Optical Reflective Control Panel for Tolerance-Robust Force Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating devices with force-actuated pushbuttons require high manufacturing and assembly accuracy and often necessitate additional insulation or transparent materials, making them complex and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
An operating device with a cover plate featuring elastically deformable control sections, a common transmitter, and separate receivers or transmitters, allowing for spatially resolved detection of minimal deformations or movements, which reduces manufacturing tolerances and eliminates the need for absolute calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If capacitive, inductive or piezoelectric pushbuttons are used, then force actuation is enabled, but manufacturing and assembly accuracy requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical pushbutton structures (capacitive, inductive, or piezoelectric elements) with a simple optical reflection system. The control section acts as a mirror that reflects light from a common transmitter to a common receiver, eliminating the need for precision mechanical components while maintaining force actuation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the control sections serve multiple functions: they act as both the actuated interface for the user and as optical reflectors for detection. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sensing components, thereby reducing manufacturing precision requirements.
2Ease of operation
If touch or proximity-sensitive pushbuttons with sensor systems are used, then actuation detection is enabled, but additional electrical insulation measures or transparent materials are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electronic sensor systems (capacitive, inductive, or optical sensors requiring insulation) with a purely optical reflection mechanism. The control sections themselves reflect light, eliminating the need for separate sensors and their associated insulation or transparent material requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection parameter from electrical or electromagnetic field changes (requiring insulation) to optical reflection properties. This allows the use of opaque, non-conductive materials for the control sections without compromising detection capability.
3Measurement precision
If multiple separate transmitters and receivers are provided for each operating section, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate transmitters into a single common transmitter and multiple separate receivers into a single common receiver. The control sections act as individual mirrors that direct light from the common transmitter to the common receiver, enabling detection of multiple buttons with minimal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the optical path at the control section level, where each control section independently reflects light to a specific region on the receiver. This allows a single receiver to spatially resolve multiple actuation points, achieving multi-button detection with one receiver.
4Reliability
If high manufacturing accuracy is required, then detection reliability is improved, but tolerance ranges decrease and error susceptibility increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces precision mechanical systems with an optical system where the control sections function as reflectors. This substitution allows for larger tolerance ranges in manufacturing and assembly while maintaining reliable detection, as the optical reflection principle is less sensitive to dimensional variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a reliable, simple, and adaptable operating device that can be made from various materials, with increased tolerance ranges and reduced susceptibility to errors, enabling efficient actuation detection and integration with diverse electronic household appliances.
Implementation Method 1
at least one transmitter for emitting electromagnetic radiation
Implementation Method 2
the operating sections each being designed in such a way that they at least partially reflect the radiation emitted by the at least one transmitter
Implementation Method 3
at least one receiver for detecting electromagnetic radiation, the at least one receiver being arranged and/or is designed such that it enables a spatially resolved detection of the radiation reflected by the operating sections
Implementation Method 4
the cover plate having a plurality of control sections for defining a plurality of control elements, which are each configured in such a way that they can be at least partially elastically deformed and/or moved by the action of a force
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
An operating device, for example for electronic household appliances, has a cover plate (10) comprising an operating section (12), at least one transmitter (16) for emitting electromagnetic radiation, at least one receiver (18) for detecting electromagnetic radiation, and a control electronics (20) for evaluating measurement signals generated by the at least one receiver (18). The operating section (12) is equipped such that it is at least partially elastically deformable and/or moveable by an application of force (F) on the user side (10a) of the cover plate (10), and such that it at least partially reflects radiation emitted by the at least one transmitter (16). The at least one receiver (18) is arranged and/or configured such that it enables locally resolved detection of radiation reflected from the operating section (12) so that the control electronics (20) can detect an actuation of the operating section (12) as a function of a detection location of the reflected radiation.