Patent ID: 7162928

Claim:
An anti-entrapment system for preventing objects from being entrapped by a translating device, the system comprising: a capacitance sensor positioned adjacent to a translating device, the capacitance sensor having first and second conductors separated by a separation distance and a compressible dielectric element interposed between the conductors, the conductors having a capacitance dependent upon the separation distance; wherein the capacitance of the conductors changes in response to a geometry of the capacitance sensor changing as a result of at least one of the conductors and the dielectric element deforming in response to a first object touching the capacitance sensor; wherein the capacitance of the conductors changes in response to a second conductive object coming into proximity with at least one of the conductors; wherein one of the conductors is wider than the other conductor and one of the conductors is electrically grounded and an electric potential is applied to the other conductor such that the capacitance sensor has a directional proximity sensitivity to conductive objects.