US 11,869,731 B2
Operating member with movably mounted actuating part and improved guidance mechanism for the parallel guidance of the actuating part
Arthur Klossek, Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale (DE); Thomas Ofenhitzer, Salz (DE); Thilo Schultheis, Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale (DE); and Andreas Hofmann, Würzburg (DE)
Assigned to PREH GMBH, Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale (DE)
Filed by Preh GmbH, Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale (DE)
Filed on Feb. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/651,490.
Claims priority of application No. 102021105195.9 (DE), filed on Mar. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0285108 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. H01H 21/22 (2006.01); B60K 35/00 (2006.01); G01L 1/04 (2006.01); B62D 1/04 (2006.01); G01L 1/14 (2006.01)
CPC H01H 21/22 (2013.01) [B60K 35/00 (2013.01); G01L 1/14 (2013.01); B60K 2370/131 (2019.05); B60K 2370/143 (2019.05); B62D 1/046 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An operating member, comprising:
a support;
an actuating part, which defines an actuating surface, is mounted on the support by a mount so that the actuating part is movable relative to the support by manual actuation against a resetting force, along an actuation direction while carrying out an actuating movement from a rest position into a depressed position; and
a detector having at least one force sensor, wherein the detector is adapted to detect at least one position of the actuating part;
wherein the mount includes a guidance mechanism having at least one pair of coupled levers, wherein the at least one pair of coupled levers are each pivotably mounted, on the support by a first pivot joint defining at least one first pivot axis and, also pivotably mounted on the actuating part by a second pivot joint defining at least one second pivot axis, so as to cause in a pivoting movement of the at least one pair of coupled levers by the actuating movement, wherein the guidance mechanism further includes at least one coupling rod in order to couple the pivoting movement of the at least one pair of coupled levers; wherein the at least one coupling rod is fixed to the at least one pair of coupled levers in an articulated manner, by a first flexure joint, while defining a joint axis, and at least one pivot joint among the first pivot joint and the second pivot joint of each lever of the at least one pair of coupled levers is configured as a second flexure joint.