actuation areas of the door handle body. This allows for reliable detection of one or more activation actions in different areas of the door handle body.

[0009] If the actuation region contains conductive particles, particularly carbon black, graphite, carbon nanotubes, graphene, silver, copper, nickel, tin, aluminum, and stainless steel, the design is highly cost-effective and simple. Research has found that these materials contribute to improved performance. This has spurred the development of sensor devices.

[0010] One improvement of this invention is that the outer casing constitutes the main body of the door handle. This further reduces the workload of mold manufacturing.

[0011] Furthermore, the door handle body can be fixed, particularly immovably mounted on the vehicle, especially on a movable part of the vehicle. As a fixed exterior door handle, it preferably does not contain any moving parts, such as buttons, which might be used to detect force. The term "movable" must be distinguished from "deformable," especially since deformation (unlike movement of a moving part) is integral and / or manifests as a change in length, and / or occurs on a single component, particularly a wall. For example, there is relative movement between the parts of a button. Therefore, a sensor device detects the deformation caused by the button activation action. The term "fixed exterior door handle" also specifically refers to an exterior door handle and its handle body that cannot deflect or pivot relative to moving parts (especially the door and / or trunk lid). In this design, the force required to activate the electric lock (i.e., the activation action itself) is applied only to a specific area on the door handle body designed as the actuation zone, without moving the entire door handle body relative to the moving parts. This makes opening the moving parts and / or activating the lock very convenient and secure.

[0012] An improvement of this invention is that at least one first actuation area is provided on the side of the door handle body facing the vehicle, and at least one second actuation area is provided on the side facing away from the vehicle. The first actuation area can be designed to withstand the tensile load generated by the first activation action, and the second actuation area can be designed to withstand the compressive load generated by the second activation action. Preferably, the first actuation area is used for the first activation action, and the second actuation area is used for the second activation action. For example, the first activation action can assign a first function, such as unlocking or opening the electric lock, and the second activation action can assign a second function, such as locking or closing the electric lock. This makes the operation of the exterior door handle more flexible.

[0013] Furthermore, a first sensor device and a second sensor device can be disposed within the door handle body, wherein the first sensor device is used to measure the inductance of a first actuation area, and the second sensor device is used to measure the inductance of a second actuation area. Similarly, the first sensor device can be assigned to a first activation action having a first function, and the second sensor device can be assigned to a second activation action having a second function. For example, the first activation action includes applying a tensile load to the door handle body, and the second activation action includes applying a compressive load to the door handle body. The first activation action preferably occurs in a first deformation area, and the second activation action preferably occurs in a second deformation area. The first sensor device and the second sensor device can be electrically connected to each other, or they can be designed independently and / or electrically isolated from each other. Furthermore, it is conceivable to design a second sensor device (or another sensor device) to take over the function of the first sensor device in the event of a failure and monitor the first activation action in the first deformation area. This ensures higher reliability.

[0014] An improvement of the invention is that the actuation device is provided with at least one support point, on which the door handle body is particularly mounted, and preferably, the sensor device is also mounted on the support point. For example, a first support point and a second support point are provided for mounting the outer door handle (especially the door handle body) on the vehicle. The sensor device is preferably mounted on the support point of the outer door handle (especially the door handle body), i.e., within the area of ​​the outer door handle support point. The sensor support point may be provided on and / or at the same support point.

[0015] Advantageously, the support point of the actuator can be designed as a fixed support. In other words, the sensor mounting point and / or support point provide a fixed support position, thereby substantially or completely preventing any translational movement of the supported body (i.e., the sensor device, the door handle, or the door handle body). This allows for a very reliable installation that is independent of movement in the actuation area and separate from the wall of the actuator in the door handle.

[0016] An improvement of this invention is that the sensor device is mounted on a circuit board with a communication module. This module communicates according to NFC, BLE, and / or UWB standards, and the actuation area is offset from the communication module to ensure uninterrupted communication. This prevents communication from being blocked by the conductive actuation area.

[0017] The present invention also relates to an exterior door handle for operating movable parts of a vehicle (particularly doors or covers), the exterior door handle including at least one actuation device according to the invention, wherein the actuation device is disposed within a cavity of the exterior door handle. Therefore, the exterior door handle according to the invention has the same advantages as the actuation device of the present invention.

[0018] If the exterior door handle is designed as a fixed exterior door handle, especially if it can be fixedly installed on the vehicle, particularly on the vehicle's movable parts, then the design is very economical, efficient and simple.

[0019] An improvement of the present invention is that the outer door handle has a handle wall that interacts with the actuation area, such that when the handle wall deforms under the action of a force F, an unlocking or locking signal of the lock is triggered. It should be understood that the above features, and the features explained below, can be used not only in the specified combinations, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined only by the claims.

[0020] Further details, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary preferred embodiments of the invention. The drawings are as follows: Figure 1a shows a front view of an actuation device according to the present invention. Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an actuation device according to the present invention (based on cross-sectional view BB in Figure 1a). Figure 2 shows another schematic cross-sectional view of an actuation device according to the present invention. Figure 3 shows another schematic cross-sectional view of an actuation device (module) according to the present invention. Figure 4 shows another schematic cross-sectional view of an actuation device (module) according to the present invention.

[0021] Figure 1a shows a front view of an actuation device for a vehicle entry system, which is used to actuate movable parts 2 of the vehicle, particularly the vehicle door or cover.

[0022] Figure 1 illustrates the actuation device 1 in an embodiment of the present invention, which is designed as an outer door handle 1. The outer door handle has an elongated region that is substantially straight or at least slightly curved. A leg extends from both sides of the elongated portion, and the outer door handle 1 is fixed to the door panel at a certain distance from the leg, forming a groove for hand gripping.

[0023] The exterior door handle 1 according to the invention is designed as a fixed exterior door handle. The exterior door handle 1 has a handle body on which a wall 22 is provided. As shown in FIG1a, the portion of the wall 22 facing away from the vehicle is shown in order to observe the outer surface 20.1 of the handle body 20. The wall 22, i.e. the vehicle-side portion and the portion facing away from the vehicle (e.g., as shown in FIG1), forms an internal space (cavity) 20.3 (at least partially closed). The exterior door handle 1 shown can be detachably or permanently mounted and / or fixed to a movable part 1 of the vehicle by means of a fixing device 80, particularly movable or fixed, especially in the areas of the first support point 81a and / or the second support point 81b.

[0024] An actuation area 3 is provided on the inner side 20.2 of the wall 22 facing the vehicle. This area is at least partially made of conductive material by injection molding. The actuation area 3 interacts with a sensor device 4 located inside the door handle body 20 20 3 to detect user operation, which can be monitored by the sensor device 4. The actuation area 3 contains conductive particles, particularly carbon black, graphite, carbon nanotubes, graphene, silver, copper, nickel, tin, aluminum, and stainless steel. For example, it can be injection molded using a sandwich injection molding process.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the actuation device 1 according to the invention (section BB in Figure 1a). The fixing device 80 and its corresponding support device at support point 81 can also be seen in the figure; for example, the fixing device 80 can be inserted into a groove in the movable member 2. The outer door handle 1 shown in Figure 2 is fixed to the movable member 2 and is therefore designed as a fixed outer door handle 1. At least one, two, or all of the support devices of the fixing device 80 can be designed as fixed supports at at least one support point 81a, 81b. Therefore, at least one support point 81a, 81b constitutes a fixed support position.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the mounting position of the sensor device 4 inside the door handle body 20, 20.3, is preferably independent of the actuation area 3 and / or the wall 22. For example, the sensor device 4 can be fixed to the wall 22 in such a way that deformation or movement of the actuation area 3 will not (substantially or in the same way) affect the position of the sensor device 4.

[0027] Furthermore, the sensor device 4 can also detect the force applied to the actuation area 3, i.e., the activation action. For example, activation of a function of the vehicle 3 (such as opening or locking / unlocking the electronic lock) may cause this. Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view along section BB marked in Figure 1a. It can be seen that the actuation area 3 forms a closed surface on the outer side 20.1 and inner side 20.2 of the door handle body 20. Therefore, the actuation area 3 is not visible to the operator from the outside.

[0028] Sensor device 30 is positioned at a certain distance from actuation area 3. Furthermore, sensor device 4 can be mounted on circuit board 5 and / or electrically connected to other electronic components (possibly located on the same circuit board 5). Sensor device 4 is fixed to circuit board 5 and serves to secure circuit board 5 to door handle body 20, such that any deformation of actuation area 3 caused by actuation will not significantly affect the position of sensor device 4 within interior 20.3. In other words, deformation primarily affects the distance between sensor device 4 and actuation area 3, and therefore the degree of deformation can be measured based on this distance and / or changes in inductance.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, according to the present invention, the actuation device 1 may have an external actuation region 3 on at least one outer surface 20.1 of the wall 22 of the door handle body 20. This has the advantage that the operator can identify the actuation region 3 that performs the activation action. For example, at the actuation region 3, a force can be applied to the wall 22, thereby deforming the wall 22 at the actuation region 3 and reducing the distance between the actuation region 3 and the sensor device 4. Figure 3 As shown, a first actuation region 3 and a second actuation region 3a (conductive region) can be set.

[0030] The two actuation regions 3 and 3a are at least partially made of conductive material and manufactured using an injection molding process. The actuation regions 3 and 3a contain conductive particles, particularly carbon black, graphite, carbon nanotubes, graphene, silver, copper, nickel, tin, aluminum, and stainless steel.

[0031] For example, in the first actuation zone 3, operator 5 can perform a first activation action; in the second actuation zone 3a, operator 5 can perform a second activation action. These two actions activate different functions of vehicle 3, respectively. For example, the tensile load generated by the first activation action can open the ignition lock 2, while the compressive load generated by the second activation action in the second actuation zone 3a can close the ignition lock 2. Therefore, a first sensor device 4 is provided to monitor the first actuation zone 3, and a second sensor device 4a is provided to monitor the second actuation zone 3. Furthermore, a capacitive sensor (not shown) can be provided to detect other actions by the operator. For example, this can be used to detect the operator's approach, thereby activating more vehicle functions or vehicle safety systems. The vehicle safety system detects the approach of operator 5 via the capacitive sensor. Subsequently, the system sends a wake-up signal to the ID transmitter to initiate the authentication process. It can be stipulated that the activation action detected by sensor device 4 can only open the ignition lock after successful authentication.

[0032] Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an actuation device 1 according to the present invention. The device is designed as an operable single module for installation in an outer door handle 40. The module has a housing 20. The housing 20 has a wall 22, which includes an outer surface 20.1 and an inner surface 20.2. The outer surface 20.1 and the inner surface 20.2 form an internal space (cavity) 20.3 (at least partially enclosed).

[0033] Electronic components are arranged within cavity 20.3 of the housing. These components can be embedded in potting compound 7. Furthermore, the electronic components include a circuit board 5 on which a sensor device 4 is mounted. The sensor device 4 consists of an inductive sensor, a communication module 60, and evaluation electronics. The sensor device 4 is mounted on the circuit board 5, which also includes the communication module 60, which can communicate according to NFC, BLE, and / or UWB standards. These interfaces are used for communication with ID transmitters or smartphones. The actuation area 3 is offset from the communication module 60 to ensure uninterrupted communication.

[0034] Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the actuation device 1 (module) according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the module is disposed in the cavity 20.3 of the outer door handle 40. The cavity 20.3 is formed by the outer door handle wall 41, which includes an inner surface 20.2 and an outer surface 20.1. The outer door handle wall (41) interacts with the actuation area (3), causing the outer door handle wall to deform under the action of force F, thereby triggering an open or locked signal of the lock.

[0035] The exterior door handle 40 shown in the figure can be detachably or permanently connected to the moving part 1 of the vehicle via a fixing device 80, particularly in the areas of the first support point 81a and / or the second support point 81b. The exterior door handle 40 shown in the figure is thus fixedly mounted to the moving part 2 and is therefore designed as a fixed exterior door handle 40. At least one, two, or all of the support elements of the fixing device 80 can be designed as fixed supports at at least one support point 81a and 81b. Therefore, at least one support point 81 constitutes a fixed support position. A plunger may be provided on the inner surface 20.2 and / or the outer surface 20.1, which interacts with the actuation area 3. Applying a force F to the inner surface 20.2 and / or the outer surface 20.1 causes deformation, which triggers an opening or closing signal of the actuation device 1 via the plunger. These signals are then transmitted to the vehicle's internal control unit.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, at least one actuation region 3 can be used in all embodiments, on which complementary sensor devices 4 are provided, located on the outer surface 20.1 and the inner surface 20.1 respectively. In all embodiments, the sensor devices 4 can also be offset relative to the communication module 60. To prevent moisture absorption, the electronic components within the cavity 20.3 in all embodiments can be potted with potting compound 7.

[0037] Of course, the invention described above is not limited to the embodiments shown in the figures. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make numerous obvious modifications to the embodiments shown in the figures, depending on the intended use, without departing from the scope of the invention. This invention includes everything contained in the specification and / or drawings, including anything that is obvious to those skilled in the art compared to the specific embodiments.

[0038] List of reference numerals 1 Actuation device 2. Moving parts of the vehicle, especially doors or covers. 3 Actuation Zone 3a Second Actuation Region 4. Sensor Device 5 Circuit Boards 6 Control Unit 7. Potting compound 20 Door handle body / casing 20.1 Outer Surface 20.2: Inner surface 20.3 Interior (Cavity) 22 wall 30 Vehicle cover 40. External door handle 41. Exterior door handle wall 42 plunger 60 communication modules 80 Fixture 81a First support point 81b Second support point.

Claims

1. An actuation device (1) for a vehicle access system for actuating a movable component (2) of a vehicle, in particular a door or a flap of a vehicle, comprising: a housing (20) made of a non-conductive material; at least one sensor device (4) arranged in the housing (20), characterized in that the housing (20) has a wall (20) with at least one actuation area (3) which is at least partially formed from a conductive material by means of an injection molding process, which actuation area (3) interacts with the sensor device (4) to detect an actuation operation by a user. The sensor device (4) has an inductive sensor, wherein the actuation area (3) serves as a target for the inductive sensor. The actuation area (3) contains conductive particles, in particular in the form of carbon black, graphite, carbon nanotubes, graphene, silver, copper, nickel, tin, aluminum and stainless steel. The housing (20) forms a door handle body.

2. The actuation device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The door handle body (20) is stationary, in particular can be connected immovably to the vehicle, in particular to the movable component (2) of the vehicle.

3. The actuation device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that At least one first actuation area (3) is arranged on the side of the door handle body facing the vehicle and at least one second actuation area (3a) is arranged on the side of the door handle body facing away from the vehicle.

4. An actuating device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that A first sensor device (4) and a second sensor device (4a) are arranged in the door handle body (20), wherein the first sensor device (4) is configured to measure the inductance at the first actuation area (3) and the second sensor device (4a) is configured to measure the inductance at the second actuation area (3a).

5. An actuating device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The actuation device (1) is provided with at least one support point (81a, b) on which the door handle body (20) is mounted, in particular, and preferably the sensor devices (3, 3a) are mounted on the support point (81a, b).

6. An actuation device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The at least one support point (81a, b) of the actuation device (1) is configured as a stationary support.

7. An actuating device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The sensor device (4) is arranged on a circuit board (5) on which a communication module (60) is arranged which communicates according to the NFC standard and / or the BLE standard and / or the UWB standard, wherein the actuation area (3) is arranged offset to the communication module (60) such that the communication is not disturbed.

8. An actuation device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that 11. An outer door handle (40) for operating a movable component (2) of a vehicle, in particular a door or a flap of a vehicle, comprising at least one actuation device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the actuation device (1) is arranged in a cavity (20.3) of the outer door handle (40).

9. An actuating device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The outer door handle is designed as a stationary outer door handle (40), in particular is mounted immovably to the vehicle, in particular to the movable component (2) of the vehicle.

10. An actuation device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that ​ ​ 12. The outer door handle (40) according to claim 11, characterized in that ​ 13. The door handle (40) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The door handle has a door handle wall (41), wherein the door handle wall (41) interacts with an actuation region (3) in such a way that a vehicle function signal, in particular in the form of an opening signal or a locking signal, can be triggered when the door handle wall is deformed under the influence of a force F.

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