DE102015202275A1 - Operating unit for a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The control unit for a vehicle, in particular for a vehicle component such as e.g. a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system, is provided with a housing (10) having a front wall (12) and a circumferential side wall (14) and a rear wall, which with the side wall (14) and / or the front wall (12) is connected. The housing (10) has attachment points (29) for attaching the housing (10) to a support structure, such as e.g. the instrument panel of a vehicle, on. The front wall (12) has at least one oblong hole (26) with a sliding member (24) displaceable in the longitudinal extent of the oblong hole (26). Furthermore, the housing (10) comprises a linear guide element (30) on which the sliding member (24) is guided linearly displaceable. The linear guide element (30) has two opposite connecting ends (34) on which the linear guide element (30) for suppressing the transmission of torsions of the housing (10) on the linear guide element (30) flexible with the side wall (14) of the housing (10). and spaced from the rear wall (16) and the front wall (12) of the housing (10) or flexibly connected to the rear wall (16) of the housing (10) and the front wall (12) and the side wall (14) of the housing (10) is spaced or flexibly connected to the front wall (12) of the housing (10) and spaced from the rear wall (16) and the side wall (14) of the housing (10).

Description

The invention relates to an operating unit for a vehicle and in particular an operating unit for a vehicle component, which is, for example, a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system of the vehicle or a control device for such a system.

Operating units of the aforementioned type are known in different embodiments. The known operating units are provided with a housing which has a front wall and a rear wall and a side wall connecting these two walls. On the front wall (also called front panel or cover) are typically several controls and usually also one or more displays. The controls are generally designed as buttons or rotary controls. For aesthetic reasons, care should be taken that the clearances around the keys and / or around the rotary controls are uniform and preferably not too great.

Another type of control elements encountered in operating units of the type in question here is a sliding member which can be moved linearly on the front panel. Such a sliding member is guided displaceably on a linear guide element which is arranged within the housing. Examples of this are in US 3,617,077 A and US 3,728,499 A described.

In particular, in the case of larger-sized housings, it may be the case that in the installed state of the housing in a support structure such as the instrument panel of a vehicle, tension and twisting occur. The reasons for such tensions or twists can be diverse. Here are examples of thermally induced tensions or also montage-related tension called. Such tensions / torsions of the housing may undesirably have an effect on control units with translationally displaceable sliding members as torsions of the linear guide element provided for guiding the sliding member. But if the linear guide element is twisted, the displaceability of the sliding member may be impaired, which in turn is undesirable.

The object of the invention is to provide a control unit for a vehicle, in particular for a vehicle component, such as e.g. to provide a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning, wherein the control unit has a sliding member that can be operated without potential impairment even with potential tensions and twists of the control unit.

• – einem Gehäuse, das eine Vorderwand sowie eine umlaufende Seitenwand und eine Rückwand aufweist, die mit der Seitenwand und/oder der Vorderwand verbunden ist,
• – wobei das Gehäuse Anbringungspunkte zur Befestigung des Gehäuses an einer Haltekonstruktion, wie z.B. der Instrumententafel eines Fahrzeugs, aufweist,
• – wobei die Vorderwand mindestens ein Langloch mit einem in Längserstreckung des Langlochs verschiebbaren Schiebeorgan aufweist, und
• – einem in dem Gehäuse angeordneten Linearführungselement, an dem das Schiebeorgan linear verschiebbar geführt ist,
• – wobei das Linearführungselement zwei entgegengesetzte Verbindungsenden aufweist, an denen das Linearführungselement zur Unterdrückung der Übertragung von Verwindungen des Gehäuses auf das Linearführungselement an seinen in Längserstreckung angeordneten Enden flexibel mit der Seitenwand des Gehäuses verbunden und von der Rückwand und der Vorderwand des Gehäuses beabstandet oder flexibel mit der Rückwand des Gehäuses verbunden und von der Vorderwand und der Seitenwand des Gehäuses beabstandet oder flexibel mit der Vorderwand des Gehäuses verbunden und von der Rückwand und der Seitenwand des Gehäuses beabstandet ist, und
• – wobei die flexible mechanische Verbindung als Nut-Feder-Verbindungskonstruktion ausgeführt ist, deren Nut und Feder sich jeweils quer und damit im Wesentlichen senkrecht zur Vorderwand und zur Rückwand des Gehäuses erstrecken, wobei die Nut ein offenes Ende zur Aufnahme der Feder der Nut-Feder-Verbindungs-Konstruktion aufweist.

To solve this problem, an operating unit for a vehicle, in particular for a vehicle component such as a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning is proposed with the invention, wherein the control unit is provided with

• A housing having a front wall and a peripheral side wall and a rear wall connected to the side wall and / or the front wall,
• The housing having attachment points for attaching the housing to a support structure, such as the instrument panel of a vehicle,
• - Wherein the front wall has at least one slot with a displaceable in the longitudinal extent of the slot sliding member, and
• A linear guide element arranged in the housing, on which the sliding element is guided in a linearly displaceable manner,
• - wherein the linear guide element has two opposite connection ends, on which the linear guide element for suppressing the transmission of torsions of the housing on the linear guide element at its longitudinally extending ends flexibly connected to the side wall of the housing and spaced from the rear wall and the front wall of the housing or flexible with the rear wall of the housing connected and spaced from the front wall and the side wall of the housing or flexibly connected to the front wall of the housing and spaced from the rear wall and the side wall of the housing, and
• - The flexible mechanical connection is designed as a tongue and groove-connecting construction, the tongue and groove each extend transversely and thus substantially perpendicular to the front wall and the rear wall of the housing, wherein the groove has an open end for receiving the spring of the tongue and groove Connecting construction has.

The operating unit according to the invention has a known per se housing with a front wall and a circumferential side wall and a rear wall. On the front wall, various controls can be arranged next to one or more displays. One of these controls is designed according to the invention as a sliding member, which can be manually moved within a long hole of the front wall of the housing. For this purpose, the housing has on the inside a linear guide element on which the sliding member is guided linearly displaceable.

According to the invention, the linear guide element contacts neither the front wall nor the rear wall of the housing. Rather, the linear guide element is flexibly connected at its two opposite longitudinal ends with the side wall. The two longitudinal ends of the linear guide element thus form its connection ends or connecting points to the housing. The flexible coupling is used to suppress the transmission of torsions and tension of the housing on the linear guide element, which is far as torsion-free arranged in the housing.

The general concept of the torsion-free suspension of the linear guide element according to the invention thus consists in the fact that the linear guide element is mechanically coupled at its opposite longitudinal ends with only one component of the multi-part housing. This may, as stated above, to the side wall of the housing, but also good and alternative to this variant of the invention but also to the rear wall or even to the front wall of the housing. All of these possibilities are encompassed by the invention. The linear guide element is mechanically coupled at its ends with either the side wall or the rear wall or the front wall of the housing mechanically by a tongue and groove connection, which transversely, d. H. extends substantially perpendicular to the front wall or rear wall of the housing. The tongue and groove connection is open on one side with respect to its groove and allows the insertion of the spring over the open end of the groove in this during assembly of the control unit. The tongue and groove connection is thus on the one hand easy to install and on the other hand advantageous in terms of the decoupling of torsions between that part of the housing to which the ends of the linear guide element are connected, and the linear guide element. For a distortion of the housing about an axis that extends in the extension of the linear guide element, as may arise due to tolerance or under the influence of temperature, especially in large-size housings, transmits because of the given by the tongue and groove joints and their design-related game possibility that namely between the linear guide element and the housing a compensation relative movement is allowed, not on the linear guide element.

For the purposes of the invention, the groove or the spring of each tongue and groove connecting structure need not necessarily be continuous. The tongue and groove connecting construction should also cover such connecting constructions in which the groove is continuous, but the spring has individual unconnected projections which are received by the groove. It is also possible that the tongue and groove connecting construction has a plurality of along a common axis aligned and juxtaposed groove and tongue partial connections. In this latter example, then both the groove and the spring is not formed consistently. Finally, it is also conceivable that the spring is formed continuously, but the groove is interrupted insofar as that the individual in the longitudinal extension of the groove has aligned, not communicating groove sections.

To further reduce the formation of torsions or distortions of the housing, it may be expedient if the rear wall of the housing at least one executed in particular as a slot or slot relief opening to reduce the structure of torsions within the rear wall and on this in the side wall and / or the Front wall of the housing has.

It is also expedient if the linear guide element is designed rigid with respect to bends and uses. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a comparatively high bending stiffness of the linear guide element can be achieved in that the linear guide element has a profile with a substantially T-shaped contour with an upper-side guide region for longitudinal guidance of the sliding member and a projecting from the guide region, bottom web portion.

As with rotationally movable operating elements (for example turntables), it is also expedient for translationally displaceable operating elements, such as the sliding member according to the invention, if the sliding element remains automatically in previously defined detent positions. In that regard, the control unit according to the invention according to an embodiment of a latch unit having at least one detent gate on the linear guide element and at least one resiliently resting on the detent gate detent arm, wherein the linear guide element on the upper side a guide area for longitudinal guidance of the sliding member and the underside and thus the slot in the front wall of the Housing facing away from a longitudinal extension of the linear guide element extending longitudinal extension, on which the detent gate is formed lying on one of the lateral sides of the linear guide element. The longitudinal extension, which forms the lower web portion of the suitably T-shaped profile of the linear guide element, thus has at least on one side a detent gate.

Due to the design of the longitudinal extension as a detent gate, this longitudinal extension has a waveform with "wavefront" extending in the longitudinal extent of the linear guide element. The Detent recesses and elevations of the detent gate thus follow one another in the extension of the linear guide element. This leads to a further increase in the (flexural) flexural rigidity and in particular also to an increase in the torsional rigidity of the linear guide element.

For reasons of the symmetrical introduction of force to the slide system (sliding member and linear guide element), it is expedient if a latching backdrop is arranged on both lateral sides of the linear guide element. Accordingly, then also the sliding member has two elastically against each one of the detent gates biased locking arms. The sliding member thus surrounds the linear guide element on both sides and may additionally comprise a connecting element near the underside of the linear guide element, so that the sliding member surrounds or surrounds the linear guide element on all sides, which serves to increase the stability of the sliding member.

So that a high bending stiffness can still be achieved with low material usage for the linear guide element, it is advantageous if the longitudinal extension of the linear guide element has a honeycomb structure.

• – Durch die sehr weit auseinanderliegenden Anbindungen des Gehäuses einer Bedieneinheit an eine Haltestruktur (z.B. Instrumententafel) sind Verspannungen des Gehäuses recht wahrscheinlich.
• – Diese Spannungen übertragen sich auf die Bedienelemente der Bedieneinheit.
• – Im Normalfall ist es Ziel, möglichst viele Funktionen in die Bedieneinheit zu integrieren. Die Integration würde die lineare Führung eines Schiebeorgans vorzugsweise in der Mitte der Vorderseite des Gehäuses beinhalten.
• – Eine derartige lineare Ausführung hat den Nachteil, dass es bei einer engen Führungsabstimmung zu Verspannungen und damit Funktionsbeeinträchtigungen kommen kann (z.B. Klemmen des Schiebeorgans).
• – Durch das Trennen des Gehäuses in ein Gehäuseteil (z.B. innen) mit dem Schiebeorgan und ein weiteres Gehäuseteil (z.B. außen) für andere Bedienelemente wird die Torsionsbeaufschlagung auf das das Schiebersystem tragenden (Innen-)Gehäuseteil deutlich verringert.
• – Die Einbringung von Freistellungen (z.B. Längsschlitze) in die Leiterplatte unterstützt diese Torsionsflexibilität.
• – Die Funktionssicherheit, nämlich das Verschieben eines Bauteils entlang einer linearen Führung, wird deutlich gesteigert.
• – Um die haptischen Eigenschaften eines Schiebeschalters darstellen zu können, benötigt man im Normalfall eine (Wellenprofil-)Kulisse mit nur sehr begrenztem geometrischen Ausmaß (wenige mm Höhe).
• – Zweckmäßigerweise wird diese Kulisse in Z-Richtung verlängert.
• – Dieses Wellenprofil unterstützt und ergänzt die Torsions- und Biegesteifigkeit des das Schiebersystem tragenden Gehäuseteils in allen Richtungen in erheblichem Maße.
• – Damit übernimmt das Wellenprofil (Kulisse) nicht nur die Teilfunktion eines Gehemmes, sondern auch die Funktion der Biegesteifigkeits/Torsionserhöhung des das Schiebersystem tragenden Gehäuseteils.
• – Diese Funktionsintegration erhöht die Funktionssicherheit des linearen Schiebeschalters und wirkt einem möglichen Klemmen des Schiebeorgans weiter entgegen.
• – Die lineare Führung wird "gerade" gehalten.
• – Die Funktionssicherheit, nämlich das Verschieben eines Bauteils entlang einer linearen Führung, wird nochmals deutlich gesteigert.

The considerations underlying the invention and the advantages associated with the invention are as follows.

• - Due to the very wide-lying connections of the housing of a control unit to a support structure (eg instrument panel) tensions of the housing are quite likely.
• - These voltages are transmitted to the controls of the control unit.
• - Normally, the goal is to integrate as many functions as possible into the control unit. The integration would involve the linear guidance of a slider preferably in the center of the front of the housing.
• - Such a linear design has the disadvantage that it can lead to tensions and thus functional impairments in a close management vote (eg terminals of the sliding member).
• - By separating the housing in a housing part (eg inside) with the sliding member and another housing part (eg outside) for other controls Torsionsbeaufschlagung on the slider system supporting (inner) housing part is significantly reduced.
• - The introduction of exemptions (eg longitudinal slots) in the PCB supports this torsional flexibility.
• - The reliability, namely the movement of a component along a linear guide, is significantly increased.
• - In order to be able to depict the haptic properties of a slide switch, normally a (wave profile) slide with only a very limited geometric extent (a few mm height) is required.
• - Appropriately, this backdrop is extended in the Z direction.
• - This wave profile supports and supplements the torsional and bending stiffness of the slide system bearing housing part in all directions to a considerable extent.
• - Thus, the wave profile (backdrop) not only takes over the partial function of a Gehemmes, but also the function of flexural stiffness / torsional increase of the slide system bearing housing part.
• - This functional integration increases the reliability of the linear slide switch and further counteracts possible jamming of the sliding member.
• - The linear guidance is kept "straight".
• - The reliability, namely the displacement of a component along a linear guide, is again significantly increased.

The invention will be explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the drawing. In detail, they show:

1 a perspective view of the front of a housing of a vehicle control unit,

2 a view inside the case (without front panel),

3 a perspective view of the slide system of sliding member and this leading linear guide element and

4 an end view of the linear guide element and slider system with partial representation of adjacent to the slide system arranged areas of the control unit (cut at IV-IV of 1 ).

1 shows in perspective the housing 10 an operating unit for a vehicle component, which in this embodiment is a climate control unit. The housing 10 has a front wall 12 , one from the front wall 12 Rear side projecting, circumferential side wall 14 and a back wall 16 on, which is executed in this embodiment in the manner of a lid, but can also be configured as a plate element. On the front wall 12 to the front 18 pointing are a display 20 and several (push) buttons 22 , Between the display 20 and the arrangement of buttons 22 is located on the front wall 12 one pushing mechanism 24 That's inside a long hole 26 the front 18 in the direction of the double arrow 28 is longitudinally displaceable. The respective current displacement position of the sliding member 24 can for example be detected by a sensor or detector and reported to an evaluation, which then one with the sliding member 24 prescribes adjustable operating parameters of a device. An example of such a sensor / detector is described, for example, in the not yet published patent application 10 2013 205 305.3 filed on March 26, 2013, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into the subject of the present application.

About mounting points 29 leaves the case 10 attach to eg an instrument panel or general support structure.

Inside the case 10 and behind its front wall 12 there is a linear guide element 30 (see also 2 ), on which the sliding organ 24 is linearly guided. With the circumferential side wall 14 ie with the housing part 31 that the side wall 14 forms are manholes 32 for the buttons 22 educated. At the opposite connecting (longitudinal) ends 34 is the linear guide element 30 mechanically with one of the several housing parts 33 . 35 (In this embodiment, three housing parts exist, but the invention is not limited thereto and may also include housings having only two housing parts). The special feature of this mechanical coupling is that it is so far flexible, as torsions of the housing part 31 not or only reduced to the linear guide element 30 be transmitted.

The coupling of the linear guide element 30 with the housing part 31 is the only mechanical connection of the linear guide element 30 inside the case 10 , In particular, the linear guide element 30 from the back wall 16 or one in the housing 10 arranged board 17 separated and spaced (see 4 ). The back wall 16 or the board 17 should be slotted appropriately, so that the board 17 or rear wall 16 has a certain flexibility, which in turn serves to reduce the occurrence of mechanical stresses due to torsion and distortion.

The already mentioned mechanical coupling of the linear guide element 30 with the housing part 31 takes place by means of two tongue and groove connection constructions 36 as it is in 2 is indicated. In the embodiment shown, the linear guide element 30 at its two connecting ends 34 projections 38 , namely the springs, on, in recesses 40 (namely grooves) of the housing part 31 are immersed. In these recesses 40 can be the linear guide element 30 with its projections 38 at the back of the front wall 12 Push. The projections 38 and the recesses 40 are formed differently in pairs and thus the slider system has a mechanical coding, so that the mounting position of the linear guide element 30 in the housing part 31 is clearly defined.

A perspective view of the linear guide element 30 shows 3 , while 4 an end view of the slide system at along the line IV-IV of 1 cut housing shows. The linear guide element 30 includes a topside linear guide section 42 , to the underside of a ridge-shaped longitudinal extension 44 followed. Overall, thus has the linear guide element 30 in cross-section on a substantially T-shaped contour. The linear guide area 42 lies with his top 46 inside or behind the slot 26 the front wall 12 and may have symbols, in particular numbers (for example, for the target temperature in the interior of the vehicle). On both lateral sides 47 of the linear guide element 30 , namely on the longitudinal process 44 each is a Rastkulisse 48 a detent unit 50 , which also has two latching arms 52 comprising, which on the sliding member 24 are arranged and from the outside against a respective Rastkulisse 48 to press. Every stop scenery 48 has detent troughs 54 and surveys 56 with arranged between these edge regions 58 on, the Rastkulisse 48 give a wavy shape or top. The Rastkulisse 48 has a much larger width (height 60 in 4 ) as the contact area (contact track 62 in 4 ) of the Rastkulisse 48 in which the relevant locking arm 52 on the Rastkulisse 48 slides along when the sliding organ 24 is moved. By this with respect to the contact area (contact track 62 ) significantly increased width (height 60 ) of the Rastkulissen 48 becomes the linear guide element 30 gave an increased (sag) flexural rigidity. The wavy structure of the Rastkulissen 48 ensures further rigidity of the linear guide element 30 in terms of increasing the insensitivity of the linear guide element 30 against torsions.

Possible further / alternative embodiments of the latching unit and the sliding element of the slider system and its torsion-free mounting are described in the two patent applications of the applicant 10 2014 202 518.4 of 12 February 2014 and 10 2014 202 523.0 of 12 February 2014. The subject matters of these two patent applications are thus incorporated by reference into the subject matter of the present patent application.

In its most general form, the invention can be described in that the housing of a control unit, the one Slider system having a first housing part with the slide system and at least one second housing part. In this case, the second housing part can at least partially surround the first housing part and surround it in particular on all sides, so that the slide system is arranged centrally on the front side of the operating unit. The mechanical connection of the first housing part to the second housing part is largely torsionally flexible and thus decoupled with respect to a potential transmission of torsions of the second housing part to the first housing part.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

 casing

12

 Front wall of the housing

14

 Sidewall of the housing

16

 Rear wall of the housing

17

 circuit board

18

 Front of the front wall

20

 display

22

 button

24

 pushing mechanism

26

 Long hole in the front wall

28

 displacement axis

29

 Attachment points of the housing

30

 Linear guide element

31

 housing part

32

 Manholes for the buttons

33

 housing part

34

 Connecting (longitudinal) ends of the linear guide element

35

 housing part

36

 Tongue and groove construction

38

 Projections of the tongue and groove connecting construction

40

 Recesses of the tongue and groove connecting construction

42

 Linear guide region

44

 Longitudinal extension (web area) of the linear guide element

46

 Top of the linear guide element

47

 Lateral sides of the linear guide element

48

 Rastkulisse the deterrent unit

50

 catch unit

52

 Latch arm of the detent unit

54

 Catching depressions of the Rastkulisse

56

 Elevations of the Rastkulisse

58

 Flank areas of the Rastkulisse

60

 Height / width of the Rastkulisse

62

 Width of the contact area (the contact track) of the latching arm with the

latching guide

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 3617077 A [0003]
• US 3728499 A [0003]

Claims (7)

Operating unit for a vehicle, in particular for a vehicle component, such as a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system, having - a housing ( 10 ), which has a front wall ( 12 ) and a circumferential side wall ( 14 ) and a rear wall which is connected to the side wall ( 14 ) and / or the front wall ( 12 ), the housing ( 10 ) Attachment points ( 29 ) for fastening the housing ( 10 ) on a support structure, such as the instrument panel of a vehicle, having - the front wall ( 12 ) at least one slot ( 26 ) with a longitudinal extent of the slot ( 26 ) sliding sliding member ( 24 ), and - one in the housing ( 10 ) arranged linear guide element ( 30 ), on which the sliding member ( 24 ) is guided linearly displaceable, - wherein the linear guide element ( 30 ) two opposite connection ends ( 34 ), on which the linear guide element ( 30 ) for suppressing the transmission of torsions of the housing ( 10 ) on the linear guide element ( 30 ) at its longitudinally arranged ends flexible with the side wall ( 14 ) of the housing ( 10 ) and from the rear wall ( 16 ) and the front wall ( 12 ) of the housing ( 10 ) spaced or flexible with the rear wall ( 16 ) of the housing ( 10 ) and from the front wall ( 12 ) and the side wall ( 14 ) of the housing ( 10 ) spaced or flexible with the front wall ( 12 ) of the housing ( 10 ) and from the rear wall ( 16 ) and the side wall ( 14 ) of the housing ( 10 ), and - wherein the flexible mechanical connection as tongue and groove connecting construction ( 36 ), whose groove ( 40 ) and spring ( 38 ) each transverse to the front wall ( 12 ) and the back wall ( 16 ) of the housing ( 10 ), wherein the groove ( 40 ) an open end for receiving the spring ( 38 ) of the tongue and groove connection construction ( 36 ) having. Control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear wall ( 16 ) of the housing ( 10 ) at least one in particular as a slot ( 26 ) or slit discharge opening to reduce the build-up of torsions within the back wall ( 16 ) and over these in the side wall ( 14 ) and / or the front wall ( 12 ) of the housing ( 10 ) having. Operating unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the linear guide element ( 30 ) is designed rigid. Operating unit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the linear guide element ( 30 ) a profile having a substantially T-shaped contour with a top-side guide area ( 42 ) for longitudinal guidance of the sliding member ( 24 ) and one from the management area ( 42 ) projecting, lower-side web area ( 44 ) for the flexural rigidity of the linear guide element ( 30 ) having. Control unit according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by a latch unit ( 50 ), the at least one Rastkulisse ( 48 ) on the linear guide element ( 30 ) and at least one elastic at the Rastkulisse ( 48 ) resting latch arm ( 52 ), wherein the linear guide element ( 30 ) on the upper side a guide region for longitudinal guidance of the sliding member ( 24 ) and the underside and thus the slot ( 26 ) in the front wall ( 12 ) of the housing ( 10 ) facing away from a longitudinal extent of the linear guide element ( 30 ) longitudinal extension ( 44 ), on which the detent gate ( 48 ) on one of the lateral sides ( 47 ) of the linear guide element ( 30 ) is formed lying. Control unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the longitudinal extension ( 44 ) of the linear guide element ( 30 ) on both lateral sides ( 47 ) of the linear guide element ( 30 ) each a Rastkulisse ( 48 ) having. Control unit according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the longitudinal extension ( 44 ) of the linear guide element ( 30 ) has a honeycomb structure.

Images