Sensor device for the capacitive detection of a user action in a vehicle

A capacitive distance sensor device configured for capacitive detection of a user action in a vehicle, comprising:

• a sensor electrode configured as an electric line having an electrically connected end connected to an evaluation device and an opposing electrically-insulated end,
• wherein the sensor electrode having:
• an electrically-conducting outer conductor,
• at least one insulation element for electric insulation of the outer conductor,
• an evaluation connection formed on the outer conductor for electrically connecting the outer conductor to an evaluation device of the vehicle, whereby the capacitive detection of the user action based on a change in capacitance is performed during normal operation of the capacitive distance sensor device using exclusively the evaluation connection as connection path between the evaluation device and the sensor electrode, and a test connection formed on the outer conductor, and
• a plug electrically connected to close an electric circuit allowing a current to flow from the test connection through the outer conductor to the evaluation device in order to perform a functional test of the capacitive distance sensor device, thereby allowing discrimination between missing change in capacitance indicative of missing user action and missing change in capacitance traced to faulty and/or interrupted electric connection between the evaluation connection and the evaluation device, wherein for the capacitive detection of the user action only the evaluation connection is provided by the evaluation device, so that only a single electrical conductor leads from the evaluation device to the evaluation connection, and the closed electric circuit in which two electrical conductors lead via the test connection to the evaluation device is used for the functional test.

A capacitive distance sensor device configured for capacitive detection of a user action in a vehicle, comprising:

• a sensor electrode configured as an electric line having an electrically connected end connected to an evaluation device and an opposing electrically-insulated end,
• wherein the sensor electrode having:
• an electrically-conducting outer conductor,
• at least one insulation element for electric insulation of the outer conductor,
• an evaluation connection formed on the outer conductor for electrically connecting the outer conductor to an evaluation device of the vehicle, whereby the capacitive detection of the user action based on a change in capacitance is performed during normal operation of the capacitive distance sensor device using exclusively the evaluation connection as connection path between the evaluation device and the sensor electrode, and
• a test connection formed on the outer conductor, and
• a plug electrically connected to close an electric circuit allowing a current to flow from the test connection through the outer conductor to the evaluation device in order to perform a functional test of the capacitive distance sensor device, thereby allowing discrimination between missing change in capacitance indicative of missing user action and missing change in capacitance traced to faulty and/or interrupted electric connection between the evaluation connection and the evaluation device, wherein the evaluation connection exclusively comprises a first electrical conductor for connecting the evaluation device to the outer conductor for evaluation of the capacitive detection, and the test connection comprises at least one second electrical conductor and the first electrical conductor for connecting the evaluation device to the outer conductor element and providing the electric circuit for performing the functional test.