VEHICLE PART FOR THE EXTERIOR AREA OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A motor vehicle has a vehicle part that is designed and configured to be mounted in the exterior area of the motor vehicle. The vehicle part includes at least one sensor electrode of a capacitive proximity sensor. The at least one sensor electrode is disposed on a visible side of the vehicle part. The vehicle part is an underrun guard formed from sheet metal.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A vehicle part for the exterior of a motor vehicle, the vehicle part comprising: at least one sensor electrode of a capacitive proximity sensor, said at least one sensor electrode being disposed on a visible side of the vehicle part; a sensor holder accommodating said at least one sensor electrode, said sensor holder being disposed on a visible surface of the vehicle part; and the vehicle part forming an underrun guard made of metal.

10. The vehicle part according to claim 9, wherein said at least one sensor electrode is one of two sensor electrodes of the proximity sensor, said sensor electrodes having an oblong form with a length being a multiple of a width thereof and said sensor electrodes extending parallel to one another.

11. The vehicle part according to claim 10, wherein each of said two sensor electrodes is accommodated in a respective said sensor holder.

12. The vehicle part according to claim 11, wherein each said sensor holder is made of a soft plastic.

13. The vehicle part according to claim 12, wherein said soft plastic is an elastomer.

14. The vehicle part according to claim 9, wherein said sensor holder is made of soft plastic being an elastomer.

15. The vehicle part according to claim 9, wherein the underrun guard of metal is a rear underrun guard.

16. A motor vehicle, comprising a vehicle part according to claim 7.

17. An underrun guard assembly of a motor vehicle, the assembly comprising: an underrun guard formed of metal, said underrun guard having an exposed side, upon being mounted on the motor vehicle, with a visible surface; a sensor holder disposed on the visible surface of said underrun guard; at least one sensor electrode of a capacitive proximity sensor, said at least one sensor electrode being disposed in said sensor holder on the visible surface and being electrically insulated from said underrun guard.

18. The assembly according to claim 17, wherein said at least one sensor electrode is one of two sensor electrodes of the proximity sensor, said sensor electrodes having an oblong form with a length being a multiple of a width thereof, said sensor electrodes extending parallel to one another, and each being disposed in a separate said sensor holder (8).

Description

[0019] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail below using a drawing. In the figures.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows the rear of a motor vehicle with a vehicle part supporting the two sensor electrodes in a schematic representation,

[0021] FIG. 2 shows the vehicle part with the sensor electrodes in a schematic section II-II according to FIG. 1, and

[0022] FIGS. 3 and 4 show in a view according to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 an alternative exemplary embodiment of the vehicle part.

[0023] Mutually corresponding parts are always given the same reference characters in all figures.

[0024] In FIG. 1a (motor) vehicle 1 is represented in a view of the rear thereof. The vehicle 1 is a SUV. A trunk disposed in the interior of the vehicle 1 can be reversibly closed by a vehicle door (here the trunk lid 2). The trunk lid 2 can be automatically adjusted between a (not shown in detail) open position and a closed position that is shown in FIG. 1. For this the vehicle 1 comprises an actuating device with a (flap) actuating motor 3, which is implemented as a spindle motor and that is hinged in the region of the trunk lid 2 hinges. The actuating device comprises a control unit 4, by means of which the actuating motor 3 is actuated during operation.

[0025] The control unit 4 is arranged and provided to contactlessly detect a tail gate control command of a vehicle user and thereupon to open or close the trunk lid 2. For this purpose, a capacitive proximity sensor is integrated within the control unit 4, by means of which an approach by the vehicle user to the vehicle 1 is detected and a movement is detected from the time profile of the approach. The detected movement, specifically the measurement signal corresponding to the same, is compared with a stored reference signal by the control unit 4. If there is sufficient agreement, the control unit 4 assesses the detected movement as a flap control command and then adjusts the trunk lid 2. For detecting the displacement, the proximity sensor or the control unit 4 has a signal transfer coupling to two sensor electrodes 5 by means of respective signal lines 6. Whether the vehicle user is authorized to adjust the trunk lid 2 is determined by whether a (authorization) signal of a radio key associated with the vehicle 1 is received by a corresponding on-board system of the vehicle 1.

[0026] The two sensor electrodes 5 are fitted to the vehicle 1 as part of a vehicle part, specifically of an underrun guard 7. The underrun guard 7 is made of metal (sheet). In order to avoid influencing, in particular grounding, the sensor electrodes 5 by the underrun guard 7, the two sensor electrodes 5 are incorporated in a sensor holder 8 that is made of an elastomer so as to be electrically isolated (i.e. molded with the elastomer). Furthermore, in order to prevent shielding by the underrun guard 7 of the electrical measurement field that is radiated by the sensor electrodes 5 during operation, the sensor electrodes 5 with the respective sensor holder 8 thereof are mounted on an outward-facing visible surface 9 of the underrun guard 7 (see FIG. 2). The respective measurement field can thereby propagate unhindered to the exterior of the underrun guard 7 or of the vehicle 1. Moreover, bores 10 are incorporated in the underrun guard 7, in which the sensor holders 8 are held by positive locking and through which the signal lines 6 are led to the rear side 11 the underrun guard 7. Further, the sensor holders 8 form rubber beads that are parallel to each other, that extend in the lateral direction of the vehicle and that indicate to the vehicle user the position of the sensor electrodes 5, so that issuing the flap positioning command is facilitated. In addition, the rubber beads also contribute to the sporty, bulky appearance of the SUV.

[0027] In an alternative exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the vehicle part supporting the sensor electrodes 5 is implemented as a (rear) bumper 12. In this case, the sensor electrodes 5 are embedded flush in the visual surface 9. The sensor electrodes 5 are hereby injected into a supporting material 13, which in turn is inserted into the bumper 12 in complementary depressions 14. The supporting material 13 is colored differently than the bumper 12, so that the position of the sensor electrodes 5 can be simply detected. In this embodiment, the bumper 12 can also comprise metal components (for example stiffening structures), without adversely affecting the measurement field of the sensor electrodes 5) that is directed towards the exterior.

[0028] In both exemplary embodiments, the sensor electrodes 5 are optionally oriented differently. Thus, in particular the lower of the two sensor electrodes 5 is preferably oriented downwards, so that it detects approaches and operating events in a detection space disposed beneath the underrun guard 7 or bumper 12. The upper of the two sensor electrodes 5 is by contrast preferably at least approximately oriented horizontally, so that it detects approaches and operating events at about the same height as said sensor electrode 5.

[0029] In a further implementation of the invention, the sensor electrodes 5 are disposed together with the surrounding sensor holder 8 or supporting material 13 in oblong slots of the underrun guard 7 or bumper 12. The sensor holder 8 and the supporting material l3 are hereby broadened on the rear side of the underrun guard 7 or bumper 12 (which is not externally visible), so that the sensor holders 8 or the supporting material 13 are secured against detachment by undercutting the underrun guard 7 or bumper 12. The slots introduced into the underrun guard 7 or bumper 12 can hereby be widened in steps or continuously, in particular on the rear side, to accommodate the undercut.

[0030] The object of the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Rather, further embodiments of the invention can be derived by the person skilled in the art from the description above. In particular, individual features of the invention and the configuration variants thereof that were described using the various exemplary embodiments can also be combined with each other in different ways.

[0031] Reference Character List

[0032] 1 Motor vehicle

[0033] 2 Tail gate

[0034] 3 Flap positioning motor

[0035] 4 Control unit

[0036] 5 Sensor electrode

[0037] 6 Signal line

[0038] 7 Underrun guard

[0039] 8 Sensor mounting

[0040] 9 Visible surface

[0041] 10 Bore

[0042] 11 Rear side

[0043] 12 Rear bumper

[0044] 13 Supporting material

[0045] 14 Depression