IP Library Granted Patent US 11,458,843
Granted Patent B2
US 11,458,843 · App. 17/092,544 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Operating unit for a device, in particular for a vehicle component

Inventors: Harri Pankratz (Bad Sassendorf, DE); Bastian Bandlow (Paderborn, DE); Alexander Beschnitt (Gütersloh, DE); Frank Vogt (Lichtenau-Husen, DE)
B60K37/06B60K35/00B60K37/02G06F3/016G06F3/03547G06F3/041B60K2370/143B60K2370/1438B60K2370/158B60K2370/48B60K2370/691B60K2370/816H03K2217/96062
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,458,843
App. No.
17/092,544
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The operating unit for a vehicle, in particular for a vehicle component, is provided with a housing ( 10 ) which has an operating element ( 12 ), such as a display for example, and is designed to be secured in a device, in particular in a vehicle dashboard. The operating element ( 12 ) is elastically mounted on the housing ( 10 ). An actuator ( 16 ) is additionally provided for mechanically exciting the operating element ( 12 ) when an operation of the operating element ( 12 ) has been detected. Finally, the operating unit also has a vibration compensating mass ( 20 ) which can be mechanically excited by the actuator or by one actuator ( 16 ) when an operation of the operating element ( 12 ) has been detected and/or which is mounted on the housing ( 10 ) and can be moved in order to substantially compensate for forces acting on the housing ( 10 ) when the operating element ( 12 ) is moved.

Claims (21)

1. An operating unit for a device comprising

an operating element having an operating panel,

a housing

wherein the housing is attached to the device, and wherein the operating element is elastically mounted on the housing,

a sensor for detection of an actuation of the operating element,

an actuator for mechanically driving the operating element its actuation,

a compensating weight, and

a separate actuator for mechanically driving the compensating weight upon detection of the actuation of the operating element, wherein the compensating weight has an elastic mounting to the housing and/or an elastic mounting to the operating element,

wherein the compensating weight is configured to move to substantiallycompensate for a relative movement of the housing and the operating element to correspondingly dampen transmission of dynamic forces between the housing and the operating element.

2. The operating unit according to claim 1 , wherein the compensating weight is separated from said separate actuator.

3. The operating unit according to claim 1 , wherein the compensating weight moves with a phase shift of substantially 180° to the relative movement of the operating element, wherein a movement stroke of the compensating weight is selected under consideration of at least the a ratio of the mass of the operating element to the mass of the compensating weight.

4. The operating unit according to claim 1 , wherein the operating element inclusive of its elastic mounting to the housing has a first eigenfrequency and the compensating weight inclusive of its elastic mounting to the operating element and/or to the housing has a second eigenfrequency, wherein the first and the second eigenfrequencies are equal or substantially equal.

5. The operating unit according to claim 1 , wherein the separate actuator is a tie-rod or plunger-coil electromagnet comprising a stator and an armature.

6. The operating unit according to claim 5 , wherein the stator and/or the armature of the separate actuator is kinematically coupled to the compensating weight and forms or comprises the compensating weight.

7. The operating unit according to claim 1 , wherein the operating element further comprises a display function.

8. The operating unit according to claim 2 , wherein the compensating weight moves with a phase shift of substantially 180° to the relative movement of the operating element, wherein a movement stroke of the compensating weight is selected under consideration of at least the ratio of the mass of the operating element to the mass of the compensating weight.

9. The operating unit according to claim 1 , wherein the device is a man-machine interface in a vehicle component.

10. The operating unit according to claim 9 , wherein the vehicle component is a dashboard and/or a center console.

11. The operating unit according to claim 1 , wherein the operating panel is a touchscreen, a touchpad, a display or a combination thereof.

12. The operating unit according to claim 1 , wherein the compensating weight is part of said separate actuator.

13. The operating unit according to claim 12 , wherein the compensating weight moves with a phase shift of substantially 180° to the relative movement of the operating element, wherein a movement stroke of the compensating weight is selected under consideration of at least the ratio of the mass of the operating element to the mass of the compensating weight.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 26, 2024
From: BEHR-HELLA THERMOCONTROL GMBH
To: BHTC GMBH
Reel/Frame 068188/0472 →
CHANGE OF ASSIGNEE ADDRESS Recorded Nov 22, 2021
From: BEHR-HELLA THERMOCONTROL GMBH
To: BEHR-HELLA THERMOCONTROL GMBH
Reel/Frame 058753/0299 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2016 204 875.9 · Mar 23, 2016 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16082806
Related Publication 20210053442A1 · Feb 25, 2021