Capacitive Touch Sensor Assembly for Vehicle Control Panels

The patent replaces conventional mechanical components (spring and lever mechanisms) with a capacitive touch sensor system that uses electrical fields to detect touch and provide feedback. The capacitive sensor array detects changes in capacitance when a user touches the surface, eliminating the need for mechanical springs, levers, and associated moving parts while maintaining tactile feedback functionality.

The patent eliminates precision mechanical components like pivot races and pivot shafts by substituting them with a capacitive touch sensor system. The sensor array uses printed circuit board technology with conductive traces that detect touch through capacitance changes, requiring no narrow tolerances or highly polished surfaces, thereby dramatically simplifying manufacturing while maintaining detection precision.

The patent divides the touch sensing surface into discrete sensor elements arranged in an array, where each element is electrically isolated from its neighbors through the substrate material. This segmentation allows multiple sensors to function simultaneously without cross-talk, as each sensor independently measures capacitance changes in its specific region, enabling versatile multi-point touch detection while maintaining operational accuracy.

The patent employs a flexible printed circuit board substrate that can be conformally mounted to various surfaces, providing a thin-film solution that maintains compact installation while protecting the capacitive sensor array from environmental factors. The flexible substrate allows the sensor system to adapt to different form factors and provides environmental protection, enabling reliable operation in harsh conditions such as moisture, temperature extremes, and vibration.