WO2023193992A1 - Switching operating arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a switching operating arrangement (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, said arrangement comprising a base (10) and an operating element (20) which can be displaced relative to the base (10), by an actuating force (2) applied to the operating element (20), from a first unactuated position (A) into a second actuated position (B) along an adjustment path (X) in an actuating direction, wherein the operating element (20) is connected to the base (10) via two planar and elastically deformable coupling elements (30) which are spaced apart from one another in the actuating direction and by means of which the operating element (20) is guided linearly along the adjustment path (X) and which are designed to deform elastically when the operating element (20) is displaced from the first position (A) along the adjustment path (X) into the second position (B) and to exert a restoring force, that is supported on the base (20) and counteracts the displacement, on the operating element (20), wherein a deformation sensor (33) is arranged on at least one of the coupling elements (30), which sensor measures the deformation of said coupling element(s), or at least one of the coupling elements (30) is designed integrally as a deformation sensor (33), wherein the deformation sensor (33) is designed to measure the deformation during the displacement of the operating element (20) and to determine, based on the deformation, a position of the operating element (20) along the adjustment path (X) and/or the actuating force (2) resulting in the displacement and/or to generate a switching signal for switching a function.

Description

Switch control arrangement

Description:

The invention relates to a switch control arrangement, in particular for a motor vehicle.

From the prior art and for example from the documents EP 16 707 659 A, US 6 952 197 B1. WO 2013/020236 A1, US 2006/185971 A1, FR 2 837 320 A1, DE 31 10 886 A1, JP 2004 335 383 A, US 2012/262256 A1, EP 2 485 112A1 and US 2007/2 62954 A1 are already one A variety of different switching control arrangements are available.

These documents provide for generating a switching signal or generally for determining a position along a respective actuation path, either by applying force to a mechanical to act on a switch or to detect a change in inductance caused by the movement of a magnet.

In the prior art, the operating elements, which can each be moved relative to a base, are guided by additional guide means with regard to the possible movement on the base.

Because respective guides and additional switching arrangements for generating a switching signal are provided for accommodating the operating elements on the base, the switching operating arrangements proposed in the prior art are not only complex and expensive, but also require a comparatively large amount of installation space.

The invention is therefore based on the object of overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages and of providing a simple, space- and cost-saving switching control arrangement.

This task is achieved by the combination of features according to claim 1.

According to the invention, a switch control arrangement, in particular for a motor vehicle, is proposed with a base and a control element. The base can be fastened, for example, in an interior and in particular on a steering device of a motor vehicle. The operating element can be displaced relative to the base from a first unactuated position, preferably linearly along an actuating path in an actuating direction into a second actuated position, by an actuating force applied to the operating element and in particular by an actuating force applied to an actuating surface of the operating element. In addition, the switching operating arrangement can be designed such that the operating element is moved from the first position into one of the first by a second actuating force, which acts on the operating element in the opposite direction to the first actuating force Operating direction opposite second operating direction can be moved into a third position. The control element is preferably connected to the base exclusively via two flat and elastically deformable coupling elements which are spaced apart from one another in the direction of actuation, through which the control element is guided essentially linearly along the adjustment path and which are designed to move along the control element when the control element is displaced from the first position To elastically deform the adjusting distance into the second position and to exert a restoring force on the control element that is supported on the base and counteracts the displacement. The term flat is understood in particular to mean that the coupling elements each have a length, width and thickness extension, the length extension being larger than the width extension and significantly larger than the thickness extension. During the elastic deformation, there is in particular a bend in the direction of the thickness extension or in the thickness direction, so that the unactuated and flat coupling element is bent by the displacement into a convex or concave shape, from which it emerges due to its elasticity without the of External actuating force is deformed back into the flat shape. Furthermore, it is provided that a deformation sensor measuring its deformation is arranged on at least one of the coupling elements or at least one of the coupling elements is integrally designed as a deformation sensor. The deformation sensor is designed to measure the deformation of the coupling element on which it is arranged or its deformation, if it forms a coupling element or is formed integrally with it, when the operating element is displaced and from the deformation a position of the operating element along the To determine the operating distance and/or the actuating force leading to the displacement and/or to generate a switching signal for switching a function. For this purpose, the deformation sensor can have an evaluation unit, which can be provided directly on or in the coupling element or can be connected to a measuring sensor of the deformation sensor arranged on the coupling element or designed as a coupling element.

The switching operating arrangement proposed here can be viewed as a further development of the switching operating arrangement proposed by EP 16 707 659 A, the entire disclosure of which is therefore included in the present application. The elastic elements proposed by EP 16 707 659 A can be equated with the present coupling elements, which can have corresponding features. Deviating from the present invention, however, EP 16 707 659 A teaches that additional pushbuttons or the like are provided as sensors.

The basic idea of the present invention can be summarized as follows: at least one of the coupling elements through which the control element and base are held together and guided together can also be used as a sensor or part of the sensor based on a deformation.

If the control element can be deflected relative to the base along the adjustment path in two opposite actuation directions, so that the control element can be brought from the first position into the second and third positions, the position or force along the entire position can also be particularly advantageously determined with the one deformation sensor Adjusting distance, ie from the first position to the second position and from the first position to the third position, is recorded and therefore the reaching of the first, second and third positions can also be determined. If an actuator, explained later, is provided as a haptic feedback device, it can be used to indicate whether the second or third position has been reached. An advantageous development provides that the operating element is preferably guided linearly along the adjustment path exclusively by the two coupling elements and is secured, in particular, against displacement transversely to the adjustment path.

The deformation sensor can be designed as a deformation measuring strip or a printed circuit board or can have a deformation measuring strip or a printed circuit board as a measuring sensor. The deformation measuring strip can, for example, be applied and in particular glued to a coupling element made, for example, from plastic or a spring plate. Alternatively, the circuit board can be applied to such a coupling element, glued or screwed to it, or can form the coupling element, for which purpose the circuit board itself is then designed to be elastic.

An advantageous variant provides that the coupling elements each have two end sections spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis of the respective coupling element orthogonally to the adjusting distance and a middle section arranged between them. At least one of the end sections is mounted on the base and the middle section on the control element. Alternatively, at least one of the end sections is mounted on the operating element and the middle section is mounted on the base. Furthermore, only one of the coupling elements can implement one of the alternatives and the other coupling element can implement the other alternative.

Furthermore, it can be provided that at least one of the coupling elements and in particular the coupling element, which has or forms the deformation sensor, is inserted at its end sections into decoupling sleeves, which are rotatably fixed to the base or the control element about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being orthogonal runs to the longitudinal axis and to the adjustment section. If the end sections are firmly clamped to the base or the control element, it can be caused by the Deformation on the coupling element leads to shear forces. Because the decoupling sleeves can rotate about the respective axes of rotation during deformation, they align themselves with the deformation on the deforming coupling element, so that there are significantly lower or no shear forces on the coupling element. This allows the measurement accuracy and service life of the coupling element and, if necessary, the deformation sensor to be increased.

An actuator can be arranged on the control element and in particular in the actuation direction between the coupling elements, which is designed to generate haptic feedback that can be perceived on the control element. Such an actuator can, for example, be a rotor subjected to an imbalance. Because the control element is guided along the actuation direction or along the actuation path and is preferably secured against displacement or movement in a direction orthogonal thereto, the movement or the haptic feedback of the actuator is transmitted to the control element along the actuation direction.

It is particularly advantageous if the deformation sensor and the actuator are connected via signaling technology and designed to generate haptic feedback when a predetermined actuation force and/or a predetermined position is reached. This means that the user who applies the actuating force to the control element can be notified that a certain position or a certain force has been reached. In particular, if a switching signal is generated when the specific force or the specific position is reached, the triggering of the switching signal or a function associated with it can be indicated to the user at the same time.

At least one of the two coupling elements can also be designed in one piece and/or in one piece with the control element or the base. At- For example, the coupling element can be manufactured with the control element or with the base using an injection molding process.

In order to avoid excessive deformation and any resulting damage to the coupling elements, the base and/or the control element can also have a stop, by which the relative displaceability of the base and control element along the adjustment path is limited.

The features disclosed above can be combined in any way, as long as this is technically possible and they do not contradict each other.

Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are shown in more detail below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the figures. Show it:

Fig. 1 perspective view of a switching operating arrangement;

Fig. 2 exploded view of a switching operating arrangement;

Fig. 3 alternative variant of a deformation sensor;

Fig. 4 sectional view through a switching operating arrangement;

Fig. 5 schematic principle of the switching operating arrangement.

The figures are exemplary schematic. The same reference numbers in the figures indicate the same functional and/or structural features.

In particular, Figures 1, 2 and 4 represent a switching control arrangement 1 in different views, so that the respective description can be transferred to all of the figures. 3 shows an alternative variant of a deformation sensor 33 or a coupling element 30 on it arranged deformation sensor 33 shown as it can be used in a switching control arrangement 1 according to Figures 1, 2 and 4. Figure 5 shows the basic functional principle of the guide formed by the coupling elements 30 and its associated deformation, so that the description can be transferred analogously to Figures 1 to 4.

A switching operating arrangement 1 is shown in FIG. This has a control element 20, preferably made of plastic, with part of the control element being an actuation surface 22 to which an actuation force 2 can be applied. In the present case, the operating element 20 is made in one piece and in particular by plastic injection molding. Alternatively, however, the operating element can also be designed in several parts, so that, for example, the section having the actuating surface 22 can be made from a different material or using a different manufacturing method.

By manually acting on the actuating surface 22, i.e. by applying the actuating force 2 to the operating element 20, the user can deflect the operating element 20 along the positioning distance serve.

In the present case, the switching operating arrangement 1 is only designed to deflect from the first position A to the second position B and the subsequent return to the first position A. For the sake of completeness, however, we point out that the switching operating arrangement 1 can also be designed to be deflected into a third position by applying a second actuating force 3 to a surface 23 opposite the actuating surface 22, the second one necessary for this Actuating force 3 and a position along the actuating distance X can also be detected by the deformation sensor 33 explained below.

With a switching control arrangement 1 according to the invention, a wide variety of functions of the vehicle can be controlled on the steering wheel, such as the cruise control. The manual actuation by the actuating force 2 results in a minimal stroke or in a minimal movement along the adjustment distance X, which is detected by a deformation sensor 33.

The actuating force 2 can be determined based on the distance traveled along the actuating distance X. After reaching a certain force threshold, an actuator 40 generates haptic feedback to signal successful actuation.

Here, the guidance of the control element 20 and the sensing of the force threshold, ie the deformation sensor 33, are coupled to one another. The guidance is provided by two elastic coupling elements 30, which are shown in Figures 2 to 5. A first coupling element 30 is presently designed as part of the control element 20. Alternatively, this coupling element 30 can also be provided as a separate part or as part of the base 10. The second coupling element 30 is provided as a separate component and is attached to the control element 20 by decoupling sleeves 34. Both coupling elements 30 are designed in such a way that they are elastically deformed along the direction of the actuating force 2 or along the adjusting distance X and can therefore be deflected in sections. In the directions orthogonal to the adjustment distance The coupling elements 30 therefore essentially only enable movement along the adjustment distance X, so that the coupling elements 30 guide the control element 20 on the base 10 form. Due to the flat extension of the coupling elements 30, the length along the longitudinal axis L and the width of the coupling elements 30 are each several times larger than the extension in the thickness direction, which runs approximately parallel to the adjusting distance X. As a result, tilting of the coupling elements 30 can be avoided and thus a linear movement along the positioning distance X can be made possible.

According to the invention, it is provided that at least one of the coupling elements 30 or the deformation occurring thereon during the movement along the positioning distance X is detected and the actuation force leading to the movement and/or the position along the positioning distance

In Figure 2, the upper or second coupling element 30 in the plane of the illustration is designed as a circuit board, which integrally forms the deformation sensor 33. With reference to Figure 3, it can also be provided that an additional deformation sensor 33, formed for example by a strain gauge, can alternatively be applied to the coupling element 30. If the deformation sensor 33 is provided separately from the coupling element 30, as in FIG the case is.

Regardless of whether the deformation sensor 33 is provided integrally as the coupling element 30 (upper in the representation plane of Figures 2 to 5) or as an additional component applied to the coupling element 30, the deformation sensor 30 can be used to control the coupling element 30 caused by the actuating force 2 Deformation can be recorded. The actuation force 2 can in turn be calculated based on the deformation. For this purpose, an evaluation unit can be integrated into the deformation sensor 33 or the deformation sensor can be connected to an evaluation unit. Since guidance and sensors are coupled, it is irrelevant at which point on the actuation surface 22 the actuation force 2 is initiated. At all positions of the actuating surface 22, the actuating force 2 can be recorded via the deformation sensor 33, since each actuation leads to a movement along the actuating distance X.

As shown in particular in Figures 3 and 4, an actuator 40 is arranged between the elastic coupling elements 30, which is firmly connected to the operating element 20, so that a movement generated by the actuator 40 is transmitted to the operating element 20, which is due to the guidance the coupling elements 30 then move or vibrate along the positioning distance X. If, for example, the deformation sensor 33 detects that a previously defined force threshold has been reached, the actuator 40 can be activated, thereby generating haptic feedback for the operator.

The operating element 20 also has a section extending between the coupling elements 30, which integrally forms a housing for receiving the actuator 40.

In the illustrated variant of the switching operating arrangement 1, it is also advantageous that the operating element 20 extends in sections into the base 10, which forms a housing. As a result, a stop 21 is integrally formed by the operating element 20, which can come into contact with an inside of the housing formed by the base 10 and thereby limits the movement of the operating element 20 on the base 10.

In Figure 5, the spaced-apart coupling elements 30 are shown undeformed and (dashed) deformed. According to Figures 1 to 4 In the variant shown, the upper coupling element 30 in the illustration plane is mounted or connected with its end sections 31 on the control element 20 and with its middle section 32 on the base 10. The lower coupling element 30 in the representation plane is mounted with its end sections 31 on the base 10 and with its middle section 32 with the control element 20.

As a result, the fastening or bearing points of the two coupling elements 30 each form a triangle on both the operating element 20 and the base 10 and therefore form the linear guide of the operating element 20 on the base 10. The deformation of one of the coupling elements

30 is detected and evaluated by the deformation sensor 33, whereby the actuating force 2 and the position along the positioning distance X can be determined.

The implementation of the invention is not limited to the preferred exemplary embodiments given above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable, which make use of the solution presented even in fundamentally different designs.

Claims

Claims Switch control arrangement (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, with a base (10) and an operating element (20), which is moved from a first unactuated position relative to the base (10) by an actuating force (2) applied to the operating element (20). (A) can be displaced along an actuating distance (X) in an actuation direction into a second actuated position (B), the operating element (20) being connected to the base (10) via two flat and elastically deformable coupling elements (30) which are spaced apart from one another in the actuation direction is, through which the control element (20) is guided linearly along the adjustment path (X) and which are designed to move when the control element (20) is moved from the first position (A) along the adjustment path (X) into the second position ( B) to deform elastically and to exert a restoring force supported on the base (20) and counteracting the displacement on the operating element (20), characterized in that a deformation sensor (33) measuring its deformation is arranged on at least one of the coupling elements (30) or at least one of the coupling elements (30) is integrally designed as a deformation sensor (33), the deformation sensor (33) being designed to measure the deformation when the operating element (20) is displaced and to determine a position of the operating element (20) along the from the deformation To determine the operating distance (X) and/or the actuating force (2) leading to the displacement and/or to generate a switching signal for switching a function. Switching operating arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the operating element (20) is guided linearly along the actuating path (X) by the two coupling elements (30) and in particular is a displacement transverse to the positioning distance (X) is ensured. 3. Switch control arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the deformation sensor (33) is designed as a deformation measuring strip or a circuit board. 4. Switching control arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling elements (30) each have two end sections (31) spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis (L) orthogonally to the adjusting distance (X) and a middle section (32) arranged between them, at least one of the end sections (31) on the base (10) and the middle section (32) on the operating element (20) or at least one of the end sections (31) on the operating element (20) and the middle section (32) on the base (10) is stored. 5. Switching control arrangement according to the preceding claim, wherein at least one of the coupling elements (30) is inserted at its end sections (31) into a decoupling sleeve (34), which is rotatable about an axis of rotation (D) on the base (10) or the control element ( 20) are fixed, with the axis of rotation (D) running orthogonally to the longitudinal axis (L) and to the positioning distance (X). 6. Switching control arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an actuator (40) is arranged on the operating element (20) and in particular in the actuation direction between the coupling elements (30), which is designed to generate a haptic feedback that can be perceived on the operating element (20). . 7. Switching control arrangement according to the preceding claim, wherein the deformation sensor (33) and the actuator (40) are connected in terms of signaling and designed to reach a pre- to generate a haptic feedback with a certain actuation force and/or a predetermined position. Switch control arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the two coupling elements (30) is integral and/or in one piece with the control element (20) or the base (10) is formed. Switching operating arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the base (10) and/or the operating element (20) has a stop (21) by which the relative displaceability of the base (10) and operating element (20) along the adjusting distance (X) is limited is.