GB2342229A

GB2342229A - An automotive vehicle switch mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2342229A
Application number: GB9918937A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shangshyan S Liao; Erik Rickel; Jon Phillip Bay
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1998-08-13
Filing date: 1999-08-12
Publication date: 2000-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 2019-08-12
Also published as: GB2342229B; GB9918937D0

Abstract

A switch mechanism for a control panel has a face plate 16 with a plurality of channels 26 running therethrough. A rocker button 20 is rotationally mounted to the face plate 16 and has first and second distal ends 32 each with a cam surface 34 extending from an underside thereof and each located adjacent to a channel 28. An actuator post 22 is retained by each channel 28 and is adapted to translate in linear fashion with respect to the channel. Each post 22 has an upper surface 38 adapted to contact a cam surface 34 upon rotation of the rocker button 20 to linearly translate the post 22 within the channel 28.

Description

2342229 AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SWITCH MECHANISM The present invention

relates to automotive vehicle s switch mechanisms in general, and more specifically to mechanisms having rocker buttons with linear translation actuator posts.

Conventional rocker buttons for automotive vehicle switch mechanisms are mounted on a face plate of a control panel and are used to control two separate switch circuits on a printed circuit board. The rocker buttons have a central pivot axis with actuator posts extending from distal ends of the button underside. Depressing one end of a rocker button causes the button to rotate about the pivot axis, thereby causing a corresponding actuator post to translate within a channel running through the face plate.

Translating the actuator post in such a fashion is meant to depress a button or switch on a switch mat, which actuates a switch circuit of the printed circuit board. Rotation of the button about the pivot axis causes arcuate translation of the actuator post within the channel. This arcuate translation causes lateral movement of the post with respect to the channel. Problematically, such lateral movement may cause the post to miss contacting the raised switch and thus fail' to activate the circuit. Furthermore, misalignment of the post with respect to the switch may cause the post to become stuck against a side of the switch and require disassembly of the control panel in order to dislodge the post therefrom.

The channel running through the face plate also functions to facilitate illumination of various rocker button indicators. The rocker buttons have a substantially opaque surface with a translucent pattern formed therethrough. The translucent pattern communicates information to the vehicle occupants. For example, the shape may be upward and downward pointing arrows for stereo volume control. The control panel is backlit so that during 2 night driving light emanates through the translucent portion, thereby communicating the desired information to the vehicle occupant. Conventional actuation posts occupy a small fraction of the cross sectional area of the channel.

The available cross sectional area in the channel, therefore, is used to transmit light to illuminate the rocker button indicators.

What is desired than is a rocker button with a switch mat actuator post that translates linearly with respect to the face plate channel, thereby insuring contact of the actuator post with the switch mat switch by preventing misalignment therebetween, as well as facilitates rocker button indicator illumination.

The present invention provides a switch mechanism for a control panel having a face plate with a plurality of channels running therethrough including a rocker button rotationally mounted to the face plate having first and second distal ends each with a cam surface extending from an underside thereof and each located adjacent to a channel and an actuator post retained by each channel and adapted to translate in linear fashion with respect to the channel, each post having an upper surface adapted to contact a cam surface upon rotation of the rocker button and linearly translate the post within the channel thereby.

An advantage of the present invention is that the actuation post is retained by the face plate and is not part of the rocker button. More specifically, the actuation post translates linearly with respect to the channel rather than arcu.ately, thereby insuring contact of the post with the switch mat switch by preventing misalignment therebetween.

A feature of the present invention is to provide a light transmitting channel running through the actuation post. The light transmitting channel advantageously transmits light via a light source through the light transmitting channel to the rocker button and illuminates the rocker button indicators thereby.

3 The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automotive vehicle according to the present invention; Figure 2 is front view of an automotive vehicle instrument panel according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a radio control panel having a face plate with rocker buttons according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a cut-away rear view of a face plate having actuation posts according to the present invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a rocker button in contact with a pair of actuation posts according to the present invention; Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 4 showing a rocker button in contact with an actuation post according to the present invention; and Figure 7 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 4 showing a rocker button in contact with an actuation post having a light channel therethrough according to the present invention.

Turning now to the drawings, and in particular to Figure 1 thereof, an automotive vehicle 10 is shown. As shown in Figure 2, the automotive vehicle 10 has an instrument panel 12 with a central control panel 14. The control panel 14 has a face plate 16 with a number of switch mechanisms such as push and rocker buttons, 18 and 20 respectively, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 4 shows the face plate 16 having actuator posts 22 retained thereby. As shown in Figure 5, absent the face plate 16, the actuator post.s 22 are in contacting relationship with the rocker button 20.

As shown in Figure 6, the rocker button 20 is rotationally mounted to the face plate 16 of the control panel 14 and functions to control two different circuits of 4 a circuit board via a switch mat as known in the art.

Illustratively, the rocker button 20 of Figure 3 is a volume control button comprised of two sections. By pressing the upward arrow of the button 20, a momentary switch on the switch mat is closed that makes a circuit that controls increases in 'WOLUMW response; and by pressing the downward arrow of the button 20, another momentary-action switch is clos"ed that makes a circuit that controls decreases in WOLUMW response.

Illumination of the face plate 16 is accomplished by back-lighting as known in the art. Back-lighting emanates from light sources disposed at selected locations on the front of the circuit board, in spaced relation behind the face plate 16. The light from the light sources provide lighting so as to illuminate a translucent pattern formed on the button 20. The translucent pattern, such as the upward and downward directed arrows of the exemplary rocker button 20, is surrounded by an opaque material.

As shown in Figure 6, the face plate 16 has a front surface 24, a rear surface 26, and a plurality of channels 28 running therethrough. The rocker button 20 is rotationally mounted to the face plate 16 about a rotational axis 30. The rocker button 20 has distal ends 32 with cam surfaces 34 extending from an underside 36 thereof. The actuator posts 22 are received in the channels 28 and have an upper surface 38 and a lower surface 40 with a flange 42.

The flange 42 is adapted to contact the rear surface 26 of the face plate 16 and constrain translational movement of the post 22 within the channel 28 in the direction of the front surface 24 thereby.

In use, one distal end 32 of the rocker button 20 is depressed thereby bringing the cam surface 34 in to contact with the upper surface 38 of the actuator post 22. This contact translates the post 22 within the channel 28 in linear fashion with respect to the channel 28 or perpendicularly with respect to the front surface 24 of the face plate 16. Such translation causes the lower surface 40 of the post 22 to contact the switch of the switchmat actuating a circuit thereby. Linearly translating the post 22 with respect to the channel advantageously insures contact of the post 22 with the switch mat switch by 5 preventing misalignment therebetween.

As shown in Figure 7, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is an actuator post 22 having a light transmitting channel 44. The light transmitting channel 44 advantageously facilitates transmission of light from the light source to the translucent pattern of the rocker button 20 by providing a path for the light therethrough. The channel 44 may be hollow or filled with a light transmitting polymer.

6

Claims

1. A switch mechanism for a control panel having a face plate (16) with a plurality of channels (28) running therethrough, comprising:

a rocker button (20) rotationally mounted to the face plate (16) having first and second distal ends (32) each with a cam surface (34) extending from an underside (36) thereof and each located adjacent to a channel; an actuator post (22) retained by each channel (28) and adapted to translate in linear fashion with respect to the channel, each post having an upper surface (38) adapted to contact a cam surface (34) upon rotation of the rocker button (20) and linearly translate the post (22) within the channel (28) thereby.

2. A switch mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the face plate further has a front surface and a rear surface and the actuator post further has a lower surface with a flange adapted to contact the rear surface constraining translational movement in the direction of the front surface thereby.

3. A switch mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the actuator post further has a light transmitting channel running therethrough.

4. A switch mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the light transmitting channel transmits light via a light source through the light transmitting channel to the rocker butt.on.

5. A switch mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the light transmitting channel is filled with a translucent polymer.

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6. A switch mechanism for a control panel having a face plate with a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of channels running therebetween, comprising:

a rocker button rotationally mounted to the face plate having distal ends each with a cam surface extending from an underside thereof and each located adjacent to a channel; an actuator post received in each channel having an upper surface adapted to contact a cam surface and a lower surface with a flange adapted to contact the rear surface constraining translational movement in the direction of the front surface thereby; and the post adapted to translate within the channel perpendicular to the front surface.

7. A switch mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the actuator post further has a light transmitting channel running therethrough.

1

8. A switch mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the light transmitting channel transmits light via a light source through the light transmitting channel to the rocker button.

9. A switch mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the light transmitting channel is filled with a translucent polymer.

10. A switch mechanism for a control panel having a face plate with a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of channels running therebetween, comprising:

a rocker button rotationally mounted to the face plate having distal ends each with a cam surface extending from an underside thereof and each located adjacent to a channel; an actuator post received in each channel having an upper surface adapted to contact a cam surface, a lower surface with a flange adapted to contact the rear surface constraining translational movement in the direction of the front surface thereby, and a light transmitting channel running therethrough; and the post adapted to translate within the channel perpendicular to the front surface and transmit light via a light source through the light transmitting channel to the rocker button.

11. A switch mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the light transmitting channel is filled with a translucent polymer.

12. A switch mechanism for a control panel is substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.