Positioning device for a remote control of a heavy duty vehicle or an agricultural vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971347-B2
Application number	US-201514922255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A positioning device for a remote control of a heavy duty vehicle or agricultural vehicle includes an elastic element. The elastic element has a fastening portion, configured to be secured to a body of the remote control, and a retaining portion, arranged to cooperate with an actuator of the remote control at a threshold position delimiting a first portion of a displacement trajectory of the actuator, and a second portion of the displacement trajectory, so as to oppose movement of the actuator according to its displacement trajectory along at least one displacement direction upon switching of said threshold position and allow switching at the threshold position in said displacement direction as a result of application of a threshold switching force exerted on the actuator. The threshold switching force is higher than a displacement force necessary for movement of the actuator on the first or second portion of the displacement trajectory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote control of a vehicle comprising:
a body;
an actuator pivotably connected to the body and including at least one stop element that is moveable with respect to the body along a displacement trajectory; and
a positioning device mounted on the body and having a first elastic element, the first elastic element including
a fastening portion fixedly secured to the body; and
a first retaining portion extending from the fastening portion and configured for movement relative to the body, the first retaining portion further configured to engage the at least one stop element when the at least one stop element is at a threshold position of the displacement trajectory, such that the first retaining portion opposes movement along the displacement trajectory of the actuator at the threshold position,

wherein the first elastic element is spaced apart from the at least one stop element when the actuator is at a position along the displacement trajectory other than the threshold position,
wherein the positioning device further includes a second elastic element connected to the first elastic element by a connecting element,
wherein the second elastic element includes a second retaining portion,
wherein the connecting element extends from the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion, and
wherein the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion are spaced apart from each other.

2. The remote control according to claim 1 , wherein the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion are spaced apart from each other by a distance higher than a dimension of the actuator along a transversal direction of the positioning device, in a cooperation area of the actuator and the positioning device.

3. The remote control according to claim 1 , wherein:
the actuator is movable to a first end of the displacement trajectory and to an opposite second end of the displacement trajectory,
the first retaining portion is spaced apart from the at least one stop element when the actuator is at the first end of the displacement trajectory,
the first retaining portion is spaced apart from the at least one stop element when the actuator is at the second end of the displacement trajectory, and
the first retaining portion engages the at least one stop element only when the actuator is at the threshold position.

4. The remote control according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one stop element defines a circular surface configured to engage the first retaining portion.

5. The remote control according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one stop element pushes the first retaining portion away from a pivot axis of the actuator during a switching of the actuator out of the threshold position.

6. The remote control according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening portion includes a positioning element configured to position the first elastic element on the body.

7. The remote control according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening portion and the first retaining portion form an angle of 40° to 60°.

8. The remote control according to claim 1 , wherein the first elastic element has a flattened and elongated shape comprising a first main face and an opposite second main face.

9. The remote control according to claim 8 , wherein the first elastic element comprises a first curvature having a first concavity of the first main face.

10. The remote control according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first retaining portion includes an outer face and an inner face,
when the actuator is moved to the threshold position in a first direction (i) the outer face of the first retaining portion is configured to engage the at least one stop element, and (ii) the inner face of the first retaining portion is spaced apart from the at least one stop element,
when the actuator is moved to the threshold position in a second direction (i) the inner face of the first retaining portion is configured to engage the at least one stop element, and (ii) the outer face of the first retaining portion is spaced apart from the at least one stop element, and
the first direction is opposite the second direction.

11. The remote control according to claim 10 , wherein:
the first elastic element includes a tab extending from the first retaining portion, and
the tab and the outer face are configured to contact the at least one stop element when the actuator is moved to the threshold position in the first direction.

12. The remote control according to claim 10 , wherein:
the first elastic element comprises a guiding element against which the at least one stop element is configured to bear against when the actuator is moved to the threshold position in the first direction, and
the guiding element is adjacent to the first retaining portion.

13. A remote control of a vehicle, comprising:
a body;
an actuator pivotably connected to the body and including at least one stop element that is moveable with respect to the body along a displacement trajectory; and
a positioning device mounted on the body and having an elastic element, the elastic element including
a fastening portion fixedly secured to the body; and
a retaining portion extending from the fastening portion and configured for movement relative to the body, the retaining portion further configured to engage the at least one stop element when the at least one stop element is at a threshold position of the displacement trajectory, such that the retaining portion opposes movement along the displacement trajectory of the actuator at the threshold position,

wherein the elastic element is spaced apart from the at least one stop element when the actuator is at a position along the displacement trajectory other than the threshold position,
wherein the elastic element has a flattened and elongated shape comprising a first main face and an opposite second main face,
wherein the elastic element comprises a first curvature having a first concavity of the first main face, and
wherein the elastic element comprises a second curvature having a second concavity of the first main face.

14. The remote control according to claim 13 , wherein the elastic element comprises a third curvature having a concavity of the second main face.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Boudou Jean-Luc
• Blanco Marcel

Classifications

• G05G1/04 Primary

  Controlling members for hand actuation by pivoting movement, e.g. levers · CPC title

• G05G5/03

  Means for enhancing the operator's awareness of arrival of the controlling member at a command or datum position; Providing feel, e.g. means for creating a counterforce (arrangements for indicating the position of the controlling member G05G1/015) · CPC title

• G05G5/00

  Means for preventing, limiting or returning the movements of parts of a control mechanism, e.g. locking controlling member (G05G17/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05D1/0016 Primary

  characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00) · CPC title

• E02F9/2004

  Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G) · CPC title