Multi-axis swiveling rotary push button

Abstract

Operating device (1) for a motor vehicle with a base (10), a pin (20) connected to the base (10) and an actuating element (30) connected to the pin (20) for actuation by an operator, wherein the pin (20) has, along its longitudinal axis (A), a first end section (21) facing the base (10), with which the pin (20) is held on the base (10) via a joint (40) so as to be pivotable in multiple axes, and a second end section (22) facing away from the base (10), on which the actuating element (30) can be rotated endlessly about the longitudinal axis (A) via a bearing arrangement (51, 52) and can be actuated in a spring-return manner along the longitudinal axis (A) in the direction of the base (10), characterized in that the pin (20) can be pivoted in eight directions via the joint (40) and the operating device (1) has a pivot signal arrangement (60) which is designed to generate an electrical switching signal corresponding to the respective direction when the pin (20) is pivoted, and that the adjusting element (30) is in one piece and has a completely closed wall (31) on its side facing away from the base (10), so that the wall (31) is connected to a ring section (39) of the adjusting element (30) which runs around the longitudinal axis (A) and is movable together with the latter.

Description

The invention relates to an operating device for a motor vehicle, which has a base, a pin connected to the base and an actuating element connected to the pin for actuation by an operator. In this case, the pin has along its longitudinal axis a first end section facing the base, with which the pin is held on the base so as to be pivotable in a multiaxial manner via a joint, and a second end section facing away from the base, at which the adjusting element can be rotated continuously about the pin via a bearing arrangement and can be actuated along the pin in the direction of the base in a spring-reset manner. Since the actuating element of the operating device is correspondingly rotatable and can be pressed in the direction of the base, it is a rotary press actuator which is additionally mounted on the base such that it can be pivoted or tilted about a plurality of axes, with the result that the operating device according to the invention corresponds to a rotary press actuator which can be pivoted multiaxially.In principle, rotary push actuators and also partially pivotable rotary push actuators are known from the prior art and also for use in motor vehicles, in particular as part of the human-machine interface (HMI).In this case, the rotary push actuators known in the prior art have various technical disadvantages and an often complex structure, with the result that rotary push actuators of this type are intended to be further improved by the operating device proposed according to the invention.Thus, in the case of the rotary push actuators already known, usually only a displacement in four directions or about two fixed axes is provided, which leads to a corresponding restriction for the operator or for the operation by means of such rotary push actuators.Even if the rotary push actuators known in the prior art are pivotable in more than four directions, such a pivoting is often not detected or not reproduced by directly corresponding switching signals.The known rotary pressure actuators are also often susceptible to soiling and damage, since these have gaps between rotatable and fixed components towards the operator.In addition, a cover facing the operator is usually fixed and a rotary ring is rotatably mounted on the latter, which clearly restricts operability, since, for example, no rotation of the rotary push actuator introduced onto the cover by one finger is possible and the operator is forced to carry out the rotation usually by a plurality of fingers via the rotary ring.The object of the invention is therefore to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide a multifunctional, but at the same time robust and easily produced control device for a motor vehicle.This object is achieved by the combination of features according to claim 1.According to the invention, therefore, an operating device for a motor vehicle is proposed, which has a base, a pin connected to the base and an actuating element connected to the pin for actuation by an operator. In this case, the pin has along its longitudinal axis a first end section facing the base, with which the pin is held on the base so as to be pivotable in a multiaxial manner via a joint, and a second end section facing away from the base, at which the adjusting element can be rotated continuously about the pin via a bearing arrangement and can be actuated along the pin in the direction of the base in a spring-reset manner. As explained in the introduction, the operating device according to the invention can thus be referred to as a multiaxially pivotable rotary push actuator.It is essential to the invention that the pin can be pivoted in eight directions via the joint and the operating device has a pivot signal arrangement which is designed to generate an electrical switching signal corresponding to the respective direction and thus specific to the direction when the pin is pivoted. It is furthermore essential that the adjusting element is one-piece and has a completely closed wall on its side facing away from the base, so that the wall is connected or fixed to a ring section of the adjusting element encircling the longitudinal axis and can be rotated together with the latter about the longitudinal axis and can be moved along the longitudinal axis.Starting from this, it is preferably provided that a rotary encoder is arranged between the second end section of the pin facing away from the base and the wall of the actuating element, which rotary encoder is designed to generate an electrical signal as a function of the rotation of the actuating element about the pin.Furthermore, the rotary encoder can be formed by a coding element and a signal transmitter, wherein the coding element is connected to the actuating element in a rotationally fixed manner and interacts with the signal transmitter which scans the coding element and is connected to the pin in a rotationally fixed manner.Between the second end section of the pin facing away from the base and the wall of the adjusting element, a resetting device is also preferably arranged which provides the spring resetting and is provided for example by one or more silicone domes and is designed to reset the adjusting element into an unactuated base position and / or to generate a haptic feedback, i.e. a haptic feedback for the operator, when the adjusting element is actuated in the direction of the base.In order to be able to provide the mobility of the adjusting element with respect to the pin in a particularly advantageous manner, a sliding sleeve is preferably arranged around the pin, which sliding sleeve is mounted displaceably along the pin and by means of which the adjusting element can be rotated indirectly in an endless manner around the pin and actuated in a spring-reset manner along the pin in the direction of the base.Preferably, the adjusting element is supported on the sliding sleeve via a radial bearing as part of the bearing arrangement in an endlessly rotatable manner. Additionally or alternatively, it can be provided that the adjusting element is mounted in an endlessly rotatable manner as part of the bearing arrangement on an axial bearing arranged between the second end section of the pin remote from the base and the wall of the adjusting element. In this case, the axial bearing does not have to bear directly against the sliding sleeve, since an indirect connection, for example via an adapter plate, is sufficient.Starting from such a sliding sleeve, a locking ring interacting with an elastic element can be arranged between the adjusting element and the sliding sleeve, so that the elastic element is thus fastened, for example, to the sliding sleeve and the locking ring to the adjusting element or vice versa. The elastic element and the locking ring are designed here to generate locking steps and a haptic feedback for the operator connected to the locking steps during a rotation of the actuating element about the pin.To generate the switching signals by the pivoting signal arrangement, the preferably four switching contacts and further preferably exactly four switching contacts, which are designed to be actuated when pivoting the pin and to generate a direction-specific electrical switching signal for each of the eight directions. Starting from the eight directions in which the pin can be pivoted by means of the actuating element, eight different switching signals are thus generated by the four switching contacts, which are each assigned to one direction.For this purpose, the pivot signal arrangement preferably has two intersecting actuating arms which can be moved by pivoting the pin and which are designed to actuate the four switching contacts in combinations dependent on the pivoting.In order to enable pivoting in the eight directions, the joint via which the pin is mounted on the base is preferably a cardan joint or a cardan suspension, wherein other mounts or suspensions can also be used which are designed to enable pivoting of the pin in eight directions or consequently about four axes.In addition, at least one setting-up device is preferably arranged on the base, which setting-up device is designed to set the pin back into a neutral central position. Additionally or alternatively, haptic feedback can be generated by the adjusting device when the pin is pivoted and in particular when an end position is reached.Particularly advantageously, the setting-up device is also produced by at least one silicone dome, but preferably a plurality of silicone domes, which act indirectly via an adapter element on the pin in order to move the pin back into the neutral central position.The silicone domes can also be integrally formed as additional switching elements in order to be able to determine the reaching of the end position and to be able to provide them as additional switching signals.In order to additionally provide the operator with optically appealing illumination, an optical orientation aid or also an optical feedback, it is additionally preferably provided that the wall of the adjusting element can be illuminated at least in sections and at least one light element is arranged between the second end section of the pin facing away from the base and the wall of the adjusting element, which light element is designed to emit light in the direction of and through the wall or thus toward the operator.Furthermore, further light elements could be provided, which are designed to emit light orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the pin and through a corresponding section of the actuating element, which for this purpose can likewise be designed to be translucent.With respect to a printed circuit board arranged in the actuating element, it is also to be noted that it can be electrically contacted by lines running inside or on the pin. The lines preferably extend from the circuit board arranged in the actuating element through or on the pin as far as the base, on which they run from the pin via, for example, flexible line sections to the base or to a circuit board provided on the base, which circuit board receives, for example, the pivoting contact arrangement.The features disclosed above can be combined as desired, provided that this is technically possible and they do not conflict with one another.Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the dependent claims or are illustrated in more detail below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention on the basis of the figures. The following are shown: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an operating device; FIG. 2 shows a side view of an operating device; FIG. 3 shows a joint of an operating device; FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional view of an operating device in its neutral basic position; FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of an operating device in its position actuated along the longitudinal axis; FIG. 6 shows a schematic sectional view of an operating device in a pivoted position; FIG. 7 shows a swivel signal arrangement in the neutral basic position; FIG. 8 shows deflected swivel signal arrangements.The figures are schematic by way of example. Like reference numerals in the figures indicate like functional and / or structural features.All figures are preferably schematic illustrations of an embodiment, so that the explanation relating to individual figures applies directly to all figures.For better understanding, an operating device 1 according to the invention is shown in a perspective illustration in FIG. 1 and in a side view in FIG. 2.Starting from a base 10 fixed in the motor vehicle, for example, the actuating element 30 for operator input can be pivoted in the radial direction R relative to the axis A in eight directions, wherein a respective specific switching signal can be generated by pivoting in one of the directions and thus a respective operator input can be implemented. The direction-specific switching signal is composed of the individual signals generated by the switching elements 61, 62, 63, 65, as explained in particular with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.In addition, the actuating element 30 can be actuated by pressing or pressing the actuating element 30 or by a force F acting in the direction of the base 10 and applied by an operator, for example, and thus a corresponding further operator input can be implemented.Furthermore, the adjusting element 30 is rotatable continuously in or counter to a circumferential direction U about a longitudinal axis A of a pin 20 which is completely housed in FIGS. 1 and 2 and therefore cannot be seen. In order to be able to rotate the actuating element 30 about the pin 20 or its longitudinal axis A, a rotational movement can be applied to the actuating element 30 by the operator via a ring section 39 or via the wall 31 connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the ring section 39. The rotational movement introduced via the wall 31 can be introduced here, for example, by an eccentrically placed finger, for which an optional depression can also be provided on the wall 31, so that the actuating element 30 is rotatable in a manner similar to a dial.In order to enable pivoting of the actuating element 30, the latter is mounted indirectly on the pin 20, which is fixed to the base via a joint 40 designed as a gimbal mount, so that the actuating element 30 is preferably freely pivotable in the radial direction R, but at least, starting from the longitudinal axis A of the pin 20 in the rest position, in eight directions, i.e. about four virtual axes.Following the principle of gimbal suspension and as shown in FIG. 3, the joint has a first axis 41 via which the pin 20 is pivotably connected to a cage 42 which is pivotably fixed to the base 10 via a second axis 43.FIG. 4 shows an operating device in a simplified sectional illustration along the longitudinal axis A and in an unactuated basic position, in which both the pin 20 in an unactuated neutral middle or basic position and the adjusting element 30 are in an unactuated position and therefore not displaced along the longitudinal axis A in the direction of the base 20.Proceeding from this, the concrete structure of the illustrated variant of the operating device 1 according to the invention will be discussed, which is found identically in FIGS. 5 and 6.It is fundamentally to be noted that the operating device 1 has a base 10, a pin 20 connected to the base 10, and an adjusting element 30 connected to the pin 20 for actuation by an operator. The base 10 serves here for connection to the motor vehicle or in the motor vehicle and is preferably part of a housing with a pot-like receptacle formed by the base 10 and a cover 14, which together house the swivel signal arrangement 60 explained below. The pin 20 has along its longitudinal axis A a first end section 21 facing the base 10, with which the pin 20 is held on the base 10 so as to be pivotable multiple-axis via the joint 40 designed as a gimbal. Furthermore, the pin 20 has a second end section 22 facing away from the base 10, at which the adjusting element 30 can be rotated endlessly about the longitudinal axis A via a bearing arrangement 51, 52 and can be actuated along the longitudinal axis A in a spring-biased manner in the direction of the base 10.According to the invention, it is provided that the pin 20 can be pivoted via the joint 40 in eight directions, as are illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 7 and 8. In order to detect such a pivoting, the operating device 1 has a pivoting signal arrangement 60, as is likewise illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. When the pin 20 is pivoted out of the neutral base or middle position shown in FIG. 4, the pivot signal arrangement generates an electrical switching signal corresponding to the respective direction.In order to simultaneously provide an adjustment element 30 which is simple to produce and resistant to soiling, the adjustment element is formed in one piece, i.e. from a plurality of parts firmly connected to one another, and has a completely closed wall 31 on its side facing away from the base 10.The pivot signal arrangement 60 is provided within the housing formed by the base 10 and the cover 14, wherein this pivot signal arrangement is realized, for example and with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, in that two intersecting actuating arms 66 are provided, which are pivotably held on a pin 67 and together engage around the pin 20. By pivoting the pin 20, a respective switching element 65 is moved in such a way that exactly four switching contacts 61, 62, 63, 64 are controlled so as to generate a direction-specific switching signal. For this purpose, the switching contacts 61, 62, 63, 64 are arranged in groups on a first printed circuit board 68, so that two switching contacts 61, 62, 63, 64 are each assigned to an actuating arm 66 or its switching element 65.By pivoting, the pin 20 can thus be brought from the neutral middle position, as is illustrated for example in FIGS. 4 and 7, into a deflected or pivoted position, as is illustrated for example in FIGS. 6 and 8. In this case, the pin 20 is shown in FIG. 6 pivoted by the angle α by an actuation by means of the actuating element 30.The pin 20 is deflected in the individual directions in FIG. 8, as shown by arrows in FIG. 7. For improved clarity, FIG. 8 intentionally dispenses with reference numerals, since the identical components according to FIG. 7 are depicted and only the pin 20 is deflected and as a result the two actuating arms 66 are pivoted about their respective journal.To explain the switching signals generated in a direction-specific manner, the eight possible directions are depicted analogously to cardinal directions and with reference to the representation plane in FIG. 8, so that a corresponding direction-specific switching signal is produced by the switching contacts 61, 62, 63, 64 for pivoting in the respective direction:Central Position1111North (N)1101North East (NE)0101East (E)0111South East (SE)0110South (S)1110South-West (SW)1010West (W)1011North-West (NW)1001In order to move the pin 20 back from a deflected or pivoted position into the basic or middle position, an adjusting device 11 is furthermore arranged on the base 10, which acts via elastic elements 12 designed as silicone domes and an adapter element 13 in a spring-elastic restoring manner on the pin 20 or a collar 23 provided on the pin 20.In FIG. 5, the operating device 1 is shown in an actuated position, in which the actuating element 30 is displaced from its unactuated position in the direction of the base 10 into an actuated position by a force F applied by the operator. For this purpose, the adjusting element 30 together with further elements forms a unit which is displaceable along the longitudinal axis A of the pin 20, wherein the sliding sleeve 34 is used in particular for this purpose.The adjusting element 30 is thus mounted on the sliding sleeve 34 and the sliding sleeve 34 in a rotationally fixed manner, but displaceably along the longitudinal axis L, on the pin 20 via a bearing arrangement formed by a radial bearing 51 and an axial bearing 52.A resetting device 33 is arranged in a receiving space formed by the adjusting element 30, which resetting device simultaneously serves as a switching element and is formed, for example, by silicone domes and snap discs which are arranged in the receiving space on a second printed circuit board 38.By means of the aforementioned bearing arrangement 51, 52, an endless rotation of the actuating element 30 in the circumferential direction U about the longitudinal axis A is made possible, wherein latching steps should nevertheless be haptically perceptible to the operator. For this purpose, a locking ring 36 running circumferentially in the circumferential direction and at least one elastic element 35 are provided between the sliding sleeve 34 and the adjusting element 30, which engages in the locking ring 36 and thus generates the locking or the haptically perceptible feedback.In order to detect the rotation and / or the position of the actuating element 30 relative to the sliding sleeve 34 or the pin 20 for operator inputs, a rotary encoder 32 is furthermore provided in the receiving space formed by the actuating element, which rotary encoder is formed, for example, by a revolving encoder element fastened to the actuating element 30 and a signal transmitter fastened to the second printed circuit board 38, which encoder scans the encoder element and can thereby output the rotational speed, the absolute position and / or the relative position as an electrical signal.In order to be able to provide the operator with optical feedback and other further information on the side of the actuating element 30 facing away from the base 10, a light element 37, preferably an LED, is additionally provided on the second printed circuit board 38, which light element is designed to emit light in the direction of the wall 31 of the actuating element 30 that is designed to be translucent and thus through the wall 31.

Claims

Operating device (1) for a motor vehicle, having a base (10), a pin (20) connected to the base (10) and an actuating element (30) connected to the pin (20) for actuation by an operator, wherein the pin (20) has, along its longitudinal axis (A), a first end section (21) facing the base (10), by means of which the pin (20) is held on the base (10) so as to be pivotable in multiple axes via a joint (40), and a second end section (22) facing away from the base (10), at which the actuating element (30) can be rotated by means of a bearing arrangement (51, 52) in an endless manner about the longitudinal axis (A) and can be actuated in a spring-biased manner along the longitudinal axis (A) in the direction of the base (10), characterized in that, the pin (20) can be pivoted in eight directions via the joint (40) and the operating device (1) has a pivot signal arrangement (60) which is designed to generate an electrical switching signal corresponding to the respective direction when the pin (20) is pivoted, and the actuating element (30) is in one piece and has a completely closed wall (31) on its side facing away from the base (10), such that the wall (31) is connected to a ring section (39) of the actuating element (30), which ring section runs around the longitudinal axis (A), and can be moved together with the latter.Operating device according to claim 1, wherein between the second end section (21) of the pin (20) facing away from the base (10) and the wall (31) of the adjusting element (30) a rotary encoder (32) is arranged, which is designed to generate an electrical signal depending on the rotation of the adjusting element (30) about the pin (20).Operating device according to the preceding claim, wherein a coding element is connected to the actuating element (30) in a rotationally fixed manner and interacts with a signal transmitter which scans the coding element and is connected to the pin (20) in a rotationally fixed manner, such that the coding element and the signal transmitter form the rotary encoder (32).Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a resetting device (33) providing the spring reset is arranged between the second end section (22) of the pin (20) facing away from the base (10) and the wall (31) of the actuating element (30), which resetting device is designed to reset the actuating element (30) into an unactuated base position and / or to generate a haptic feedback when the actuating element (30) is actuated in the direction of the base (10).Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a sliding sleeve (34) is arranged around the pin (20), which sliding sleeve is mounted displaceably along the pin (20), by means of which sliding sleeve the actuating element (30) can be rotated indirectly in an endless manner around the pin (20) and can be actuated in a spring-reset manner along the pin (20) in the direction of the base (10).Operating device according to the preceding claim, wherein the adjusting element (30) is mounted on the sliding sleeve (34) in an infinitely rotatable manner via a radial bearing (51) as part of the bearing arrangement and / or wherein the adjusting element (30) is mounted in an infinitely rotatable manner on an axial bearing (52) arranged between the second end section (22) of the pin (20) facing away from the base (10) and the wall (31) of the adjusting element (30) as part of the bearing arrangement.Operating device according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein a latching ring (36) interacting with an elastic element (35) is arranged between the actuating element (30) and the sliding sleeve (34), wherein the elastic element (35) and the latching ring (36) are designed to generate latching steps and a haptic feedback connected to the latching steps when the actuating element (30) rotates about the pin (20).Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivot signal arrangement (60) has four switching contacts (61, 62, 63, 64) which are designed to be actuated when the pin (20) is pivoted and to generate a direction-specific electrical switching signal for each of the eight directions.Operating device according to the preceding claim, wherein the pivot signal arrangement (60) has two intersecting actuating arms (66) which are movable by pivoting the pin (20) and are designed to actuate the four switching contacts (61, 62, 63, 64) in combinations which are dependent on the pivoting.Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the joint (40) is a cardan joint.Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one setting-up device (11) is arranged on the base (10), which setting-up device is designed to reset the pin (20) into a neutral central position and / or to generate a haptic feedback when the pin (20) is pivoted.Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall (31) of the actuating element (30) can be illuminated at least in sections and wherein at least one light element (37) is arranged between the second end section (22) of the pin (20) facing away from the base (10) and the wall (31) of the actuating element (30), which light element is designed to emit light in the direction of and through the wall (31).

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