JP4705258B2 - In-vehicle operation device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an operating device for a user to operate on-vehicle equipment, and more particularly to an on-vehicle operating device that can be used at a position where the user can easily operate.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, with the advancement of digital technology and communication technology, a wide variety of in-vehicle electronic / electrical devices have been developed. For example, in addition to an air conditioning system such as an air conditioner that has been generally used for a long time, an audio system such as a radio and a CD player, recently, a navigation system, a television receiver, a communication terminal capable of Internet connection, e-mail, etc. Mechanism adjustment systems for adjusting devices and seats are also widely used.
[0003]
By the way, conventionally, in-vehicle devices such as those described above have been operated mainly by pressing a switch on an operation panel disposed in the center of the dashboard of the car. However, since it is difficult to prepare a dedicated switch for each function in a large number of devices, in recent years, a display device having a function as a touch panel is incorporated in a part of the operation panel, In addition to the switch operation, the device can be operated by touching a button displayed on the screen of the display. An operation panel including such a display can perform various operations by switching button display according to an operation target.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the operation panel as described above is arranged in the center of the dashboard of the vehicle so as to have a convenient positional relationship on both the driver's seat side and the passenger seat side. For this reason, depending on the height and physique of the driver, it may be difficult to reach the operation panel, making operation difficult. In addition, since the operation panel is arranged along the surface of the dashboard, it is difficult to confirm the position and type of the switch, and there is a possibility that the operation panel is erroneously operated. In particular, if the touch panel type operation panel is fixed at the center of the dashboard, the driver may not be able to secure the viewing angle of the display and may be difficult to operate.
[0005]
The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art. The purpose of the present invention is to allow a driver to easily and reliably operate an on-vehicle device regardless of its height or physique. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle-mounted operating device.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention includes an operation panel for operating the car mounting device, as well as withdrawable supported with respect to the operation panel inside the vehicle dashboard, pull the said operation panel An in- vehicle operation device having a support mechanism held in position , wherein the support mechanism is attached to the operation panel at one end, and has an arc-shaped arm that is long in a pull-out direction, and an operation pressure applied to the operation panel. The arm has a restricting portion that restricts movement of the arm, and a rack is formed on the arm, and the restricting portion includes a torque gear that engages with the rack. An operation panel is provided so as to be rotatable. When the arm is stored, the operation panel is rotated to be parallel to the dashboard surface. Work panel is positioned above the its storage position, and the angle with respect to the arm tip of the operation panel at that location, characterized in that it is provided adjustably.
In the invention according to claim 1 as described above, the user can bring the operation panel closer to himself / herself by pulling out the operation panel, so that the operation panel can be easily and reliably installed in an appropriate position according to his / her height and physique. Can be operated. In particular, since the arm moves in an arc shape, the operation panel protrudes to a position where it can be easily operated close to the driver's face.
[0007]
In addition, when the user performs an operation using the pulled out operation panel, even if pressure is applied to the operation panel, the movement of the operation panel is restricted by the torque gear, so that a reliable operation is possible. Furthermore , since the drawer structure of the operation panel is realized by combining the rack formed on the arm and the torque gear, it has a small number of parts and a structure with few failures, and is a highly versatile device applicable to various vehicles. It can be.
[0008]
Switch According to a second aspect of the invention, the vehicle operating device according to claim 1 Symbol placement, the Torukugiya is provided rotatably by a motor, the operation panel, for inputting a switching instruction of the operation of the motor Is provided.
In the invention according to claim 2 as described above, since the torque gear can be rotated by operating the switch and the operation panel can be automatically pulled out and stored, the user can manually pull out the operation panel. Saves time and trouble of storing.
[0009]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the on-vehicle operation device according to the first or second aspect , the operation panel is attached to the support mechanism so as to be adjustable in angle.
In the invention according to the third aspect as described above, since the user can adjust the angle so that the pulled-out operation panel is easy to see and operate, a more comfortable operation can be realized.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.
[1. Configuration of Embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 1, the present embodiment includes an operation panel 1 and a support mechanism 2 configured at the center of the dashboard D. The operation panel 1 includes a display 3 and a plurality of button switches 4, and is detachably provided in an opening D1 formed in the center of the dashboard D. The lower end of the operation panel 1 protrudes downward while being attached to the opening D1.
[0011]
The display device 3 can use, for example, an LCD or the like, and has a function as a touch panel that can operate an electronic device by directly touching a button displayed on the screen with a finger. The plurality of button switches 4 are also provided so that the electronic device can be operated by pressing. Signal transmission / reception between the button switch 4 and the display 3 and the in-vehicle device can be performed by radio waves such as infrared rays as in the case of a normal remote controller, but is performed via a lead wire inserted into the arm 5 described later. You can also.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 2, the support mechanism 2 includes an arm 5, a guide roller 6, and a torque gear 7 provided inside the dashboard D. The arm 5 is formed with a rack 5a on the inner side (upper surface side in the figure) of the arc-shaped member, and an operation panel 1 is attached to the tip of the arm 5 so as to be rotatable around the shaft portion 1a.
[0013]
The guide roller 6 is provided so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis, and supports the arm 5 so as to be movable in the arc direction. The torque gear 7 is disposed in parallel with the guide roller 6 and at a position sandwiching the arm 5 between the torque roller 7 and engages with the rack 5 a of the arm 5. The torque gear 7 is a gear that rotates when a certain pressure or more is applied in the rotation direction. In addition, H in FIG. 2 is a handle.
[0014]
[2. Operation of the embodiment]
The present embodiment configured as described above is used as follows. First, in the initial state, the operation panel 1 is mounted in the central opening D1 of the dashboard D as shown in FIG. In this state, when the driver sitting on the driver's seat places his hand on the protruding portion at the bottom of the operation panel 1 and pulls it forward, the arm 5 moves along the arc shape against the torque gear 7. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 3, the operation panel 1 protrudes diagonally upward.
[0015]
When the driver releases his hand at a desired position, the operation panel 1 is held at that position. Then, the driver adjusts the angle of the operation panel 1 and touches the button displayed on the display 3 with a finger or presses the button switch 4 with a finger to operate the in-vehicle device. At this time, although the operation pressure is applied to the surface of the operation panel 1, the position of the arm 5 is held by the torque gear 7 unless the pressure more than a certain level such as pushing back is applied, so that the operation panel 1 does not move backward. .
[0016]
Furthermore, when storing the operation panel 1 when getting off, the driver pushes the operation panel 1 back by hand. Then, the arm 5 moves to the original position along the arc shape against the torque gear 7, so that the operation panel 1 is mounted in the opening D1 at the center of the dashboard D.
[0017]
[3. Effects of the embodiment
According to the present embodiment as described above, the driver can operate the operation panel 1 by pulling it out to a desired position. Therefore, regardless of the physique or height, the driver can easily and reliably operate the in-vehicle device. it can. In particular, since the arm 5 moves in an arc shape, the operation panel 1 protrudes to a position where it can be easily operated close to the driver's face.
[0018]
Moreover, since the angle of the operation panel 1 can be changed, a more comfortable operation can be realized by adjusting the angle to be easy for the driver to use. In particular, by adjusting the angle of the operation panel 1, the driver can ensure the viewing angle of the display device 3, so that the button displayed on the screen can be reliably recognized, and erroneous operation is prevented.
[0019]
Even if an operation pressure is applied to the pulled-out operation panel 1, the operation of the operation panel 1 is prevented by the action of the torque gear 7, so that a more reliable and stable operation is possible. In particular, since the structure is simple, the apparatus is inexpensive, has few failures, and can be a highly versatile device applicable to various vehicles.
[0020]
[4. Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment as described above. That is, the support mechanism of the operation panel is not limited to a combination of an arm and a torque gear on which a rack is formed as long as the operation panel can be pulled out and held at a desired position. For example, a combination of an arm having a flat surface and a roller that starts rotating when a certain pressure or more is applied in the rotation direction may be used. The shape of the arm is not limited to the arc shape, and may be a straight shape. The support mechanism may be configured by a telescopic member such as a bellows shape or a folding type. Furthermore, since the arm only needs to be movably supported, it is not limited to the case where the arm is supported by the guide roller. For example, the arm may be supported by a slidable guide groove or guide rail. Good.
[0021]
Further, a drive source may be provided so that the operation panel can be automatically pulled out. For example, when a torque gear or a roller is rotatably provided by a motor and a predetermined switch displayed on the operation panel or a predetermined button displayed on the display is operated, the motor is activated and the operation panel is automatically It is good also as a structure pulled out or accommodated. In this case, it is possible to set or adjust the amount of rotation of the motor in advance, and to make the amount of withdrawal desired by the user. This setting or adjustment is convenient if it can be performed by the menu display on the display.
[0022]
Further, the shape of the operation panel is not limited to that shown in the above embodiment. And the angle adjustment of an operation panel is not limited to the setting rotated in an up-down direction. It may be a left-right direction or an oblique direction. Furthermore, the operation panel can be provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the support mechanism, and for example, a horizontally long operation panel can be used in a vertically long configuration.
[0023]
The operation panel may be provided with only operation buttons or may be provided with only a display. The operation button is not limited to a push button switch, and may be a lever type or a pointing device such as a joystick, and the number thereof is also arbitrary. The display is not limited to the LCD, and may be any device such as OEL (Organic Electroluminescence), other electroluminescent display, plasma display, CRT, LED array, and the like.
[0024]
In addition, as the vehicle-mounted device to be operated by the operating device, various devices that are well-known or that will be put into practical use in addition to those exemplified in the above-described conventional technology can be applied. For example, a system in which functions of a plurality of different devices are realized by a single computer may be used. It is also possible to target an ETC in-vehicle device that performs toll collection processing via a built-in antenna. Mechanisms such as mirrors, windows, installed cameras, sunroofs, and the like can be set as operation targets.
[0025]
Moreover, it is good also as a structure which can be easily installed in various vehicles by providing an operation panel and a support mechanism in a housing | casing as a single unit, and inserting this unit into the opening of a dashboard. Furthermore, the present invention does not limit the mounting position in the vehicle to the center of the dashboard.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is an object to provide an in-vehicle operation device that allows a driver to easily and reliably operate an in-vehicle device regardless of its height and physique.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an operating device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the storage state of the embodiment of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing when the embodiment of FIG. 1 is pulled out.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Operation panel 1a ... Shaft part 2 ... Support mechanism 3 ... Indicator 4 ... Button switch 5 ... Arm 5a ... Rack 6 ... Guide roller 7 ... Torque gear D ... Dashboard D1 ... Opening H ... Handle

Claims (3)

An in- vehicle operation device having an operation panel for operating an in- vehicle device, and a support mechanism that supports the operation panel so that the operation panel can be pulled out with respect to an in-vehicle dashboard , and holds the operation panel in a drawer position ,
The support mechanism has an arc-shaped arm having one end attached to the operation panel and extending in a pulling direction thereof, and a restriction portion that restricts movement of the arm against an operation pressure applied to the operation panel. ,
A rack is formed on the arm,
The restricting portion includes a torque gear that engages with the rack,
The operation panel is rotatably provided at the tip of the arm,
When the arm is retracted, the operation panel rotates to be parallel to the dashboard surface, and when the arm is pulled out, the operation panel is positioned above the storage position, and the operation panel is at that position. An in-vehicle operating device , wherein an angle of the arm with respect to the arm tip is adjustable . The Torukugiya is provided rotatably by a motor, the operation panel, the vehicle operating device according to claim 1, wherein a switch for inputting a switching instruction of the operation of the motor is provided. The operation panel, vehicle control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that mounted an adjustable angle with respect to the support mechanism.

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