Activation device with magnets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10946389-B2
Application number	US-201816208922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 5, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

An activation device for transmitting a user input to a control device has an engaging element that forms a first housing part and a feeding element that forms a second housing part. The engaging element has a push magnet, whose magnetic field extends into the feeding element and the feeding element has a push magnet that can be displaced without contact through exposure to the magnetic field. The engaging push magnet can be displaced in the direction of the feeding element by pressure-activating the activation device, and is set up to exert a magnetic force on a corresponding feeding push magnet. The engaging element and feeding element each have at least one rotating magnet that can be displaced parallel to an intermediate plane running between them. The engaging rotating magnet of the engaging element exerts a magnetic force on a corresponding feeding rotating magnet of the feeding element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An activation device for transmitting a user input to a control device, the activation device being configured as a rotary pushbutton by which the user input is transmitted by both pressing and rotating the activation device, wherein the activation device comprises:
an engaging element configured for receiving the user input from a user, the engaging element forming a first housing part of the activation device, the engaging element comprising an engaging push magnet and an engaging rotating magnet, and
a feeding element configured to receive the user input from the engaging element and transmit the user input to the control device, the feeding element forming a second housing part of the activation device, wherein the feeding element comprises a feeding push magnet and a feeding rotating magnet, wherein the feeding push magnet and feeding rotating magnet are configured to communicate with the engaging push magnet and engaging rotating magnet by magnetic forces,
wherein the engaging push magnet is configured to be displaced in a direction of the feeding element by pressure-activating the activation device,
wherein the engaging push magnet is configured to exert a magnetic force on the feeding push magnet to displace the feeding push magnet in a same or an opposite direction as the displacement of the engaging push magnet without contact with the engaging push magnet, and
wherein the engaging rotating magnet is set up to exert a magnetic force on the feeding rotating magnet such that the rotating magnets are configured to be displaced parallel to an intermediate plane running between them.

2. The activation device according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging element has an engaging element housing with a displaceable engaging element pressure area, which is set up to displace the engaging push magnet in the direction of the feeding element.

3. The activation device according to claim 2 , wherein the engaging push magnet is immovably arranged on the engaging element pressure area.

4. The activation device according to claim 2 , further comprising a spring element allocated to the engaging element pressure area, the spring element having a restoring force that is directed away from the feeding element viewed from the engaging element pressure area in a pressed state, so that the engaging element pressure area is displaced away from the feeding element when pressure activation of the activation device is discontinued.

5. The activation device according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding element has a feeding element pressure area that contains the feeding push magnet, and which is configured to be displaced away from the engaging element.

6. The activation device according to claim 5 , further comprising a spring element allocated to the feeding element pressure area, the spring element having a restoring force directed in a direction of the engaging element, so that the feeding element pressure area is displaced in the direction of the engaging element when a pressure activation of the activation device is discontinued.

7. The activation device according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging element has a rotational axis oriented orthogonally to the intermediate plane and an engaging element rotating area that is configured to be rotated around the rotational axis and has the engaging rotating magnets, and/or wherein the feeding element has a rotational axis oriented orthogonally to the intermediate plane and a feeding element rotating area that can rotate around the rotational axis and has the feeding rotating magnet.

8. The activation device according to claim 7 , wherein the engaging element rotating area and/or the feeding element rotating area are rotatably mounted disk bodies.

9. The activation device according to claim 7 , wherein a circumferential surface of the feeding element rotating area has a structure that continues in the circumferential direction for engaging a contact element of a rotation sensor.

10. An electric motor-driven food processor with a base device that has a device housing, and an activation device according to claim 1 for transmitting a user input to a control device of the food processor, wherein the intermediate plane running between the engaging element and feeding element is a partial area of the device housing.

Assignees

• Vorwerk Co Interholding

Inventors

• Charopoulos Philipp
• Thies Felix

Classifications

• H01H2231/012

  Household appliance · CPC title

• H01H19/20

  Driving mechanisms allowing angular displacement of the operating part to be effective in either direction · CPC title

• H01H25/06

  Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being along the axis of angular movement · CPC title

• H01H36/00

  Switches actuated by change of magnetic field or of electric field, e.g. by change of relative position of magnet and switch, by shielding · CPC title

• H01H19/06

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings · CPC title