Proximity switch and method for detecting a trigger

A proximity switch, comprising:

• a coil arrangement including at least two receiving coils and at least one transmitting coil, and
• a control and evaluation unit arranged downstream of the coil arrangement, the control and evaluation unit being configured to obtain a switching signal when a target approaches a predefined response distance of the proximity switch,
• wherein the at least two receiving coils and the at least one transmitting coil are planar coils and are arranged in a common coil plane being arranged completely within one single copper layer,
• wherein the common coil plane is oriented perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the proximity switch,
• wherein coil axes of the at least two receiving coils and the at least one transmitting coil are each arranged in parallel to the longitudinal axis, and
• wherein the at least two receiving coils and the at least one transmitting coil do not overlap one another in a direction of the longitudinal axis and do not enclose one another circumferentially.