Patent ID: 8248205

Claim:
External door handle, for a door of a motor vehicle, comprising: a stationary bracket ( 10 ) attached to an interior ( 11 ) of the door; a grip ( 20 ) arranged on an exterior of the door, the grip being movable so as to act on a lock and serves to open and/or close the door when actuated; wherein the lock can be switched between a locked and an unlocked position, wherein an actuation ( 24 ) of the grip ( 20 ) is nonfunctional in the locked position and functional in the unlocked position; and at least one capacitive sensor on the door handle, which on an outer region of the door has active outer electrode ( 37 ; 47 ; 52 ; 67 ) and serves for locking and unlocking the lock; wherein the outer electrode ( 37 ; 67 ) is arranged in the movable grip ( 20 ) and/or on a cover part ( 25 ) of the door handle arranged adjacent ( 22 ) to the grip ( 20 ) and senses the approach of or contact by an authorized person; and wherein the authorized person carries with him means of identification for activating the capacitive sensor; an electronic sensor circuit ( 28 , 38 ) arranged on the stationary bracket ( 10 ) and active after identification of the authorized person; at least one first, fixed inner electrode ( 35 ; 45 ; 55 ; 59 ) in the interior ( 11 ) of the door and connected with the electronic sensor circuit ( 28 , 38 ) in the bracket ( 10 ) by an electrical line ( 44 ; 48 ; 54 ); a second inner electrode ( 36 ; 46 ; 56 ) arranged in the interior ( 11 ) of the door cooperatively spaced to form a gap ( 39 ) with the first inner electrode ( 35 ; 45 ; 55 ; 59 ), the first inner electrode proximate to or on the second inner electrode coupled to the grip ( 20 ) and the second inner electrode movable with the grip ( 20 ) or the second inner electrode resting on the adjacent cover part ( 25 ), the adjacent cover part proximate to the first inner electrode; wherein the second inner electrode ( 36 ; 46 ; 56 ) is connected to the outer electrode ( 37 ; 47 ; 52 ; 67 ) by an electrical line ( 34 ; 49 ; 60 ); wherein the gap ( 39 ) simultaneously forms a separation between the electronic sensor circuit ( 28 , 38 ) on the bracket ( 10 ) and the movable grip ( 20 ) or the adjacent cover part ( 25 ); and wherein, at least in a rest position of the grip ( 20 ), an inner electrical coupling field ( 50 . 1 ; 50 . 2 ; 50 . 3 ; 50 . 4 ) is generated in the gap ( 39 ) between both inner electrodes ( 35 ; 45 ; 55 ) ( 36 ; 46 ; 56 ), which activates the outer electrode ( 37 ; 47 ; 52 ; 67 ) on an outer region of the door as a capacitive sensor.