DE202022101792U1 - shift control arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

Shift operating arrangement (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, with a base (10) and an operating element (20) which can be moved from a first non-actuated position ( A) is displaceable along a travel distance (X) in an actuation direction into a second actuated position (B),
wherein the operating element (20) is connected to the base (10) via two flat and elastically deformable coupling elements (30) which are spaced apart from one another in the direction of actuation, through which the operating element (20) is guided linearly along the actuating distance (X) and which are designed to deform elastically when the operating element (20) is displaced from the first position (A) along the travel distance (X) into the second position (B) and to exert a restoring force on the operating element ( 20) exercise,
characterized in that a deformation sensor (33) measuring its deformation is arranged on at least one of the coupling elements (30) or at least one of the coupling elements (30) is integrally designed as a deformation sensor (33),
wherein the deformation sensor (33) is designed to measure the deformation during the displacement of the operating element (20) and from the deformation a position of the operating element (20) along the travel distance (X) and/or the actuating force (2) leading to the displacement to determine and/or to generate a switching signal for switching a function.

Description

The invention relates to a shift control arrangement, in particular for a motor vehicle.

From the state of the art and, for example, from the documents EP 16 707 659 A , U.S. 6,952,197 B1 , WO 2013/020236 A1 , U.S. 2006/185971 A1 , FR 2 837 320 A1 , DE 31 10 886 A1 , JP 2004 335 383 A , U.S. 2012/262256 A1 , EP 2 485 112A 1 and U.S. 2007/262954 A1 are already ready a variety of different switching operating arrangements.

In order to generate a switching signal or generally to determine a position along a respective actuation path, these documents provide either to act on a mechanical switch by force or to detect a change in inductance caused by the movement of a magnet.

In the prior art, the operating elements that can be moved relative to a base are guided by additional guide means with regard to the possible movement on the base.

Due to the fact that respective guides and additional switching arrangements for generating a switching signal are provided for accommodating the operating elements on the base, the switching operating arrangements proposed in the prior art are not only complex and expensive, but also require a comparatively large amount of space.

The invention is therefore based on the object of overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages and providing a switch operating arrangement which is simple in design and saves space and costs.

This object is achieved by the combination of features according to protection claim 1.

According to the invention, a shift control arrangement, in particular for a motor vehicle, with a base and a control element is therefore proposed. The base can be fastened, for example, in an interior and in particular on a steering device of a motor vehicle. The control element can be displaced relative to the base from a first unactuated position, preferably linearly along a travel distance in an actuation direction, into a second actuated position by an actuation force applied to the control element and in particular by an actuation force applied to an actuation surface of the control element. In addition, the switching operating arrangement can be designed such that the operating element can be displaced from the first position in a second operating direction opposite to the first operating direction into a third position by a second operating force, which acts on the operating element opposite to the first operating force. The control element is preferably connected to the base exclusively via two flat and elastically deformable coupling elements that are spaced apart from one another in the direction of actuation, through which the control element is guided essentially linearly along the travel distance and which are designed to move when the control element is displaced from the first position along the To elastically deform the adjusting distance into the second position and to exert a restoring force on the control element that is supported on the base and counteracts the displacement. In this context, flat is understood to mean in particular that the coupling elements each have a length, width and thickness extension, the length extension being greater than the width extension and significantly greater than the thickness extension. In the case of elastic deformation, there is in particular a bending in the direction of the thickness extension or in the thickness direction, so that the unactuated and thereby flat coupling element is bent by the displacement into a convex or concave shape, from which it can be caused by its elasticity without the external actuating force deformed back into the flat shape. Furthermore, it is provided that a deformation sensor measuring its deformation is arranged on at least one of the coupling elements, or at least one of the coupling elements is designed integrally as a deformation sensor. The deformation sensor is designed to measure the deformation of the coupling element on which it is arranged or its deformation if it forms a coupling element or is designed integrally with it, during the displacement of the operating element and from the deformation a position of the operating element along the To determine the travel distance and/or the actuating force leading to the displacement and/or to generate a switching signal for switching a function.

For this purpose, the deformation sensor can have an evaluation unit which can be provided directly on or in the coupling element or can be connected to a measuring sensor of the deformation sensor which is arranged on the coupling element or is designed as a coupling element.

The switch operating arrangement proposed here can be used as a further development of the EP 16 707 659 A proposed switching operating arrangement are considered, the entire disclosure is therefore included in the present application. Here, those of the EP 16 707 659 A proposed elastic elements with the present coupling elements the same are set, which can have according to their characteristics. Notwithstanding the present invention teaches the EP 16 707 659 A However, additional pushbuttons or the like are provided as sensors.

The basic idea of the present invention can be summarized in such a way that at least one of the coupling elements by which the control element and base are held together and guided together can also be used as a sensor or part of the sensor based on a deformation.

If the control element can be deflected relative to the base along the adjustment path in two opposite directions of actuation, so that the control element can be brought from the first position into the second and the third position, the position or force along the entire Travel distance, i.e. from the first position to the second position and from the first position to the third position, is recorded and therefore the reaching of the first, second and third position can also be determined. If an actuator, explained later, is provided as a haptic feedback transmitter, it can be used to indicate that the second as well as the third position has been reached.

An advantageous further development provides that the control element is preferably guided linearly along the adjustment distance exclusively by the two coupling elements and is in particular secured against displacement transversely to the adjustment distance.

The deformation sensor can be embodied as a deformation measuring strip or a printed circuit board or can have a deformation measuring strip or a printed circuit board as a measuring sensor. The deformation measuring strip can be applied, for example, to a coupling element formed, for example, from plastic or a spring steel sheet, and in particular can be glued on. Alternatively, the printed circuit board can be applied to such a coupling element, glued or screwed to it, or form the coupling element, for which purpose the printed circuit board itself is designed to be elastic.

An advantageous variant provides that the coupling elements each have two end sections that are spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis of the respective coupling element orthogonally to the adjustment path, and a middle section that is arranged between them. At least one of the end sections is mounted on the base and the middle section is mounted on the operating element. Alternatively, at least one of the end sections is mounted on the operating element and the middle section is mounted on the base. Furthermore, only one of the coupling elements can realize one of the alternatives and the other coupling element can realize the respective other alternative.

Furthermore, it can be provided that at least one of the coupling elements and in particular the coupling element that has or forms the deformation sensor is inserted at its end sections into decoupling sleeves, which are fixed to the base or the operating element so that they can rotate about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being orthogonal runs to the longitudinal axis and to the parking space. If the end sections are firmly clamped on the base or the operating element, shearing forces can occur as a result of the deformation on the coupling element. Since the decoupling sleeves can rotate about the respective axes of rotation during the deformation, they align themselves with the deformation on the deforming coupling element, so that there are significantly fewer or no shearing forces on the coupling element. As a result, the measurement accuracy and service life of the coupling element and, if applicable, of the deformation sensor can be increased.

An actuator, which is designed to generate haptic feedback that can be perceived on the operating element, can be arranged on the operating element and in particular between the coupling elements in the actuation direction. Such an actuator can be, for example, a rotor subjected to an imbalance. Because the control element is guided along the actuation direction or along the travel distance and is preferably secured against displacement or movement in a direction orthogonal thereto, the movement or haptic feedback of the actuator is transmitted along the actuation direction to the control element.

It is particularly advantageous if the deformation sensor and the actuator are connected in terms of signals and are designed to generate haptic feedback when a predetermined actuating force and/or a predetermined position is reached. As a result, the user who applies the actuating force to the operating element can be shown that a specific position or a specific force has been reached. In particular, if a switching signal is generated when the specific force or the specific position is reached, the triggering of the switching signal or a function associated therewith can be displayed to the user at the same time.

At least one of the two coupling elements can also be designed in one piece and/or in one piece with the operating element or the base. For example, the coupling element with the Control element or be made with the base in the injection molding process.

In order to avoid excessive deformation and possible damage to the coupling elements, the base and/or the control element can also have a stop, which limits the relative mobility of the base and control element along the adjustment path.

The features disclosed above can be combined as desired, insofar as this is technically possible and they do not contradict one another.

• 1 perspektivische Ansicht einer Schaltbedienanordnung;
• 2 Explosionsdarstellung einer Schaltbedienanordnung;
• 3 alternative Variante eines Verformungssensors;
• 4 Schnittansicht durch eine Schaltbedienanordnung;
• 5 schematisches Prinzip der Schaltbedienanordnung.

Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the dependent claims or are presented in more detail below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the figures. Show it:

• 1 perspective view of a shift operating assembly;
• 2 Exploded view of a switch operating assembly;
• 3 alternative variant of a deformation sensor;
• 4 Sectional view through a switch operating arrangement;
• 5 Schematic principle of the switch operating arrangement.

The figures are schematic by way of example. The same reference numbers in the figures indicate the same functional and/or structural features.

especially the 1 , 2 and 4 show a switch operating arrangement 1 in different views, so that the respective description can be transferred accordingly to all of the figures. In 3 an alternative variant of a deformation sensor 33 or a coupling element 30 with a deformation sensor 33 arranged thereon is shown, as is the case with a switching operating arrangement 1 according to FIGS 1 , 2 and 4 is usable. 5 represents the basic functional principle of the guide formed by the coupling elements 30 and their associated deformation, so that the description is analogous to that 1 until 4 is transferrable.

In 1 a switch operating arrangement 1 is shown. This has an operating element 20 preferably made of plastic, part of the operating element being an operating surface 22 to which an operating force 2 can be applied. In the present case, the operating element 20 is produced in one piece and in particular by plastic injection molding. Alternatively, however, the control element can also be made in several parts, so that, for example, the section having the actuating surface 22 can be made of a different material or can be provided using a different manufacturing method.

By manually acting on the actuating surface 22, i.e. by applying the actuating force 2 to the operating element 20, the user can deflect the operating element 20 along the actuating distance X in relation to the base 10, which can be fixed to a steering wheel of the vehicle, for example, and the switching operating arrangement 1 thereby as intended serve.

In the present case, the switching operating arrangement 1 is designed only for a deflection from the first position A to the second position B and the subsequent return to the first position A. For the sake of completeness, however, we would like to point out that the switching operating arrangement 1 can also be designed to be deflected into a third position by the application of a second actuating force 3 to a surface 23 opposite the actuating surface 22, with the second actuating force 3 and one position required for this can also be detected along the travel distance X by the deformation sensor 33 explained below.

With a shift control arrangement 1 according to the invention, a wide variety of functions of the vehicle can be controlled on the steering wheel, such as the cruise control. The manual actuation by the actuation force 2 results in a minimal stroke or in a minimal movement along the travel distance X, which is detected by a deformation sensor 33 .

The actuating force 2 can be determined on the basis of the distance covered along the travel distance X. After a certain force threshold has been reached, an actuator 40 generates haptic feedback in order to signal successful actuation.

In this case, the guidance of the operating element 20 and the sensing of the force threshold, ie the deformation sensor 33, are coupled to one another. The leadership is done by two elastic coupling elements 30, these are in the 2 until 5 shown. In the present case, a first coupling element 30 is designed as part of the operating element 20 . Alternatively, however, this coupling element 30 can also be provided as a separate part or as part of the base 10 . The second coupling element 30 is provided as a separate component and is attached to the operating element 20 by decoupling sleeves 34 fastened. Both coupling elements 30 are designed in such a way that they can be elastically deformed along the direction of the actuating force 2 or along the actuating distance X and can therefore be deflected in sections. In the directions orthogonal to the travel distance X, the mobility of the operating element 20 relative to the base 10 is severely restricted or prevented by the coupling elements 30 , in particular due to the areal extent of the coupling elements 30 . The coupling elements 30 therefore essentially only allow a movement along the travel distance X, so that the coupling elements 30 form the guidance of the operating element 20 on the base 10 . The planar extent of the coupling elements 30 results in the length along the longitudinal axis L and the width of the coupling elements 30 each being several times greater than the extent in the thickness direction, which runs approximately parallel to the travel distance X. As a result, a tilting of the coupling elements 30 can be avoided and thus a linear movement along the travel distance X can be made possible.

According to the invention, it is provided that at least one of the coupling elements 30 or the deformation occurring on it during the movement along the travel distance X is detected and the actuating force leading to the movement and/or the position along the travel distance X is determined from the deformation.

In 2 the upper or second coupling element 30 in the plane of the illustration is designed as a printed circuit board, which integrally forms the deformation sensor 33 . With reference to 3 it can also be provided that alternatively an additional deformation sensor 33 formed, for example, by a strain gauge can also be applied to the coupling element 30 . If the deformation sensor 33, as in 3 provided separately from the coupling element 30, the coupling element 30 can also be formed integrally by the base 10 or the operating element 20, as is the case with the lower coupling element 30 in the plane of representation in 2 respectively. 4 the case is.

Regardless of whether the deformation sensor 33 is integral as the (in the plane of representation of the 2 until 5 upper) coupling element 30 or as an additional component applied to the coupling element 30, the deformation taking place on the coupling element 30 as a result of the actuating force 2 can be detected by the deformation sensor 30. The actuating force 2 can in turn be calculated on the basis of the deformation.

For this purpose, an evaluation unit can be integrated into the deformation sensor 33 or the deformation sensor can be connected to an evaluation unit. Since the guide and sensors are coupled, it is irrelevant at which point on the actuating surface 22 the actuating force 2 is introduced. The actuating force 2 can be recorded via the deformation sensor 33 at all positions of the actuating surface 22 since each actuation leads to a movement along the travel distance X.

As in particular in the 3 and 4 shown, an actuator 40 is arranged between the elastic coupling elements 30 and is firmly connected to the operating element 20, so that a movement generated by the actuator 40 is transmitted to the operating element 20, which then moves along the travel distance X due to the guidance of the coupling elements 30 moves or vibrates. If, for example, the deformation sensor 33 detects that a previously defined force threshold has been reached, the actuator 40 can be activated and haptic feedback can thereby be generated for the operator.

The operating element 20 also has a section which extends between the coupling elements 30 and which integrally forms a housing for accommodating the actuator 40 .

In the illustrated variant of the switching and operating arrangement 1, it is also advantageous that the operating element 20 extends in sections into the base 10 forming a housing. As a result, a stop 21 is integrally formed by the control element 20 , which can come to rest on an inner side of the housing formed by the base 10 and thereby limits the movement of the control element 20 on the base 10 .

In 5 the mutually spaced coupling elements 30 are shown undeformed and (dashed) deformed. According to the in the 1 until 4 variant shown, the upper coupling element 30 in the plane of representation is mounted or connected with its end sections 31 on the operating element 20 and with its middle section 32 on the base 10 . The lower coupling element 30 in the plane of representation is mounted with its end sections 31 on the base 10 and with its middle section 32 with the operating element 20.

As a result, the attachment or bearing points of the two coupling elements 30 both on the operating element 20 and on the base 10 each span a triangle and thus form the linear guide of the operating element 20 on the base 10. The deformation of one of the coupling elements 30 is determined by the deformation sensor 33 recorded and evaluated, whereby the actuator force 2 and the position along the travel distance X can be determined.

The implementation of the invention is not limited to the preferred exemplary embodiments given above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable which make use of the solution shown even in the case of fundamentally different designs.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was 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.

Patent Literature Cited

• EP16707659A [0002, 0010]
• US 6952197 B1 [0002]
• WO 2013/020236 A1 [0002]
• US2006185971A1 [0002]
• FR 2837320 A1 [0002]
• DE 3110886 A1 [0002]
• JP 2004335383 A [0002]
• US2012262256A1 [0002]
• EP 2485112 A [0002]
• US2007262954A1 [0002]

Claims (9)

Shift operating arrangement (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, with a base (10) and an operating element (20) which can be moved from a first non-actuated position ( A) is displaceable along a travel distance (X) in an actuation direction into a second actuated position (B), the operating element (20) being connected to the base (10) via two flat and elastically deformable coupling elements (30) which are spaced apart from one another in the actuation direction , through which the control element (20) is linearly guided along the travel distance (X) and which are designed to move when the control element (20) is displaced from the first position (A) along the travel distance (X) into the second position (B ) to deform elastically and to exert a restoring force on the operating element (20), which is supported on the base (20) and counteracts the displacement, characterized in that at least t one of the coupling elements (30) has a deformation sensor (33) measuring its deformation, or at least one of the coupling elements (30) is integrally designed as a deformation sensor (33), the deformation sensor (33) being designed to measure the deformation when the operating element is displaced (20) and from the deformation to determine a position of the operating element (20) along the travel distance (X) and/or the actuating force (2) leading to the displacement and/or to generate a switching signal for switching a function. Switch operating arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the operating element (20) is guided linearly along the adjustment distance (X) by the two coupling elements (30) and is secured in particular against displacement transversely to the adjustment distance (X). Switch operating arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the deformation sensor (33) is designed as a deformation measuring strip or a printed circuit board. Switch operating arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling elements (30) each have two end sections (31) spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis (L) orthogonally to the travel distance (X) and a middle section (32) arranged between them, wherein at least one of the end sections (31) on the base (10) and the middle section (32) on the operating element (20) or at least one of the end sections (31) on the operating element (20) and the middle section (32) on the base ( 10) is stored. Shift operating arrangement according to the preceding claim, wherein at least one of the coupling elements (30) is inserted at its end sections (31) into a decoupling sleeve (34) which can be rotated about an axis of rotation (D) on the base (10) or the operating element (20). are fixed, wherein the axis of rotation (D) is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (L) and to the travel distance (X). Shift operating arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an actuator (40) is arranged on the operating element (20) and in particular in the actuation direction between the coupling elements (30), which is designed to generate haptic feedback perceptible on the operating element (20). Shift operating arrangement according to the preceding claim, wherein the deformation sensor (33) and the actuator (40) are connected in terms of signal technology and are designed to generate haptic feedback when a predetermined actuating force and/or a predetermined position is reached. Shift operating arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the two coupling elements (30) is formed in one piece and/or in one piece with the operating element (20) or the base (10). Shift operating arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the base (10) and/or the operating element (20) has a stop (21) which limits the relative displaceability of the base (10) and operating element (20) along the travel distance (X). is.

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