Motor vehicle operating device with sound-generating switching element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10163591-B2
Application number	US-201615553518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Mar 7, 2015
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

An operating device includes a casing, an operating button arranged at the casing for the manual actuation of the operating device, and a printed circuit board that is arranged in the casing. A switching element is mechanically coupled to the operating button and arranged on the printed circuit board. The switching element produces a pronounced sound when the operating button is actuated. To this end, next to the switching element, the printed circuit board is mechanically connected to the casing by at least one support element and each support element is designed to stabilize the printed circuit board against a tremor that is produced by the switching element when producing the sound.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An operating device for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a casing including a casing wall, the casing wall provided with an acoustic channel including a passage opening;
an operating button, disposed at the casing, configured to manually actuate the operating device;
a printed circuit board disposed in the casing;
a switching element, disposed at the printed circuit board and mechanically coupled to the operating button, configured to produce a sound when the operating button is actuated, the sound produced by the switching element being transmitted out of the casing through the passage opening included in the acoustic channel provided in the casing wall; and
at least two support elements disposed next to the switching element, configured to mechanically connect the printed circuit board to the casing, each of the at least two support elements being spaced apart from the switching element by a distance less than two centimeters and configured to stabilize the printed circuit board against a tremor produced by the switching element when the switching element produces the sound, and each of the at least two support elements correspond to a screw and is made of a metal material.

2. The operating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distance each of the at least two support elements is spaced apart from the switching element is less than 1.5 centimeters.

3. The operating device as claimed claim 1 , wherein the switching element is mechanically coupled to the operating button by a rocker.

4. The operating device as claimed claim 1 , wherein the metal material of the at least two support elements has a hardness of greater than three Mohs.

5. The operating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal material of the at least two support elements includes iron or steel.

6. The operating device as claimed claim 1 , wherein the at least two support elements are configured to apply a tensile force or a compressive force onto the printed circuit board.

7. The operating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the switching element is configured to produce the sound as a pulse or clicking sound.

8. The operating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the switching element is configured to produce the sound using a clicker.

9. The operating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the switching element is configured as a microswitch.

10. The operating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of switching elements are disposed at the printed circuit board and at least one support element is disposed between two adjacent switching elements.

11. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a chassis; and
an operating device, including:
a casing including a casing wall, the casing wall provided with an acoustic channel including a passage opening;
an operating button, disposed at the casing, configured to manually actuate the operating device;
a printed circuit board disposed in the casing;
a switching element, disposed at the printed circuit board and mechanically coupled to the operating button, configured to produce a sound when the operating button is actuated, the sound produced by the switching element being transmitted out of the casing through the passage opening included in the acoustic channel provided in the casing wall; and
at least two support elements disposed next to the switching element, configured to mechanically connect the printed circuit board to the casing, each of the at least two support elements being spaced apart from the switching element by a distance less than two centimeters and configured to stabilize the printed circuit board against a tremor produced by the switching element when the switching element produces the sound, and each of the at least two support elements correspond to a screw and is made of a metal material.

12. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising a passenger compartment,
wherein the sound produced by the switching element is transmitted out of the casing through the passage opening included in the acoustic channel provided in the casing wall to the passenger compartment.

13. The motor vehicle as claimed claim 11 , wherein the switching element is mechanically coupled to the operating button by a rocker.

14. The motor vehicle as claimed claim 11 , wherein the metal material of the at least two support elements includes steel or iron and has a hardness of greater than three Mohs.

15. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , wherein
a first support element among the at least two support elements is disposed on a first side of the switching element, and
a second support element among the at least two support elements is disposed on a second side of the switching element.

16. The motor vehicle as claimed claim 11 , wherein the manual actuation of the operating device operates at least one of an infotainment system, a climate control, and a suspension control of the motor vehicle.

17. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the switching element is configured to produce the sound as a pulse having a duration less than 500 milliseconds.

18. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the switching element is configured to produce the sound as an audible clicking sound using a clicker, in a frequency range above 700 hertz.

19. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the switching element is configured as a microswitch.

20. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising an instrument panel and a center console,
wherein at least one operating device is disposed at at least one of the instrument panel and the center console.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Wachinger Michael

Classifications

• B60K2350/1036

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• H01H2215/03

  Sound · CPC title

• H01H2003/0293

  with an integrated touch switch · CPC title

• H05K7/142

  Spacers not being card guides · CPC title

• H01H23/006 Primary

  adapted for connection with printed circuit boards · CPC title