Abstract:
The invention relates to a closing system comprising handles ( 20 ) for operating latches that are inoperative when in a locked position, and only enable the latch to open when the latch is in an unlocked position. In conjunction with an access authorization device, the approaching of a hand to the handle ( 20 ) can be sensed in advance by a capacitive sensor thus enabling a very early reversing of the latch into the respectively desired position. To this end, two electrodes ( 51, 52 ) are integrated inside the handle ( 20 ), and a shielding ( 53 ) is located between these electrodes. One electrode ( 51 ) generates an inner field ( 50 ) between the handle ( 20 ) and the vehicle ( 10 ) and, with the vehicle body, acts as a capacitive inner sensor. The other electrode ( 52 ),however, generates an outer field ( 60 ) with regard to the surrounding area of the vehicle. When, during normal use of the handle ( 20 ), the hand passes into the area of the inner field ( 50 ), a first function in the latch or vehicle is carried out. In contrast, when the hand is brought towards the handle ( 20 ) from the outside, the dielectric properties in the outer field ( 60 ) are altered thereby leading to a second function in the latch or vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention pertains to a lock system which comprises an access authorization device, which consists of a stationary part in the vehicle and a mobile part carried by the authorized person. A specific function in the lock or in the vehicle is triggered upon the initiation and successful completion of a data exchange between the mobile part and the stationary part. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     It is known that a capacitative sensor in the handle can be used to initiate this data exchange (DE 196 17 038 C2). This sensor creates a uniform field in the area of the handle and responds when a human hand approaches the field. Then the previously mentioned data exchange begins; and, upon completion of this exchange, the function by which the lock is switched to its release position is triggered. This lock system offers the advantage that the lock is switched to its release position even before the handle is actuated. This means that the door can be opened quickly. A push button, which must be actuated to switch the lock back into its locking position, is mounted on the outside of the handle. An additional manual operation is thus required, which is burdensome. The vehicle owner must learn how to perform this additional operation. The switching of the lock in the one direction via the capacitative sensor and in the other direction via the pus button requires the use of two different systems, which must be coordinated with each other. In addition, each of the two systems requires its own system-specific components. This occupies space in the area of the handle, space which is already in short supply. 
     It is already known (DE 100 51 055 A1) that two electrodes for two capacitative sensors can be installed in the handle with shielding between them. The two electrodes generate two spatially separate electric fields. The one electrode generates an inner field in the intermediate space between the handle and the vehicle. When a human hand arrives in the area of this inner field, the lock is switched to its release position. The other electrode generates an outer field between the handle and the area surrounding the vehicle. When the authorized person, i.e., the person who is carrying the mobile part belonging to the vehicle, arrives within a defined minimum distance from the handle, the lock is switched to its locking position. In one case, the two electrodes are mounted on the same side of a common circuit board, offset from each other in the vertical direction. This means that a large amount of space is required to install the electrodes in the handle. In another case, the two electrodes are realized on a multilayer circuit board. The production of such multilayer circuit boards, however, is expensive and time-consuming. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is based on the task of developing a reliable lock system of the type cited above which is compact and which can be produced easily and inexpensively 
     According to the invention, three circuit board parts with conductive traces are provided which are connected to each other by film hinges. The inner electrode is mounted on the first circuit board part, the outer electrode is mounted on the second circuit board part, and the shielding is mounted on the third circuit board part. The three circuit board parts can be converted from a large, flat, spread-out condition, allowing the production of the two electrodes and the shielding, to a compact, collapsed condition by folding them together into a three-layer folded product. The finished folded product forms a unit which is integrated as a single structural unit into the handle. 
     The hinges make it possible to produce the individual circuit board parts easily, because they are in the flat, spread-out position during the production process. In this phase, the circuit board parts extend over a large area, as a result of which the two electrodes and the shielding can be produced without interference from each other. These components can therefore be manufactured inexpensively and conveniently. For use in the handle, however, the circuit board parts are folded over onto each other and thus made into a compact, collapsed unit. A folded-up, three-layer product with a small base surface is obtained. The space-saving, compact folded product thus obtained can be easily installed in the limited space available in the interior of the handle. The design also allows fast and easy installation. 
     It is especially advantageous for the circuit board parts of the folded product to be designed as a one-piece unit in the form of three adjacent sections of a single overall board. These three sections are separated from each other by film hinges. Then at least one conductive trace can cross the area of the film hinge and thus connect two or all three of the adjacent sections of the folded product electrically together. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       In the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic plan view of a vehicle, into which an inventive lock system has been integrated; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of a handle belonging to a door of the vehicle of  FIG. 1  before a preassembled structural unit, also shown in perspective, is installed in it; 
         FIG. 3  is, on a magnified scale, a cross section through part of the door shown in  FIG. 1 , along the cross-sectional line III-III indicated in that figure, where only the components lying in the cross-sectional plane are illustrated; 
         FIG. 4  shows the structural unit, which is still outside the handle in  FIG. 2 , in a previous stage of fabrication, namely, a plan view of a preliminary product, where three circuit board parts connected to each other in a hinge-like manner are in their flat, spread-out state; 
         FIG. 5  shows a fabrication stage following that of  FIG. 4 , namely, a plan view of the finished product, which is obtained by folding the preliminary product of  FIG. 4  into a compact unit in which the circuit board parts are folded onto each other; 
         FIG. 6  shows, on a magnified scale, a cross section through the structural unit along the cross-sectional line VI-VI of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  shows, on a magnified scale, a plan view of the edge area of the unfolded structural unit indicated at VII in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  shows a longitudinal cross section through the preliminary product of  FIG. 7  along the cross-sectional line VIII-VIII in that figure; and 
         FIG. 9 , also on a magnified scale, shows a partial cross section through the finished structural unit of  FIG. 5  along the cross-sectional line IX-IX in that figure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The lock system according to the invention not only saves a great deal of space but also makes it possible for the authorized user to gain access to the vehicle  10  in an especially quick and convenient manner while also reliably preventing unauthorized third parties from doing the same. In the exemplary embodiment shown, access to the vehicle is possible through two doors  11 ,  12 , through a hatch  13 , and through a hood  14 . All these movable parts  11 - 14  are held in their locked positions on the body by the same or different locks  15 . The locks can be switched jointly between their locking positions and their release positions by means of a known central control unit. It is sufficient to explain this in greater detail on the basis of one of the handles  20 , belonging to one of the doors  11 . 
     As  FIG. 2  shows, the handle can have a two-part design, consisting, for example, of a base shell  21  and a cover shell  22 , between which a space  23  is present to hold a separate electrical component  30 . In the present case, the handle  20  is designed as a so-called “pull” handle, which has a pivot bearing  25  at one end and a shaft  26  at the other end, the shaft acting via intermediate elements on the associated lock  15  in the door  11 . The handle  20  is advisably located near a grip well  16  in the outer panel of the door  11 , so that an intermediate space  17  is created there between the handle  20  and the outer door panel of the vehicle  10 . 
       FIG. 4  shows, the preliminary fabrication stage  30 ′ of the structural unit  30 , in which the unit is in the flat initial state, whereas  FIG. 5  shows the finished state. This unit comprises a flexible leaf  35 , functioning as the overall circuit board, on the flat side  36  of which, as can be see in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , three conductive areas  41 ,  42 ,  43  and three conductive traces  44 ,  45 ,  46  are located. Two linear film hinges  37 ,  38 , which are parallel to each other, extend down the length of the leaf  35 ; these hinges divide the overall circuit board into three strip-like sections  31 ,  32 ,  33 . The hinges  37 ,  38  make it possible for the individual sections  31 ,  32 ,  33  to be folded over twice  19 ,  29  to form a three-layer folded product  40 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The finished folded product  40  can be held together by snap connectors  27 ,  28 . In the present case, the two cooperating halves of these connectors consist of a flexible hook  27 , which forms a single unit with the overall circuit board, and a hole  28  in the leaf  35 . After the folding operations  19 ,  29 , the hook  27  passes through the hole  28  and automatically grips the outer edge area of the hole  28 . Several of these snap connectors  27 ,  28  are distributed along the longitudinal edges of the sections  32 ,  33 . 
     As can be seen from the flat preliminary product  30 ′, there is also a fourth section  34 . This section is designed as an extension of the third section  33  and is therefore outside the actual folded zone characterized by the number  39 . This fourth section  34  is formed from the same leaf material  35  and also has conductive traces  47 . The difference, however, is that various electrical components  48 , which are part of a complex control system for the inventive lock, are mounted on this extension and are connected to the conductive traces  47 . The previously mentioned conductive traces  44 ,  45 ,  46 , which lead to the various conductive areas  41 ,  42 ,  43 , therefore proceed from the electrical components  48  mounted on the extended section  34 . It is worth mentioning that the conductive traces  44 ,  45  leading to the neighboring sections  31 ,  32  continue without interruption across the area of the film hinges  37 ,  38  and therefore ensure contact between the conductive surfaces  42 ,  41  present there and the corresponding components  48  on the extension  34 . As can be seen at  49 , the three conductive areas  41 ,  42 ,  43  are each formed by intersecting conductive traces, which form a grid  49  on each of the sections  31 ,  32 ,  33 . The conductive traces can cover the entire surface and can have any desired geometry. 
     Each of the conductive areas  41 - 43  has a different function to fulfill. After the finished unit  30  has been installed in the handle  20  and connected to the required components in the vehicle  10 , these areas form the electrodes  51 ,  52  of two capacitative sensors  61 ,  62 , each with its own manner of operation, as will be explained in greater detail on the basis of  FIGS. 3 and 6 . The electrical cable  58  projecting from the unit  30  in  FIGS. 2 and 5  and the contact parts  59  are used for this purpose. The one electrode  51  produces a first electrical field  50  according to  FIG. 3  extending toward the body of the vehicle  10 ; this field is created in the previously mentioned intermediate space  17  between the handle  20  and the well  16 . This field  50 , as previously mentioned, will therefore be called in brief the “inner field”, and this electrode  51  will be called the “inner electrode”. This inner electrode  51  is shielded from the other electrode  52  by a third conductive surface  43 , which is grounded, and which, in the folded state  40  of  FIG. 6 , is located between the other two electrodes. The third surface therefore functions as the shielding  53 . 
     When voltage is applied, the other electrode  52  generates a second electrical field  60 , according to  FIG. 3 , directed toward the outer environment of the vehicle. Because this field  60 , from the perspective of the handle  20 , is directed outward, it will be called the “outer field”, as previously mentioned. It is independent of the inner field  50 . The electrode  62  used to generate this outer field  60  will therefore be called correspondingly the “outer electrode”. The way in which the inner and outer fields  50 ,  60  work can be explained best on the basis of the schematic diagram of  FIG. 1 . 
     There is in the vehicle  10  at least one control unit  55 , which is fed by a power source such as the vehicle&#39;s battery  54 . The control unit  55  is connected via control lines  56  and supply lines  57  to the previously mentioned electrical cable  58  of the unit  30 . The inventive lock system also comprises an electronic access authorization system, which includes a stationary part, installed permanently in the vehicle. Some of the components of the stationary part are integrated into the control unit  55 . The rest of the stationary part consists of one or more transmitting and receiving units  63 , which are installed at various suitable points in the vehicle. 
     The mobile part  64 , in the form of a “check card” as indicated schematically in  FIG. 1 , is carried by the authorized person. Transmitting and receiving units, a memory circuit, power sources, and control components (not shown) are integrated into this card in a manner known in and of itself. When the authorized person comes within a certain suitable distance of the vehicle  10 , the stationary part  55  can initiate a mono- or multi-directional data exchange  65  by electromagnetic means with the mobile part  64  of the access authorization device. The inner field  50  and the outer field  60  are generated at the handle  20  by this time at the latest. When the authorized person now puts his/her hand behind the handle  20  of  FIG. 3 , the inner electrical field  50  present there is altered. This is detected by the associated first sensor  61 , which then switches the lock  15  and, in the case of a central control unit, additional locks or all of the locks of the vehicle  10  to their release position. The lock  15  has already been unlocked by the time the authorized person has gripped the handle  20 . Since the door  11  or  12  has now been released, pulling the handle  20  outward has the effect of opening the door. Because the function of this first, lock-releasing sensor  61  is to switch the lock  16  the position in which the door can be opened, it will be called the “opening sensor,” in the following. 
     When the authorized person leaves the vehicle  10 , he or she can, if in possession of the mobile part  64 , cause the locks  15  to lock themselves automatically. To close the opened door, the hand will approach the handle  20  from the outside and thus arrive in the area of the outer field  60 . The inward-moving hand causes a change in the capacitance, which is detected by the second capacitative sensor  62 . In this case, the control unit will switch the lock  15  or all of the locks into their locking position. After the authorized person carrying the mobile part  64  has left the vehicle  10  and shut the doors  11 ,  12 , he/she can thus lock them so that they cannot be opened by unauthorized persons. The second sensor  62 , which is operating in this case, can therefore be called in an analogous manner the “locking sensor”. 
     It would also be possible for the control system to generate the inner field  50  and the outer field  60  only in an alternating manner. When, for example, the lock  15  is in its locking position, there is no need for the outer field  60 . It is sufficient for the system to generate only the inner field  50  and for only the opening sensor  61  to be active. When, in contrast, the lock  15  is in its release position, there is no need for the inner field  50 . It is then sufficient for the system to generate only the outer field  60  and for only the locking sensor  62  to be in operation. 
     If the technique of generating the two fields  50 ,  60  in alternation as described above is used, there is also no longer any need for the intermediate shielding  53 . In this case, it would then be sufficient for the folded product  30  to have only two layers; that is, the third section  33  could be omitted. The previously described extension section  34  would then be positioned on one of the two remaining sections  31 ,  32 . The inner field  50  could then extend over certain areas of the outer field  60  and vice versa. 
     If the handle  20  does not consist of two components  21 ,  22 , which are made separately and then attached to each other, but rather of a single unit with one or more components made by means of the injection molding process, for example, then the unit  30  can be introduced as an insert into the empty injection mold and surrounded on all sides by the molding compound. Only the electrical cable  58  and the contact parts  59  would project to the outside. 
     Finally, it would also be possible to integrate the transmitting and receiving units  63  belonging to the stationary part of the access authorization device into the handle as well. They could then also be a component of the previously described unit  30 . 
     The flexible leaf  35  for making the previously described folded product  40  and the unit  30  also obviously makes the finished unit  30  flexible. If the handle  20  has the curvature  66  in the mounting area  23  indicated in  FIG. 2  in dash-dot line by way of example, then, when the unit  30  is laid in place, it can be bent in the direction of the arrows  67  of  FIG. 2  without impairment to its function. Because the folded unit  30  is very thin and is made of flexible plastic, it can be conveniently bent  67 . As a result of this flexibility, the unit  30  can be adapted to handles of any profile  66  and can extend over much of the length of the handle  20 . This promotes the generation of large and effective inner and outer fields  50 ,  60  and allows optimal utilization of the space available in the handle  20 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
           10  vehicle 
           11  first door of  10   
           12  second door of  10   
           13  hatch of  10   
           14  hood of  10   
           15  lock at  11  or  12   
           16  well at  20   
           17  intermediate space 
           19  first fold, folding movement 
           20  handle 
           21  base shell of  20   
           22  cover shell of  20   
           23  mounting space in  20   
           25  pivot bearing of  20   
           26  shaft, working element on  20   
           27  first half of a snap connection, hook 
           28  second half of a snap connection, hole 
           29  second fold, folding movement 
           30  electrical unit 
           30 ′ flat preliminary product of  30   
           31  first section of  35   
           32  second section of  35   
           33  third section of  35   
           34  extension of  33 , fourth section of  35   
           35  overall circuit board, flexible leaf 
           36  a flat side of  35   
           37  first film hinge between  31  and  32   
           38  second film hinge between  31  and  33   
           39  fold zone of  30 ,  30 ′ ( FIGS. 4 ,  5 ) 
           40  folded product ( FIGS. 5 ,  6 ) 
           41  first conductive area, on  31   
           42  second conductive area, on  32   
           43  third conductive area, on  33   
           44  second conductive trace, on  33 ,  32 ,  31   
           45  first conductive trace on  33 ,  31   
           46  third conductive trace, on  33   
           47  conductive trace on  34   
           48  electrical component on  34   
           49  intersection conductive traces, grid on  41 - 43   
           50  first electrical field, inner field ( FIG. 3 ) 
           51  first electrode, inner electrode, produced by  41   
           52  second electrode, outer electrode, produced by  42   
           53  shielding, produced by  43   
           54  power source, vehicle battery 
           55  control unit, stationary part of the access authorization device ( FIG. 1 ) 
           56  electrical control line of  55   
           57  electrical supply line of  55   
           58  electrical cable projecting from  30  ( FIGS. 2 ,  5 ) 
           59  electrical contact part on  58  ( FIGS. 2 ,  5 ) 
           60  second electrical field, outer field ( FIG. 3 ) 
           61  first capacitative sensor, opening sensor 
           62  second capacitative sensor, locking sensor 
           63  transmitting and receiving unit of the stationary part of the access authorization system 
           64  mobile part of the access authorization system, check card 
           65  data exchange between  63  and  64  ( FIG. 1 ) 
           66  curvature of  20  ( FIG. 2 ) 
           67  bending movement of  30  ( FIG. 2 )