A knob controller and its indicator light design method

Abstract

The present application discloses a knob controller and its indicator light design method. The knob controller includes a control module, a knob connector, a knob, a light board, a sleeve, a light guide and a power supply module. The hollow encoder fixedly connected to the control PCBA is located between the control panel and the first annular component, and is fixedly connected to the outer buckle position of the sleeve through the axis of the knob connector; the outer ring of the hollow encoder passes through the second annular component, the light board, the light guide and the third annular component, and is fixedly connected to the third annular component; the lower part of the knob is connected and fixed to the light guide; the bottom of the sleeve is fixedly connected to the upper shell of the power supply module through an embedded nut, and the control PCBA is connected to the control panel and the light board by electrical signals. The present application can realize both rotation and function switching, with a compact structural design, convenient disassembly and maintenance, and better light guide indication effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of smart home technology, and in particular to a knob controller and an indicator light design method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Controllers in the field of smart home technology generally refer to thermostats or dimmers for air conditioning, floor heating, and fresh air control, which are used to adjust the air conditioning temperature, mode, wind speed, floor heating temperature, or light brightness, color temperature, etc.; controllers are divided into three types according to the structural design type, including touch screen type, mechanical button type, and knob type. The touch screen type and mechanical button type solutions are relatively mature. The knob type is divided into three types of solutions due to different design solutions: hollow encoder, brushless motor, and bearing as the main rotating structure. Among them, the hollow encoder solution is the most. The hollow encoder is a hollow rotary switch. Its rotating belt is located on the top outer ring, and the top buckle knob is installed by clamping. The hollow design can be more conveniently placed in electronic applications such as digital tubes, and the knob can carry the screen for easy control and use. Its size is generally larger than that of conventional rotary encoders, and through the clamping method, it can be installed and operated more lightly, with stronger stability and will not easily shake or loosen. The hollow encoder is a control sensor based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. If a sinusoidal excitation current is applied to the rotor winding, the rotor generates a voltage of the same frequency in the stator winding, but the phase or amplitude changes with the relative displacement of the rotor and stator. The induced voltage is processed by electronic circuits, such as phase discrimination or amplitude discrimination and A / D conversion, and several digital signals are derived to realize function switching and control in applications.

[0003] The hollow encoders available on the market are controllers with a rotating main structure. Generally, the hollow encoders are directly welded to the power board, which is fixedly connected to the bottom box. The top outer ring of the central control encoder is fixedly connected to the rotary button. Because the rotary button is larger than the hollow encoder, it is extremely difficult to disassemble from the top outer ring. It is extremely inconvenient to assemble, test, and repair the controller after sales. In particular, during maintenance, the soldering feet of the hollow encoder welded on the power board can only be heated and removed, which is extremely difficult to operate and will increase the failure rate of the controller. On the other hand, in order to more clearly indicate the status of the controlled device, the controller can add lamp beads and light guide plates to indicate the controlled status of the device through different light brightness, color or status. However, when the distance between the lamp bead light-emitting monomer and the target body is small, it cannot be simplified as a point light source that emits the same luminous intensity to the surrounding at a 4π solid angle. The closer to the lamp bead, the brighter it is, and the farther away it may be darker. The brightness of the lamp ring is uneven, and a uniform lamp ring cannot be produced, resulting in uneven light distribution of the light guide plate. Some places are darker, while others have obvious bright spots, and the light cannot be uniformly emitted. There is no clear design standard in the industry.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new knob controller solution to solve the problems of extremely inconvenient after-sales assembly, testing, and maintenance of the controller and uneven light distribution of the light guide plate. Summary of the invention

[0005] Based on this, the embodiment of the present application provides a knob controller and an indicator light design method thereof, which can solve the problem that the traditional knob controller has relatively single functions and is prone to mechanical failure.

[0006] In a first aspect, a knob controller is provided, the knob controller comprising a control module, a knob connector, a knob, a second annular component, a light board, a sleeve, a light guide, a third annular component, a bearing and a power supply module, wherein:

[0007] The control module specifically includes a control panel, a control PCBA, a hollow encoder, and a first annular component. The hollow encoder inverted and fixedly connected to the control PCBA is located between the control panel and the first annular component, and passes through the axis of the knob connector and is fixedly connected to the outer buckle position of the sleeve; the outer ring of the hollow encoder passes through the second annular component, the light board, the light guide and the third annular component, and is fixedly connected to the third annular component; the bottom of the sleeve is fixedly connected to the upper shell of the power supply module through an embedded nut, the power board arranged between the upper shell and the lower shell is connected to the control PCBA by electrical signals, and the control PCBA is connected to the control panel and the light board by electrical signals.

[0008] Optionally, the limiting boss of the light guide is limitedly connected to the inner groove of the knob connector, and the hollow encoder is clamped in the axial direction of the outer ring buckle and the buckle of the third annular component, and the bottom of the knob is fixedly connected to the light guide by screws.

[0009] Optionally, the control PCBA is fixedly connected between the first annular component and the second annular component by screws, the light board is fixedly connected to the second annular component by screws, and the control PCBA and the light board are connected by electrical signals through a board-to-board connector.

[0010] Optionally, the limiting column of the sleeve and the limiting column of the inner ring of the hollow encoder limit each other, and the buckle position is buckled with the card position of the inner ring of the hollow encoder; the sleeve is fixedly connected to the upper shell, and the buckle part of the outer ring of the hollow encoder is buckled with the buckle of the third annular component.

[0011] Optionally, the bearing is arranged between the upper shell and the third annular component, and the inner ring of the bearing is clamped by the inner ring of the upper shell, and the limiting boss presses the outer ring of the bearing to drive the rotation of the outer ring of the bearing.

[0012] Optionally, the knob controller also includes a base box and embedded parts, a buckle is provided on the inner wall of the base box, and a limiting boss and a base box through hole are provided around the bottom; a stud is provided at the bottom of the embedded part. During installation, the embedded part is first embedded, and then the base box is connected and fixed by screws passing through the through hole. The uneven installation surface is covered by the outer circle provided by the base box, and then the knob controller connecting control line is inserted into the base box. The lower shell of the knob controller falls on the limiting boss, and the buckle is buckled and connected to the outer edge of the upper shell.

[0013] Optionally, the light board includes a plurality of lamp beads forming a circular array of lamp beads, which indicate the controlled state of the device through different light brightness, colors or states.

[0014] Optionally, the knob controller further includes a base, and the lower shell of the knob controller and the base can be fixed by a snap mechanism, and the top opening of the base matches the size of the outer shell of the knob controller;

[0015] The base includes a battery compartment, and the battery compartment is electrically connected to the power board.

[0016] Optionally, the knob controller further includes a power identifier, which is located below the base. The power identifier includes spring pins with multiple contacts, and the spring pins can contact corresponding contacts of the knob controller to provide power when the knob controller is placed in the base.

[0017] In a second aspect, a method for designing indicator light of a knob controller is provided, which is applied to any knob controller as described in the first aspect above, and the method comprises:

[0018] S1, determine the shape of the light guide according to the design requirements;

[0019] S2, determining the shape of the light guide prism according to the shape of the light guide member;

[0020] S3, confirm the distance from the lamp bead to the light guide according to the design requirements;

[0021] S4, determining the radius of the circular array of lamp beads according to the projection distance from the lamp beads to the light guide;

[0022] S5, confirm the number of lamp beads according to the boundary of the light and dark areas;

[0023] S6, select the material transparency and haze according to the indicated light intensity requirements;

[0024] S7, based on the overall design requirements, make physical objects and test the lighting effects.

[0025] The beneficial effects brought by the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application include at least:

[0026] (1) The hollow encoder is connected and fixed by introducing a sleeve, and the sleeve is fixedly connected to the upper shell by an embedded nut, which is convenient for assembly and disassembly.

[0027] (2) The limiting boss presses the outer ring of the bearing to drive the outer ring of the bearing 9 to rotate, making the knob feel better when rotating and ensuring the stability of the structure, avoiding the shaking of the knob and other components in the axial direction due to insufficient support; the bearing is engaged by the upper and lower contact structural parts, and no additional retaining spring or pressing plate is required, which makes assembly easier and reduces cost.

[0028] (3) The light-guiding prism on the light-guiding component is "W"-shaped, with a larger contact surface with the light and a stronger light intensity. At the same time, the controller can add lamp beads and light guide plates to indicate the controlled status of the device through different light brightness, color or status, making the light distribution more uniform. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the implementation methods or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only exemplary, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other implementation drawings can be derived from the provided drawings without creative work.

[0030] Figure 1 An exploded schematic diagram of a knob controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an exploded view of a knob controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention from another perspective;

[0032] Figure 3 A front view of a knob controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 3 AA section view;

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a knob controller connector provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the assembly of some structural parts of a knob controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of assembling another part of the structural components of the knob controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the installation of a knob controller provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the installation of a knob controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention from another perspective;

[0039] Fig.10 This is the relationship diagram between the emission angle and luminous intensity of the LED light source;

[0040] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a portion of the light path of a light guide of a knob controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Fig.12 for Fig.11 A partial enlarged view of

[0042] Fig.13 This is the layout diagram of the lamp beads for the ring indicator light;

[0043] Fig.14 This is a diagram of the base structure in an optional embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Fig.15 This is a structural diagram of a power source identifier in an optional embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Fig.16 A flow chart of a ring indicator light design method in this application;

[0046] Figure numerals: control module 1, control panel 11, control PCBA 12, hollow encoder 13, position 131, buckle 132, first annular component 14, knob connector 2, knob 3, second annular component 4, lamp board 5, board-to-board connector 51, lamp bead 53, sleeve 6, embedded nut 601, buckle position 602, limiting column 603, light guide 7, light guide prism 71, screw through hole 72, limiting boss 73, limiting column 74, third annular component 8, buckle 801, bearing 9, power supply module 10, upper shell 101, power board 102, lower shell 103, bottom box B, buckle B01, limiting boss B02, through hole B03, embedded part C, stud C01, cable 121, base D, battery compartment 1031, power identifier E. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The following is a description of the implementation of the present invention by specific embodiments. People familiar with the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0049] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1 , which shows a schematic diagram of the knob controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the knob controller includes a control module 1, a knob connector 2, a knob 3, a second annular component 4, a light board 5, a sleeve 6, a light guide 7, a third annular component 8, a bearing 9 and a power supply module 10, wherein:

[0050] The control module 1 specifically includes a control panel 11, a control PCBA 12, a hollow encoder 13, and a first annular component 14. The hollow encoder 13, which is inverted and fixedly connected to the control PCBA 12, is located between the control panel 11 and the first annular component 14, and is fixedly connected to the outer buckle position of the sleeve 6 through the axis of the knob connector 2; the outer ring of the hollow encoder 13 passes through the second annular component 4, the light board 5, the light guide 7 and the third annular component 8, and is fixedly connected to the third annular component 8; the knob 3 is internally connected and fixed to the knob connector 2, and the lower part is connected and fixed to the light guide 7; the bottom of the sleeve 6 is fixedly connected to the upper shell 101 of the power supply module through an embedded nut 601, and the power board 102 arranged between the upper shell 101 and the lower shell 103 is connected to the control PCBA 12 through the flat cable 121 for electrical signals, and the control PCBA 12 is connected to the control panel 11 and the light board 5 for electrical signals. The light guide prism arranged on the light guide is "W" shaped, with a larger contact surface with the light and a stronger light intensity. The present application can realize both rotation and function switching, has a compact structure design, is easy to disassemble and maintain, and has a better light-guiding indication effect.

[0051] Figure 2 Provides another perspective of the knob controller decomposition diagram, Figure 3 A front view of a knob controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention is given. Figure 4 Given Figure 3 AA section view.

[0052] Regarding the knob connector in this embodiment, Figure 5 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the knob controller connections.

[0053] 1. The control panel 11 can be a touch display module or a mechanical button module. Due to different costs, there are different interaction methods. The control panel is connected to the main control board PCBA by electrical signals.

[0054] 2. If Figure 1 and Figure 6The main control board PCBA12 is fixedly connected between the first annular component 14 and the second annular component 4 by screws, and the light board 5 is fixedly connected to the second annular component 4 by screws. The main control board PCBA12 and the light board 5 are electrically connected through a board-to-board connector 51 and a flat cable 121.

[0055] 3. The limiting boss 73 of the light guide 7 is limitedly connected with the inner groove of the knob connector 2, and is clamped in the axial direction of the hollow encoder and the outer ring buckle of the third annular component 8. There is no direct fixed connection between the knob connector and the knob 3 (the purpose is to reduce the assembly process); the lower part of the knob 3 is connected and fixed to the light guide 7, and the light guide limiter is connected to fix the knob connector and the outer ring of the hollow encoder, and rotating the knob drives the central control encoder and the knob link to rotate.

[0056] 4. Such as Figure 7 , the limiting column 603 of the sleeve 6 and the limiting column 603 of the inner ring of the hollow encoder 13 are mutually limited, the buckle position 602 is buckled and connected with the clamping position 131 of the inner ring of the hollow encoder 13, the sleeve 6 is fixedly connected to the upper shell 101, and the buckle portion 132 of the outer ring of the hollow encoder 13 is buckled and connected with the buckle 801 of the third annular component 8. Because the inner ring of the central control encoder 13 is fixed, the outer ring can rotate independently, and the rotating knob 3 drives the third annular component 8 to rotate, and the outer ring of the hollow encoder 13 is driven to rotate, realizing phase discrimination or amplitude discrimination and A / D conversion in the system, and deriving several digital signals, which can realize function switching and control in the application. Different from the traditional knob controller that welds the central control encoder on the power board, the present invention welds the central control encoder on the main control board PCBA, and the main control board PCBA can be independently assembled and disassembled by screws, and the sleeve 6 is introduced to meet the connection and fixation with the hollow encoder 13, and the sleeve 6 is fixedly connected to the upper shell by an embedded nut, which is convenient for assembly and disassembly.

[0057] 5. As Figure 1 and Figure 2 The bearing 9 is arranged between the upper shell 101 and the third annular component 8. The inner ring of the bearing 9 is clamped by the inner ring of the upper shell 101, and the limiting boss 73 presses the outer ring of the bearing 9 to drive the rotation of the outer ring of the bearing 9, so that the knob 3 has a better feel when rotating, and the stability of the structure is ensured, avoiding the shaking of the knob 3 and other components in the axial direction due to insufficient support; the bearing is clamped by the upper and lower contact structural parts, and no additional retaining spring or pressing plate is required, so the assembly is simpler and the cost is lower.

[0058] 6. Such as Figure 8 and Fig. 9The knob controller also includes a bottom box B and an embedded part C, a buckle B01 is arranged on the inner wall of the bottom box B, a limiting boss B02 is arranged around the bottom, a through hole B03 of the bottom box B, and a stud C01 is arranged at the bottom of the embedded part C. When installing, the embedded part C is embedded first, and then the bottom box B is connected and fixed by screws passing through the through hole B03. The outer extension circle set by the bottom box B can cover the uneven installation surface, and then the knob controller is connected to the control line and plugged into the bottom box B. The lower shell 103 of the knob controller falls on the limiting boss B02, and the buckle B01 is buckled and connected to the outer edge of the upper shell 101.

[0059] The controller can add lamp beads and light guide plates to indicate the controlled status of the device through different light brightness, color or status. However, when the distance between the lamp bead light-emitting monomer and the target object is small, it cannot be simplified as a point light source that emits the same luminous intensity to the surrounding area at a 4π solid angle. The closer to the lamp bead, the brighter it is, and the farther away it may be darker. The brightness of the light ring is uneven, and a uniform light ring cannot be produced, resulting in uneven light distribution on the light guide plate, with some places being darker and others having obvious bright spots. In order to design a better indicator light effect, it is mainly achieved through the following four aspects:

[0060] like Figure 1 and Fig.10 As shown, according to the structural design requirements, it is necessary to guide the light of the lamp bead 52 to the outer edge of the light guide 7 and ensure a good lighting effect. The light guide 7 is provided with an annular light guide prism 71. The annular light guide prism 71 has Fig.10 There are two forms (a) and (b) in Fig.10 In (a), the inclined surface of the annular light-guiding prism 71 is a conical surface. Fig.10 (b) The inclined surface of the annular light guide prism 71 is "W" shaped. When the light guide prism 71 has the same width and height, Fig.10 (b) The inclined surface of the annular light guide prism 71 is "W" shaped because it has more faces than Fig.10 In (a), the inclined surface of the annular light-guiding prism 71 is a conical surface, so there are more light paths for refraction and reflection, and the light intensity is stronger and more uniform in visual effect. In summary, the inclined surface of the light-guiding prism 71 needs to be designed as a "W" shape.

[0061] like Fig.11As shown, when the distance between the light-emitting monomer of the lamp bead 52 and the target object is small, it cannot be simplified as a point light source that emits the same luminous intensity to the surrounding at a solid angle of 4π. At this time, the relationship between the luminous intensity and the emission angle of the LED light-emitting monomer basically conforms to the normal distribution law. When the emission angle is between [-60°, 60°], the overall luminous intensity is better. Therefore, in order to ensure a better light transmission effect, it is necessary to ensure that the light emission angle of the lamp bead is between [-60°, 60°]. When the lamp bead 52 is side-emitting, the distance from the lamp bead 52 to the light-guiding prism 71 of the light guide 7 is confirmed according to the optimal light emission angle, and then the radius of the circular array of lamp beads is confirmed. As shown Fig.12 for Fig.11 A partial enlarged view of .

[0062] like Fig.13 As shown, when the emission angle is between [-60°, 60°], that is, when the strongest light-emitting angle is 120°, the intersection of the emitted light at -60° and 60° of each lamp bead is located inside the light guide 7 in the lamp board 5.

[0063] constitute Fig.13 The bright light area in the shadow area, that is, the light emitted outward within the optimal emission angle is all the light in the bright light area and there is no obvious dark light area. The light naturally radiates outward is bright and uniform, so it is necessary to ensure that the number of lamp beads 52 in the circular array can meet the requirement that when the strongest light-emitting angle is 120°, the intersection point f of the emitted light (critical light) of each lamp bead at -60° and 60° is within the lamp board 5.

[0064] Transparent plastics commonly used in the market include polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ABS, polystyrene (GPPS), transparent nylon (PA), etc. However, there are few materials with good light transmission effect, excellent material properties, easy processing and low cost. Therefore, it is also necessary to select suitable transparent plastics as the raw materials of the light guide 7. Table 1 shows the properties of common plastics.

[0065] Table 1 Common plastic properties

[0066]

[0067] Another optional embodiment of the knob controller of the present application is given below. In this embodiment, Fig.14 Based on the above knob controller structure, a base D is also included, specifically:

[0068] The base D is the external packaging and support structure of the knob controller, and its size and shape should be able to fully accommodate the various components of the knob controller. The lower shell 103 of the knob controller (including the control module 1 and the knob 3) can be fixed to the base D through a snap mechanism. The top opening of the base D matches the outer shell size of the knob controller to ensure that the knob controller can be firmly placed inside the base D. The base D can be designed with a snap groove corresponding to the lower shell of the knob controller to ensure a tight connection between the two.

[0069] In addition, the base D may be in the shape of a pebble to facilitate hand-held operation by the user, and may be designed with a grip groove or a grip to increase the comfort of holding.

[0070] A battery compartment 1031 is designed inside the base D for installing and fixing batteries and for electrical connection between the battery compartment and the power board 102 .

[0071] Another optional embodiment of the knob controller of the present application is given below. In this embodiment, Fig.15 Based on the above-mentioned knob controller structure and the structure of the base D, a power identifier E is also included, specifically:

[0072] The power identifier E is located under the base D, and its purpose is to identify and safely power the knob controller. The power identifier E includes one or more spring pins of contacts, which can contact the corresponding contacts of the knob controller when the knob controller is placed in the base D.

[0073] The lower shell of the knob controller or the power supply module is designed with contact points corresponding to the spring pins of the power identifier E. These contact points may be located at appropriate positions of the upper shell 101 or the lower shell 103 of the power supply module to facilitate contact with the power identifier E in the base D. After the knob controller is correctly placed, it can reliably establish a connection with the contacts thereon.

[0074] Through this connection, the power identifier E is able to identify the power requirement of the knob controller and power the knob controller through the power supply inside the base D.

[0075] The embodiment of the present application also provides a knob controller indicator light design method, which is applied to the above-mentioned knob controller, such as Fig.16 , the method comprising:

[0076] Step S1, determine the shape of the light guide 7 according to the design requirements. The light guide 7 is an annular structure as a whole, extending into a three-step staircase shape. A light guide prism 71 is added to the top of the step and the outer edge of the lamp bead 52 to facilitate the downward propagation of the lamp bead light path.

[0077] Step S2, determining the shape of the light guide prism 71 according to the shape of the light guide member 7, the annular light guide prism 71 has Fig.10There are two forms (a) and (b) in Fig.10 In (a), the inclined surface of the annular light-guiding prism 71 is a conical surface. Fig.10 (b) The inclined surface of the annular light guide prism 71 is "W" shaped. When the light guide prism 71 has the same width and height, Fig.10 (b) The inclined surface of the annular light guide prism 71 is "W" shaped because it has more faces than Fig.10 In (a), the inclined surface of the annular light guide prism 71 is a conical surface, and the light paths for refraction and reflection are more numerous, and the light intensity is stronger and more uniform in visual effect. In summary, the inclined surface of the light guide prism 71 is designed as follows: Fig.10 The “W” shape in (b).

[0078] Step S3, confirm the distance from the lamp bead 52 to the light guide 7 according to the design requirements. Fig.11 As shown, the intersection point between the light guide prism 71 and the light guide 7 near the side of the lamp bead 52 is c, the vertex of the light guide prism 71 is e, od is the normal of the emitted light source, the emission point of the lamp bead 52 is o, and the distance from the center point of the lamp bead 52 to the lamp board 5 is the length of of. According to the properties of the lamp bead, the present invention selects the side-emitting lamp bead 52 that is horizontally attached. Half of the thickness of such lamp bead is ∈[0.5, 2] mm, that is, the length of of is ∈[0.5, 2] mm; and according to the actual design situation, the distance between the lamp board 5 and the light guide 7, that is, the length of of+dc is generally ∈[3, 5] mm, and at least 0.5 mm of clearance is reserved between the contour surface of the lamp bead 52 and the light guide. It is obtained that the distance dc from the normal of the emitted light source od to point c is ∈[1.5, 4.5] mm, and the angle α, β is the emission angle on both sides of the normal. When the emission angle of the lamp bead 52 satisfies the optimal emission angle [-60°, 60°], the critical condition α=60° is taken, and the projection distance between point o and point c on the plate 5 is Lod∈[1.5 / tan60°, 4.5 / tan60°]mm, that is, Lod∈[0.9, 7.8]mm (0.9mm is the length of Lod when the thickness of the lamp bead 52 is 1mm and the length of of+dc is 3mm; 7.8mm is the length of Lod when the thickness of the lamp bead 52 is 4mm and the length of of+dc is 5mm). The present invention adopts a lamp bead thickness 52 of 3mm and a length of of+dc of 5mm, and calculates that the length of Lod within the emission angle of the most ideal lamp bead 52 is 2mm.

[0079] Step S4, based on the projection distance (i.e., Lod) from the lamp beads 52 to the light guide 7, since the position of the light guide prism 71 is determined according to the structural design requirements, the radius of the circular array of lamp beads 52 can be determined. The radius of the circular array of lamp beads of the present invention is equal to the distance from point c of the light guide prism 71 to the axis of the light guide 7 minus 2 mm, which is 14.5 mm.

[0080] Step S5, confirm the number of lamp beads according to the light and dark area boundaries, such as Fig.13As shown, when the emission angle is between [-60°, 60°], that is, when the strongest luminous angle is 120°, the intersection of the emitted light of -60° and 60° of each lamp bead is located inside the light guide 7 in the lamp board 5, forming Fig.13 The bright light area in the shadow area, that is, the light emitted outward within the optimal emission angle is all the light in the bright light area without obvious dark light area, and the light naturally radiated outward is bright and uniform, so it is necessary to ensure that the number of lamp beads 52 in the annular array can meet the requirement that when the strongest light-emitting angle is 120°, the intersection point f of the emitted light (critical light) of -60° and 60° of each lamp bead is within the lamp board 5. The number of lamp beads in the present invention is 14.

[0081] Step S6, select the material transparency and haze according to the indicated light intensity requirement. Referring to Table 1 above, PC and ABS are both ideal materials. Since the light guide 7 needs to be screwed, the mechanical strength of the material is required to be higher, so PC is selected.

[0082] Step S7, making a physical object according to the overall design requirements and testing the lighting effect.

[0083] The following is a specific test result of applying the above method, specifically:

[0084] The light guide material is set to PC, and the values ​​of its refractive index, transmittance and haze are shown in Table 2:

[0085] Table 2 Light guide parameter diagram

[0086]

[0087] In this embodiment, when the number of lamp beads is 14 and the radius of the circular array of lamp beads is 14.5 mm, the actual comfortable light intensity is 420 lm.

[0088] It can be seen that the indicator light of the knob controller of the present application is sufficient to allow the user to clearly see the indicator light when using the knob controller normally, so as to conveniently identify the position and status of the knob. At the same time, the light intensity level is considered to be able to provide the user with a good visual experience without being dazzling or causing visual fatigue.

[0089] The method for designing indicator light of a knob controller provided in the embodiment of the present application is implemented in the above-mentioned knob controller. For the specific limitation of the method for designing indicator light of a knob controller, please refer to the limitation of the knob controller above, which will not be repeated here.

[0090] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0091] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A knob controller, characterized in that: The knob controller includes a control module, a knob connector, a knob, a second annular component, a light board, a sleeve, a light guide, a third annular component, a bearing and a power supply module, wherein: The control module specifically includes a control panel, a control PCBA, a hollow encoder, and a first annular component. The hollow encoder fixedly connected to the control PCBA in an inverted manner is located between the control panel and the first annular component, and is fixedly connected to the outer buckle position of the sleeve through the axis of the knob connector; the outer ring of the hollow encoder passes through the second annular component, the light board, the light guide and the third annular component, and is fixedly connected to the third annular component; the bottom of the sleeve is fixedly connected to the upper shell of the power supply module through an embedded nut, the power board arranged between the upper shell and the lower shell is connected to the control PCBA by electrical signals, and the control PCBA is connected to the control panel and the light board by electrical signals; The limiting boss of the light guide is limitedly connected with the inner groove of the knob connector, and the hollow encoder is clamped with the outer ring buckle and the buckle axis direction of the third annular component, and the bottom of the knob is fixedly connected to the light guide by screws; The control PCBA is fixedly connected between the first annular component and the second annular component by screws, the light board is fixedly connected to the second annular component by screws, and the control PCBA and the light board are connected by electrical signals through a board-to-board connector; The limiting column of the sleeve and the limiting column of the inner ring of the hollow encoder limit each other, and the buckle position is buckled and connected with the card position of the inner ring of the hollow encoder; the sleeve is fixedly connected to the upper shell, and the buckle part of the outer ring of the hollow encoder is buckled and connected with the buckle of the third annular component.

2. The knob controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing is arranged between the upper shell and the third annular component. The inner ring of the bearing is clamped by the inner ring of the upper shell, and the limiting boss presses the outer ring of the bearing to drive the rotation of the outer ring of the bearing.

3. The knob controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The knob controller also includes a base box and embedded parts. A buckle is arranged on the inner wall of the base box, and a limiting boss and a base box through hole are arranged around the bottom. A stud is arranged at the bottom of the embedded part. When installing, the embedded part is first embedded, and then the base box is connected and fixed through the through hole by screws. The uneven installation surface is covered by the outer circle arranged on the base box, and then the knob controller connection control line is inserted into the base box. The lower shell of the knob controller falls on the limiting boss, and the buckle is buckled and connected to the outer edge of the upper shell.

4. The knob controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light board includes multiple lamp beads forming a circular array of lamp beads, which indicate the controlled status of the device through different light brightness, color or status.

5. The knob controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The knob controller also includes a base, the lower shell of the knob controller is fixed to the base by a snap mechanism, and the top opening of the base matches the size of the outer shell of the knob controller; The base includes a battery compartment, and the battery compartment is electrically connected to the power board.

6. The knob controller according to claim 5, characterized in that: The knob controller also includes a power identifier, which is located below the base. The power identifier includes spring pins with multiple contacts. When the knob controller is placed in the base, the spring pins can contact corresponding contacts of the knob controller to supply power.

7. A method for designing indicator light of a knob controller, characterized in that: Applied to the knob controller according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the method comprises: S1, determine the shape of the light guide according to the design requirements; S2, determining the shape of the light guide prism according to the shape of the light guide member; S3, confirm the distance from the lamp bead to the light guide according to the design requirements; S4, determining the radius of the circular array of lamp beads according to the projection distance from the lamp beads to the light guide; S5, confirm the number of lamp beads according to the boundary of the light and dark areas; S6, select the material transparency and haze according to the indicated light intensity requirements; S7, based on the overall design requirements, make physical objects and test the lighting effects.

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