Operating device

Abstract

The vehicle operation device includes a capacitive touch panel (16) having an upper surface with a touch surface, and an operation unit. The operation unit includes a movable operation element (22) having a conductive surface and capable of being held by hand, and a plate-shaped holding element having an upper surface and a lower surface (54) not facing the upper surface. The operation element (22) is movably disposed on the holding element, and the holding element is disposed on the touch surface of the upper surface of the touch panel (16). The operation element (22) has at least one wiper electrically connected to its conductive surface, and the wiper slides along a scanning path (40) on the upper surface of the holding element when the operation element (22) moves. The holding element has first portions (50) and second portions (52) that are alternately arranged along the scanning path (40). The upper surface and the lower surface (54) of the holding element are electrically connected to each other in the respective first portions (50) and electrically insulated from each other in the respective second portions (52).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This PCT application claims priority to German patent application No. 1020211305136, filed on November 22, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated by reference as if they constitute the subject matter of this application.

[0002] The present invention relates to an operating device for a vehicle, which typically comprises a capacitive touch panel having a touch upper surface, on which an operating unit having a hand-holdable operating element is disposed, the operating element being capable of being translated and / or rotated in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the touch panel, and capable of being automatically and reversibly moved, i.e., depressed, perpendicular to the upper surface of the touch panel. [Background technology]

[0003] Touch panels, in particular touch screens, have become increasingly popular as vehicle operating devices in recent years. However, in some cases it is more convenient to input operating commands by means of operating elements that are configured as sliders or rotary adjusters with a push function and that can be held in the hand.

[0004] The combination of manually actuable operating elements with touch panels or touch screens has already been described in various ways, for example in DE 19743283 A1, DE 102006043208 A1, DE 102010010574 A1, DE 102011007112 A1 and EP 2302799 A1. In known operating devices, an encoder element coupled to the operating element moves over the touch surface of the touch panel and uses a touch sensor system to determine the current movement position of the operating element. It may be desirable for the user to be able to selectively position the operating element at different points on the touch panel. The encoder element moving over the surface of the touch panel can cause damage or wear (such as scratches or wear marks) to the touch surface of the touch panel, which must be prevented.

[0005] From WO 2018 / 137944, an operating device for a motor vehicle is known, in which a ring or disk with alternating conductive and non-conductive areas is arranged along a loop line between a rotatable operating element and a touch panel. When the operating element is twisted, a conductive wiper crosses the loop line, which wiper is electrically connected to the surface of the operating element, which is also conductive. When the operating element is touched, a capacitive coupling is thus created between the underside of the holding element (i.e. the area of ​​the conductive part of the holding element) and the touch panel. This can be used by the touch sensor system of the touch panel to detect the rotational position of the operating element. The known operating element can also be pressed down, in which in the pressed state a further electrical / capacitive coupling is created between the operating element and the touch panel, which can be used to detect that the operating element has been pressed.

[0006] Thus, known operating devices comprise several elements which, for convenience, must be easily mountable. For this reason, corresponding haptics are also required for these operating elements. This haptic function is usually realized by wiper or spring elements, which in the background art are realized by elements provided separately from the detection wiper. This increases the assembly effort.

[0007] From DE 10 2006 036 638 A1 a latch device for a rotation / push-actuating element of a vehicle is known, in which a part with two spring functions is used for the purely mechanically acting functions of reversible depression and twisting, the spring arm (for the depression function) and the spring tongue (for the ratcheting in the case of twisting) used for this purpose having no electrical function.

[0008] Further rotation / push adjusters arranged on the touch surface are described in DE 102016121076 A1, DE 102018118809 A1, DE 102018118839 A1 and WO 2018 / 114138 A1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] German Patent No. 19743283 [Patent Document 2] DE 102006043208 A1 [Patent Document 3] DE 102010010574 A1 [Patent Document 4] DE 102011007112 A1 [Patent Document 5] European Patent Application Publication No. 2302799 [Patent Document 6] International Publication No. 2018 / 137944 [Patent Document 7] DE 102006036638 A1 [Patent Document 8] DE 102016121076 [Patent Document 9] DE 102018118809 [Patent Document 10] DE 102018118839 [Patent Document 11] International Publication No. 2018 / 114138 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention aims to further simplify the construction and assembly of the operating device as described in the introduction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a capacitive touch panel having a touch top surface; an operating unit having an operating element having a conductive surface and capable of being held by hand, and a holding element having an upper surface and a lower surface not facing the upper surface; a conductive spring element having a support element electrically connected to the surface of the operating element, In the holding element, the operating element is arranged so as to be translatable and / or rotatable in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the touch panel and movable perpendicular to the upper surface of the touch panel; the operating element has at least one motion-detecting encoder element, preferably in the form of a wiper, electrically connected to the conductive surface of the operating element, which motion-detecting encoder element slides along a scanning path of the holding element when the operating element is moved, the retaining element having alternating first and second portions along the scanning path; the upper surface and the lower surface of the holding element are electrically connected to each other at each of the first portions and electrically insulated from each other at each of the second portions; the operating unit has a latch device having at least one resilient latch element and a latch path having latch protrusions and latch recesses arranged alternately; The scanning path of the operation unit is formed as the latch path of the latch device, and has the latch protrusion and the latch recess, and the at least one latch element also functions as the motion detection encoder element; The operating element of the operating unit can be reversibly depressed in the direction of the holding element, and has at least one push-detection encoder element electrically connected to the conductive surface of the operating element, and when the operating element is depressed, the push-detection encoder element is in electrical contact with at least one of the first portions of the scanning path of the operating unit, the first portion electrically connecting the upper surface of the holding element to the lower surface, regardless of the moving position of the operating element, and when the operating element is not depressed, the push-detection encoder element is disposed away from the scanning path of the operating unit, at least one first spring arm protruding from the support element serves as the motion-detecting encoder element and the latch element, at least one second spring arm protruding from the support element serves as the push-detecting encoder element, and at least one third spring arm protruding from the support element serves as a return spring for returning the operating element after being pushed down; The three spring arms are an operating device integrally formed with the common support element.

[0012] The operating device according to the invention comprises a capacitive touch panel, on whose touch top surface a holding element is arranged for mounting an operating element in a rotatable and / or translatable manner. The operating element is part of the operating unit and has a conductive surface. The operating element can be translated and / or rotated as well as reversibly depressed.

[0013] The haptics during torsional or translational movement of the operating element uses a scanning device having a latch path with alternating latch protrusions and latch recesses. The latch path is scanned by a resilient latch element, as described below. The latch path is also used for electrical scanning by a conductive motion-detecting encoder element, typically configured as a wiper, which also assumes the function of the latch element. The latch path has alternating conductive and non-conductive parts, such that the upper surface of the latch path is electrically connected to the lower surface of the holding element at the conductive parts.

[0014] In addition to the motion-detecting encoder element, the operating unit further comprises a push-detecting encoder element, which is also electrically connected to the surface of the operating element, like the motion-detecting encoder element. In a non-pushed state, the push-detecting encoder element is not in contact with the scanning path, and only comes into contact with it when the operating element is pressed down. At this time, the above-mentioned two detection encoder elements are arranged offset from each other, so that at each rotation or movement position of the operating element when pressed down, the push-detecting encoder element always comes into contact with a conductive part of the scanning path other than the motion-detecting encoder element. Alternatively, the push-detecting encoder element can come into contact with extensions connected to the first and second parts of the scanning path, respectively, when the operating element is pressed down, and the extensions are formed in alternating conduction with the lower surface of the holding element.

[0015] Thus, at each movement position of the operating element, different touch areas of the touch panel respond, so that the movement position of the operating element can be detected. When the operating element is pressed at a movement position, the push-detecting encoder element contacts at least one of the conductive parts, so that a signal is generated at a further sensing point of the touch panel. It is preferable that a plurality of push-detecting encoder elements are provided, the relative positions of which are known. Thus, if signals are received via the touch panel from, for example, three different positions that are arranged relative to one another in the same way as the push-detecting encoder elements, the operating element can be considered to be in the pressed position.

[0016] According to the invention, the two types of detection encoder elements and at least one return spring for reversibly depressing the operating element are integral parts of the same electrically conductive spring element. To this end, this spring element has a support element electrically connected to the surface of the operating element, from which spring arms protrude. The support element thus has at least one first spring arm acting as a movement detection encoder element and a latch element, so that a scanning path configured as a latch path is traversed during translation or rotation of the operating element. Furthermore, at least one second spring arm protrudes from the support element, which assumes the function of a push detection encoder element and which only comes into contact with the scanning path when the operating element is pressed. Finally, the support element further has a third spring arm which assumes the function of a return spring for reversibly returning the operating element after being pressed.

[0017] In this way, by concentrating the electrical and haptic functions of the manipulation unit in a single spring element, the manipulation unit can be easily assembled and fabricated, thus incorporating fewer parts, which benefits both the fabrication and assembly processes.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support element of the spring element is connected to the operating element and is movable together with the operating element when the operating element rotates and / or translates and when it moves perpendicular thereto, and the operating element has a support surface for the third spring arm, the third spring arm abuts against this support surface, and the operating element may move relative to the support surface when pressed down. Thus, the support element and the spring element move together with the operating element. The operating element is provided with a support surface for at least one third spring arm, at which at least one third spring arm is supported, and the at least one third spring arm moves relative to the support surface. Thus, in a part that moves together with the operating element when it rotates and / or translates and can be pressed down relative to the operating element, the operating element is movable perpendicular to the upper surface of the touch panel. This part then has a support surface for the at least one or each third spring arm, preferably along which each spring arm can slide.

[0019] It is useful to additionally realize push haptics by specially configuring the support element and the operating element. For this reason, according to a first variant of a useful aspect of the present invention, it is proposed that the support surface has a convex portion along which the third spring arm slides when the operating element is pressed down and / or a concave portion into which the third spring arm sinks when the operating element is pressed down. That is, the third spring arm has a function of realizing push haptics in addition to the expansion and contraction spring function.

[0020] As a variant for realizing push haptics, in a useful development of the invention, the second spring arm may have a deflection convex or a deflection concave, which is reversibly deformable by the deflection convex or the deflection concave when the operating element is pressed down, thereby generating a mechanical resistance that has to be overcome manually when it comes into contact with the scanning path and reaches the pressed-down position of the operating element. Push haptics is generated by the fact that the or each second spring arm, which primarily assumes the function of a push detection encoder element, is also used to generate a mechanical resistance when the operating element is pressed down.

[0021] In an alternative embodiment to the above-mentioned concept, it is useful that along the scanning path of the operating unit a deflection protrusion or deflection recess for the or each second spring arm is formed, and when the operating element is depressed, the second spring arm is reversibly deformable by the deflection protrusion or deflection recess, so that when it comes into contact with the scanning path or with an extension connected to the first and second parts of the scanning path, respectively, and which is electrically connected alternately to the underside of the holding element, as well as to the first and second parts of the scanning path, a mechanical resistance is generated that has to be manually overcome in order to reach the depressed position of the operating element.

[0022] Here, it is the second spring arms that provide the additional push haptics. However, unlike the above cases, this is not due to a special shaping of the or each second spring arm, but due to a shaping in the scanning path with a lateral deflection convexity or concavity along the extension direction. In all four above cases, just before the operating element reaches the depressed position, the or each second spring arm necessarily reversibly bends, thereby creating a mechanical resistance that is overcome when depressed.

[0023] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the scanning path may have a surface parallel to the top surface of the touch panel or a surface perpendicular to the top surface of the touch panel. In the case of a rotary adjuster, this means that the wave-shaped scanning path is oriented transversely (parallel to the top surface of the touch panel) or axially (perpendicular to the top surface of the touch panel). Thus, the long "valleys" of the scanning path run parallel or perpendicular to the top surface of the touch panel. Essentially, the scanning path is linear (if the operating element is configured as a slider) or ring-shaped or circular segment-shaped (for fully or only partially rotatable operating elements).

[0024] It is also advantageous, in particular for the third spring arm acting as a return spring, if the spring arms are arranged in an evenly distributed manner. In the case of a depressible rotary adjuster, rotary knob or rotary ring, it is useful if the three third spring arms are arranged offset by 120 degrees from one another. However, similar considerations also apply to the first and second spring arms. Each spring arm group consisting of the first, second or third spring arm is required to have spring arms arranged in an evenly distributed manner. On the one hand, this serves to press down the operating element without tilting it, and on the other hand serves to equalize the force that the individual spring arms additionally exert on the operating element.

[0025] In another useful aspect of the present invention, the second spring arm has a contact end for contacting the scanning path when the operating element is pressed down, and the contact end has a dimension larger than the length of the first and second parts when viewed from the direction in which the first and second parts are arranged. This ensures that each second spring arm is in electrical contact with one of the conductive first parts of the scanning path when contacting the scanning path, and is reliably capacitively coupled to the touch panel when the operating element is pressed down.

[0026] It may also be useful if the operating element has at least two motion detecting encoder elements and at least two first spring arms arranged offset from one another along the scanning path, the offset between the two motion detecting encoder elements or between the two first spring arms extending over a length equal to the length of an array of first and second portions including an even number of first portions and an odd number of second portions, or including an odd number of first portions and an even number of second portions, and at each movement position of the operating element, one of the two motion detecting encoder elements or one of the two first spring arms contacts the first portion of the scanning path.

[0027] Typically, it is useful if the operating element has at least two push detection encoder elements and at least two second spring arms arranged offset along the scanning path, and at each movement position of the operating element, at least one of the two push detection encoder elements or at least one of the two second spring arms contacts a first portion of the scanning path.

[0028] In another aspect of the invention, the offset between the two push detection encoder elements or the two second spring arms may extend over a length equal to the length of an array of first and second portions including an even number of first portions and an odd number of second portions, or including an odd number of first portions and an even number of second portions.

[0029] It is also useful if each of the first and second portions of the retaining element arranged along the scanning path extends from the centre of one latch recess to the centre of an adjacent latch recess, or from the centre of one latch protrusion to the centre of an adjacent latch protrusion.

[0030] In another useful embodiment of the invention, the operating element is formed as a depressible slider or a depressible rotary adjuster (e.g. a rotating ring or a rotating knob). The operating element can be, for example, an open or closed rotary / push adjuster, in an internal ring design the touch panel is visible so that the information displayed there is visible in the same way as in the case of a touch screen, and in a closed configuration it can have, for example, a dedicated display device.

[0031] It is also useful if the touch panel is formed as a part of a touch screen, as a capacitive touch pad, or as a capacitive touch film.

[0032] Furthermore, it is useful if the operating element is provided with a force feedback function, optionally in combination with the force sense function of the touch panel.

[0033] Another useful aspect of the invention is that the holding element is at least partially arranged on a touch surface of the top surface of the touch panel, and at each movement position of the operating element, at least one of the movement-detecting encoder elements or at least one of the first spring arms and at least one of the push-detecting encoder elements or at least one of the second spring arms are located in the area of ​​the top surface of the holding element below which the touch surface of the top surface of the touch panel is located.

[0034] It is also useful that at each movement position of the operating element, at least two of the motion detection encoder elements or at least two of the first spring arms and at least one of the push detection encoder elements or at least one of the second spring arms are located in an area of ​​the upper surface of the holding element below which the touch surface of the upper surface of the touch panel is located.

[0035] Finally, according to another aspect of the present invention, the operation unit is fixedly positioned on the top surface of the touch panel, or the operation unit is movable on the top surface of the touch panel (e.g., by a magnetic holder or a movable mechanical holding means of the operation unit).

[0036] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a center console and a central portion of an instrument panel of a vehicle having an operating device according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an operating element of an operating device on a touch-type touch panel. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the operating element. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a multi-function spring element according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a partial cutaway view of the operating element when the operating element is not pressed, with the spring element according to FIG. 4 attached. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, also showing a part connected to the operating element as a counter bearing for the return spring of the spring element, again in the unpressed state of the operating element. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the operating element in FIG. 6 is pressed. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a multi-function spring element according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a partial cutaway view of the operating element when the operating element is not pressed, with the spring element according to FIG. 8 attached. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, also showing a part connected to the operating element as a counter bearing for the return spring of the spring element, in the unpressed state of the operating element. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the operation element in FIG. 10 is pressed. [Figure 12-13] 12 and 13 show two alternatives for achieving push haptics with return springs, whereas in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 11 push haptics is achieved by a special configuration of the push encoder element in combination with a special configuration of the scan path or latch path. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] 1 shows a perspective view of the area around a center console 10 of a vehicle. The center console 10 comprises an operating device 12, which comprises a touch screen 14 having a touch panel 16 and an operating unit 18 according to the invention arranged on the touch screen 14. 20 denotes various buttons displayed on the touch screen 14.

[0039] In this embodiment, the operating unit 18 has a ring-shaped rotation / push adjuster 24 as the operating element 22, and several embodiments of this will be described below.

[0040] 2 is a perspective view again showing how the rotate / push adjuster 24 is positioned on top of the touch screen 14. The touch panel 16 has a capacitive touch sensor system 26 that is used for spatially resolved position detection of elements of the control unit 18 that are capacitively coupled to the touch sensor system 26 of the touch panel 16 in response to the twist and push positions of the rotate / push adjuster 24, as will be described below.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rotation / push adjuster 24. The rotation / push adjuster 24 has an operating ring 28 made of or coated with a conductive material. The operating ring 28 is rotatably and pushably attached to a similarly ring-shaped holding element 30. A multifunction spring element 32 and a substantially ring-shaped additional part 34 are non-rotatably connected to the operating ring 28, which, like the spring element 32, rotates together with the operating ring 28 when the operating ring 28 is twisted. When the operating ring 28 is pressed down, it moves axially relative to the additional part 34, which is provided with a support surface for a return spring for automatically returning the operating ring 28 after being pressed down. These will be described in more detail below.

[0042] Also included in the retaining element 30 is part of a latch device 36 having a latch path 38 which simultaneously functions as a scan path 40 used for twist and push detection of the rotate / push adjuster 24, as will be described below.

[0043] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0044] In FIG. 4, the multifunctional spring element 32 is shown. The spring element 32 has a support element 42 made of or coated with a conductive material and configured as a ring in this embodiment. From the support element 42, three first spring arms 44 protrude, at the ends of which wiper-like extensions 46 are arranged. Each first spring arm 44 functions as a motion-detecting encoder element 48 together with the extension 46, as shown, for example, in FIG. 5, in that each motion-detecting encoder element 48 slides together with the extension 46 along the scanning path 40. The scanning path 40 has alternatingly arranged first and second parts 50 and 52, which are arranged on the inner surface of the holding element 30, i.e. protruding from its circumferential wall along the inner surface. The first part 50 is conductive and extends to the underside 54 of the holding element 30, so that the entire operating unit 18, including the underside 54, rests on the upper surface of the touch screen 16. The second part 52 is non-conductive. The portions 50 and 52 are each configured as a latch protrusion 56 of the latch path 38, with a latch recess 58 between adjacent latch protrusions. Here, when the operation ring 28 is twisted, the motion-detecting encoder element 48 is pulled along the scan path 40 configured as the latch path 38, and contacts at least one of the conductive first portions 50 of the scan path 40 at each twisted position. The conductive multi-function spring element 32 is electrically connected to the operation ring 28, so that when the operation ring 28 is grasped by hand, for example when a finger of a hand touches the touch screen, the motion-detecting encoder element 48 is capacitively coupled to the touch screen 16. Thus, in addition to its electrical detection function, the motion-detecting encoder element 48 also serves as a latch element 59 of the latch device 36.

[0045] As can be seen from FIG. 4, the multifunction spring element 32 has three second spring arms 60, each of which has a contact end 62 at its end. When the operation ring 28 is pressed, each of the three second spring arms 60 contacts the scanning path 40 via the contact end 62. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the operation ring 28 in a non-pressed state. The contact ends 62 of the second spring arms 60 are above the respective portions 50, 52 of the scanning path 40. When the operation ring 28 is pressed down, the state shown in FIG. 7 is reached, in which each second spring arm 60 contacts two adjacent first and second portions 50, 52 of the scanning path 40. This causes additional capacitive coupling to occur between the operation ring 28 and the touch screen 16 in a position other than the position where capacitive coupling already occurs due to the current estimated torsional position of the operation ring 28 in the pressed state. On a touch screen or touch panel, the number and locations of points where capacitive coupling occurs and a "touch" is detected differ when the operation ring 28 is pressed and when it is not pressed, so in addition to the current estimated twist position of the operation ring 28, it is possible to distinguish whether the operation ring 28 has been pressed.

[0046] The automatic return of the operating ring 28 after it has been depressed is also achieved by the multifunction spring element 32, which in this embodiment has three third spring arms 64 which, like the other spring arms 44 and 60, protrude from the support element 42. These third spring arms 64 are supported by support surfaces 66 on the additional part 34, such that the multifunction spring element 32 can be axially depressed against the additional part 34 and, when the operating ring 28 is twisted, the multifunction spring element 32 is twisted together with the additional part 34.

[0047] 6 illustrates a state in which the operating ring 26 is not pressed. The multifunction spring element 32 has a distance from the part 34 that is approximately equal to the amount of depression of the operating ring 28. When the operating ring 28 is pressed down, the curved end 68 of the third spring arm 64 slides along the assigned support surface 66. This allows the third spring arm 64 to be pulled when pressed down, creating or storing the force required to return the operating ring 28 to its initial position again after it is pressed down.

[0048] In the first embodiment, the electrical and return functions of the multi-function spring element 32 have been described, and further haptic functions are described below. As already mentioned above, the motion detection encoder element 48 also functions as a latch element 59 that interacts in a latching manner with the latch path 38. This allows for rotational haptics with the same element that is also used for motion detection.

[0049] Push haptics with a snap function can be realized, for example, by special shaping (see beads 69) of the contact ends 62 of the second spring arms 60 in combination with deflection edges or deflection protrusions 70 in the latch path 38 or in the extensions 72 of the first and second parts 50, 52 of the scanning path 40, which are used in particular for guiding the additional part 34 (see guide groove 73 into which the part 34 is inserted) and also for connecting it to the underside 54 of the holding element 30. This state is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In the depressed position of the operating ring 28 in Fig. 7, the contact ends 62 of each second spring arm 60 are forcibly deflected. This forcible deflection creates an additional mechanical resistance, which must be overcome when the operating ring 28 is depressed, to realize the snap function.

[0050] Alternatively, the push haptics with snap function can also be realized by providing the support surface 66 with a special surface structure, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. Thus, according to Fig. 12, when the operating ring 28 is assumed to be in the depressed position, the end 68 of each third spring arm 64 is pushed up to the incline 74 or is lifted beyond the incline 74 to the plateau 65 (shown by the dashed line in Fig. 12). However, as an alternative or in addition, when the operating ring 28 is in the depressed position, the end 68 of each third spring arm 64 can also be placed in a recess 76 in the support surface 66. If necessary, a further bump 78 can be arranged in front of the recess 76, or a recess can be omitted in front of such a bump. The edge steepness of the incline 74 or the bump 78, and the degree of inclination, if any, of these, affect the snap effect.

[0051] When the operating ring 28 is depressed, one must manually "act" against the force of the third spring arm 64, and toward the end of the depression movement, a snap effect appears in the form of an increased resistance that must be overcome, sometimes followed by a sudden drop in resistance.

[0052] Thus, as mentioned above, the multifunctional spring element 32 fulfills several functions that can be realized by different spring arms, including two electrical detection encoder functions for the rotation and push positions, and two, and in a special variant, three mechanical functions: a rotation haptic due to a latch device with a wavy (wiper) end on the first spring arm 44, a push haptic due to the third spring arm 64 that is mechanically pulled when depressed, and a snap function in the final stage of depression due to the above-mentioned alternatives for the shaping of the contact end 62 of the second spring arm 60 and / or in various variants of the design of the support surface 66 against which the end 68 of the third spring arm 64 slides when the operating element 22 of the rotation / push adjuster 24 is depressed. Thus, a single part can be used for several applications, realize several (electrical and mechanical) features of the operating device according to the invention, and is useful in terms of manufacturing and assembly.

[0053] Figures 8 to 11 show another embodiment of a multi-function spring element 32'. In Figures 8 to 11, parts that are structurally or functionally the same as those in Figures 4 to 7 are designated by the same reference numerals as those used in the above figures.

[0054] The main difference between the embodiment according to Figures 4 to 7 and the embodiment according to Figures 8 to 11 is that the latch path or scanning path in the embodiment according to Figures 4 to 7 is oriented in the circumferential axial direction, whereas the scanning path or latch path in the embodiment according to Figures 8 to 11 is oriented in the radial direction. Therefore, the scanning path or latch path in the embodiment according to Figures 8 to 11 is not on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the holding element 30 but on the flange-like inner convex part of the holding element 30. Therefore, the orientation of the contact end 62 of the first spring arm 44 in the embodiment according to Figures 8 to 11 is rotated by 90 degrees with respect to the state in the embodiment according to Figures 4 to 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10. Center console 12 Operating device 14 Touch Screen 16 Touch Panel 18 Complete operating unit 20 Buttons on the touch screen 22 Operational elements 24 Ring-shaped rotating / push adjuster 26 Capacitive Touch Sensor System 28 Operation Ring 30 holding elements 32 Multi-function spring element 32' Multi-function Spring Element 34 Additional parts 36 Latch device 38 Latch path of latch device 40 Scanning Path 42 Support elements 44 First spring arm 46 Extension 48 Motion Detection Encoder Elements 50 First part of the scanning path 52 Second part of the scanning path 54 Underside of retaining element 56 Latch protrusion of latch path 58 Latch recess in latch path 59 Latching elements of latching devices 60 Second spring arm 62 Contact end of second spring arm 64 Third Spring Arm 66 Support Surfaces in Parts 68 Curved end of third spring arm 69 Bead at the contact end of the second spring arm 70 Deflection protrusions in the scanning path 72 Extension 73 Guide groove for parts 74 Inclination at the Support Surface 75 Plateau 76 Recesses in Support Surface 78 Prominence

Claims

1. a capacitive touch panel (16) having a touch surface; an operating unit (18) having an operating element (22) that has a conductive surface and can be held by hand, and a holding element (30) having an upper surface and a lower surface (54) that is not opposite the upper surface; a conductive spring element (32) having a support element (42) electrically connected to the conductive surface of the operating element (22), The operating element (22) is arranged on the holding element (30) so as to be translatable and / or rotatable in a direction parallel to the touch surface of the touch panel (16) and movable perpendicular to the touch surface of the touch panel (16), the operating element (22) carries at least one motion-detecting encoder element (48) electrically connected to the conductive surface of the operating element (22), the motion-detecting encoder element (48) sliding along a scanning path (40) of the holding element (30) when the operating element (22) moves; The holding element (30) has alternating first and second portions (50) and (52) along the scanning path (40); the upper surface and the lower surface (54) of the holding element (30) are electrically connected to each other at each of the first portions (50) and electrically insulated from each other at each of the second portions (52); The operating unit (18) has a latch device (36) having at least one resilient latch element (59) and a latch path (38) having latch protrusions and latch recesses (58) arranged alternately, the scanning path (40) of the operation unit (18) is formed as the latch path (38) of the latch device (36), and has the latch protrusion and the latch recess (58), and the at least one elastic latch element (59) also functions as the movement detection encoder element (48); the operating element (22) of the operating unit (18) is reversibly depressible in the direction of the holding element (30) and has at least one push-detecting encoder element electrically connected to the conductive surface of the operating element (22), the push-detecting encoder element being in electrical contact with at least one of the first portions (50) of the scanning path (40) of the operating unit (18) regardless of the movement position of the operating element (22) when the operating element (22) is depressed, and being disposed apart from the scanning path (40) of the operating unit (18) when the operating element (22) is not depressed; At least one first spring arm (44) that functions as the movement-detecting encoder element (48) and the latch element (59), at least one second spring arm (60) that functions as the push-detecting encoder element, and at least one third spring arm (64) that functions as a return spring for reversibly returning the operating element (22) after being pushed down, protrude from the support element (42); The operating device has three spring arms (44, 60, 64) formed integrally with the common support element (42).

2. An operating device as described in Claim 1, wherein the operating element (22) has the at least one motion detection encoder element (48) in the form of a wiper.

3. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the support element (42) of the spring element (32) is connected to the operating element (22) and is movable together with the operating element (22) when the operating element (22) rotates and / or translates and when it moves perpendicularly thereto, and the operating element (22) has a support surface (66) for the third spring arm (64), against which the third spring arm (64) abuts, and the operating element (22) is movable relative to the support surface (66) when it is pressed down.

4. 4. The operating device according to claim 3, wherein the third spring arm (64) slides on the support surface (66) when the operating element (22) is depressed.

5. 5. The operating device according to claim 4, wherein the support surface (66) has a convex portion along which the third spring arm (64) slides when the operating element (22) is depressed and / or a concave portion (76) into which the third spring arm (64) sinks when the operating element (22) is depressed.

6. 5. The operating device according to claim 3, wherein the second spring arm (60) has a deflection protrusion or a deflection recess, and when the operating element (22) is depressed, the second spring arm (60) is reversibly deformable by the deflection protrusion or the deflection recess, so that when the second spring arm (60) comes into contact with the scanning path (40) and reaches the depressed position of the operating element (22), a mechanical resistance that must be overcome manually is generated.

7. 5. The operating device according to claim 3, wherein a deflection protrusion or a deflection recess for the second spring arm is formed along the scanning path of the operating unit, and when the operating element is depressed, the second spring arm is reversibly deformable by the deflection protrusion or the deflection recess, so that when the second spring arm comes into contact with the scanning path or with extensions connected to the first and second portions of the scanning path, respectively, and which are electrically connected alternately to the underside of the holding element as well as to the first and second portions of the scanning path, a mechanical resistance is generated that must be manually overcome in order to reach the depressed position of the operating element.

8. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the scanning path (40) has a surface parallel to the upper touch surface of the touch panel (16) or a surface perpendicular to the upper touch surface of the touch panel (16).

9. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said third spring arms (64) protrude from said support element (42) of said spring element (32) in order to press said operating element (22) downward to prevent it from tilting.

10. An operating device as described in Claim 9, wherein the number of the third spring arms (64) is three.

11. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the second spring arm (60) has a contact end (62) for contacting the scanning path (40) when the operating element (22) is depressed, and the contact element has a dimension greater than the lengths of the first portion (50) and the second portion (52) when viewed in a direction in which the first portion (50) and the second portion (52) are aligned.

12. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the operating element (22) has at least two motion-detecting encoder elements (48) and at least two first spring arms (44) arranged offset from one another along the scanning path (40), the offset between the two motion-detecting encoder elements (48) or the two first spring arms (44) extending over a length equal to a length of the first portions (50) and the second portions (52) arranged in an even number of first portions (50) and an odd number of second portions (52), or an odd number of the first portions (50) and an even number of the second portions (52), and wherein at each movement position of the operating element (22), one of the two motion-detecting encoder elements (48) or one of the two first spring arms (44) contacts the first portions (50) of the scanning path (40).

13. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the operating element (22) has at least two push detection encoder elements and at least two second spring arms (60) arranged offset along the scanning path (40), and at each movement position of the operating element (22), at least one of the two push detection encoder elements or at least one of the two second spring arms (60) contacts a first portion of the scanning path (40).

14. 14. The operating device according to claim 13, wherein the offset between the two push-detecting encoder elements or the two second spring arms (60) extends over a length equal to a length of an arrangement of the first portions (50) and the second portions (52) including an even number of the first portions (50) and an odd number of the second portions (52), or including an odd number of the first portions (50) and an even number of the second portions (52).

15. 2. The operating device of claim 1, wherein each of the first portion (50) and the second portion (52) of the holding element (30) arranged along the scanning path (40) extends from the center of one latch recess (58) to the center of an adjacent latch recess (58) or from the center of one latch protrusion to the center of an adjacent latch protrusion.

16. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the operating element (22) is configured as a depressible slider or a depressible rotary adjuster.

17. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel (16) is formed as a part of a touch screen, as a capacitive touch pad, or as a capacitive touch film.

18. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating element (22) has a force feedback function in combination with the haptic function of the touch panel (16).

19. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the holding element (30) is at least partially arranged on a touch surface of the upper touch surface of the touch panel (16), and in each movement position of the operating element (22), at least one of the movement-detecting encoder elements (48) or at least one of the first spring arms (44) and at least one of the push-detecting encoder elements or at least one of the second spring arms (60) are located in the region of the upper touch surface of the holding element (30) below which the touch surface of the upper touch surface of the touch panel (16) is located.

20. 20. The operating device according to claim 19, characterized in that, in each movement position of the operating element (22), at least two of the movement-detecting encoder elements (48) or at least two of the first spring arms (44) and at least one of the push-detecting encoder elements or at least one of the second spring arms (60) are located in the region of the touch surface of the holding element (30), below which the touch surface of the touch surface of the touch panel (16) is located.

21. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating unit (18) is fixedly arranged on the touch surface of the touch panel (16), or the operating unit (18) is movable on the touch surface of the touch panel (16).

Images