Operating unit of a vehicle

Abstract

An operating unit (10) for a vehicle comprises an operating element (20) having an operating surface (18) which is moved in an actuating direction (56) from a rest position to a function triggering position and is moved from the function triggering position to the rest position by pressing. Parallel guiding means (68) ensure a parallel movement of the operating surface (18). The parallel guiding means (68) are provided with at least one pair of engaging first and second levers (64, 66) which are mounted in a hinged manner on a support element (44) which is in turn connected to the operating element (20). The support element (44) is axially guided on a carrier element (52). The levers (64, 66) are pivotably mounted on bearing seats (72, 74) substantially without play, so that the operating element (20) is substantially without play in a direction transverse to the pressing movement. The parallel guiding means (68) are designed in conformity with tolerances which are relatively easy to achieve in terms of manufacture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operating unit for a vehicle, and more particularly to an operating unit for a vehicle having improved parallel guidance for large operating elements. Background Technology

[0002] Modern operating concepts for vehicles include operating units with relatively large touchscreen displays. Since simply touching the display surface (operating surface) does not necessarily signal to the user whether the system has accepted the desired operation, efforts are needed to provide visual, auditory, or tactile feedback to the operator to confirm acceptance of the input command. Feedback concepts known in particular as "haptic feedback" have proven advantageous due to their convenience. There is a distinction between passive and active haptic feedback. Active haptic feedback requires active, pulsed mechanical excitation of the operating element (display), which can be structurally complex in terms of actuator technology and damping of poor vibrations. In this respect, so-called passive haptic feedback is advantageous, where a mechanical switch or a general kinematic pulse acts mechanically on the operating element when it is pressed, which is more tactilely familiar to the user.

[0003] Operating elements with large operating surfaces tend to tilt, especially during eccentric manual actuation, rather than performing a translating downward motion. However, for ideally, only a single mechanical switch or similar kinematics should be available for passive tactile feedback, a parallel stroke motion of the operating element should be provided, where the downward motion of the operating element occurs while maintaining the parallelism of the operating surface. For example, DE-C-34 33 719, DE-A-36 43 927, DE-C-44 01 644, DE-C-196 01 492, DE-A-197 57928, DE-A-10 2008 019 124, DE-A-10 2011 085 725, DE-B-10 2017 220 780, DE-A-10 2017222 601, DE-A-10 2018 121 678, DE-A-10 2019 203 031, EP-A-0 304 847, EP-B-1 458 000, EP-B-2 449 448, US-A-5 813 This method was found in 521, US-A-2010 / 0172080, WO-A-2011 / 000910, WO-A-2014 / 198418 and WO-A-2016 / 183498.

[0004] Reference List

[0005] DE-C-34 33 719

[0006] DE-A-36 43 927

[0007] DE-C-44 01 644

[0008] DE-C-196 01 492

[0009] DE-A-197 57 928

[0010] DE-A-10 2008 019 124

[0011] DE-A-10 2011 085 725

[0012] DE-B-10 2017 220 780

[0013] DE-A-10 2017 222 601

[0014] DE-A-10 2018 121 678

[0015] DE-A-10 2019 203 031

[0016] EP-A-0 304 847

[0017] EP-B-1 458 000

[0018] EP-B-2 449 448

[0019] US-A-5 813 521

[0020] US-A-2010 / 0172080

[0021] WO-A-2011 / 000910

[0022] WO-A-2014 / 198418

[0023] WO-A-2016 / 183498 Summary of the Invention

[0024] One object of the present invention is to provide a simple parallel guide device for the operating element of a vehicle operating unit, wherein the orientation of the parallel guide device needs to strictly adhere to minimum tolerances.

[0025] The object of this invention is achieved by providing an operating unit for use in a vehicle (i.e., for installation in a vehicle), which has the following characteristics:

[0026] - An operating element having an operating surface, the operating element being movably guided in the actuation direction from a rest position to a function-triggered position and returned by pressing, and

[0027] - A parallel guiding device for parallel guiding the operating element during movement of the operating element in the actuation direction and the opposite direction, the parallel guiding device being provided with:

[0028] - A support element having an upper side facing the operating element and a lower side facing away from the operating element.

[0029] - A lever assembly having at least one first lever and at least one second lever,

[0030] - A bearing assembly having at least one first bearing housing on which a first lever is pivotally mounted about a pivot extending transversely to the actuation direction, and having at least one second bearing housing on which a second lever is pivotally mounted about a pivot extending transversely to the actuation direction.

[0031] - The pivots of the two levers are parallel to each other;

[0032] - Two opposing support elements for the operating element, the support elements projecting from the operating element in the actuation direction and extending through a channel opening in the carrier element and / or laterally through the carrier element until beyond its underside.

[0033] - The lever assembly and bearing assembly are located below the load-bearing element and between the two support elements;

[0034] - Each lever has a first lever arm extending from its pivot and a second lever arm extending from its pivot opposite to the first lever arm.

[0035] - The first lever arm of the at least one first lever is received in a hinged manner by a hinged groove of the other support element, the hinged groove being provided with a groove opening.

[0036] - The first lever arm of the at least one second lever is received by a hinged groove of another support element, the hinged groove being provided with a groove opening.

[0037] - The second lever arm of the at least one first lever and the at least one other second lever are pivotally engaged with each other.

[0038] The concept of the operating unit according to the invention includes a parallel guiding device provided for guiding the operating element parallel to the actuation direction, i.e., from the rest position to the function trigger position, and opposite to the actuation direction. This parallel guiding device has a lever assembly below the fixed support element. The lever assembly is substantially known in the prior art in its design, for example from DE-C-44 016 44 and DE-B-10 2017 220 789, or also from the aforementioned WO publications.

[0039] The advantage of assembling the lever below the load-bearing element is that it provides space above the load-bearing element for various operational concepts, such as buttons (mechanical, capacitive, optical, sensory operation), joysticks, rotary adjusters, rotary / push adjusters, displays, touch displays, and touchpads with the "fixed" symbol.

[0040] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the hinge grooves of the two support elements each have a geometry that allows the corresponding first lever arm to slide in the direction of the groove opening and in the opposite direction when at least one first lever and at least one second lever pivot within the hinge groove by means of a moving actuating element (referred to as "sliding fit").

[0041] However, according to another embodiment of the invention, the lever assembly is particularly simple in design and has length adjustment compensation implemented in a simple manner. The hinge of the first and second levers is formed by a movable hinge joint, wherein one end of the first and second levers is fixed in the fixed hinge portion of the hinge joint and can be displaced laterally in the hinge direction. This also applies to the hinge joint between the two levers. Providing clearance enables a particularly simple lever assembly design that is easy to manufacture without having to meet excessively high tolerance requirements.

[0042] The operating element, preferably a display, particularly a touchscreen, is located above a fixed support element, which is, for example, arranged within the housing of the operating unit. The operating element is provided with opposing support elements facing the support element, the support elements protruding beyond the support element and extending through a channel opening in the support element or through an edge groove of the support element. Two bearing seats are located on the underside of the support element, each bearing seat pivotally mounting one of two levers. The pivot hinges are substantially without clearance. The two levers extend in a plane arranged below the support element and extend substantially parallel to the support element (provided the levers do not pivot). The two levers contact each other at their opposing end faces and are received in hinge grooves formed at the ends of the two support elements. Each lever includes two lever arms, one lever arm located on either side of the corresponding pivot hinge of the corresponding bearing seat. The corresponding first lever arm is received by a hinge groove on the support element, while the corresponding second lever arms of the two levers engage with each other. This can be achieved, for example, by a toothed ring (preferably an involute toothed ring) or by a hinge-like structure in which the first lever arms of the two levers are housed in corresponding support elements.

[0043] When the operating element is pressed down or returns from the function-triggered position to the rest position, the first lever arms of the two levers move slightly in the hinge grooves of the corresponding support elements. In this respect, the hinge grooves of the support elements thus allow the corresponding first lever arms to slide in the direction of and in the opposite direction of the groove opening of the corresponding support element adjacent to the hinge groove (sliding fit).

[0044] In the operating unit according to the invention, the function can be triggered by a contact sensor system in the touchscreen forming the operating element or by a switch actuated at the function trigger position of the operating element. A combination of the two mechanisms is also possible.

[0045] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, each first lever arm may be provided with a hinged end received by a hinged groove, and each hinged groove has a receiving space adjacent to the groove opening, which surrounds the hinged end of the corresponding first lever arm to prevent the hinged end of the first lever arm from moving within the receiving space in the actuation direction of the operating element and in the opposite direction, and to guide the hinged end of the corresponding first lever arm to allow the hinged end of the first lever arm to slide within the receiving space in a linkage manner.

[0046] Here, it can be advantageously assumed that each hinge groove is substantially "U"-shaped. Viewed from the sides of the two levers of the lever assembly, each hinge groove on the support element is formed in a horizontal "U" shape, with the opening of the "U" being the groove opening, and the hinge groove adjacent to this groove opening. The depth of the hinge groove is chosen such that when the direction of the lever is substantially parallel to the support element, the hinged end of the respective first lever arm of one of the two levers accommodated by the hinge groove still has a gap with the bottom of the hinge groove, and when the lever arm is in its maximum pivot position, the hinged end of the respective first lever arm is still accommodated by the hinge groove.

[0047] Advantageously, each lever and its corresponding first lever arm are respectively received hingedly on the corresponding support element or on two or three support members (support rods) of the support element by two or three protrusions forming the respective hinge ends. This ensures the torsional rigidity of the entire assembly, ensuring parallel guidance of the operating surface of the operating element when it is pressed down, even if, for example, the operating element is pressed down in a corner or edge region, and reducing the sensitivity of the parallel guide or lever assembly and its hinge joint with the support element to material deformation, which can be problematic in the case of plastic injection molded parts, especially in designs with large dimensions.

[0048] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the operating element should have a substantially square or rectangular profile with two longitudinal edges and two transverse edges. Another advantage is that a support element protrudes from the operating element along either the two transverse edges or along the two longitudinal edges in the actuation direction.

[0049] In another structurally advantageous embodiment of the invention, each support element has two spaced-apart support rods that protrude from the actuation direction in the corner region of the actuation element formed by the longitudinal edge and the transverse edge, respectively, wherein each support rod has a hinged groove.

[0050] In the above embodiments of the invention, it is advantageous that each hinge end of the first lever arm of at least one first lever and at least one second lever has two hinge end protrusions that are inserted into the hinge groove of the support rod of the corresponding support element (sliding fit).

[0051] As described above, regarding the prevention / reduction of sensitivity to material deformation relative to the hinge joint between the first lever arm and the support member, it is advantageous that the second lever arms of at least one first lever and at least one second lever can be hinged to each other. Within this portion, the second lever arm of one lever has a hinge protrusion that is "slidingly engaged" into the hinge groove of the second lever arm of the other lever.

[0052] As described above, if at least one first lever and at least one second lever each have a hinged end, one of the two hinged ends has a hinged groove, and the other hinged end is inserted therein, movement in the actuation direction and the opposite direction within the hinged groove is prevented, and sliding movement is allowed in a direction perpendicular to the actuation direction.

[0053] It may be convenient if at least one first lever and at least one second lever each have a hinged end, wherein these two hinged ends are interlocked. As mentioned above, the lever assembly has at least one pair of levers, including a first lever and a second lever, both rotatably mounted on a bearing housing, and their ends are hinged together relative to each other. These two levers can be designed as two plate-like structures with torsional rigidity, which should be particularly dependent on the materials. Plastic is a lighter and easier-to-process material than metals, among others, as a suitable material for lever assemblies (and also for support elements and bearing housings). To save material, the plate-like levers should be structurally reinforced, which can be achieved through stiffeners or similar means, as those skilled in the art should be familiar with when it comes to structurally reinforced assemblies made of plastic.

[0054] As described above, the operating surface of the operating element may include a display with a contact sensor system for detecting contact between the display and an object such as a finger of a hand.

[0055] If necessary, in addition to the display, at least one toggle key and / or at least one push key and / or at least one knob and / or at least one rotary / push adjuster may be provided on the operating element.

[0056] To further improve the lateral guidance, it is advantageous that the operating element is guided in a plane extending laterally to the actuation direction to prevent unwanted displacement, for example by means of a pin hole to accommodate the guide, which can be done at three points not on the same straight line between the support element and the operating element, and advantageously by means of an axial pin hole to accommodate the sliding guide.

[0057] The operating unit may also include a housing with a front side having a groove in which the operating element is arranged, and a carrier element is mounted in and / or on the housing.

[0058] Tactile feedback can be more conveniently provided to the operating unit of a vehicle, where the operating surface of the unit has multiple symbol fields that trigger different operating functions upon contact and pressing. In recent years, this concept has become more popular than feedback of effective functions triggered by optical and acoustic signals. In tactile feedback, active and passive systems are distinguished. In an active system, the operating element is mechanically stimulated in a pulse-like manner by an actuator, which the operator can feel. This active tactile feedback system is relatively complex in its structure. However, a simpler system is the so-called passive tactile feedback system, which uses a switch with an actuation force displacement characteristic, such that the switch's actuating member initially moves gradually with increasing actuation force until it automatically "clicks" into the function-triggered position without further increasing actuation force; typically, a bent spring steel disc is used. Switches with this characteristic provide tactile feedback and correspond to familiar behavior known from conventional buttons. If such a switch is now used with the operating unit according to the invention, a single such switch can be used to provide tactile feedback to the operating unit according to the invention.

[0059] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention in this respect, the operating unit thus has a mechanical switch comprising a switch housing and a switch actuation member.

[0060] - The switch housing is disposed above or below the carrier element, and its switch actuation member is adapted to be actuated by the operating element when the operating element moves from a rest position to a function-triggered position, or

[0061] - The switch housing is disposed on the underside of the carrier element, and its switch actuation member is adapted to be actuated by one of the two second lever arms pivotally engaged with each other, or,

[0062] —In this embodiment, the switch housing is arranged on one of two second lever arms, the second levers being pivotally engaged with each other, and their switch actuation members are adapted to be actuated when the operating element moves from a rest position to a function-triggered position via the carrier element, or

[0063] - The switch is arranged below one of the support elements, and its switch actuation member is adapted to be actuated by the corresponding support element or by a baffle extending from the corresponding support element when the operating element moves from the rest position to the function trigger position.

[0064] The switch is positioned between the load-bearing element and the operating element, and thus between the fixed element and the movable element. In terms of tolerances, this concept is superior to the concept of positioning the switch between the lever and the operating element, thereby "pressing" the switch in from both sides.

[0065] In other words, the switch has a motion unit with a pulse excitation element. When the operating element moves from the rest position to the function trigger position, the pulse excitation element can move mechanically directly or indirectly, generating mechanical energy through mechanical motion. When the operating element reaches its function trigger position, the energy is released in a pulse-like manner under the direct or indirect mechanical action of the operating element.

[0066] The switch housing can also be implemented as a dome of the switch pad (also called a key top), in which a spring disc made of, for example, spring steel is integrated. Then, the function of the switch actuation component is also performed by the dome with an inwardly protruding plunger, the front of which is coated with a conductive material and, in the depressed state, short-circuits the two contact fields on the circuit board.

[0067] As described above, the operating element as an operating surface may include a display with or without backlight, and the display surface displays variable information in the form of, for example, symbols, icons, alphanumeric characters or graphics, or the operating element may have a display surface that displays immutable information, particularly in the form of, for example, symbols, icons, alphanumeric characters or graphics.

[0068] A key feature of this invention is to minimize the contact and sliding surfaces in various articulated joints, and to have the lowest possible tolerances, so that any possible material deformation of components typically made of plastic is minimized or can be compensated for in a simple manner. Attached Figure Description

[0069] In the following, an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0070] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view through the operating unit is shown, with the operating element in its rest position.

[0071] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the operating unit is shown, in which the operating element is in the pressed state and therefore in the function-triggered position.

[0072] Figure 3 Showing along Figure 1 Horizontal cross-sectional plan view of the operating unit of line III-III.

[0073] Figure Labels

[0074] 10 operating units

[0075] 12 shells

[0076] 14 Front

[0077] 18 operating elements operating surfaces

[0078] 20 operating elements

[0079] 22 monitors

[0080] 24-operating element contact sensor system

[0081] 26-sided control panel

[0082] 28 display units

[0083] 30 display backlight units

[0084] 32-inch display diffuser

[0085] 34 Operating element carrier

[0086] 36 Operating element switching keys

[0087] Rotation / push regulator of 38 operating elements

[0088] 40 Operating element push key

[0089] 42 Operating element cover plate

[0090] 44 Operating element support element

[0091] 46 Bottom of the casing

[0092] 48 Support rods of support elements

[0093] 50 operating element elastic bearing

[0094] 52 load-bearing elements

[0095] 53 plunger

[0096] 54 Channel openings in support elements

[0097] 55 switch pad

[0098] 56. Actuation direction of the operating element

[0099] 57 circuit boards

[0100] 58 guide pins

[0101] 59 Cover plate opening

[0102] 60 guide groove

[0103] 62. Lever assembly of parallel guide device

[0104] The first lever of the 64-lever arm device

[0105] The second lever of the 66-lever arm device

[0106] 68 Parallel Guiding Device

[0107] 70-lever bearing assembly

[0108] 72 First Bearing Housing

[0109] 74 Second Bearing Housing

[0110] 75 hinge end protrusion

[0111] 76 Pivots of two levers

[0112] 77 The hinge end of the first lever arm of the first lever

[0113] 78 First lever arm of the first lever

[0114] 79 Hinge end protrusion

[0115] 80 The second lever arm of the first lever

[0116] 81 The hinge end of the first lever arm of the second lever

[0117] 82 The first lever arm of the second lever

[0118] 83 The hinge end of the second lever arm of the first lever

[0119] 84 Second lever arm of the second lever

[0120] 85 The hinge end of the second lever arm of the second lever

[0121] 86 articulated joint

[0122] The hinge groove on the 88 support rod

[0123] 89. Accommodation space of the hinge groove

[0124] 90° hinge groove opening

[0125] 92 hinge groove

[0126] 93. Receiving space for the hinge groove

[0127] 94 The groove opening of the hinge groove

[0128] 96 control unit

[0129] 98 signal

[0130] 100 signal

[0131] 101 Switch housing

[0132] 102 Mechanical Switch

[0133] 103 Switch Actuation Component

[0134] 104 signal Detailed Implementation

[0135] exist Figure 1 The structure of an exemplary embodiment of the operating unit 10 according to the present invention is schematically shown in cross-section and perspective views. The operating unit 10 includes a housing 12 on which the operating surface 18 of a pressable operating element 20 is located on its front side 14. The operating element 20 has a display 22 with a contact sensor system 24 in a portion of the operating surface 18, and the operating surface 18 has a separate operating panel 26. Below the contact sensor system 24 is the actual display unit 28 of the display 22, and behind it is a backlight unit 30 and a diffuser 32. For example, the display 22 is located on an operating element carrier 34, on which other mechanical operating elements 20 may be located. These additional mechanical operating elements 20 include, for example, a plurality of adjacently arranged rockers or toggle keys 36, a rotation / push adjuster 38, and one or more push keys 40. The operating surface 18 is formed by a so-called cover plate 42, which may be made of, for example, glass or plastic. In the areas of the additional mechanical operating elements 20, the cover plate 42 has corresponding grooves. In addition, the operating element 20 may include capacitive keys, or, if applicable, may include a touchpad with a "fixed" symbol instead of a display.

[0136] The operating element 20 has a support element 44, which takes the form of a support rod 48 pointing towards the bottom 46 of the housing 12. Typically, there are four such support rods 48 below the operating element carrier 34.

[0137] As shown in the actuating element resilient bearing 50, the actuating element 20 can be resiliently mounted on a carrier element 52 that extends through or across the housing 12 and is substantially parallel to the bottom 46 of the housing 12. The carrier plate includes a channel opening 54 through which a support rod 48 extends below the carrier element 52. The actuating element carrier 34 is axially guided on the carrier element 52 and is fixed to prevent displacement in a plane orthogonal to the actuation direction of the actuating element. For this purpose, three tongues or pin holes are provided to receive guides, two of which are shown, and each guide includes a guide pin 58 on the actuating element carrier 34 that is inserted into a guide groove 60 in the carrier element 52. The dimensions of the mutually sliding surfaces are minimized to make the axial guides insensitive to material deformation. Thus, the carrier element 52 functions as a fixed translational guide element on which a movable counter-guide element, in this case the support rod 48, is axially and freely movable.

[0138] The aforementioned additional operating elements (rocker or toggle key 36, rotary / push adjuster 38, and push key 40) are arranged on the upper side of the support element 52 and protrude upward beyond it through the opening 59 in the cover plate 42. The switch contacts driven by these additional operating elements are located on a circuit board 57, which is disposed on the lower side of the support element 52 and inserted into the switch pad 55. The mechanical transmission for driving the operating elements to achieve switch contact closure is achieved by a plunger 53, which passes through the support element 52 and is mounted axially movable, resting against the switch dome of the switch pad 55, but is not shown in detail.

[0139] Below the support element 52 is a lever assembly 62 comprising two levers 64, 66. In this exemplary embodiment, the two levers 64, 66 are plate-shaped and torsional rigid. Together with the support element 52, they form a parallel guide 68 that allows the operating surface 18 to move parallel when pressure is manually applied to one of the operating panels 26. The parallel guide 68 also includes a bearing assembly 70 having a first bearing seat 72 for pivotally mounting the first lever 64 and a second bearing seat 74 for pivotally mounting the second lever 66. Two pivots are shown at 76.

[0140] Two levers 64 and 66 are pivotally mounted on either side of the first lever 64, forming a first lever arm 78 and a second lever arm 80. Relative to the second lever 66, a first lever arm 82 and a second lever arm 84 are formed. The second lever arms 80 and 84 of the two levers 64 and 66 are connected to each other via a hinge joint 86. Simultaneously, the hinged end 77 of the first lever arm 78 of the first lever 64 is hinged to two support rods 48, and the hinged end 81 of the first lever arm 82 of the second lever 66 is hinged to two other support rods 48. For example, as... Figure 3 As shown, the hinge ends 77 and 81 are formed as protrusions 75 and 79, respectively.

[0141] like Figure 2 As shown, the hinge joints between levers and between support rods 48 are provided through hinge points having a one-dimensional direction. Therefore, each support rod 48 has a hinge groove 88, whose receiving space 89 can be accessed through the groove opening 90 of its respective support rod 48. Similarly, the hinge joint 86 has a hinge groove 92 at the hinge end 85 of the second lever arm 80 of one lever (in this exemplary embodiment, the first lever 64), which also has a receiving space 93 and is provided with a groove opening 94 through which the hinge end 83 of the second lever arm 84 of another lever (in this embodiment, lever 66) passes. The assembly of these hinges now allows the respective hinge ends 77, 81, 83 of the corresponding levers or lever arms to slide, i.e., slide in a direction orthogonal to the actuation direction 56, i.e., toward and away from the respective groove opening 94.

[0142] When considering Figure 2 At that time, the context of this method and design became obvious. Figure 2 The behavior of the parallel guide device 68 is schematically shown when pressure is applied to the operating surface 18 of the operating element 20. The first and second levers 64, 66 then pivot, thereby hingedly mounting their hinged ends 77, 81 onto the support rod 48, allowing them to move (sliding fit) within corresponding hinged grooves 88 toward corresponding groove openings. The same applies to the hinged joint 86.

[0143] The operating unit 10 according to the invention also includes an evaluation and control unit 96, which receives signals 98 from the contact sensor system 24 of the display 22, signals 100 from the mechanical switch 102, and signals 104 from various other operating elements 20. The evaluation and control unit 96 then controls or triggers various operating functions based on the received signals, as is known in multi-function operating units of vehicles. The mechanical switch 102 includes, for example, a switch housing 101 and a switch actuation member 103, for notifying the evaluation and control unit 96 that a valid manual actuation of one of the operating panels 26 has been detected. The mechanical switch 102 also serves to provide tactile feedback to the user, which, in this exemplary embodiment, is passive. The structure of the mechanical switch 102 can be accessed when a finger of a hand is placed on one of the operating panels 26 and presses an operating element 20.

[0144] As described above, the mechanical switch 102 can be an integral part of the switch pad, i.e., it has a switch dome that drives the spring washer when the switch is pressed, or the spring washer is pressed when the switch is actuated, and the spring washer suddenly “jumps” and does not return to its unstretched state until the pressure applied to the operating element when the switch is pressed is removed, i.e. the operating element is “released” to that extent. In this way, the switch is also used to move the operating element from the pressed position back to its rest position.

[0145] This can be supported by a weight that is part of lever 64, which is part of lever assembly 62, 66, as an alternative to the spring shown in 50. According to Figure 2 As can be seen, when the operating element moves downward, the two levers 64, 66 move upward between their respective pivots 76. If a weight is now attached to or integrated into at least one of these levers (e.g., the second lever arm 84 of the second lever 66), the weight will pull the second lever arm 84 of the second lever 64 downward when the pressure on the operating element is removed, that is, when the operating element is released. Therefore, in this alternative, the resilient mounting as shown in 50 is not absolutely necessary.

[0146] The only tolerance that is relatively strict in manufacturing and must be followed in the design of the parallel guide device 68 is the tongue guide of the support rod 48 on the bearing element 52 or on the edge of the channel opening 54 of the bearing element 52, and the hinge joints between the two levers 64, 66 and between them and the support rod 48, and only in the dimension of the actuation direction 56. Regarding the dimensional issues, the hinged ends of the levers 64, 66 should have no clearance or minimal clearance.

Claims

1. A vehicle operating unit, characterized in that, include - An operating element (20) having an operating surface (18) that moves from a rest position to a function trigger position and returns by pressing in the actuation direction (56); as well as - Parallel guiding device (68) for parallel guiding the operating element (20) during movement in the actuation direction (56) and the opposite direction; - The parallel guiding device (68) has - The carrier element (52) has an upper side facing the operating element (20) and a lower side facing the operating element (20). - A lever assembly (62) having at least one first lever (64) and at least one second lever (66). - A bearing assembly (70) having at least one first bearing housing (72), the first lever (64) being pivotally mounted on the first bearing housing about a pivot (76) extending laterally to the actuation direction (56), and having at least one second bearing housing (74), the second lever (66) being pivotally mounted on the second bearing housing (74) about a pivot (76) extending laterally to the actuation direction (56). - The pivots (76) of the two levers (64, 66) are parallel to each other, and - Two opposing support elements (44) for the operating element (20), the support elements (44) extending from the actuation direction (56) of the operating element (20) and passing through the channel opening (54) in the bearing element (52) and / or laterally through the bearing element (52) until they extend beyond its lower part; - The lever assembly (62) and the bearing assembly (70) are located below the load-bearing element (52) and between the two support elements (44). - Each lever (64, 66) has a first lever arm (78, 82) extending from its pivot (76) and a second lever arm (80, 84) extending from its pivot (76) opposite to the first lever arm (78, 82). - The first lever arm (78) of the at least one first lever (64) is hingedly received by the hinge groove (88) of the support element (44), the hinge groove having a groove opening (90). - The first lever arm (82) of at least one second lever (66) is hingedly received by a hinge groove (92) of another support element, the hinge groove having a groove opening (90), and - The second lever arm (80, 84) of the at least one first lever (64) and the at least one second lever (66) are pivotally engaged with each other; The operating element (20) is guided in a plane extending transversely to the actuation direction (56) so as to be secured by receiving the guide (61) through a tongue or pin hole to prevent undesirable displacement.

2. The operating unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hinge grooves (92) of the two support elements (44) each have a geometry that allows the corresponding first lever arms (78, 82) to slide in the direction of the groove opening (90) and in the opposite direction of the groove opening when the at least one first lever (64) and the at least one second lever (66) pivot in the hinge groove (88) by moving the actuating element, and prevents the corresponding first lever arms (78, 82) from moving in the hinge groove (88) in the actuating direction (56) of the actuating element and in the opposite direction thereto.

3. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each of the first lever arms (78, 82) has a first hinge end (77, 81) received by one of the hinge grooves (88), and each of the hinge grooves (88) has a receiving space (89, 93) adjacent to the groove opening (90), which surrounds the first hinge end (77, 81) of the corresponding first lever arm (78, 82) to prevent the first hinge end (77, 81) of the first lever arm (78, 82) from moving within the receiving space (89, 93) in the actuation direction (56) of the operating element (20) and in the opposite direction, and to guide the first hinge end (77, 81) of the corresponding first lever arm (78, 82) to allow the first hinge end (77, 81) of the first lever arm (78, 82) to slide within the receiving space (89, 93) in a linkage manner.

4. The operating unit according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned hinged grooves (88) is essentially U-shaped.

5. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The operating element (20) has a rectangular outline with two longitudinal edges and two transverse edges.

6. The operating unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support element (44) protrudes along the two lateral edges of the operating element (20) or along the two longitudinal edges of the operating element (20) from the actuation direction (56).

7. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each of the support elements includes two spaced-apart support rods (48), the four support rods (48) are arranged in a square corner arrangement and protrude from the operating element (20) toward the actuation direction (56), and each of the support rods includes a hinge groove (88).

8. The operating unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each first hinge end (77, 81) of the first lever arm (78, 82) of the at least one first lever (64) and the at least one second lever (66) includes two hinge end protrusions (75, 79) that are inserted into the hinge groove (88) of the support rod (48) of the corresponding support element (44).

9. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second lever arms (80, 84) of the at least one first lever (64) and the at least one second lever (66) each have a second hinge end (83, 85), one of the two second hinge ends (83, 85) has a hinge groove (92), and the other second hinge end (83, 85) is inserted into the hinge groove, thereby preventing movement in the hinge groove along the actuation direction (56) and in the opposite direction, and allowing sliding movement in a direction perpendicular to the actuation direction (56).

10. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second lever arms (80, 84) of the at least one first lever (64) and the at least one second lever (66) each have a second hinge end (83, 85), wherein the two second hinge ends (83, 85) are interlocked.

11. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The at least one first lever (64) and the at least one second lever (66) are both plate-shaped and have torsional rigidity.

12. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The bearing assembly (70) includes a plurality of first bearing seats (72) and a plurality of second bearing seats (74), wherein the first bearing seats (72) and the second bearing seats (74) are distributed along the length of the pivot (76) of their respective levers (64, 66).

13. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The operating surface (18) of the operating element (20) includes a display (22) with a contact sensor system (24) and / or a touchpad with a contact sensor system, as well as a symbol for detecting contact of an animal, such as a finger of a hand, with the display.

14. The operating unit according to claim 13, characterized in that, In addition to the display (22), at least one toggle key (36) and / or at least one push key (40) and / or at least one knob and / or rotary / push adjuster (38) are provided on the operating element (20).

15. The operating unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating element (20) is guided on the bearing element (52) in a plane extending transversely to the actuation direction (56) so as to prevent undesirable displacement, for example by securing the guide (61) with a tongue or pin hole.

16. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The housing has a front side with a groove, the operating element (20) is disposed in the groove, and the bearing element (52) is mounted inside and / or on the housing.

17. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The housing (12) is mounted on the carrier element (52).

18. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, include - A mechanical switch (102) having a switch housing (101) and a switch actuation member (103). - The switch housing (101) is disposed above or below the carrier element (52), and its switch actuation member (103, 53) is adapted to be driven by the operating element (20) when moved from a rest position to a function-triggered position, or - The switch housing (101) is disposed on the underside of the carrier element (52) and the switch actuation member (103) is adapted to be actuated by one of two second lever arms (80, 84) pivotally engaged with each other, or - Wherein, the switch housing (101) is disposed on one of two second lever arms (80, 84) pivotally engaged with each other, and the switch actuation member (103) is adapted to drive the operating element from a rest position to a function-triggered position by means of the bearing element (52), or - The mechanical switch (102) is disposed below one of the support elements (44), and its switch actuation member (103) is adapted to be driven by the respective support element (44) or a baffle extending through the respective support element (44) when the operating element (20) moves from the rest position to the function trigger position.

19. The operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The motion unit with pulse excitation component can move mechanically, directly or indirectly when the operating element (20) moves from the rest position to the function trigger position, generating mechanical energy as a result of the mechanical movement, and releasing this energy in a pulse manner under direct or indirect mechanical action when the operating element (20) reaches its function trigger position.

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