Rocker Switch Element With Recessed Goblet Edge For Motor Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rocker switching elements in motor vehicle interiors, particularly those controlling sliding roofs, face challenges in preventing inadvertent actuation by children or infants, with current solutions either being aesthetically unsatisfactory or hindering operability, especially in low-light conditions.
Innovation Solution
A recessed rocker switching element with a goblet-like edge and a concave actuation rocker design, where the actuation rocker is set back by a first depth and further recessed by a second depth, creating a smooth, aesthetically appealing surface that prevents accidental activation by larger objects like knees or elbows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional projecting lateral webs are added to the switch, then protection against inadvertent actuation is improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates and crash safety worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from adding lateral projecting elements (horizontal dimension) to creating a recessed depression (vertical dimension). The actuation rocker is set back relative to the panel surface, forming a recess that prevents inadvertent actuation while maintaining a smooth, aesthetically pleasing surface without protruding webs.
2Reliability
If additional projecting lateral webs are added to the switch, then protection against inadvertent actuation is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The recess has specific dimensional characteristics that differentiate it from protruding webs. The depth and geometry of the recess are optimized to block large objects like knees while allowing fingers to easily locate and actuate the rocker through tactile feedback, maintaining blind operation capability.
3Reliability
If the switch is arranged recessed in a recess of the overhead panel, then protection against inadvertent actuation is improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates and ease of operation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation rocker is designed to be movable within the recess, allowing it to rock between switching positions. This dynamic element provides tactile feedback to the user, enabling intuitive operation in poor lighting conditions without requiring visual confirmation or complex manual manipulation.
Data Source
AI summary
A rocker switching control element for electrical sliding roofs on a vehicle overhead panel has an actuation rocker formed as a switch with switching positions and is arranged on a substantially planar control panel. The actuation rocker is recessed such that it does not project beyond the panel edge region. The transition between the panel edge region and the actuation rocker is formed with the panel edge region forming over a first width a goblet-like edge set back by a first depth, and an adjoining edge, separated by a gap of width, of the actuation rocker, which edge is recessed by more than the first depth in the non-actuated state and set further back continuously over a second width by a second depth. The recess is shaped overall such that inadvertent actuation of the actuation rocker by an object significantly larger than a human finger is prevented.