KR20070016103A - Switch module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a switch module comprising a selector lever pivotally mounted in a bearing housing. The selector lever has two opposing protruding bearing pins and the bearing housing has a receiving opening. The receiver is at least partially formed into a polygon. A force is applied to the bearing pin of the selector lever in the direction of the vertex.

Switch module, bearing housing, selector lever, bearing pin, receptacle.

Description

Switch module {SWITCH MODULE}

The present invention relates in particular to a switch module comprising a selector lever pivotally mounted in a bearing housing, the selector lever having two opposing protruding bearing pins and the bearing housing having a receptacle.

Such a switch module is used in automobiles, for example, as steering column switches. Such steering column switches are used for example as light switches, turn signal switches, wiper switches and the like. Since the selector lever is relatively long and the vehicle always causes vibration, the bearing points are given high demands regarding their durability and no play. In particular, the bearing play causes the noise to be perceived as partly disturbing. Conventional bearings have round receivers on which round pins are supported. By extreme temperature fluctuations such that such a switch module is exposed, it should be prevented in any case that the round pin is pinched in the receiving opening, making it impossible to pivot the selector lever. Thus, the round pin placed in the receiver always has play, but this may cause the above-mentioned problem.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a switch module which generates less noise.

This object is achieved in the switch module of the above-described manner, in which the receiver is formed at least partially in polygon, and the bearing pin of the selector lever is forced in the direction of the vertex of the receiver.

The polygonal design of the receiver creates a discrete contact surface against the bearing pin such that the bearing pin is pushed into one direction or vertex of the receiver by the defined force and occupies the defined position. The contact surface in the receiver can be curved flat or convex or concave. It is preferable that the vertex of the receiving port for accommodating the bearing pin is formed in the V-shaped portion, so that the bearing pin is in contact with two sides of the receiving region. Separation of the bearing pin from the contact surface is prevented by the bearing pin contacting the contact surface by a defined, in particular adjustable force. Thus, the play can be set relatively large without having to worry about chatter noise.

In a refinement of the invention, the bearing housing forms a bearing block, the bearing block having two bearing pins on the side, and the axis of the bearing pin lies perpendicular to the axis of the receiver. The module housing includes two receivers for the bearing pins of the bearing block, which receivers are partially polygonal. As a result, the bearing pins of the bearing block are supported in the polygonal receptacles without play and contact the contact surface by predetermined forces.

According to the invention, the bearing pin of the selector lever and the bearing pin of the bearing block form a cardan joint together with the receptacle in the bearing block and the receptacle in the module housing. The selector lever can be pivoted upwards, downwards, forwards and backwards by the operator, and all pivot directions or all pivot movements are play compensated.

Preferably, in connection with the bearing, the contact guide is disposed opposite the selector lever, which is supported on the wall of the module housing. The bearing force, ie the bearing force provided by the helical compression spring according to the invention, pushes the bearing pin of the selector lever into the receiving opening of the bearing block and pushes the bearing pin of the bearing block into the receiving opening of the module housing. In other words, only one spring element is sufficient to compensate for play. Instead of the helical compression spring, other parts for generating the compaction force, in particular material accumulators in the receiver region, for example spring lips, can be used. Of course, the spring element may be provided directly in the region of the receiver which acts on the bearing pin.

In a preferred embodiment, the receiver is formed in a triangle. The bearing pin lies between two sides of the triangle, the opening angle of which can adjust the pressing force and thus the friction moment of the bearing pin in the receiver.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the selector lever is forced in the direction of its operating end towards the operator. This is achieved in a simple manner by the action of the compression spring at the end opposite the working end as described above.

Other advantages, features and details of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims and the following description, in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. The features shown in the figures and described in the description and claims can form the nature of the invention individually or in any combination.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a switch module.

2 is a partially exploded view of the switch module according to FIG. 1 broken;

3 is an enlarged view of part III of FIG.

4 is a perspective view of a part mounted in a module housing of a selector lever with a bearing box;

5 is an enlarged view of portion V of FIG. 4.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view along line VI-VII in FIG. 6; FIG.

1 shows a switch module 10 used for example in the form of a steering column switch. By means of the switch module 10 in this manner, for example, turn signals, wipers, lights and the like can be switched. The switch module 10 has a module housing 12 shown only by way of example. A selector lever 14 protrudes from the module housing 12, which is mounted in the module housing 12 pivotally about a first axis 16. To this end, the module housing 12 has two receiving openings 18 opposed to each other, in which one bearing pin 20 is supported.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bearing pin 20 protrudes from the bearing block 22, and the bearing block 22 itself has a receiver 24, as shown in FIG. 4. A bearing pin 26 is engaged into 24, which bearing pin 26 is disposed in the contact guide 28. The bearing pins 26 form a second pivot axis 30 perpendicular to the first pivot axis 16.

As shown in FIG. 7, the selector lever 14 extends integrally into the contact guide 28 across the bearing point. The contact guide 28 is formed hollow and guides in the axial direction surrounding the coupling bolt 32. The engaging bolt 32 moves towards the connecting rod 34 formed in the module housing 12 upon operation of the selector lever 14 and is supported by the connecting rod by the force of the helical compression spring 36.

The helical compression spring 36 is disposed between the thick free end 38 of the coupling bolt 32 and the shoulder 40 of the contact guide 28, so that the contact portion is forced by the force of the helical compression spring 36. The guide 28 is pushed to the left from the module housing 12 in FIG. 7. As a result, the bearing pin 26 of the contact guide 28 is pressed against the two sides 42 of the polygonal receiver 24 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The force of the spring 36 is indicated by an arrow 44 (see FIG. 5), and the pressing force of the bearing pin 26 against the side 42 is indicated by an arrow 46. By the change of the angle Ω and by the change of the diameter of the bearing pin 26, the prescribed friction moment of the bearing pin 26 with respect to the side 42 is adjusted.

Since the bearing pin 26 is supported in the receiver 24, the bearing block 22 is also pushed to the left, so that the bearing pin 20 of the bearing block 22 is subjected to a force 48 (see FIG. 3). It is pressed into the receiving opening 18, whereby the bearing pin is brought into contact with the side 52 of the receiving opening 18 by the force 50 there. Here too, the defined friction moment of the bearing pin 20 in the receiving opening 18 can be adjusted by the angle Ω and the diameter of the bearing pin 20.

In any case, since all bearing pins 20, 26 lie in their receivers 18, 24 formed in polygons by a certain initial stress, the play that may occur in some cases is safely compensated.

Claims (8)

A selector lever 14 pivotally mounted in a bearing housing, the selector lever 14 having two opposing protruding bearing pins 26, the bearing housing having a receptacle 18; To The receptacle (18) is at least partially formed into a polygon, the switch pin characterized in that the bearing pin (20) of the selector lever (14) is forced in the direction of the vertex. 2. The bearing housing of claim 1, wherein the bearing housing forms a bearing block (22), the bearing block having two bearing pins (20) on its side, and the axis line (16) of the bearing pins (20) is the receiving opening. Switch module, characterized in that it lies perpendicular to the axis (30) of (24). 3. The module housing (12) according to claim 2, characterized in that the module housing (12) comprises two receiving openings (18) for the bearing pins (20) of the bearing block (22), the receiving openings being partially polygonal. Switch module. 4. The bearing pin (26) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the bearing pin (26) of the selector lever (14) and the bearing pin (20) of the bearing block (22) are provided with the receptacles (24) in the bearing block (22). And a cardan joint together with the receptacle (18) in the module housing (12). The contact guide (28) of claim 1, wherein a contact guide (28) is disposed opposite the selector lever (14) in relation to the bearing, and the contact guide (28) is supported on a wall of the module housing (12). Switch module. 6. Switch module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receptacle (18, 24) is substantially triangular. 7. Switch module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the selector lever (14) is forced by a spring (36). 8. Switch module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the selector lever (14) is forced in the direction of its operating end towards the operator.

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