Layered Operating Element for Fluid-Tight Haptic Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of maintaining a clearance between an actuator and a substrate in control elements to ensure mobility while preventing ingress of foreign matter and achieving a visually appealing appearance is difficult due to the risk of fluid or dust penetration.
Innovation Solution
A control element with an elastically yielding actuating part, featuring a layer structure with a highly elastic layer and a material weakening in the transition region, provides a fluid-tight connection and eliminates the need for additional elastic support, allowing seamless manufacturing and assembly, while ensuring elastic compliance and active haptic feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a membrane switch is constructed with multiple separate layers (membrane layer, circuit layer, spacer layer), then each layer can be manufactured independently, but the overall manufacturing complexity and assembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the membrane layer, circuit layer, and spacer layer into a single integrated layer structure where the circuit pattern is formed directly within the membrane layer material itself. This merging eliminates the need for separate spacer layers and reduces the number of assembly steps while maintaining the functional benefits of independent layer manufacturing through modular design of the integrated structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional membrane switches are constructed with multiple separate layers, then design flexibility is maintained, but production time and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated layer structure merges multiple functional layers into one component that can be manufactured as a single piece, significantly reducing production time and assembly complexity while maintaining design flexibility through the ability to customize circuit patterns and membrane properties within the integrated structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If actuation parts are made from homogeneous material, then manufacturing is simpler, but functional integration and design flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions with different properties within the membrane layer material itself. The circuit pattern areas have different electrical and mechanical properties compared to the non-circuit areas, allowing functional integration while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of a single base material type that can be selectively modified or structured.
4Reliability
If membrane switches use separate circuit layers, then electrical functionality is achieved, but the number of components and assembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the circuit layer functionality directly into the membrane layer by forming conductive patterns within the membrane material itself, eliminating the need for separate circuit layers and reducing the total number of components while maintaining reliable electrical functionality for the membrane switch.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an operating element (1) having: a support (20); and an actuation part (2) with an actuation surface (3) for performing an operating input and an edge region (5) provided outside the actuation surface (3), wherein the actuation part (3) has a layer structure (2a, 2b, 2c), such as a film layer structure, defining the actuation surface, and the layer structure (2a, 2b, 2c) has at least two layers (2b, 2c) each consisting of a thermoplastic. The two layers (2b, 2c) differ in terms of modulus of elasticity. In a transition region (4) between the edge region (5) and the actuation surface (3), the layer having the smallest modulus of elasticity of the two layers has the largest layer thickness in order to provide elastic resilience of the actuation part (2); a force sensor (7) is located between the support (20) and the actuation part (2) in order to detect a movement of the actuation part (2).