Water Avoidance Design Strategy for Capacitive Exterior Handles 2019-36-0187

Nowadays, capacitive handles are increasing their use in high-end commercial vehicles. This particular handle applies a technology that permits to unlock and even lock the vehicle without a key. As benefit for current life, the customer has the possibility to access and close the vehicles more efficiently and faster, just possessing the key in the pocket or any close compartment that the user is carrying, for example, bag, purse, backpack. Even though, the design of capacitive exterior handle must follow several design strategies to avoid nonfunctional in rainy climate. Water could work as a blocker for the sensor signal captured, special design strategies that must be taken in order to minimize that the liquid could ingress the handle and even be retained on the region that sensor is located. On this two-piece handle not only the parting line location, drain holes and a favorable drainage for liquids inside the handle must be designed, but also a control on the painting capacitance is hugely important for a successful project. Overall, to validate physically the design, test are required for the antenna and handle in component level. Besides, vehicle tests in abusive condition to reproduce heavy rain environment are highly recommended. The result after following design steps carefully is to launch a reliable product even in not favorable weather conditions.