# US 10,369,968 B2 · Capacitive sensor arrangement of a motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,968 B2 - Document ID: US10369968B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/026,123 - Filed: 2014-09-26 - Published: 2016-08-18 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-01 - Assignees: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt - Applicants: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt - Inventors: Renee Dietzel; Stefan Wild - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369968B2 ## CPC - B60R 25/31: of human presence inside or outside the vehicle - B60R 16/0215: {Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor} - B60R 25/2054: {by foot gestures} - G01V 3/08: operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12) - E05F 15/73: responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects - E05Y 2400/852: Sensors - E05Y 2400/858: by body parts, e.g. by feet - E05Y 2900/546: Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards - H03K 2217/96078: Sensor being a wire or a strip, e.g. used in automobile door handles or bumpers - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract The invention relates to a capacitive sensor arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising an elongate, flat measuring electrode and at least one fastening element for fastening the measuring electrode on a support component. It is provided that the fastening element has a retaining tongue, which can be elastically deflected out of a rest position, and the uninstalled measuring electrode can be slid, for the fastening thereof, underneath the retaining tongue via a flat side in an installation motion, which elastically deflects the retaining tongue. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A capacitive sensor arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising: an elongate, flat measuring electrode, a locking element, and at least two fastening elements for fastening the measuring electrode on a support component, wherein at least one of the fastening elements has a retaining tongue, which can be elastically deflected out of a rest position, and the uninstalled measuring electrode can be slid, for the fastening thereof, underneath the retaining tongue via a flat side in an installation motion, which elastically deflects the retaining tongue, wherein the installation motion is oriented transversely to the local longitudinal extension of the measuring electrode and parallel to a flat side of the measuring electrode, wherein the locking element is engaged with the installed measuring electrode in an interlocking or force-locked manner for locking the installed measuring electrode with respect to a motion parallel to a flat side of the measuring electrode, wherein the at least two fastening elements are disposed along the measuring electrode, wherein the measuring electrode, along its longitudinal extension, has multiple locking recesses, each of which is assigned to a locking element of a fastening element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining tongue of the fastening element has a longitudinal extension, and the longitudinal extension of the retaining tongue is oriented essentially transversely to the local longitudinal extension of the measuring electrode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining tongue of the fastening element has at least one installation bevel, which engages with the measuring electrode during the installation motion and thereby induces a deflection of the retaining tongue. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring electrode enters into locking engagement with the locking element in the course of the installation motion snaps into locking engagement with the locking element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein, with the measuring electrode installed, the retaining tongue blocks a loosening motion of the measuring electrode out of the locking engagement with the locking element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking element is disposed on the retaining tongue of the fastening element, or the locking element is fixedly disposed with respect to the retaining tongue, or the locking element is disposed on the measuring electrode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring electrode can be locked, by means of the locking element, exclusively in a direction transversely to the local longitudinal extension of the measuring electrode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the locking element provides an installation bevel of the retaining tongue, and/or the locking element has a hook-like form such that a motion of the installed measuring electrode opposite the installation motion generates a force onto the retaining tongue in the direction of the rest position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the measuring electrode is installed, the retaining tongue of the fastening element is at least slightly elastically deflected and the elastic restoring force acts on the measuring electrode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening element has a retaining frame, within which the retaining tongue is disposed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A sensor module comprising a support component and a capacitive sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the measuring electrode of the sensor arrangement is fastened on the support component via the at least one fastening element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sensor module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the fastening element is connected to the support component as a single piece. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method for installing the measuring electrode of a capacitive sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two fastening elements are provided, and wherein the measuring electrode is slid, for the fastening thereof, underneath the retaining tongues of the fastening elements via a flat side in a single installation motion, which elastically deflects the retaining tongues. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the measuring electrode is slid, for the fastening thereof, underneath the retaining tongues of at least two fastening elements essentially simultaneously, which elastically deflects the retaining tongues. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the deflection of the retaining tongue is a bending of the retaining tongue about a bend axis, which is oriented essentially transversely to the longitudinal extension of the retaining tongue. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the installation bevel is disposed on the free end of the retaining tongue. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The sensor module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the fastening element is connected to a wall element of the support component as a single piece. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The sensor module as claimed in claim 17, wherein the fastening element extends essentially parallel to a wall plane of the wall element.