Vehicle Operating Unit Center of Gravity Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle operating units with display assemblies face challenges in providing uniform haptic feedback across the operating surface, as known solutions require complex mechanical designs to prevent tilting and ensure pure lateral movement, which increases mechanical effort and installation space requirements.
Innovation Solution
The operating unit is designed with an actuator and operating element aligned such that the center of gravity lies on the actuator's effective movement axis, allowing for a purely translatory haptic feedback movement with both lateral and vertical components, reducing rotatory components and ensuring consistent haptic sensation across the surface without tilting, using an electromagnet with a measuring coil for precise force control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the actuator is arranged to engage with the operating element outside the center of gravity for haptic feedback, then active haptic feedback movement can be achieved, but the operating element tilts which degrades haptic uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the actuator such that its effective movement axis passes through the center of gravity of the operating element. This counterbalancing arrangement prevents rotational moments that would cause tilting, ensuring that the operating element moves purely translationally during haptic feedback, thereby maintaining uniform haptic sensation across the operating surface.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a forced guide with complex spring system design is used to prevent tilting, then operating element stability is improved, but mechanical complexity and installation space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex forced guide spring system from the design by simply positioning the actuator's effective movement axis through the center of gravity of the operating element. This eliminates the need for additional guiding mechanisms and complex spring arrangements, reducing mechanical complexity and installation space while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical forced guide system with a gravitational balance approach. By aligning the actuator's movement axis with the center of gravity, the system uses the natural gravitational and inertial properties of the operating element to prevent tilting, substituting complex mechanical guidance with a simpler gravitational balance mechanism.
3Speed
If the actuator drive element engages outside the center of gravity for lateral movement, then haptic feedback responsiveness is improved, but rotatory movement components increase causing non-uniform haptic sensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the actuator's effective movement axis to pass through the center of gravity of the operating element. This counterbalancing arrangement ensures that lateral forces applied for haptic feedback do not create rotational moments, eliminating tilting and ensuring uniform haptic sensation while maintaining fast responsiveness.
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
This design achieves consistent and uniform haptic feedback independent of the actuation location, reducing mechanical complexity and installation space requirements while ensuring precise control of the haptic feedback force.
Implementation Method 1
the actuator comprises an electromagnet having a stator and a drive element
Implementation Method 2
the drive element is provided with a measuring coil to which a measuring voltage is applied when a magnetic flux generated by the first excitation coil flows through the armature
Data Source
AI summary
The operating unit for a vehicle is provided with a housing with a front face and an operating element arranged on the front face of the housing and having a center of gravity and an operating surface. Said operating element is mounted on and/or in the housing in a spring-elastic manner along a vertical axis of movement extending essentially orthogonally to the operating surface and along a lateral movement axis extending essentially transversely with respect thereto. At least one sensor for detecting an actuation movement of the operating element in the direction of the vertical movement axis is provided. Also, the operating unit comprises an actuator arranged in and/or on the housing for feedback movement of the operating element at least also in the lateral movement axis during a detected actuating movement of the operating element, wherein the actuator comprises an electromagnetically controllable drive element which is mechanically coupled to the operating element which can be moved back and forth along a movement axis. The center of gravity of the operating element lies on the movement axis of the drive element of the actuator.