CN114174622A

CN114174622A - Actuating device for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN114174622A
Application number: CN202080051948.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 朱利安·让泰; 扬-菲利普·拉赫米德
Original assignee: Huf Huelsbeck and Fuerst GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Huf Huelsbeck and Fuerst GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2019-07-18
Filing date: 2020-03-18
Publication date: 2022-03-11
Also published as: EP3956535A1; DE102019119467A1; WO2021008740A1

Abstract

An actuating device for a vehicle comprises a circuit board (4; 14; 24) on which force-actuated switching elements (5a, 5 b; 16; 26a, 26b) are arranged. A circuit board (4; 14; 24) is carried in the receptacle (1; 11; 20) and a flexible protective cover (7) is arranged adjacent to the force-actuated switching element (5a, 5 b; 16; 26a, 26b), by means of which protective cover (7) the switching element (5a, 5 b; 16; 26a, 26b) can be actuated by deformation of the protective cover. The receiving portion (1; 11; 20) comprises a first section (3; 23) having a first elasticity, which is coupled with a further section (2; 15;) having a second, lower elasticity. The circuit board (4; 14; 24) is held in a rest position in the first section (3; 23) and, when a force acts on the switching element (5a, 5 b; 16; 26a, 26b), the direction of the force action is avoided by the deformation of the first section (3; 23). When pivoted away from the rest position of the circuit board, the reset force of the first section (3; 23) acting on the circuit board (4; 14; 24) relative to the further section is lower than the maximum permissible actuation force of the switching element.

Description

Actuating device for a vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an actuating device for a vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to an actuating device for a door, a hood or a cover of a vehicle, wherein a circuit board is provided on which at least one force-actuated switching element is arranged. The circuit board is carried in the receptacle, a flexible protective cover being arranged adjacent to the force-actuated switching element, so that the switching element can be actuated by deformation of the protective cover in the direction of the switching element.

Background

The motor vehicle has, at its closable opening, in particular in the region of the rear cover or on the side door, an operable actuating device which can register an actuating request by a user. For example, document EP 1468152B 1 discloses a locking device of this type, which is intended to be arranged on the rear flap of a vehicle. The structural unit of the actuating device has a receptacle for the circuit board, on which a force-actuated switching element (for example a microswitch) is arranged. In order to protect against environmental influences, contamination and moisture, a flexible protective cover (e.g. a thin layer of elastomer) is arranged above or on the receptacle, so that a user can actuate the protective cover and can press it in and deform it in order to actuate the underlying switching element.

However, with such devices, the problem arises that the user applies a high actuation force to the device. The reason for this is in particular that the operating force exerted by the user when opening the mechanical member, in particular for larger mechanical members such as the rear cover, is significantly greater than the operating force required for the electronic detection. In the prior art, as for example in the aforementioned documents, force-limiting measures are proposed to protect the switching element of the actuating device.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved actuating device for a motor vehicle.

This object is achieved by an actuating device having the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, in the actuating device, the receptacle is formed by at least two sections. The first of which is designed with a first elasticity and is coupled with a further section with a second, lower elasticity. The circuit board is in direct contact with only the first section and is held by the first section in a rest position relative to the further sections.

When a force acts on the switching element, the printed circuit board is displaced in the direction of the force and in this case the first section is deformed relative to the other section in the direction of the force action.

In respect of its elasticity, the first section is designed such that, when deflected away from the rest position of the circuit board, the reset force of the first section acting on the circuit board relative to the further section is lower than the maximum permissible actuation force of the switching element.

Providing greater flexibility in retaining the first section of the circuit board relative to the second section may be achieved by different material selection or by different geometry. In this case, the geometry can be understood in particular as the material thickness, the variation in the material gap and the designed deformation region, which increases the elasticity of the first section relative to the elasticity of the second section.

If there is a force generated on the switching element, a force is thereby exerted on the circuit board below, on which the switching element is mounted. The force on the circuit board deforms the more elastic first section in contact with the circuit board in the direction of the force action relative to the less elastic further section. The circuit board itself, which supports the force-actuated switching element, is coupled to the first section such that a resilient movement path is formed for the circuit board. Thus, according to the invention, the receptacle is configured such that the entire circuit board together with the force-actuated switching element is recessed as a result of the acting force and is shielded from the action of the force by the deformation of the first section. The premise for doing so is: this movement path is performed in conjunction with all components that are electrically connected to the circuit board, in particular by means of sufficient additional cables or suitable connecting means such as sliding contacts.

The force-actuated switching element (e.g. a microswitch) has a maximum allowed actuation force which is given by the manufacturer or can be determined in simple tests. The resilient mounting of the circuit board in the receptacle is designed such that, in the event of an excessive actuating force, the first section is elastically depressed and the entire circuit board, together with the switching element, is displaced in the receptacle, wherein the circuit board is pushed back into its rest position after the actuating force has been removed. The resilient first section thus serves both to spatially fix the circuit board relative to the receptacle and to cushion the circuit board against excessive actuating forces.

With regard to the reset force acting on the circuit board and the wall thickness, the geometry of the elastic first section and its material are selected such that, at least at the beginning of the deformation, i.e. at the beginning of the deflection away from the rest position, the reset force of the first section acting on the circuit board is lower than the maximum permissible actuation force of the switching element. Since it must be ensured that the switching element is actuated under a suitable actuating force, along the escape path of the circuit board, the reset force acting on the circuit board when a force acts on the switching element is also higher than the minimum necessary actuating force for the switching element. This means that the circuit board cannot be moved or can be moved only slightly counter to the restoring force of the spring section of the receptacle when the actuating force for actuating the switching element only slightly exceeds the force which is minimally necessary for triggering the switching element.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the elastic first section is formed from a first elastic soft material. The resilient first section is in turn connected to the further section and is fastened therein. The elastic first section has a lower shore hardness (in particular shore a) than the further section and can thus be deformed by a lower force than the further section.

The geometry of the elastic first section and the elastic soft material forming the first section are selected again with regard to the reset force acting on the circuit board and the wall thickness such that the reset force of the soft material acting on the circuit board is lower than the maximum permissible actuation force of the switching element at least at the beginning of the deformation, i.e. at the beginning of the deflection away from the rest position.

All dimensionally stable, elastically deformable plastics can be used as elastic soft materials, in particular thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). The restoring force acting on the circuit board depends substantially on the geometry of the elastic first section, which is formed from an elastic soft material and supports the circuit board, and on the properties of the elastic soft material, in particular its hardness. Soft materials are classified according to their shore hardness. However, the shore hardness and the geometry selected can be mutually determined depending on the permissible actuating force, so that the desired restoring action can be set both by geometric measures, for example by setting the wall thickness of the receiving section made of a soft material, and also by selecting a further material with a different shore hardness.

Likewise, the invention ensures that: the actuation force need not be reduced by other measures, but all sensitive electronic components (including the force-actuated switching element and the circuit board) can be kept out of the way of the actuation force and thus protected when the actuation force is too large. In this way, it is ensured at any time that the circuit board and the force-actuated switching element are moved back to the initial position preset for actuation at any time even after repeated force actuations, so that actuation by a wide range of actuation forces is ensured. Furthermore, a mechanical stop element (e.g. a stop) reducing the force acting on the switching element is not compulsorily necessary, so that the area between the flexible protective cover plate and the force-actuated switching element can be changed as readily as possible, which improves the actuation capability and the tactile feedback of the user. The circuit board is cleared upon actuation of the actuation force, thereby creating improved tactile feedback to the user, which simultaneously protects the switching element from excessive forces.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the elastic first portion of the receptacle forms a frame in which the printed circuit board is received at least in sections along its circumferential edge.

Such a bezel can be formed, for example, by a lateral support part which is fastened in a further receptacle and has a recess into which the circuit board is pushed, so that it is pushed into the recess and is supported elastically therein, for example with its long or short sides facing away from one another, along their edges. However, such a receptacle may also, for example, pass through an opening in the circuit board, or the circuit board may be placed on a peg formed from a resilient soft material, so that the circuit board is held in the soft material without being easily displaced and at the same time the actuation force can be avoided by crushing or twisting the peg.

Preferably, the elastic first section is designed such that along the circumferential line it completely surrounds the circuit board.

The complete enclosure of the circuit board along its edges (for example by pushing into corresponding recesses in the soft material of the elastic first section or by placing the circuit board in corresponding recesses in the soft material) ensures a spatially reproducible position of the circuit board relative to the soft material and also protects the circuit board against lateral mechanical influences. The additional, more rigid section of the receptacle can be formed as a mechanical protection device in the form of a housing or in the form of a mounting section for fastening to a vehicle.

In a preferred refinement of the invention, the soft material of the elastic first section protrudes on the flat side of the circuit board facing away from the switching element, so that the soft material and the circuit board together form a stuffing frame into which a stuffing material is injected in order to cover the circuit board section by section.

In many technical applications, the padding of circuit boards has proven to be effective as a protection against environmental influences and damage. The rear side of the circuit board, i.e. the side facing away from the switching element under force, can be protected by a wad, wherein the use of a soft material on the circuit board in the form of a wad makes further components superfluous and also reduces the necessary amount of wading to the most necessary amount.

In a further development of the invention, a mechanical stop is provided on the receptacle, which limits the deflection of the printed circuit board when the section made of the first elastic soft material is deformed.

In principle, the actuation device should be designed with regard to the elastic bearing of the circuit board, so that no mechanical stops need to be used. In the case of a significant excess of force, it can still be expedient to limit the deflection of the printed circuit board to a maximum value, even in the case of greater loading of the switching element. In this way, however, other components on the circuit board, such as electronic components, can be protected against damage, wherein the replacement of these components is more expensive and more complex than the replacement of the switching element.

As mentioned in the foregoing, the choice of the hardness of the resilient soft material strongly depends on the geometry of the chosen receptacle and the section made of soft material to which the circuit board is coupled to achieve the resilient load-bearing. However, in a preferred design of the present invention, the soft material is designed to have a shore a hardness of 5 to 50, with a hardness of 10 to 30 being preferred. A lower shore hardness results in a higher load flexibility of the circuit board, which is positive with regard to the protection of the pressure switch, but is coordinated with the desired pressure point of the switching element. For shore hardnesses above 35, the suspension device is designed with sections of smaller thickness and thus with a finer design, which reduces the mechanical load capacity.

In order to ensure a mechanical protection, the further receiving section is preferably formed from a material having a shore a hardness of at least 60, preferably at least 95.

Drawings

The invention will now be explained in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1a schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of an actuating device according to the invention;

fig. 1b schematically shows a top view of the arrangement according to fig. 1a, with the protective cover plate removed;

fig. 1c schematically shows the actuation of the actuation device according to fig. 1a and 1 b;

figure 2a schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an actuating device according to the invention;

fig. 2b schematically shows the actuation of the actuation device according to fig. 2 a;

figure 3 schematically shows a third embodiment of the actuating device according to the invention.

Detailed Description

In fig. 1a first embodiment of an actuating device according to the invention is shown. The accommodating portion 1 is designed as a housing in its appearance. The receptacle 1 comprises a hard plastic section 2 and a first section 3 made of a resilient soft material. The elastic first section 3 is designed as a receiving frame and is connected on the side to the hard plastic section 2. The circuit board 4 is fitted into the receiving frame 3 and carried on the

corresponding bosses

3a, 3b on the receiving frame. The circuit board 4 is fastened to the

bosses

3a, 3b and is fixed against removal.

Micro switches

5a and 5b directed to the actuation side are arranged on the circuit board 4. An elastomer protective cover 7 covers the opening in the hard plastic section 2 of the receptacle 1. The protective cover 7 is deformable upon pressure actuation, so that the protective cover 7 can be pressed by a user to the

micro-switches

5a and 5b (see below).

Fig. 1b shows a plan view of the arrangement according to fig. 1a from the actuating side, wherein the protective cover 7 is removed for better illustration. The printed circuit board 4 is accommodated along its entire edge circumference in the frame of the elastic first section 3 and is fixed in its spatial orientation. The

microswitches

5a and 5b are located in an easily removable manner in the middle region of the housing, so that they can be actuated in a simple manner.

Fig. 1c shows the actuation of the first embodiment, wherein the actuation force 10 acts on the protective cover plate 7. The protective cover 7 is deformed in the region of the microswitch 5a and acts on the microswitch 5a such that it is actuated. The elastic first section 3 made of a soft plastic material is deflected by the acting force 10, so that the printed circuit board 4 in the left-hand region is moved out of the direction of the acting force 10 and thus the microswitch 5a is relieved of load. It can clearly be seen that instead of the force itself being reduced, the entire circuit board is flexibly carried so that the circuit board can avoid the actuation force when it is too high.

Figure 2a shows a second embodiment of the invention. In this design, the frame is again made as a resilient first section 3 of elastomeric soft material. However, the further hard plastic section 15 of the receiving part is designed to be flatter and has

stops

15a, 15b, which limit the deflection of the receiving frame 3 made of soft material.

Fig. 2b shows the actuation on the circuit board 14 by bending of the protective cover 7 and the force on the switching element 16. By the central arrangement of the switching element 16, the force 17 acts centrally on the circuit board 14 and causes a deformation of both sides of the first section 3 made of soft material, which is designed as a receiving frame. However, this deformation is limited by the

stops

15a, 15b on the hard plastic material of the further section 15, in particular in order to provide reliable pressure points and improved tactile feedback, and in addition to this, in order to prevent the circuit board from being pressed out of the suspension.

Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, which is otherwise similar to the first embodiment, the receiving frame is formed as a resilient first section 23 made of a resilient soft material as a plug frame, which covers the rear area of the circuit board 24 by means of a plug material 25. The back side of the circuit board 24 is thereby protected from environmental influences and the amount of potting material is significantly reduced relative to complete potting. In addition to this, the circuit board 24 is mechanically stabilized, which reduces the risk of damage when the circuit board is deflected.

Claims

1. An actuating device for a vehicle, comprising a circuit board (4; 14; 24) on which at least one force-actuated switching element (5a, 5 b; 16; 26a, 26b) is arranged,

wherein the circuit board (4; 14; 24) is carried in a receptacle (1; 11; 20) and wherein a flexible protective cover (7) is arranged adjacent to the force-actuated switching element (5a, 5 b; 16; 26a, 26b) in such a way that the switching element (5a, 5 b; 16; 26a, 26b) can be actuated by deformation of the protective cover (7),

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the receptacle (1; 11; 20) is designed with at least one first section (3; 23) having a first elasticity, which is coupled to a further section (2; 15) having a second, lower elasticity, wherein the printed circuit board (4; 14; 24) is in direct contact with and held in a rest position by the first section (3; 23) only and is displaced in the direction of force when a force acts on the switching element (5a, 5 b; 16; 26a, 26b) and, in the process, deforms the first section (3; 23) relative to the further section in the direction of the force action,

wherein the first section is designed such that, when deflected out of the rest position of the circuit board, the reset force of the first section (3; 23) acting on the circuit board (4; 14; 24) relative to the further section is lower than the maximum permissible actuation force of the switching element.

2. Actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the first section (3; 23) for providing the greater elasticity is designed to be made at least partially of a first material having a first shore hardness, and wherein the further section (2; 15; is designed to be made of a second material having a second higher shore hardness.

3. Actuating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first section for providing greater elasticity is at least partially designed with a lower material thickness or material gap than the further section.

4. An actuating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first section for providing greater elasticity is at least partially designed with a deformation section.

5. Actuating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first section (3; 23) forms a bezel in which at least one section of the circuit board (4; 14; 24) along its edge length is accommodated.

6. Actuating device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first section (3; 23) completely surrounds the circuit board (4; 14; 24) along a circumferential line and, for the circuit board, forms a suspension device such that the circuit board is carried unsupported section by section.

7. Actuating device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the first section (23) protrudes with a circumferential edge from the circuit board on the side of the circuit board facing away from the switching element, so that a stuffing frame is formed, into which stuffing material is injected in order to cover the circuit board section by section.

8. The actuating device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receptacle (11) has mechanical stops (15a, 15b) which limit the deflection of the circuit board when the first section (3) is deformed.

9. Actuating device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic first section (3; 23) has a Shore A hardness of 5 to 50, preferably 10 to 25.

10. Actuating device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the further segments (3; 23) have a Shore A hardness of at least 60, preferably at least 95.