Vehicle Operator Control Unit Torque Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control units with display assemblies face challenges in providing homogeneous haptic feedback across the user interface, as the actuator's placement outside the center of mass leads to tilting and rotational movements during active haptic feedback, making it difficult to maintain a consistent tactile sensation regardless of the actuation location.
Innovation Solution
The control unit is designed with return springs positioned to compensate for torques acting on the operating element, ensuring that the spring action axes run parallel to the actuator's effective axis, and the center of mass is adjusted to balance the weight distribution, allowing for purely translational haptic feedback without tilting or oscillation, using an electromagnet or piezoceramic actuator for precise force control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the actuator is placed outside the center of mass of the operating element to enable lateral haptic feedback movement, then active haptic feedback can be achieved, but the operating element tilts and experiences rotational movements during actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs return springs positioned at specific distances from the actuator's active movement axis to generate counterbalancing torques. These springs are dimensioned and positioned to compensate for the destabilizing torques produced by the actuator's offset placement, thereby maintaining the operating element's orientation stability while preserving haptic feedback functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The return springs are deliberately positioned asymmetrically at first and second distances from the active movement axis of the actuator. This asymmetric arrangement creates a torque balance that counteracts the rotational tendency caused by the actuator's placement outside the center of mass, enabling stable haptic feedback operation.
2Ease of operation
If the actuator is positioned to provide lateral haptic feedback, then tactile confirmation is achieved, but the center of mass of the operating element must be precisely adjusted to prevent tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The return springs serve as counterbalancing elements that compensate for the offset between the actuator and the center of mass. By positioning these springs at calculated distances from the active movement axis, the system achieves torque equilibrium without requiring extremely precise center of mass adjustment, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If return springs are positioned to compensate for torques, then rotational stability is improved, but the spring action axes must run parallel to the actuator's effective axis at specific distances
Solution Approach 1:
The return springs are positioned asymmetrically at first and second distances from the active movement axis, creating a tailored torque compensation system. This asymmetric configuration provides rotational stability while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure with only two spring positions to manage.
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 ensures consistent haptic feedback across the user interface, eliminating rotational components and maintaining the control element's orientation during active haptic feedback, providing a uniform tactile experience regardless of the actuation location, and allowing for precise force measurement and control.
Implementation Method 1
the operating element being elastically mounted on and/or in the housing along a vertical axis of movement running essentially orthogonally to the operating surface and along a lateral axis of movement running essentially transversely thereto by means of return springs
Implementation Method 2
the actuator being an electrically controllable, with has a drive element which is mechanically coupled to the operating element and which can be moved back and forth along an axis of effective movement
Implementation Method 3
using an electromagnet or piezoceramic actuator for precise force control
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to an operator control unit (10) for a vehicle, provided with a housing (26) with a front side and an operator control element (12) arranged on the front side of the housing (26), which has a centre of mass (40) and an operator control interface (14). The operator control element (12) is mounted in a spring-elastic manner by means of return springs (22, 24, 24') on and/or in the housing (26) along a vertical axis of movement (18) extending substantially orthogonally with respect to the operator control surface (14) and along a lateral axis of movement (20) extending substantially transversely with respect to the vertical axis of movement. The invention also relates to at least one sensor (28) for detecting an actuating movement of the operator control element (12) in the direction of the vertical axis of movement (18). Furthermore, the operator control unit (10) has an actuator (32), arranged in and/or on the housing (26), for feedback movement of the operator control element (12) at least also in the lateral axis (20) of movement when an actuation movement of the operator control element (12) is detected, wherein the actuator (32) has an electromagnetically activated drive element (34) which is mechanically coupled to the operator control element (12) and can be moved forward and backward along an axis (38) of effective movement. The torques acting at the centre of mass (40) of the operator control element (12) as a result of the return spring elements (22, 24, 24') cancel one another out, with the result that during the feedback movement of the operator control element (12) along the axis (38) of effective movement of the drive element (34) of the actuator (32) said operator control element (12) does not additionally rotate or tilt.