Patent · US Active

Capacitive proximity switch and household appliance equipped therewith

US7791356B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by

2References

11Claims

0Family size

Assignee

BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH · DE

Inventors

Jörg Grosser · Lappersdorf, DE
Wilfried Klopfer · Regensburg, DE
Bernward Reinker · Regenstauf, DE
Hans-Jürgen Romanowski · Bernhardswald, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Aug 17, 2006
Grant date	Sep 7, 2010
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 21, 2027

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH03K2217/96076
WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A capacitive proximity switch has an electrically conductive sensor surface, which is covered by an electrically non-conductive covering plate and which serves as a part of a capacitor with a capacitance that varies with proximity. The proximity switch includes a reference sensor surface for generating a reference signal for determining an actuation state of the proximity switch. Signal portions of the reference signal are proportional to the capacitance of a reference capacitor formed with the reference sensor surface, and the capacitance of the reference capacitor is determined by surrounding conditions of the sensor surface.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.