Door handle device and method for manufacturing the door handle device

Abstract

Provided is a door handle device that can inhibit erroneous detection due to water infiltration and a method for manufacturing the door handle device.　A door handle device (100) includes: a substrate (101); a first electrode (130A) provided on a first surface or inside of the substrate; a second electrode (130B) provided so as to face a second surface of the substrate; a door-handle type handle case (110) including an inner case (111) that has a first accommodation recess (111D) for accommodating the substrate and including an outer case (112) that is provided so as to cover an opening (111C) of the first accommodation recess of the inner case; a cover (140) that has an opening (143) being provided to the second surface of the substrate and facing the second surface, that has a second accommodation recess (144) that is in communication with the opening and recessed in a direction away from the second surface, and that is provided with the second electrode (130B) on the far end surface of the second accommodation recess or in a far end wall (141) of the second accommodation recess; and a sealing member (150) that is formed by injecting a potting agent into the first accommodation recess, that covers and seals the substrate and the first electrode in the first accommodation recess, and that exposes the outer surface of the far end wall of the cover.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a door handle device and a method for manufacturing a door handle device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a door handle device in which a unitized electrostatic sensor is placed inside a door handle case by holding a substrate with a lock electrode, an unlock electrode, and circuit components arranged on it in a mold and injecting molten thermoplastic resin at low pressure to form a sealing member that seals the substrate, lock electrode, unlock electrode, and circuit components (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-133150 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if water gets inside the door handle case between the inner and outer cases, it may accumulate in the gap between the inner surface of the door handle case and the sealing member. If water accumulates in this way, a change in capacitance occurs that is similar to when a human body, such as a hand, approaches the door handle device, which could result in a false detection that a hand has touched the door handle device.

[0005] Here, it is possible to solve this problem by increasing the thickness of the sealing member and providing a sufficient distance between the area where water may accumulate and the lock electrode or unlock electrode. However, increasing the thickness of the sealing member can cause problems such as an increase in the size of the door handle device or the occurrence of sink marks (missing areas in the thermosetting resin), voids, or warping during the cooling process of the thermosetting resin for the sealing member.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a door handle device that can suppress erroneous detection due to water intrusion, and a method for manufacturing the door handle device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A door handle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a door handle-type handle case having a substrate, a first electrode provided on a first surface of the substrate or inside the substrate, a second electrode provided opposite a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface, an inner case having a first accommodating recess for accommodating the substrate, and an outer case provided to cover the opening of the first accommodating recess of the inner case, a cover provided on the second surface of the substrate, the cover having an opening facing the second surface and a second accommodating recess that is connected to the opening and recessed in a direction away from the second surface, the second electrode being provided on the rear end surface of the second accommodating recess or within the rear end wall of the second accommodating recess, and a sealing member formed by injecting a potting agent into the first accommodating recess, the sealing member covering and sealing the substrate and the first electrode within the first accommodating recess and exposing the outer surface of the rear end wall of the cover. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] It is possible to provide a door handle device that can suppress erroneous detection due to water intrusion, and a method for manufacturing the door handle device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a door handle device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded view showing an example of a configuration of a door handle device according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, viewed from below. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3. [Figure 5]This shows an example of the door handle device shown in FIG. 1 with the outer case removed and the double-sided tape not attached to the cover. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the sealing member is removed from FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the inner case is removed from FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the sealing member is removed from FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the components shown in FIG. 8 are disassembled. [Figure 10] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the components shown in FIG. 8 as viewed from below. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment to which the door handle device and the manufacturing method of the door handle device of the present disclosure are applied will be described.

[0011] In the following description, the XYZ coordinate system is defined. The direction parallel to the X axis (X direction), the direction parallel to the Y axis (Y direction), and the direction parallel to the Z axis (Z direction) are perpendicular to one another. For ease of explanation, the -Z direction may be referred to as the lower side or bottom, and the +Z direction as the upper side or top, but this does not represent a universal vertical relationship. Furthermore, a planar view refers to a view on an XY plane.

[0012] In the following description, the length, width, thickness, etc. of each part may be exaggerated to make the configuration easier to understand. Furthermore, terms such as parallel, up and down, etc. may be misaligned to the extent that the effect of the embodiment is not impaired.

[0013] <Embodiment> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a door handle device 100 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing an example of the configuration of the door handle device 100. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a cross section taken along the line AA in Fig. 1 from below. The door handle device 100 is attached to the outer surface of a door 10 of a vehicle.

[0014] The door handle device 100 includes a door handle case 110, a substrate 120, an unlock electrode 130A, a lock electrode 130B, a cover 140, double-sided tape 145, and a sealing member 150. The door handle case 110 is an example of a handle case and has an inner case 111 and an outer case 112. The unlock electrode 130A is an example of a first electrode, and the lock electrode 130B is an example of a second electrode. The double-sided tape 145 is an example of a fixing member. Note that the double-sided tape or adhesive layer that fixes the lock electrode 130B to the cover 140 is omitted.

[0015] The following description will be made with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10 in addition to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 shows an example of a state in which the outer case 112 has been removed from the door handle device 100 shown in FIG. 1 and the double-sided tape 145 is not attached to the cover 140. FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a state in which the sealing member 150 has been removed from FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of a state in which the inner case 111 has been removed from FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of a state in which the sealing member 150 has been removed from FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a view showing an example of an exploded view of the components shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a view showing an example of a state in which the components shown in FIG. 8 are viewed from below. In FIG. 10, the double-sided tape 145 is attached to the upper surface of the upper wall 141 of the cover 140.

[0016] <Door Handle Case 110> The door handle case 110 has an inner case 111 and an outer case 112. The inner case 111 and the outer case 112 are made of synthetic resin, for example. When the door handle case 110 is attached to the door 10, the inner case 111 is positioned closer to the door 10 than the outer case 112, and is positioned inside the outer case 112 at the joint with the outer case 112. When combined, the inner case 111 and the outer case 112 form an internal space.

[0017] Inner case 111 has bottom wall 111A, side walls 111B, opening 111C, storage recess 111D, and partition wall 111E. Storage recess 111D is an example of a first storage recess. Inner case 111 is a box-shaped case composed of bottom wall 111A located on the bottom side and side walls 111B surrounding the four sides.

[0018] The bottom wall 111A has an arch portion 111A1 in the center in the Y direction. The arch portion 111A1 is a portion that a user who is trying to open the door 10 places his or her hand on and grips. The bottom wall 111A is arranged on the door 10 at portions on both sides of the arch portion 111A1 in the Y direction.

[0019] The upper end of the side wall 111B is an opening 111C. The portion surrounded by the bottom wall 111A and the side wall 111B is an accommodating recess 111D, which communicates with the opening 111C. The accommodating recess 111D accommodates the substrate 120, the unlocking electrode 130A, the locking electrode 130B, the cover 140, the double-sided tape 145, and the sealing member 150. "Accommodating" means that at least a portion of the substrate 120, the locking electrode 130B, the cover 140, and the double-sided tape 145 is allowed to protrude outward from the opening 111C when viewed in the YZ plane.

[0020] The partition wall 111E is provided on the +Y direction side of the arch portion 111A1 so as to connect the bottom wall 111A with the side wall 111B on the +X direction side and the side wall 111B on the −X direction side. The partition wall 111E is a thin plate-like wall parallel to the XZ plane, and the position of its upper end is, for example, the same as the position of the upper end of the side wall 111B. The partition wall 111E divides the accommodating recess 111D into the +Y direction side and the −Y direction side, and is provided to prevent the potting material used to form the sealing member 150 from flowing into the +Y direction side. The potting material is a thermosetting resin such as urethane resin, epoxy resin, or silicone resin, or a two-component curing resin.

[0021] The upper ends of the side walls 111B on the +X and -X sides are curved in the Y direction, with the central portion where the arch portion 111A1 is located being the highest in the Y direction, and the +Y side being lower than the -Y side. No sealing member 150 is formed in the portion above the partition wall 111E (on the +Z side).

[0022] Outer case 112 is a box-shaped case having outer wall 112A and side wall 112B, and a recessed portion that resembles an upside-down storage recess 111D of inner case 111. As shown in Fig. 3, when outer case 112 is combined with inner case 111, the lower ends of side wall 112B of outer case 112 cover the outside of the upper ends of side wall 111B of inner case 111. Although the lower ends of side wall 112B of outer case 112 and the upper ends of side wall 111B of inner case 111 overlap, there is a risk of water seeping in through the gap.

[0023] <Substrate 120> The substrate 120 is a wiring board having an insulating layer and wiring (wiring pattern), etc., on which circuit components such as ICs are mounted, and to which terminals or lead wires (not shown) are connected for electrically connecting the circuit components to the outside of the door handle device 100. The substrate 120 has, as an example, a rectangular shape that is elongated in the Y direction in a plan view. During the manufacturing process of the door handle device 100, the substrate 120 is sealed with a potting agent while being placed on top of the unlock electrode 130A that is disposed on the upper surface of the arch portion 111A1 of the bottom wall 111A of the inner case 111. Therefore, the upper surface and four side surfaces of the substrate 120 are sealed with a sealing member 150. The lower surface of the substrate 120 abuts against the upper surface of the unlock electrode 130A. The lower surface of the substrate 120 has terminals, etc., that are connected to the unlock electrode 130A.

[0024] <Unlock electrode 130A> The unlock electrode 130A is disposed on the upper surface of the arch portion 111A1 of the bottom wall 111A of the inner case 111, and is sealed by a sealing member 150 with the substrate 120 placed on top. The unlock electrode 130A is provided on the arch portion 111A1 of the door handle case 110 to detect that the door handle device 100 is being gripped by a hand when unlocking the lock mechanism of the door 10. The unlock electrode 130A may be made of a copper plate, for example. The unlock electrode 130A may also be embedded inside the substrate 120. That is, for example, the unlock electrode 130A may be realized by a metal layer included in an inner layer of a wiring substrate serving as the substrate 120. Furthermore, the unlock electrode 130A may be formed together with the wiring by etching the copper foil of the substrate 120 having a copper foil formed on its surface.

[0025] <Lock electrode 130B> The locking electrode 130B is fixed to the lower surface of the upper wall 141 inside the accommodating recess 144 of the cover 140. As an example, the locking electrode 130B is inclined so that the -Y direction side is lower, in accordance with the inclination of the lower surface of the upper wall 141 of the cover 140. As an example, the locking electrode 130B is a rectangular electrode. As an example, the locking electrode 130B is fixed to the lower surface of the upper wall 141 with double-sided tape. The locking electrode 130B is disposed at a distance from the side wall 142 of the cover 140 in the X direction and the Y direction. In other words, the locking electrode 130B is provided a predetermined distance away from the side wall 142 of the cover 140.

[0026] The lock electrode 130B is provided to detect that a user has touched the edge of the outer surface of the outer wall 112A of the outer case 112 on the -Y direction side when locking the lock mechanism with the door 10 closed. Note that this position of the lock electrode 130B is just one example, and it is sufficient that the lock electrode 130B is provided inside any part of the outer wall 112A of the outer case 112. The lock electrode 130B may also be embedded inside the upper wall 141 of the cover 140. As one example, such a configuration can be realized by insert molding.

[0027] An extension portion 131B is connected to the lock electrode 130B. As an example, the extension portion 131B extends diagonally downward from the end of the lock electrode 130B on the +Y direction side, and the lower end of the extension portion 131B is connected to the wiring on the upper surface of the substrate 120. Such a lock electrode 130B and the extension portion 131B can be fabricated, for example, by sheet metal processing a copper plate. The extension portion 131B is an example of a connection portion that connects the lock electrode 130B to the wiring on the substrate 120. Note that instead of the extension portion 131B, a wire harness or the like may be used to connect the lock electrode 130B to the wiring on the substrate 120.

[0028] <Cover 140> The cover 140 has an upper wall 141, side walls 142, an opening 143, and a storage recess 144. The storage recess 144 is an example of a second storage recess. The cover 140 is a box-shaped cover configured by the upper wall 141 and side walls 142 provided below the four sides of the outer edge of the upper wall 141.

[0029] The end of upper wall 141 on the +Y side is parallel to the XY plane, but the portion other than the end on the +Y side is inclined so that the -Y side is lower, for example, to match the shape of outer case 112.

[0030] 4, the lower end (-Z direction) of the side wall 142 on the -Y direction side has a +Y direction surface (surface on the accommodating recess 144 side) that is in contact with or adjacent to the side surface of the substrate 120 on the -Y direction side. Similarly, the lower ends of the side walls 142 on the +X direction side and the -X direction side have their surfaces on the accommodating recess 144 side in contact with or adjacent to the side surfaces of the substrate 120 on the +X direction side and the -X direction side, respectively. Of the lower ends of the side walls 142, the +Y direction side side wall 142 straddles the substrate 120, so that its lower end in the center in the X direction is higher by an amount roughly equivalent to the thickness of the substrate 120 than the lower ends on the +X direction side, the -X direction side, and the -Y direction side. As a result, the opening 143 of the cover 140 is blocked by the substrate 120. Moreover, at the lower end of the side wall 142, for example, an engaging portion 142A for snap connection (see FIG. 10) is provided to hold the cover 140 on the substrate 120.

[0031] Opening 143 is a portion that surrounds the lower end of side wall 142 and communicates with storage recess 144. Storage recess 144 is a recess that is surrounded by upper wall 141 and side walls 142 that are provided below the four sides of the outer edge of upper wall 141.

[0032] In such a cover 140, the lower surface of the upper wall 141 is an example of a rear end surface located at the innermost part of the accommodating recess 144. The upper wall 141 is also an example of a rear end wall.

[0033] With the lock electrode 130B fixed to the lower surface of the upper wall 141, the cover 140 is attached to the substrate 120 by snapping, for example, three engagement portions 142A, so that the opening 143 is closed by the substrate 120. Alternatively, the lower ends of all of the side walls 142 may be brought into contact with the upper surface of the substrate 120, so that the opening 143 is closed by the substrate 120.

[0034] The height of cover 140 is configured so that, when attached to the upper surface of substrate 120, upper wall 141 protrudes further in the +Z direction than side wall 111B and opening 111C. More specifically, the height of cover 140 is configured so that, when attached to the upper surface of substrate 120, the position in the Z direction of lock electrode 130B attached to the lower surface of upper wall 141 is located further in the +Z direction than the upper end of partition wall 111E. This is because, when sealing member 150 is formed, lock electrode 130B is located further in the +Z direction than the upper surface of sealing member 150.

[0035] The lock electrode 130B is positioned on the +Z side of the upper surface of the sealing member 150 in order to reduce the amount of sealing member 150 used. Specifically, if the lock electrode 130B were directly embedded and sealed in the sealing member 150 without using the cover 140, the sealing member 150 would need to be positioned on the +Z side of the upper surface of the lock electrode 130B, which would require a large amount of sealing member. In this embodiment, the lock electrode 130B is housed inside the housing recess 144 of the cover 140, so the lock electrode 130B can be sealed with a small amount of sealing member 150. Furthermore, positioning the lock electrode 130B on the +Z side of the upper surface of the sealing member 150 means that the upper surface of the upper wall 141 is located on the +Z side of the lock electrode 130B, and therefore the upper surface of the upper wall 141 is located on the +Z side of the upper surface of the sealing member 150. Therefore, the sealing member 150 is not positioned between the lock electrode 130B and the hand. This is to prevent false detection at the lock electrode 130B. The relative dielectric constant of the sealing member 150, which is made of a potting agent, is greater than 1, and if it is positioned between the lock electrode 130B and a hand, it will have a significant effect on the capacitance detected by the lock electrode 130B. To avoid this situation, the lock electrode 130B is positioned on the +Z direction side of the top surface of the sealing member 150. This makes it possible to prevent false detection at the lock electrode 130B.

[0036] Note that, when the cover 140 is attached to the upper surface of the substrate 120, the lock electrode 130B does not necessarily have to be located on the +Z direction side of the upper surface of the sealing member 150. When the cover 140 is attached to the upper surface of the substrate 120, it is sufficient that at least the upper surface of the upper wall 141 is located on the +Z direction side of the upper surface of the sealing member 150 in the Z direction. This is because if the upper surface of the upper wall 141 is exposed from the upper surface of the sealing member 150, the sealing member 150 will not be located above the lock electrode 130B, and the effect on the capacitance detected by the lock electrode 130B will be minimized.

[0037] Furthermore, the position of the upper surface of sealing member 150 is equal to or lower than the position of the upper end of partition wall 111E. Therefore, it is preferable that, when cover 140 is attached to the upper surface of substrate 120, lock electrode 130B is located on the +Z direction side of the upper end of partition wall 111E, and it is also preferable that at least the upper surface of upper wall 141 is located on the +Z direction side of the upper end of partition wall 111E in the Z direction.

[0038] 4, the distance between side wall 142 on the -Y side of cover 140 and side wall 111B of inner case 111 is defined as A. The distance in the Y direction between the surface on the -Y side of side wall 142 on the -Y side and the end of lock electrode 130B on the -Y side is defined as B. Distance B is an example of a predetermined distance. The distance in the Y direction between the surface on the +Y side of side wall 142 on the +Y side and the end of lock electrode 130B on the +Y side is defined as C.

[0039] In the door handle device 100, the distance B is set to a certain distance. This certain distance is a sufficient distance that does not affect the capacitance of the lock electrode 130B even if water accumulates between the side wall 142 on the -Y direction side of the cover 140 and the side wall 111B of the inner case 111. If the distance B is short, when water accumulates between the side wall 142 on the -Y direction side of the cover 140 and the side wall 111B of the inner case 111, the capacitance may change due to the water to the same extent as when a hand approaches, which may result in false detection. In the door handle device 100, false detection can be suppressed by setting the distance B to a sufficient distance. Note that the distance C is also set to a sufficient distance to suppress false detection. The same applies to the X direction.

[0040] Furthermore, if the sealing member 150 is extended further toward the +Z direction, the amount of water that accumulates between the side wall 142 on the -Y direction side of the cover 140 and the side wall 111B of the inner case 111 can be reduced, thereby preventing false detection. However, in this embodiment, the amount of sealing member 150 is reduced so that false detection does not occur even if a large amount of water accumulates.

[0041] In the conventional example in which a unitized electrostatic sensor without using the cover 140 is placed inside the door handle case, water accumulates in the gap between the sealing member and the storage recess 111D of the inner case 111, and in order to prevent false detection in this case, the thickness of the sealing member needs to be set, and problems such as sink marks, voids, or warping may occur when the size is increased. However, the door handle device of the present disclosure can reduce the possibility of such problems occurring.

[0042] <Double-sided tape 145> The double-sided tape 145 is provided to bond the upper surface of the upper wall 141 of the cover 140 to the inner surface of the outer wall 112A of the outer case 112, and to fix the cover 140 in close contact with the inside of the outer case 112. When the cover 140 and the outer case 112 are fixed with the double-sided tape 145, there is no gap between them, and water cannot get in. As the double-sided tape 145, a relatively thick tape may be used in order to tightly fit the cover 140 to the inside of the outer case 112 and prevent water from getting in between the cover 140 and the outer case 112.

[0043] <Sealing member 150> The sealing member 150 is formed by injecting a potting agent into the portion of the accommodation recess 111D on the -Y side of the partition wall 111E, heating it to harden it, and then leaving it to cool to room temperature. In this manner, the door handle device 100 including the sealing member 150 is manufactured.

[0044] That is, the manufacturing method of the door handle device 100 includes a step of forming a sealing member 150 by injecting a potting agent into the portion of the accommodating recess 111D on the -Y direction side of the partition wall 111E, while accommodating a substrate 120 having an unlocking electrode 130A and a cover 140 to which the locking electrode 130B is fixed, in the accommodating recess 111D and hardening the potting agent.

[0045] The height of the upper surface of the sealing member 150 thus formed is equal to or lower than the height of the upper end of the partition wall 111E because the potting material shrinks slightly when hardened and because the upper surface of the potting material is equal to or lower than the height of the upper end of the partition wall 111E after the potting material is injected.

[0046] The sealing member 150 is formed in the portion of the accommodating recess 111D that is surrounded by the bottom wall 111A on the -Y direction side of the partition wall 111E and the side walls 111B on the +X direction side, the -X direction side, and the -Y direction side, and therefore has the shape shown in FIG. 7.

[0047] Furthermore, because the lower end of the cover 140 is in contact with or close to the upper surface and side surface of the substrate 120, the lower end of the cover 140 is sealed by the sealing member 150 while preventing the sealing member 150 from entering the accommodating recess 111D. As shown in FIG. 6 , the cover 140 is accommodated in the accommodating recess 111D up to a certain height from the lower end. However, regarding the sidewall 142 of the cover 140, in the -Z direction where the opening 143 is located, the center of the lower end (center in the X direction) of the sidewall on the +Y direction side is in contact with the upper surface of the substrate 120, and the surfaces of the sidewall on the -Y direction side, the sidewall on the +X direction side, and the sidewall on the -X direction side that face the accommodating recess 111D are in contact with the side surface of the substrate 120. Therefore, even if a potting material is injected, the potting material can be prevented from flowing into the interior of the cover 140. That is, in the manufacturing method of the door handle device 100, when the potting material is injected into the accommodating recess 111D, the potting material does not flow into the interior of the cover 140, and the exterior of the lower end of the cover 140 is sealed together with the substrate 120 by the sealing member 150. The relative dielectric constant of the sealing member 150 made of the potting material is greater than 1. If the sealing member 150 is positioned close to the underside of the lock electrode 130B, the capacitance value due to parasitic capacitance increases accordingly, and the amount of change in capacitance detected by the lock electrode 130B as a person approaches becomes relatively small. To avoid this situation, the potting material is prevented from flowing into the interior of the cover 140.

[0048] Although opening 143 is closed using substrate 120 as a method for preventing sealing member 150 from entering accommodating recess 111D, bottom wall 111A of inner case 111 may be formed with a shape that contacts the lower end surface (surface parallel to the XY plane) of cover 140 in the -Z direction, thereby cooperating with substrate 120 to close opening 143. In this case, when injecting potting material into accommodating recess 111D, the outer surface (upper surface) of upper wall 141 of cover 140 may be pressed from the +Z direction to the -Z direction.

[0049] Furthermore, the potting material may flow into the inside of the cover 140, and even in this case, the lower surface of the lock electrode 130B and the sealing member 150 can be spaced apart via a space, so that the value of the electrostatic capacitance due to parasitic capacitance can be reduced.

[0050] Therefore, even if water seeps into the interior through the joint between inner case 111 and outer case 112, it is possible to prevent the water from seeping into cover 140. As a result, false detection due to water seeping into cover 140 can be prevented.

[0051] <Effects> The door handle device 100 includes a door handle-type door handle case 110 having a substrate 120, an unlock electrode 130A provided on a first surface of the substrate 120 or inside the substrate 120, a lock electrode 130B provided opposite to a second surface of the substrate 120 opposite to the first surface, an inner case 111 having an accommodating recess 111D for accommodating the substrate 120, and an outer case 112 provided to cover an opening 111C of the accommodating recess 111D of the inner case 111, and a cover 111 provided on the second surface of the substrate 120. 40, which has an opening 143 facing the second surface and an accommodating recess 144 that is connected to the opening 143 and is recessed in a direction away from the second surface, and includes a cover 140 in which a locking electrode 130B is provided on the inner end surface of the accommodating recess 144 or in an upper wall 141 of the accommodating recess 144, and a sealing member 150 that is formed by injecting a potting agent into the accommodating recess 111D, which covers and seals the substrate 120 and the unlocking electrode 130A in the accommodating recess 111D and exposes the outer surface of the upper wall 141 of the cover 140.

[0052] Therefore, if the outer surface (top surface) of the upper wall 141 is exposed from the sealing member 150, the sealing member 150 is not positioned above the lock electrode 130B, and the effect on the capacitance detected by the lock electrode 130B is minimized.

[0053] Therefore, it is possible to provide the door handle device 100 that can suppress erroneous detection due to the intrusion of water.

[0054] Furthermore, since the lock electrode 130B is attached to the lower surface (rear end surface) of the upper wall 141, a configuration can be realized in which the sealing member 150 is not positioned above the lock electrode 130B, and the effect on the capacitance detected by the lock electrode 130B can be minimized, thereby providing a door handle device 100 and a manufacturing method for the door handle device 100 that can suppress erroneous detection due to water intrusion.

[0055] Furthermore, the lock electrode 130B is provided at a distance B (a predetermined distance) from the side wall 142 between the opening 143 and the upper wall 141 of the cover 140. The distance B is sufficient so that the capacitance of the lock electrode 130B is not affected even if water accumulates between the side wall 142 of the cover 140 and the side wall 111B of the inner case 111. Therefore, it is possible to provide a door handle device 100 and a manufacturing method for the door handle device 100 that can suppress erroneous detection due to water intrusion around the cover 140. Furthermore, by ensuring a sufficient distance B, the door handle device 100 can be made smaller.

[0056] It is also possible to increase the thickness in the X, Y, and Z directions of the sealing member that covers the lock electrode 130B, substrate 120, and unlock electrode 130A, which require waterproofing, without providing cover 140, and to ensure a sufficient distance between the areas where water may accumulate and the lock electrode or unlock electrode, but this could result in problems such as an increase in size of the door handle device or the occurrence of sink marks, voids, warping, etc. in the sealing member, which could cause unevenness in the sealing member. In contrast, in the door handle device 100 of the embodiment, the sealing member 150 can be made thin, making such problems less likely to occur.

[0057] Furthermore, double-sided tape 145 is further included to adhere the upper surface (outer surface) of upper wall 141 of cover 140 to the inner surface of outer case 112, thereby tightly adhering cover 140 and outer case 112, thereby preventing water from entering between cover 140 and outer case 112. Therefore, it is possible to provide door handle device 100 and a manufacturing method for door handle device 100 that can more effectively prevent false detection due to water intrusion.

[0058] It is also possible to inject a sealing material instead of adhering the cover 140 and outer case 112 with double-sided tape 145, but providing a sealing material at a high position such as between the cover 140 and outer case 112 requires injecting a large amount of potting material, making it difficult to inexpensively manufacture the door handle device 100. In contrast, by adhering the cover 140 and outer case 112 with double-sided tape 145, the door handle device 100 can reduce costs in addition to preventing water penetration.

[0059] Furthermore, since the lock electrode 130B further includes the extension portion 131B that connects the wiring of the substrate 120 with the lock electrode 130B, the lock electrode 130B and the substrate 120 can be reliably connected according to the size of the door handle case 110.

[0060] Furthermore, because the opening 143 side of cover 140 is fixed to substrate 120, cover 140 and substrate 120 can be integrated, making them easy to handle. Note that, when side wall 142 is brought into contact with the upper surface of substrate 120 to close opening 143 with substrate 120, it is possible with a simple configuration to prevent the potting material forming sealing member 150 from flowing into cover 140 through opening 143. Because the interior of cover 140 is a space filled with air, the detection accuracy of lock electrode 130B can be improved.

[0061] The method for manufacturing the door handle device 100 includes a door handle-type door handle case 110 having a substrate 120, an unlock electrode 130A provided on a first surface of the substrate 120 or inside the substrate 120, a lock electrode 130B provided opposite to a second surface of the substrate 120 opposite to the first surface, an inner case 111 having an accommodating recess 111D for accommodating the substrate 120, and an outer case 112 provided to cover an opening of the accommodating recess 111D of the inner case 111, and a cover 140 provided on the second surface of the substrate 120. The method for manufacturing the door handle device 100 includes a cover 140 having an opening facing the second surface and an accommodating recess 144 that is connected to the opening and recessed in a direction away from the second surface, and a locking electrode 130B is provided on the inner end surface of the accommodating recess 144 or in an upper wall 141 of the accommodating recess 144, and includes a step of forming a sealing member 150 that covers and seals the substrate 120 and the unlocking electrode 130A within the accommodating recess 111D and exposes the outer surface of the upper wall 141 of the cover 140 by injecting a potting agent into the accommodating recess 111D.

[0062] Therefore, if the outer surface (top surface) of the upper wall 141 is exposed from the sealing member 150, the sealing member 150 is not positioned above the lock electrode 130B, and the effect on the capacitance detected by the lock electrode 130B is minimized.

[0063] Therefore, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method for the door handle device 100 that can suppress erroneous detection due to water intrusion.

[0064] The above describes an exemplary embodiment of a door handle device and a method for manufacturing a door handle device of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0065] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-190682, filed on November 29, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] Door handle device 100 Door handle case 110 (an example of a handle case) Inner case 111 Bottom wall 111A Side wall 111B Opening 111C (an example of a first opening) Accommodating recess 111D (an example of a first accommodating recess) Bulkhead 111E Outer case 112 Substrate 120 Unlock electrode 130A (an example of a first electrode) Lock electrode 130B (an example of a second electrode) Extension portion 131B (an example of a connection portion) Cover 140 Upper wall 141 (an example of a rear end wall) side wall 142 Opening 143 (an example of a second opening) Accommodating recess 144 (an example of a second accommodating recess) Double-sided tape 145 (an example of a fastening member) Sealing member 150

Claims

1. A substrate; a first electrode provided on a first surface of the substrate or inside the substrate; a second electrode provided opposite to a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface; a door handle-type handle case including an inner case having a first accommodating recess for accommodating the substrate, and an outer case provided to cover a first opening of the first accommodating recess of the inner case; a cover provided on the second surface of the substrate, the cover having a second opening facing the second surface and a second accommodating recess communicating with the second opening and recessed in a direction away from the second surface, the second electrode being provided on a rear end surface of the second accommodating recess or within a rear end wall of the second accommodating recess; a sealing member formed by injecting a potting agent into the first accommodating recess, the sealing member covering and sealing the substrate and the first electrode in the first accommodating recess and exposing an outer surface of the inner end wall of the cover; A door handle device comprising:

2. The door handle device according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is attached to the rear end surface.

3. The door handle device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is provided a predetermined distance away from a side wall between the second opening and the inner end wall of the cover.

4. The door handle device according to claim 1 , further comprising a fastening member for fastening an outer surface of the rear end wall of the cover to an inner surface of the outer case.

5. The door handle device according to claim 1 , further comprising a connection portion that connects the second electrode and a wiring of the substrate.

6. The door handle device according to claim 1 , wherein the cover is fixed to the base plate at a side of the second opening.

7. A substrate; a first electrode provided on a first surface of the substrate or inside the substrate; a second electrode provided opposite to a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface; a door handle-type handle case including an inner case having a first accommodating recess for accommodating the substrate, and an outer case provided to cover an opening of the first accommodating recess of the inner case; a cover provided on the second surface of the substrate, the cover having an opening facing the second surface and a second accommodating recess communicating with the opening and recessed in a direction away from the second surface, the second electrode being provided on a rear end surface of the second accommodating recess or within a rear end wall of the second accommodating recess; A method for manufacturing a door handle device, comprising: A method for manufacturing a door handle device, comprising a step of forming a sealing member that covers and seals the substrate and the first electrode within the first accommodating recess and exposes the outer surface of the rear end wall of the cover by injecting a potting agent into the first accommodating recess.

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