JP2014053224A - Switching device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of electrode sheets having a sensor electrode when an operation plate constituting an industrial design face of a switching device for a vehicle is made to have a stepped shape.SOLUTION: An operation plate has a basic face and a protrusion face which are different in height. An electrode sheet 32 arranged on the rear face of the operation sheet is constituted of one sheet. A basic region 36 of the electrode sheet 32 corresponds to the basic face of the operation plate and a protrusion region 38 corresponds to the protrusion face. The electrode sheet 32 further has a thin connecting part 40 which connects the basic region 36 and the protrusion region 38. The connecting part 40 extends along one or both edges of the basic region 36 and the protrusion region 38.

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch device for operating various devices mounted on a vehicle, and more particularly to its structure.

  A switch device for operating various devices provided in the vehicle is provided in the vehicle interior. Various switch devices such as an air conditioner, a route guidance device, and an acoustic device are arranged on an instrument panel provided at the front of the room. In addition, each door may be provided with a switch device that controls opening / closing of a window, a switch device that controls a door mirror, and a switch device that controls an electric seat. Furthermore, the switch device may be arranged in another place such as a ceiling part or a rear part of the center console. The interior of the vehicle has various forms and designs from the viewpoints of aesthetics and operability. Various forms and designs are similarly applied to the switch device which is a part of the interior.

  Patent Document 1 below discloses a switch device provided in a door interior. This switch device uses a capacitance type touch sensor, and detects when a passenger touches a predetermined position on the surface of the operation plate based on a change in capacitance. Based on this detection, a predetermined operation of the equipped device is executed.

JP 2010-120487 A

  If parts with different heights are provided on the surface (design surface) of one switch device, and each part is provided with a switch part, a single electrode sheet cannot be used, and multiple electrode sheets may be required. is there. For example, it is necessary to provide a separate electrode sheet for each surface having a different height.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the number of electrode sheets in a switch device having surfaces with different heights.

  The switch device according to the present invention includes an operation plate having at least two surfaces having different heights, and each of the at least two surfaces of the operation panel is provided with a switch unit, and the operation panel corresponding to the switch unit. The electrode sheet which has a sensor electrode arrange | positioned at the back surface of this. The electrode sheet is formed of a single sheet and has regions corresponding to the at least two surfaces of the operation panel, respectively, and these regions are connected by a connecting portion narrower than the width of these regions. The said area | region of an electrode sheet is provided with the level | step difference according to the height of the surface of a corresponding operation panel.

  The connecting portion may have a portion extending along the edge of at least one region of the electrode sheet.

  In addition, the electrode sheet has two regions, and one region can be surrounded by the other region.

  Moreover, a connection part can have a part extended along the boundary of the at least 2 area | region of an electrode sheet.

  The number of electrode sheets of the switch device can be reduced, and the number of parts can be reduced.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of an instrument panel and a center console. It is an enlarged view of an operation panel. It is sectional drawing of an operation panel. It is detail drawing of an electrode sheet. It is a perspective view of an electrode sheet. It is a perspective view which shows the other example of an electrode sheet.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external appearance of a main part of a center cluster 12 disposed between left and right front seats of an instrument panel 10 provided in front of a vehicle interior and in front of the front seat. The instrument panel 10 includes various devices such as various meters, various switches, an audio device, a route guidance device, a control panel for an air conditioner, an air outlet (register), and a storage unit. The meter is a speedometer, an engine tachometer, a fuel meter, a water temperature meter, or the like, and is mainly arranged in a meter cluster in the front part of the driver's seat. Examples of the various switches include an auxiliary lighting system switch such as an ignition switch and a fog lamp, and a control switch for a vehicle running mode (for example, traction control and shock absorber). In the center cluster 12, operation panels of various devices equipped on the vehicle are arranged. In the illustrated example, an operation panel 14 in which a route guidance device and an audio device are integrated and an operation panel 16 of an air conditioner are disposed.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the operation panel 16 of the air conditioner. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional shape of the operation panel 16. The operation panel 16 includes an operation plate 18 that constitutes a design surface of the operation panel, and a display unit 20 that is arranged in accordance with the opening of the operation plate. The operation plate 18 is a substantially horizontally long rectangle, and has a projecting portion 24 projecting forward from the basic surface 22 at a central portion in the lateral direction. The protrusion 24 is, for example, substantially circular in front view, and the side surface 26 can be a slope. The upper surface of the protrusion 24 is substantially flat and has a substantially circular shape. Hereinafter, this upper surface is referred to as a protruding surface 28. As shown in FIG. 3, the basic surface 22 and the protruding surface 28 are different in height, that is, the amount protruding toward the passenger compartment.

  The display unit 20 displays the operating mode, set temperature, and room temperature. The operation plate 18 is formed with a plurality of switch portions 30 for operating the air conditioning equipment. For example, the switch part 30 of the projecting surface 28 is a switch function for switching the air conditioning mode, the switch part 30 of the basic surface 22 is a switch function for adjusting the air volume, an on / off switch function of the defroster, and a switch for adjusting the set temperature. It has a function. Each switch unit 30 is provided with a display (not shown) indicating the function of the switch unit.

  The operation panel 16 includes an electrode sheet 32 that is disposed adjacent to the operation plate 18 and attached to, for example, the back surface. A sensor electrode 34 (see FIG. 4) is disposed on the electrode sheet 32 at a position corresponding to the switch unit 30. When the passenger touches the switch unit 30, the sensor electrode 34 operates to execute a function corresponding to the switch unit 30.

  4 and 5 are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of the electrode sheet 32. 4 is a plan view, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view. The electrode sheet 32 constitutes a sensor portion of a capacitive touch sensor. A sensor electrode 34 is provided on the electrode sheet 32. The sensor electrode 34 detects a capacitance between the sensor electrode 34 and an object facing the sensor electrode 34. When a part of a human body such as a passenger's finger approaches the sensor electrode 34, the capacitance of the sensor electrode 34 changes, and this change detects the approach or contact of the finger or the like.

  The electrode sheet 32 has a basic region 36 and a protruding region 38 corresponding to the basic surface 22 and the protruding surface 28 of the operation plate 18, respectively. The electrode sheet 32 has a wiring pattern 39 for connecting each sensor electrode 34 disposed in the basic region 36 and the protruding region 38 to the drive circuit board 41. The electrode sheet 32 further includes a connecting portion 40 that connects the basic region 36 and the protruding region 38. The wiring pattern 39 extending from the protruding region 38 extends to the basic region 36 through the connecting portion 40. The basic region 36 is fixed to the back surface of the basic surface 22 of the operation plate, for example, by sticking. Similarly, the protruding region 38 is fixed to the back surface of the protruding surface 28 of the operation plate by, for example, sticking. A sensor electrode 34 is arranged corresponding to the position of the switch portion 30 of the operation plate. Therefore, when the occupant touches the switch part 30 of the operation plate 18 with a finger, the sensor electrode 34 corresponding to the switch part detects contact of the finger and is transmitted to the drive circuit board 41. The associated function is executed.

  The connecting portion 40 of the electrode sheet 32 has an elongated shape, and the width thereof is narrower than the width of the basic region 36 and the protruding region 38 (dimension in the short side direction). The projecting region 38 has a substantially circular shape corresponding to the projecting surface 28, and the connecting portion 40 is provided so as to go around the projecting region 38. In this example, the connecting part 40 goes around the projecting region 38 by three quarters. As well shown in FIG. 5, the basic region 36 and the protruding region 38 are located at different heights, and the connecting portion 40 connects these regions. By narrowing the connecting portion 40, the electrode sheet 32 near the boundary between the connecting portion 40 and the basic surface 22 or the protruding surface 28 is distorted regardless of the curvature of the basic surface 22 or the protruding surface 28 in any direction. It is possible to suppress the occurrence. Moreover, the length of the connection part 40 can be effectively lengthened by arrange | positioning the connection part 40 so that it may extend along the edge of the basic area | region 36 or the protrusion area | region 38. FIG. If the length of the connecting portion 40 is long, the angle between the connecting portion 40 and the two regions 36 and 38 does not increase, and the stress applied to the vicinity of these boundaries and the resulting distortion can be suppressed. The connecting portion 40 may be disposed so as to extend along the respective edges of the basic region 36 and the protruding region 38.

  The electrode sheet 32 is divided into a basic region 36, a protruding region 38, and a connecting portion 40 by making a spiral cut 42 in one sheet. In this electrode sheet 32, there is no portion cut out and separated from one sheet.

  In the operation panel 16, an air volume adjustment switch, an inside / outside air switching switch, and a set temperature adjustment switch are arranged on the basic surface 22. On the protruding surface 28, operation switches related to the operation mode of the air conditioner are collected. The passenger can know the position of each switch unit 30 on the basis of the position of the protrusion 24, and can easily find a desired switch unit 30. For example, a state in which a plurality of fingers are attached to the side surface 26 of the protruding portion 24 so as to surround the protruding portion 24 is set as a home position, and the movement of the finger from the home position is learned, so that the operation can be performed without concentrating the line of sight on the operation panel. It can be performed.

  The shape of the protrusion 24 can be a shape other than a circle, for example, a quadrangle, another polygon, or an ellipse. At this time, the shape of the protruding region 38 of the electrode sheet can be matched to the shape of the protruding portion 24. The connecting portion 40 can be arranged so as to extend along the edge of the protruding region 38. For example, if the protruding region 38 is a quadrangle, the connecting portion 40 extends along one or more sides of the quadrangle. Can do.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the electrode sheet. The electrode sheet 44 is formed from a single sheet, and has a projecting region 48 at substantially the center of the basic region 46, similar to the electrode sheet 32. The basic area 46 and the protruding area 48 are connected by a connecting portion 50. The connecting portion 50 is not disposed along the edges of the basic region 46 and the protruding region 48, but is disposed so as to extend in a direction intersecting with the edges. The width of the connecting portion 50 is narrower than the width of the basic region 46 and the protruding region 48. Thereby, even when these areas 46 and 48 are affixed to a curved surface or the like, the occurrence of distortion near the boundary between these areas and the connecting portion 50 is suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the protrusion 24 is located at the center of the operation panel 16, but the arrangement is not limited to this, and can be shifted to the right or left, for example. Further, by changing the manner in which the basic surfaces are present on both the left and right sides of the protruding portion, the protruding portion can be arranged close to one end of the operation panel, and one side can be the protruding portion and the other side can be the basic surface.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment described the switch apparatus of the air conditioning apparatus, this invention is applicable also to the switch apparatus of the other equipment with which the vehicle was equipped, for example, the operating device of an electric window.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Instrument panel, 12 Center cluster, 16 Air conditioning apparatus operation panel, 18 Operation plate, 22 Basic surface, 24 Projection part, 26 Side surface, 28 Projection surface, 30 Switch part, 32, 44 Electrode sheet, 34 Sensor electrode, 36, 46 Basic area, 38, 48 Protruding area, 40, 50 Connecting part, 42 Notch.

Claims (3)

A switch device for a vehicle,
An operation plate having at least two surfaces with different heights and provided with an operation display indicating operation content;
An electrode sheet having a sensor electrode that is disposed in the vicinity of the operation plate and detects contact with the operation-displayed portion;
Have
The electrode sheet is formed of a single sheet and has regions corresponding to the at least two surfaces of the operation plate, respectively, and these regions are connected by a connecting portion that is narrower than the width of these regions. A step is provided according to the height of the at least two surfaces of the plate,
Vehicle switch device.   The switch device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion has a portion extending along an edge of at least one of the regions of the electrode sheet.   The switch device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrode sheet has the two regions, and one region is surrounded by the other region.

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