US 11,740,700 B2
Operating device for a vehicle
Stefan Kirsch, Lippstadt (DE); and Pasi Kemppinen, Tampere (FI)
Assigned to BEHR-HELLA THERMOCONTROL GMBH, Lippstadt (DE)
Appl. No. 17/426,772
Filed by BEHR-HELLA THERMOCONTROL GMBH, Lippstadt (DE)
PCT Filed Jan. 30, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/052347
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 29, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/157231, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 6, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 102 461.7 (DE), filed on Jan. 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0100275 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 3/01 (2006.01); B60K 37/06 (2006.01); H03K 17/965 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/016 (2013.01) [B60K 37/06 (2013.01); H03K 17/965 (2013.01); B60K 2370/1438 (2019.05); B60K 2370/158 (2019.05); B60K 2370/693 (2019.05); H03K 2217/96031 (2013.01); H03K 2217/9651 (2013.01); H03K 2217/96062 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Operating unit for a vehicle, comprising
a housing having a front side,
an operating element on the front side of the housing,
wherein the operating element comprises a display having a display surface and a cover plate, the cover plate defining an operating surface of the operating element and comprising at least one projecting portion laterally projecting beyond the display,
wherein the cover plate is supported on and/or in the housing in a manner allowing for elastic lateral displacement of it,
a sensory system for detection of a manual actuation of the operating element effected by a touch onto the operating surface with a presettable minimum pressing force,
an actuator arranged below the cover plate and comprising a drive unit and an actuating element driven by the drive unit,
wherein the drive unit of the actuator is rigidly coupled to the housing in a direct or indirect manner and is supported on it,
an elastic actuation arm which projects from the projecting portion of the cover plate and which is mechanically acted on by the actuating element of the actuator at a force application point of the actuation arm,
wherein the actuation arm comprises a displacement portion extending between the cover plate and the force application point, for lateral displacement of the cover plate, and
wherein the actuation arm is extended, starting from its displacement portion, beyond the force application point and comprises an extension portion within which the actuation arm is elastically and mechanically fixed, and
an evaluation and control unit which receives measuring signals from the sensory system and, upon detection of a valid actuation of the operating element, outputs to the drive unit of the actuator a control signal for pulsed mechanical excitation of the actuation arm by the actuating element of the actuator.