Plastic Carrier Capacitive Sensor for Vehicle Flap Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor units for contactless actuation of vehicle flaps are prone to damage from external environmental influences such as water and stone chipping, leading to operational failures due to insufficient protection.
Innovation Solution
A sensor unit with a capacitive sensor element and a carrier element made partially of plastic, where the wire is arranged and fixed in sections without a material connection, providing protection against environmental factors and allowing for flexible adaptation to various vehicle configurations, with a capacitive coupling element enhancing measurement accuracy and robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wide electrodes are used to optimize sensor field and improve measurement result, then measurement precision is improved, but susceptibility to external environmental influences (water, stone chips) increases
Solution Approach 1:
A carrier element made of plastic is introduced as an intermediary between the wire and the environment. This carrier element protects the wire from direct exposure to harmful factors like water and stone chips, while still allowing the sensor field to function effectively for detection purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic carrier element acts as a protective shell that encases or supports the wire. This shell provides mechanical protection against environmental damage while maintaining the electrical and capacitive functionality of the sensor element.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are placed in critical areas exposed to elements for optimal detection, then detection capability is improved, but reliability decreases due to damage from water and stone chips
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic carrier element serves as a protective intermediary that allows the sensor to be positioned in critical detection areas while shielding it from environmental damage. This enables the sensor to maintain both high detection capability and operational reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire is pre-protected by the plastic carrier element before exposure to environmental factors. This beforehand protection prevents damage from water, ice, and stone chips, ensuring the sensor remains operational in harsh conditions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the carrier element fully supports the wire for maximum protection, then protection against environmental factors is improved, but adaptability to various vehicle configurations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier element is designed with sectioned or modular characteristics, allowing it to be configured in different ways for various vehicle applications. This segmentation enables the sensor unit to adapt to different vehicle geometries and configurations while maintaining adequate protection through selective support sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier element provides dynamic support to the wire, with sections that can be positioned or configured to match different vehicle geometries. This allows the protection level to be maintained while adapting to various installation scenarios and vehicle types.
4Reliability
If the wire is completely enclosed by the support element for maximum protection, then reliability is improved, but measurement precision may deteriorate due to interference with sensor field
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier element provides localized protection rather than complete enclosure. Different sections of the wire receive different levels of support and protection, allowing the sensor field to remain exposed where needed for accurate detection while protecting vulnerable sections from environmental damage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures the sensor unit's reliability and durability in harsh environments, maintaining operational effectiveness while being adaptable to different vehicle types and configurations, with improved measurement accuracy and reduced production costs.
Implementation Method 1
capacitive sensors are used as proximity sensors in the corresponding sensor unit, which expediently have a wide electrode. Wide electrodes have the advantage that the sensor field is optimally designed to detect the approach of an object, particularly a user's leg, through a capacitive change at the sensor.
Implementation Method 2
Plastic offers the advantage of being particularly resistant to external environmental influences such as water, UV radiation, heat, and the like.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1
Figure 2~2b
Figure 3~4b
AI summary
The invention relates to a sensor unit (10) for contactless actuation of an actuating element (102), in particular a flap (101) or the like of a vehicle (100), with at least one capacitive sensor element (11, 12), the sensor element (11, 12) has a wire (13) which is arranged on a carrier element (14). It is provided according to the invention that the carrier element (14) at least partially comprises plastic. The invention is also directed to a safety system (110) for opening and/or closing a flap (101) of a vehicle (100) or the like, in particular without contact, with at least one sensor unit (10) according to the invention. The invention also relates to a method for producing a sensor unit (10) according to the invention.