A flexible knob switch

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of nimble rotary knob switches, rear shell includes installation end surface and cooperation end surface, installation end surface is connected with external device, and a circle of cooperation end surface is provided with wave-shaped tooth. Rotary knob is opened with the first recess corresponding with rear shell, when rotary knob is connected with rear shell, wave-shaped tooth is embedded in the first recess. Circuit board assembly is set in rotary knob inside, and it is connected with external device by fixed shaft, when rotary knob rotates, circuit board assembly triggers circuit signal with rotary knob. Positive pressure spring is set between wave-shaped tooth and the first recess, positive pressure spring is provided with wave-shaped cooperation part, wave-shaped cooperation part cooperates wave-shaped tooth under rotating rotary knob, and form complete paragraph hand feeling. The elastic contact of encoder in the utility model and the second recess of rotary knob inner wall mutually cooperate, when rotary knob rotates, elastic contact " slides into and slides out second recess in turn", and this mechanical action directly drives the internal structure of encoder, generates corresponding pulse signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of electronic switch technology, and in particular relates to a flexible rotary switch. Background Technology

[0002] Rotary switches are common electrical components widely used in various electrical devices for controlling circuit on / off states, adjusting device parameters, and selecting different function modes. They are also widely used in automobiles, serving as an indispensable part of automotive control systems. Common examples include air conditioning temperature control knobs and audio control knobs. However, existing rotary switches utilize a spring-ball mechanism, which leads to sticking when pressed, a stiff and unsmooth rotation feel, and abnormally high torque due to spring force tolerances, making it difficult to guarantee product consistency. Utility Model Content

[0003] The technical objective of this invention is to provide a flexible rotary switch to solve the problem of poor tactile feedback when pressing or rotating a rotary switch.

[0004] To solve the above problems, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows: A flexible rotary switch, comprising: The rear housing includes a mounting end face and a mating end face. The mounting end face is connected to the external device, and the mating end face is provided with wavy teeth around its circumference. The knob has a first groove corresponding to the back cover. When the knob is connected to the back cover, the wave-shaped teeth are engaged in the first groove. The circuit board assembly is located inside the knob and is connected to an external device via a fixed shaft. When the knob is rotated, the circuit board assembly triggers a circuit signal in conjunction with the knob. The positive pressure spring is located between the wavy teeth and the first groove. The positive pressure spring has a wave-shaped mating part. When the knob is rotated, the wave-shaped mating part and the wavy teeth form a complete segmented feel.

[0005] Specifically, the circuit board assembly includes an encoder, buttons, and a circuit board; The circuit board is placed horizontally, and the encoder and buttons are installed on the top surface of the circuit board; The buttons are located at the center of the circuit board, and the encoder is located at the edge of the circuit board.

[0006] Furthermore, a second groove is provided around the inner wall of the knob, and the position of the circuit board assembly matches the second groove; The encoder has a flexible contact extending towards the second groove. The flexible contact cooperates with the second groove. When the knob is rotated, the flexible contact will slide into and out of the second groove in sequence, thereby triggering the circuit signal by the encoder.

[0007] The knob has a button panel on top, which is located above the buttons. Pressing the button panel will press the buttons down in conjunction, triggering a circuit signal.

[0008] Specifically, the wave-shaped mating part is a steep protrusion facing the wave-shaped teeth, which is configured to be briefly pressed down by the wave-shaped teeth and then rebound to produce a complete segment feel.

[0009] The inner wall of the first groove is provided with a corresponding positioning groove, and the positive pressure spring is installed in the first groove and is positioned and connected to the positioning groove through the positioning component.

[0010] More preferably, the positive pressure spring is also provided with a support part, which is arranged opposite to the wave-shaped mating part, and is configured to prevent the rear shell from tilting and the knob from shaking during rotation.

[0011] The support portion is a gently convex protrusion facing the wavy teeth, configured to be continuously pressed down by the wavy teeth to provide continuous support.

[0012] Because of the adoption of the above technical solution, this utility model has the following advantages and positive effects compared with the prior art: In this invention, the elastic contact of the encoder cooperates with the second groove on the inner wall of the knob. When the knob is rotated, the elastic contact "slides into and out of the second groove in sequence". This mechanical action directly drives the internal structure of the encoder and generates a corresponding pulse signal.

[0013] The interaction between the steep wave-shaped mating part on the positive pressure spring and the wave-shaped teeth on the back shell creates a "press-back" mechanical action when the knob is rotated. This action allows the user's fingers to feel a clear tactile feedback, enhancing the user experience.

[0014] The gently sloping support on the positive pressure spring meshes with the wave-shaped mating part, and is constantly pressed down by the wave-shaped teeth during rotation, providing continuous support for the entire knob assembly. This design effectively prevents the back cover from tilting relative to the knob and eliminates radial wobble that may occur when the knob rotates, making the rotation process more stable and smooth.

[0015] The positioning parts at both ends of the positive pressure spring are positioned and engaged with the positioning grooves on the inner wall of the knob groove, ensuring that the positive pressure spring is accurately positioned and firmly fixed during installation, preventing it from shifting or deflecting during operation, and ensuring the consistency and reliability of this utility model.

[0016] The wave-shaped mating part that creates the segmented feel and the support part that provides support are integrated on the same positive pressure spring. The structure is ingenious, the number of parts is small, and it is easy to assemble, which is conducive to product miniaturization and cost control.

[0017] This invention integrates both rotation and pressing operation modes within a limited space, resulting in a compact structure and rich functionality. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0019] Figure 1 This is an overall structural diagram of a flexible rotary switch according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is an exploded view of a flexible rotary switch according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit board assembly of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the knob of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the knob of this utility model from another perspective; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rear shell of this utility model.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1: Button board; 2: Knob; 3: Back cover; 4: Circuit board assembly; 5: Positive pressure spring; 6: Encoder; 7: Button; 8: Circuit board; 9: Second groove; 10: First groove; 11: Wavy teeth. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the specific implementation methods of this utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings and other implementation methods can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0022] To keep the drawings concise, only the parts relevant to this invention are shown schematically in each figure, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, in some figures, only one of the components with the same structure or function is schematically depicted, or only one is labeled. In this document, "one" not only means "only one," but can also mean "more than one."

[0023] The present invention provides a more detailed description of a flexible rotary knob switch in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description and claims.

[0024] Example See Figures 1 to 6 This embodiment provides a flexible knob 2 switch, which can be disassembled into several major components: a back cover 3, a knob 2, a circuit board assembly 4, and a positive pressure spring 5. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the rear shell 3 is cylindrical in shape, comprising upper and lower end faces, which are the mounting end face and the mating end face, respectively. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The mounting face shown is the downward-facing side, which connects to external devices such as car center console panels or audio equipment panels. A wavy toothed pattern 11 is provided around the mating face. The knob 2 has a first groove 10 corresponding to the rear cover 3, such as... Figure 5 As shown, during installation, the opening of the first groove 10 faces downwards. The positive pressure spring 5 is positioned precisely between the wavy teeth 11 and the first groove 10. The positive pressure spring 5 has a wave-shaped mating part, which, in conjunction with the wavy teeth 11, creates a complete tactile feedback when the knob 2 is rotated. The circuit board assembly 4 is located inside the knob 2 but is not directly connected to it. The circuit board assembly 4 is connected to an external device via a fixed shaft. When the knob 2 is rotated, the circuit board assembly 4, in conjunction with the knob 2, triggers a circuit signal.

[0025] See Figures 2 to 4 Specifically, circuit board assembly 4 includes encoder 6, button 7, and circuit board 8. Circuit board 8 is horizontally placed, and encoder 6 and button 7 are mounted on its upper surface. Button 7 is located at the center of circuit board 8, and encoder 6 is located at the edge of circuit board 8. Figure 4 As shown, a second groove 9 is provided around the inner wall of the knob 2, and the circuit board assembly 4 is positioned precisely within the space enclosed by the second groove 9. An encoder 6 extends a resilient contact towards the second groove 9, which engages with the groove. When the knob 2 is rotated, the resilient contact slides into and out of the second groove 9 sequentially, creating segmented tactile feedback during rotation. This triggers a circuit signal from the encoder 6, thus enabling volume adjustment if the knob 2 is a volume knob. Further details can be found in the documentation. Figure 2 The knob 2 has a button plate 1 on top, which is located above the button 7. By pressing the button plate 1, the button 7 is pressed down in conjunction, triggering a circuit signal to realize the button 7 pressing function.

[0026] See Figure 2 and Figure 5The positive pressure spring 5 has an overall ring-shaped structure, including a wave-shaped mating part, a supporting part, and a positioning part. Specifically, the wave-shaped mating part is a steep protrusion facing the wave-shaped teeth 11. It is briefly pressed down by the wave-shaped teeth 11 and then rebounds to produce a complete segmented feel. The positioning part is located at both ends of the positive pressure spring 5. The inner wall of the first groove 10 is correspondingly provided with a positioning groove. The positive pressure spring 5 is installed in the first groove 10 and is positioned and connected to the positioning groove through the positioning element. This prevents the positive pressure spring 5 from not moving when the knob 2 is turned, thus affecting the feel. The supporting part is located on the other side of the wave-shaped mating part. The supporting part is a gentle protrusion facing the wave-shaped teeth 11. It is continuously pressed down by the wave-shaped teeth 11 to provide continuous support, thereby preventing the rear shell 3 from tilting and the knob 2 from shaking during rotation, which would affect the rotation feel.

[0027] The working process of this embodiment will now be described: The user rotates knob 2, causing the positive pressure spring 5, fixed inside its first groove 10, to rotate as well. The wave-shaped engagement part on the positive pressure spring 5 periodically slides over the tips of the wave-shaped teeth 11 fixed on the rear shell 3. At the moment of passing the tooth tip, the wave-shaped engagement part is lifted and quickly rebounds after passing the tip of the wave-shaped teeth 11, producing a noticeable force feedback, i.e., the "click" tactile sensation perceived by the user. This process repeats multiple times with each full rotation, the number of times corresponding to the number of wave-shaped teeth 11.

[0028] At the same time, the support portion (gently raised) on the positive pressure spring 5 always maintains contact with the tip of the wavy tooth 11 and is subjected to continuous support force. This continuous support force acts as a damper, eliminating the gap between the knob 2 and the back cover 3, ensuring smooth rotation, and effectively preventing the knob 2 from shaking and the back cover 3 from tilting.

[0029] Meanwhile, during rotation, the elastic contact of encoder 6 continuously slides into and out of the second groove 9, creating segmented tactile feedback during the rotation operation. This triggers circuit signals from encoder 6 to adjust the volume or air conditioning temperature. Users can also control the operation by pressing the button panel 1.

[0030] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Even if various changes are made to the present invention, if these changes fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, they shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible rotary switch, characterized in that, include: The rear shell includes a mounting end face and a mating end face. The mounting end face is connected to an external device, and the mating end face is provided with wavy teeth around its circumference. A knob, wherein the knob has a first groove corresponding to the rear shell, and when the knob is connected to the rear shell, the wave-shaped teeth are engaged in the first groove; A circuit board assembly is disposed inside the knob and connected to an external device via a fixed shaft. When the knob is rotated, the circuit board assembly triggers a circuit signal in conjunction with the knob. A positive pressure spring is disposed between the wavy teeth and the first groove. The positive pressure spring has a wave-shaped mating part. When the knob is rotated, the wave-shaped mating part cooperates with the wavy teeth to form a complete segmented feel.

2. The flexible rotary switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit board assembly includes an encoder, buttons, and a circuit board; The circuit board is placed horizontally, and the encoder and the button are mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board; The button is located at the center of the circuit board, and the encoder is located at the edge of the circuit board.

3. The flexible rotary switch according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the knob is provided with a second groove, and the position of the circuit board assembly matches the second groove. The encoder has an elastic contact extending towards the second groove. The elastic contact cooperates with the second groove. When the knob is rotated, the elastic contact will slide into and out of the second groove in sequence, thereby triggering a circuit signal by the encoder.

4. The flexible rotary switch according to claim 2, characterized in that, A button panel is provided on the top of the knob. The button panel is located above the button. Pressing the button panel will cause the button to be pressed down in response, triggering a circuit signal.

5. The flexible rotary switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wave-shaped mating part is a steep protrusion facing the wave-shaped teeth, and is configured to be briefly pressed down by the wave-shaped teeth and then rebound to produce a complete segmented feel.

6. The flexible rotary switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the first groove is provided with a corresponding positioning groove. The positive pressure spring is installed in the first groove and is positioned and connected to the positioning groove through a positioning component.

7. The flexible rotary switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positive pressure spring is also provided with a support part, which is arranged opposite to the wave-shaped mating part and is configured to prevent the rear shell from tilting and the knob from shaking during rotation.

8. The flexible rotary switch according to claim 7, characterized in that, The support portion is a gently convex protrusion facing the wavy teeth, configured to be continuously pressed down by the wavy teeth to provide continuous support.

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