Operating unit for a vehicle, in particular for operating one or more vehicle components

Abstract

The operating unit (10) for a vehicle, in particular for operating one or more vehicle components, is provided with an operating element (22) which has an upper operating surface (26) and which can be moved, by manual actuation, in an actuation direction (32) from a rest position into an actuation position; a support element (34) on which the operating element (22) is mounted; and a bearing device (30) for elastically mounting the operating element (22) on the support element (34) in the actuation direction. The bearing device (30) has at least one first leaf spring (38) and at least one second leaf spring (40), which are oriented orthogonally to each other. Each leaf spring (38, 40) has two end portions (42, 44) lying opposite each other and a central portion (46, 48) at a distance to both end portions (42, 44). The two end portions (42) of the at least one first leaf spring (38) are secured to the operating element (22), and the central portion (46) thereof is secured to the support element (34) or vice versa. The two end portions (44) of the at least one second leaf spring (40) are secured to the operating element (22), and the central portion (48) thereof is secured to the support element (34) or vice versa.

Description

Control unit for a vehicle, in particular for operating one or more vehicle components

[0001] The invention relates to an operating unit for a vehicle, in particular for operating one or more vehicle components.

[0002] Operating concepts for vehicles with control units that typically feature a touchscreen control element with a relatively large user interface are enjoying increasing popularity. Mechanically actuated control elements, such as rocker, toggle, slide, or push switches, or push / push / rotary controls, can protrude from such a control surface. These elements are either arranged on the control surface or positioned on a support element located below the control element or its user interface and protrude upwards through openings in the control surface.

[0003] For greater ease of use, the control surface of the control element should only require a slight press to trigger a control function. One requirement is that the control surface can be moved while maintaining its parallel alignment when manually pressed, for example, with the finger of one hand. This requirement applies regardless of the position at which the control surface is pressed against the control element.

[0004] An example of a control unit according to the state of the art is described in EP-B-3 365 745.

[0005] US-A-2020 / 0209994 describes an operating unit for a vehicle in which a depressible command input panel is movably guided via four pins in corresponding holes in the housing. Movement in the depression direction is supported by the two leaf springs of a first leaf spring pair, while the return movement from the depression position to the rest position is supported by two further leaf springs of a second leaf spring pair acting opposite to the spring force effect of the first leaf spring pair.

[0006] From DE-B-10 2019 125 828 a button with space-saving means for parallel guidance of the button, which have a snap-action haptic and a reset function, is known.

[0007] The object of the invention is to provide an operating unit for a vehicle, in particular for operating one or more vehicle components, which can be actuated with the least possible mechanical effort while achieving a comparatively rigid design for small strokes and while maintaining the parallel alignment of the operating element.

[0008] To achieve this object, the invention provides an operating unit for a vehicle, in particular for operating one or more vehicle components, with - an operating element having a top-side operating surface, which can be actuated by manual actuation in an actuating direction from a rest position to an actuating position, - a fall protection element on which the control element is mounted, - a bearing device for elastically supporting the operating element on the fall protection element in the direction of actuation, - wherein the bearing device comprises at least one first leaf spring and at least one second leaf spring which are aligned orthogonally to one another and which pre-tension the operating element (22) into the rest position and, after a manual movement transferring the operating element (22) from the rest position into the actuating position, Move the actuator from the operating position back to the rest position, - each leaf spring having two opposite end sections and a central section spaced from both end sections, - wherein the two end sections of the at least one first leaf spring are attached to the operating element and its middle section is attached to the crash element or vice versa and - wherein the two end sections of the at least one second leaf spring are attached to the operating element and its middle section is attached to the crash element or vice versa.

[0009] The operating unit according to the invention has a bearing device with which the operating element is elastically mounted on a support element in the actuation direction. The support element itself can be designed, for example, as a housing. The support element is fastened to the structural component of the vehicle surrounding the operating unit, such as the instrument panel or on or in the center console. At least one first leaf spring and at least one second leaf spring, which are arranged orthogonally to one another, serve for elastic mounting. Each leaf spring has two opposite end sections and a central section spaced from both end sections.The operating element is attached to the first leaf spring and / or the second leaf spring either within the two end sections or in the middle section of the respective leaf spring, while the support element is attached to the first leaf spring and / or the second leaf spring within the middle section or within the two end sections of the respective leaf spring. This design ensures that the operating element is automatically moved parallel when pressed while maintaining its position. The pressing movement only has a small stroke. The entire elastic bearing is designed to be rigid, which means that the operating element moves regardless of the position. the operating surface against which the operating element is pressed moves in parallel alignment while pressing down.

[0010] One of the key features of the invention is the use of leaf springs for the elastic mounting of the control element in the direction of movement. Unlike helical compression springs, for example, leaf springs are stable with respect to forces acting transversely to the direction of elasticity. Leaf springs are therefore shear-resistant and resistant to transverse forces.

[0011] The fastening of the leaf springs to the two elements between which they act, ie to the operating element on the one hand and the support element on the other hand, together with their properties used according to the invention as described above, causes an elastic movement of the operating element without guide elements when it is actuated, namely when it is pressed down.

[0012] For space reasons, it may be expedient to arrange the at least one first leaf spring in a plane that is different from the plane of the at least one second leaf spring. Both leaf springs then have a different distance from the operating surface. Two first leaf springs can expediently be used, while only one second leaf spring is required. The two first leaf springs are expediently arranged below two opposing edge regions of the operating element, while the second leaf spring, or the at least one second leaf spring, is arranged in the intermediate region between the two first leaf springs or below this intermediate region.If only one of the two leaf springs running orthogonally to one another is provided, it can be advantageous if the operating element has at least one underside stiffening strut with stiffening struts leading to a fastening node, wherein the central section or one of the. End portions of the at least one first leaf spring or the at least one second leaf spring.

[0013] Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a single leaf spring for each of the two orthogonally extending leaf springs, whereby the force when pressing against the operating surface of the operating element is transmitted to the leaf springs via a stiffening strut assigned to the two leaf springs.

[0014] Due to the rigidity of the construction according to the invention, it may be sufficient to provide only one actuation sensor to detect when the operating element has reached its actuation position upon manual actuation. However, it is expedient to provide two such actuation sensors.

[0015] Typically, the operating unit according to the invention is provided with an evaluation and control unit which receives a signal from the actuation sensor in the actuation position of the operating element and at least one control signal for triggering an operating function desired by manual actuation of the operating element.

[0016] Typically, a touch sensor is assigned to the user interface of the control element, whereby the evaluation and control unit receives signals from the touch sensor.

[0017] Normally, the user interface of the control element has several control fields for manually entering various operating functions when the control element is operated by touching the relevant control field.

[0018] The at least one actuation sensor can be designed as an optical, capacitive, inductive or resistive force or displacement sensor or as a limit switch.

[0019] Advantageously, the operating unit is provided with an actuation feedback unit for optical and / or acoustic and / or tactile feedback when the actuation position is reached when the operating element is manually actuated.

[0020] The actuation feedback unit can comprise a mechanical switch (which means it is to be regarded as a passive feedback unit) or an actuator for generating at least one mechanical pulse (which means the actuation feedback unit is designed as an active feedback unit), wherein the operating element can be mechanically excited due to kinematic properties of the switch or due to a pulse generated by the actuator.

[0021] The kinematics, and in particular the definition of the contact force that must act on the operating element to move it to its actuating position, depends, among other things, on the number of leaf springs, the choice of leaf spring material (typically spring steel), the geometry of the leaf springs, and, last but not least, the distances between the support element attachment points of each leaf spring and their attachment points for the operating element. All of these parameters play a role and are selected depending on the design and requirements. Each leaf spring can be designed as a single leaf spring or as a package of at least two individual leaf springs that lie adjacent to each other over their entire extension.

[0022] The invention is explained in more detail below using various embodiments and with reference to the drawings. In detail: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the driver’s side of the interior of a vehicle with an operating unit according to the invention in the center console, Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the components of the control unit essential to the invention, schematically, Fig. 3 is a representation corresponding to that shown in Fig. 2 in the pressed state of the operating element, illustrating the bending of the leaf springs, Fig. 4 is a simplified plan view to further illustrate the arrangement of the leaf springs, Fig. 5 side views corresponding to V-VI of Fig. 4 to illustrate the bending of the leaf springs shown laterally in Fig. 4 when pressed against the operating element, Fig. 7 side views corresponding to VII-VIII of Fig. 4 to illustrate the bending of the leaf spring shown below in Fig. 4 when pressed against the operating element, Fign. 9 again highly schematically a possible arrangement of and 10 leaf springs in side view of the control element as well as in Top view with a stiffening brace on the control element so that two first leaf springs and a single second leaf spring can be used, Fig. 11 side views of the control element and a top view and 12 with an alternative arrangement of the leaf springs and a stiffening strut on the control element, so that two first leaf springs and a single second leaf spring can be used, and Fig. 13 shows a side view of a further embodiment of a stiffening strut for the operating element for the use of only a single leaf spring in addition to two laterally arranged first leaf springs and a single second leaf spring.

[0023] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the driver's side of the interior 10 of a vehicle 12. The instrument panel 14 includes, for example, a screen 16. An operating unit 20 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is arranged in the transition area between the center console 18 and the instrument panel 14.

[0024] An exploded view of the control unit 20 is shown in a highly simplified form in Fig. 2. The control unit 20 has a control element 22, which in this embodiment is designed as a touch screen 24, and a user interface 26 with a plurality of control fields 28, as is known, for example, from touch screens with menu-driven user interfaces.

[0025] The operating element 22 is elastically mounted on a support element 34 by means of a bearing device 30 in an actuation direction 32. The support element is, for example, a housing 36, the upper side of which is formed by the operating element 22.

[0026] In this embodiment, the bearing device 30 comprises two first leaf springs 38 and a second leaf spring 40. Each leaf spring has two end sections 42 and 44, respectively, between which a central section 46 and 48 is arranged.

[0027] In this exemplary embodiment, each of the two first leaf springs 38 is arranged in its central portion 46 at at least one support point 50 of the support element 34 and is fastened there by means of the fastening points 52. The two end portions 42 of each first leaf spring 38 project laterally beyond the at least one support point 50. In the two end portions 42 of the two first leaf springs 38, these are fastened to connection points 54 of the operating element 22, which is shown in Fig. 2 by the fastening points 56.

[0028] Similarly, the second leaf spring 40 is connected to the support element 34 on the one hand and to the operating element 22 on the other. In this exemplary embodiment, the end sections 44 of the second leaf spring 40 rest on support points 58 of the support element 34 and are fastened there, as indicated by the fastening points 60. A connecting element 62 of the operating element 22 rests in the central section 48 of the second leaf spring 40 and is fastened there, as indicated by the fastening points 64.

[0029] If, with this design, the operating unit 20 is pressed against the operating surface 26 of the operating element 22 in the actuation direction 32, for example, with the finger of one hand, the leaf springs 38, 40 deform elastically, as shown in Fig. 3. The stroke to be achieved can be adjusted, so to speak, by selecting the location of the attachment points, the material of the leaf springs and their geometry, and by selecting the distances between the individual attachment points of each leaf spring.

[0030] Fig. 4 shows a schematic top view of the operating element 22. Furthermore, a variant of the connection of the operating element 22 to the second leaf spring 40 can be seen. In the illustration according to Fig. 4, this is achieved by a stiffening strut 66 on the rear side of the operating element 22 with stiffening struts 68, which Pressing down the operating element 22 leads to a force deflection from an area remote from the connecting element 62 to this connecting element 62 (see also the schematic representation in Figs. 9 and 10).

[0031] The deformations of the individual leaf springs are shown schematically again in Figs. 5 and 6, as well as 7 and 8. The design of the stiffening strut 66 is also visible. Due to this stiffening strut 66, the connecting element 62 on the support element 34 "shifts" downward, so to speak.

[0032] Figures 9 and 10 show the schematic representation of Figures 4 to 8 again in overview. These two figures also show an actuation feedback unit 70, which in this embodiment is designed as a vibration unit or single-pulse generation unit 72. The various feedback units for generating mechanical excitation pulses in operating units with haptic feedback are generally known and will not be explained further here.

[0033] Figs. 9 and 10 show an actuation sensor 74, which is designed as a displacement or force sensor and detects whether the operating element 22 has been correctly actuated, i.e., pressed, from its rest position (Figs. 5 and 7) into its actuation position (Figs. 6 and 8). The actuation feedback unit 70 and the actuation sensor 74, of which several can be distributed if necessary, as well as the touch sensor system 76 (indicated in Fig. 9) are connected to an evaluation and control unit 78, which is designed as an electronic component and triggers a wide variety of operating functions depending on the operating commands.

[0034] In Figs. 9 to 13, the triangles illustrate the fastening points 52 and 60 of the leaf springs 38 and 40 on the support element 34.

[0035] Alternative designs of the stiffening strut and the associated arrangement of the leaf springs are the subject of Figs. 11 to 13, which will not be discussed further below, since they are self-explanatory and are provided with the reference numerals chosen in accordance with the reference numerals used in the other figures. List of reference symbols: 14 Instrument panel 16 screen 18 Center console 20 Control unit 22 Control element 24 touch screen 28 control panels 30 storage device 32 Actuation direction 34 Support element 36 housings 38 first leaf spring 40 second leaf spring 42 final section 44 final section 46, 48 middle section 50 support point 52, 56, 60, 64 attachment point 54 connection point 58 support point 62 connecting element 66 Bracing 68 stiffening struts 70 Actuation feedback unit 72 Vibration unit or single pulse generation unit 74 Actuation sensor 76 touch sensors 78 Evaluation and control unit

Claims

Claims 1. Control unit for a vehicle, in particular for operating one or more vehicle components, with - an operating element (22) having a top-side operating surface (26) which can be moved from a rest position to an actuated position by manual actuation in an actuating direction (32), - a support element (34) on which the operating element (22) is mounted, and - a bearing device (30) for elastically supporting the operating element (22) on the support element (34) in the actuation direction, - wherein the bearing device (30) has at least one first leaf spring (38) and at least one second leaf spring (40) which are aligned orthogonally to one another and which preload the operating element (22) into the rest position and, after a manual actuation transferring the operating element (22) from the rest position to the actuated position has been cancelled, transfer it from the actuated position back to the rest position, - wherein each leaf spring (38, 40) has two opposite end sections (42, 44) and, at a distance from both end sections (42, 44), a central section (46, 48), - wherein the two end sections (42) of the at least one first leaf spring (38) are fastened to the operating element (22) and its central section (46) is fastened to the support element (34) or vice versa and - wherein the two end sections (44) of the at least one second leaf spring (40) are fastened to the operating element (22) and its central section (48) is fastened to the support element (34) or vice versa.

2. Operating unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the bearing device (30) has two first leaf springs (38) which are arranged below two opposite edge regions of the operating element (22), and at least one second leaf spring (40) which is arranged below the Operating element (22) is arranged in the intermediate region between the two first leaf springs (38) or below this intermediate region.

3. Operating unit according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating element (22) has at least one underside stiffening strut (66) with stiffening struts (68) leading to a fastening node and that the central section (46, 48) or one of the end sections (42, 44) of the at least one first leaf spring (38) or the at least one second leaf spring (40) is fastened to the fastening node.

4. Operating unit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by at least one actuation sensor (74) for detecting the reaching of the actuation position upon manual actuation of the operating element (22).

5. Operating unit according to claim 4, characterized by an evaluation and control unit (78) which, in the actuating position of the operating element (22), receives a signal from the actuation sensor (74) and outputs at least one control signal for triggering an operating function desired by manual actuation of the operating element (22).

6. Operating unit according to claim 4, characterized in that the operating surface (26) of the operating element (22) is assigned a touch sensor (76), and that the evaluation and control unit (78) receives signals from the touch sensor (76).

7. Operating unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the operating surface (26) of the operating element (22) has a plurality of operating fields (28) for manually entering various operating functions when actuating the operating element (22) by touching the relevant operating field (28).

8. Operating unit according to claim 4 or one of the preceding claims, if dependent on claim 4, characterized in that the actuation sensor (74) is designed as an optical, capacitive, inductive or resistive force or displacement sensor or as a limit switch.

9. Operating unit according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by an actuation feedback unit (70) for optical and / or acoustic and / or tactile feedback when the actuation position is reached upon manual actuation of the operating element (22).

10. Operating unit according to claim 9, characterized in that the actuation feedback unit (70) has a mechanical switch or an actuator (72) for generating at least one mechanical pulse, wherein the operating element (22) can be mechanically excited by a mechanical pulse caused by kinematic properties of the switch or by a pulse generated by the actuator (72).

11. Operating unit according to claims 1 to 10, characterized in that each leaf spring (38, 40) is designed as a single leaf spring or as a package of at least two single leaf springs which lie one above the other over their entire extent.

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