CN112543714A

CN112543714A - Operating device

Info

Publication number: CN112543714A
Application number: CN201980050172.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: I·赫尔曼斯; C·宾格尔; T·弗赖塔格; R·埃尔巴赫
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2018-08-01
Filing date: 2019-06-05
Publication date: 2021-03-23
Also published as: WO2020025194A1; DE102018212818A1; DE112019003820A5

Abstract

The invention relates to an actuating device (1) for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, having an actuating element (2) which can be actuated by a user, a triggerable actuator (8) and a spring device (11), wherein the actuating element (2) is arranged on a carrier element (3); for operating the movement of the handling element (2) relative to the carrier element (3); the spring device (11) is arranged between the actuating element (2) and the carrier element (3) and movably supports the actuating element (2) on the carrier element (3). The spring device (11) is designed in one piece with the carrier element (3) or the actuating element (2).

Description

Operating device

Technical Field

The invention relates to an actuating device, in particular for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, having an actuating element which can be actuated by a user and is arranged on a carrier element, having a controllable actuator for moving the actuating element relative to the carrier element, and having a spring device which is arranged between the actuating element and the carrier element and which movably supports the actuating element on the carrier element.

Background

Operating devices of this type are already known from the prior art. In vehicle construction, there are already numerous operating devices for various types of electrical or mechanical equipment, which are increasingly being replaced by displays/screens with virtual operating elements. Examples for this are also found outside the automotive sector, including electric cookers, copiers, mobile telephones, and in the automotive sector, in particular in navigation and multimedia systems. Even if the user has become accustomed to the operation of the virtual steering element, the user often lacks tactile feedback that is perceptible to the user in a physical/mechanical switching device.

However, so-called tactile displays are also known which, when an operating surface is contacted by means of at least one actuator, perform a certain movement or vibration which depends, for example, on the contact location, direction of movement and/or contact force. Thereby providing tactile feedback to the user when operating the manipulation device.

Such a handling device is known, for example, from document US 9,436,341B 1. It is provided there that the actuating surface is formed by an actuating element which is mounted movably on the carrier element by means of a spring device. An electromagnetic actuator is arranged between the carrier element and the actuating element in order to move the actuating element relative to the carrier element, if necessary, in order to generate a haptic feedback.

Disclosure of Invention

The actuating device according to the invention having the features of claim 1 has the advantage that a compact and easily assembled actuating device is formed, which is particularly robust and therefore ensures a long service life. According to the invention, this is achieved by the spring device being formed integrally with the carrier element or actuating element. The spring device thus forms an integral component of the carrier element or actuating element and can therefore be realized compactly and securely in the actuating device. In particular, the assembly is simplified, and the one-piece construction also ensures a long service life.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spring device has at least one spring element, which is formed integrally with the carrier element or the actuating element. In this way, the at least one spring element is directly formed in one piece with the support element or the actuating element, thereby ensuring a particularly compact embodiment of the actuating device.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the at least one spring element is located at its free end partially in a recess formed in the actuating element or the carrier element. The spring element is therefore formed integrally with one of the carrier element and the actuating element and projects partially into the recess of the other of the carrier element and the actuating element. This ensures that the spring element is reliably guided at its free end to the opposite element, so that a permanent interaction of the spring element with the actuating element and the carrier element is ensured.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the at least one spring element is firmly connected at its free end to the actuating element or the carrier element. For this purpose, the spring element is screwed, glued, welded or form-fittingly connected to the actuating element or the carrier element, for example at its free end. This ensures that the spring element cannot become detached from the actuating element and the carrier element, and that the pulling force can also be reliably transmitted from the carrier element to the actuating element via the spring element.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the spring device has a plurality of spring elements which are arranged at a distance from one another. The actuating element is thereby particularly uniformly acted upon by the spring force of the spring device in order to ensure favorable tactile feedback.

The spring device has in particular at least three spring elements arranged at a distance from one another, which spring elements open a spring surface, so that a defined support of the actuating element on the support element is ensured by the spring device. For example, the spring elements are arranged such that a triangle is formed when the spring device has three spring elements. If the spring device has more than three spring elements, for example four, these are preferably aligned with one another in the shape of a rectangle or square.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuator is an electromagnetic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator. Both embodiments of the actuator enable a space-saving construction of the actuator, which can be realized in particular between the carrier element and the actuating element, so that the overall height of the actuating device remains low.

If the actuator is an electromagnetic actuator, it preferably has a first actuator part arranged on the actuating element and a second actuator part arranged on the carrier element, wherein the actuator parts are configured opposite one another and form an air gap between them at least in the rest state of the actuating device. At least one of the actuator parts can be electrically triggered in order to generate an electromagnetic field by means of which the other actuator part is repelled or attracted. By forming an air gap between the actuator parts when the handling device is in the rest state, it is ensured that a user can press the handling element towards the support element, thereby ensuring a haptically advantageous operation of the handling device. Furthermore, the air gap ensures that the tactile feedback can also be provided by attracting the actuating element to the carrier element. The actuator is preferably triggered in such a way that the first actuator part is repelled by the second actuator part and the steering element is thereby displaced by the actuator against the contact force of the user in order to generate the haptic feedback.

The size of the air gap is preferably 0.05 to 0.4mm, in particular 0.1 to 0.3 mm. The size of the air gap ensures, on the one hand, a comfortable handling of the actuating device by the user and, on the other hand, an advantageous movement of the actuating element by the actuator, which is sufficiently large to be reliably perceptible by the user.

The spring means preferably comprises or surrounds said actuator such that the actuator is arranged in the centre of the spring means. This ensures that the actuating element is displaceable with respect to the elastic bearing in the middle by the actuator, and thus an advantageous haptic feedback is generated, which is ensured by the uniformly displaced actuating element. In particular, the actuator is arranged in the middle of the operating element, so that it is applied with an actuating force in the middle to ensure a linear movement of the operating element, in particular without the operating element tilting during the movement.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the at least one spring element is a spring tongue or a circular spring in or on the carrier element. The corresponding spring element is thereby advantageously integrated into the carrier element, so that the robustness of the actuating device is increased, while at the same time the installation space is saved.

For this purpose, the support element is particularly preferably a stamped and bent sheet metal part, wherein the spring tongue and/or the circular spring is a stamped and bent part of the stamped and bent sheet metal part. This ensures a simple and cost-effective production of the carrier element and thus also of the entire actuating device.

It is furthermore preferably provided that the actuating element is at least partially translucent. Thus, for example, the actuating element can be illuminated or backlit, so that an optical feedback or an optical display of the actuating element can also be realized. Preferably, one or more lights are arranged on the carrier element, which lights can be identified through the translucent operating element, for example in the case of a lighted keyboard. Optionally, a triggerable display which can be seen through the actuating element is also arranged on the carrier element or the actuating element.

The actuating device, in particular the actuating element, is particularly preferably a touch-sensitive screen/touch-sensitive display, so that the advantage of a virtual switch is provided for the user. The operating device can thus be used for a plurality of purposes and also for different functions during operation, by displaying different virtual switches which can be operated by the user, for example, depending on the current driving situation.

Drawings

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The figures show:

FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective view of an advantageous steering device;

FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the steering device;

fig. 3A and 3B show a carrier element of an actuating device according to an advantageous embodiment in different views; and is

Fig. 4A and 4B are other embodiments of the load bearing member.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a simplified perspective view of an advantageous actuating device 1 for a motor vehicle not shown here. The actuating device 1 has an actuating element 2 which can be actuated by a user and is supported on a carrier element 3. The support element 3 has means 4 for fixing the support element 3 in a receiving structure of a motor vehicle, for example a body structure, wherein according to the present exemplary embodiment the means 4 are retaining webs which can be inserted into retaining recesses of the retaining structure and can be clamped, screwed, latched or locked in some other way there, for example. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the means 4 are constructed integrally with the carrier element 3, but they can also be constructed separately.

The actuating element 2 is a touch-sensitive display 5, which has a contact surface 6 for a user, which is formed, for example, by a protective plate 7. The protective plate 7 here preferably extends over the entire display 5. By contacting the protective plate 7 on the contact surface 6, the user is able to operate virtual switching elements (not shown here) displayed by the display 5.

Upon operating one of these virtual switching elements, the manipulation device 1 can provide tactile feedback to the user. For this purpose, the actuating element 2 is mounted movably on the carrier element 3.

For this purpose, fig. 2 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of the handling device 1. Between the operating element 2 and the carrier element 3, an actuator 8 is arranged, which in the present case is an electromagnetic actuator. For this purpose, the actuator 8 has a first actuator part 9 and a second actuator part 10, the first actuator part 9 being arranged on the side of the operating element 2 facing away from the contact surface 6, the second actuator part 10 being arranged opposite the actuator part 9 on the carrier element 3. At least one of the

actuator parts

9, 10 can be energized in order to generate a magnetic field which interacts repulsively or attractively with the

other actuator part

10, 9 in order to move the actuating element 2 away from the carrier element 3 or to pull the actuating element 2 towards the carrier element 3. The direction of movement is indicated by the double arrow.

Furthermore, a spring device 11 is arranged between the actuating element 2 and the carrier element 3, by means of which spring device the actuating element 2 is held displaceably on the carrier element 3.

The spring device 11 has a plurality of spring elements 12, one end of which rests on the carrier element 3 and the other end rests on the rear side of the actuating element 2.

The spring element 12 is in this case formed integrally with the carrier element 3, preferably in the form of a circular spring, as will be explained in more detail with reference to fig. 3A and 3B.

Fig. 3A shows a plan view of the carrier element 3, in which four spring elements 12, which are denoted by 12' in fig. 3A, are formed according to fig. 2. In this case, each of these spring elements 12' is associated with a corner of the substantially rectangular support element 3, so that they are distributed or spread apart rectangularly. As already mentioned, the spring elements 12' are circular springs, which each form a circular outer contour in the carrier element 3 by means of a groove-like projection 13 (fig. 3B), wherein the groove-like projections 13 are each formed elastically by means of a plurality of recesses 14, so that the plane of the carrier element 3 can be sprung. The respective groove-like projection 13 is thus held on the carrier element 3 by a plurality of spring tongues formed by the recesses 14.

As shown in particular in fig. 2, the spring elements 12 are arranged around the actuator 8 such that the actuator 8 is located between the spring elements 12. In order to ensure uniform application of force, the actuator 8 is arranged, in particular centrally, on the carrier element 3 or the actuating element 2, which allows a tilting-free movement of the actuating element 2.

The spring elements 12 are preferably located in recesses 16 of the actuating element 2 at their free ends 15 facing the actuating element 2, so that they cannot slide on the actuating element 2 and can always exert a spring force on the actuating element 12.

During use, the user moves towards the carrier element 3 by contacting the contact surface 6 of the operating element 2. When the virtual switch is operated, the actuator 8 is electrically triggered to generate a magnetic field, by means of which the actuator part 9 is repelled by the actuator part 10, and the operating element 2 is thereby moved against the operating force of the user. In particular, a magnetic field in the form of a pulse is applied, so that a user can feel a short click pulse (Klick-impulses) which serves as tactile feedback for the successful operation of the virtual switching element.

As an alternative to the electromagnetic actuator 8 shown here, a piezoelectric actuator may also be present between the actuating element 2 and the carrier element 3. According to a further embodiment, a plurality of actuators 8 are also preferably arranged distributed over the surface of the actuating element 2 between the actuating element 2 and the carrier element 3 in order to be able to generate different haptic responses. In particular, the corresponding haptic response is generated or changed as a function of the actuated switching element, the current driving situation or other boundary conditions.

Fig. 4A and 4B each show a further exemplary embodiment of a support element 3 in a perspective view. According to fig. 4A, the spring elements 12 are not circular springs but spring strips 12 ″ which are each arranged in the direction of the longer longitudinal side of the rectangular support element 3 and aligned with the longitudinal extension direction.

The embodiment of fig. 4B differs from the embodiment of fig. 4A in that the spring tab 12 ″ is not aligned with the longitudinal extension of the longer longitudinal side of the rectangular support element 3, but rather with the longitudinal extension of the shorter side of the rectangular support element 3.

Advantageously, the

spring leaf

12, 12', 12 ″ each has a threaded hole 17 at its free end 15, through which threaded hole 17 a fastening screw can be guided, by means of which the carrier element 3 can be screwed to the actuating element 2. Preferably, there is also a corresponding threaded hole 17 in the circular spring 12'. As a result, the spring element 12 is reliably secured permanently to the actuating element 2 at its free end 15, in particular if the actuating element 2 is optionally not formed with the recess 16.

The integrated design of the

spring elements

12, 12', 12 ″ and thus the integration of the spring device 12 into the carrier element 3 ensures a compact and robust embodiment of the actuating device 1, which enables a long service life and a simple and time-saving assembly.

Claims

1. An actuating device (1) for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, having an actuating element (2) which can be actuated by a user, a triggerable actuator (8) and a spring device (11), the actuating element (2) being arranged on a carrier element (3); for operating the movement of the handling element (2) relative to the carrier element (3); the spring device (11) is arranged between the actuating element (2) and the carrier element (3) and movably supports the actuating element (2) on the carrier element (3), characterized in that the spring device (11) is formed integrally with the carrier element (3) or the actuating element (2).

2. Operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring device (11) has at least one spring element (12, 12', 12 ") which is integrally formed with the carrier element (3) or the operating element (2).

3. Operating device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one spring element (12, 12', 12 ") is located locally at its free end (15) in a recess (16) configured in the operating element (2) or the carrier element (3).

4. Handling device according to any of the preceding claims, where said at least one spring element (12, 12', 12 ") is firmly connected at its free end (15) with the handling element (2) or the carrier element (3).

5. Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring device (11) has a plurality of spring elements (12, 12', 12 ") which are arranged at a distance from one another.

6. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring device (11) has at least three spring elements (12, 12', 12 ") arranged at a distance from one another, which spring elements open out a spring surface.

7. Handling device according to any of the preceding claims, where said actuator (8) is an electromagnetic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator.

8. An operating device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the electromagnetic actuator (8) has a first actuator part (9) arranged on the operating element (2) and a second actuator part (10) arranged on the carrier element (3), wherein the actuator parts (9, 10) are configured opposite one another and form an air gap (18) between them at least in the rest state of the operating device (1).

9. Handling device according to any of the preceding claims, where the width of the air gap (18) is 0.05 to 0.4mm, in particular 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

10. Handling device according to any of the preceding claims, where said spring means (11) comprises or surrounds said actuator (8).

11. Handling device according to any of the preceding claims, where said at least one spring element (12) is a spring plate (12 ") or a circular spring (12').

12. Handling device according to any of the preceding claims, where the carrier element (3) is a stamped and bent sheet metal.

13. Operating device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating element (2) is at least partially translucent.

14. Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating device (1), in particular the operating element (2), is a touch-sensitive display.