US 12,326,026 B2
Detecting and preventing a trapping event
Alexander Wolf, Gerolsheim (DE); Joaquin Rodrigo Pastor, Sindelfingen (DE); and Wolfgang Schellhorn, Stuttgart (DE)
Assigned to MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG, Stuttgart (DE)
Appl. No. 18/285,673
Filed by MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG, Stuttgart (DE)
PCT Filed Feb. 8, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/052949
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 5, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/214229, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 13, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 001 774.9 (DE), filed on Apr. 6, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0110424 A1, Apr. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. E05F 15/46 (2015.01); E05F 15/44 (2015.01)
CPC E05F 15/443 (2015.01) 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for detecting a trapping event of a motor-actuatable closing system of a vehicle, the device comprises:
a sensor electrode at least partially surrounding an edge of a vehicle opening closable by a closure element, wherein the sensor electrode is arranged in a sealing element at least partially surrounding the opening;
a reference sensor electrode at least partially surrounding the edge of the opening of the vehicle, wherein the reference sensor electrode is arranged spaced apart from the sensor electrode in the sealing element and has a greater spacing from the opening than the sensor electrode; and
a control unit configured to
apply an electrical potential to the sensor electrode for a charging process and to apply a ground potential to the reference sensor electrode for a discharging process,
detect, for the charging process, a first period of time until a first minimum threshold for an electrical potential for the sensor electrode is reached, and detect, for the discharging process, a second period of time until a second minimum threshold for an electrical potential for the reference sensor electrode is reached, wherein the first and second minimum thresholds are produced by a back flow of charges across the ground potential,
determine a difference between the first and second periods of time detected, and
infer that a trapping event is imminent if the determined difference between the first and second periods of time exceeds a predefined threshold and if the first period of time detected for the sensor electrode deviates from a predefined standard period of time or deviates from a standard period of time detected in a state that has been detected without an imminent trapping event.