OPERATING DEVICE HAVING AN ILLUMINATED VOLUME CONTROL ACTUATING ELEMENT

Abstract

An operating device (1) having an illuminated level control actuating element, in particular for audio systems, comprising a level control (10) which has an actuating element (40) movable along an adjustment path (20). In the interior, the actuating element (40) comprises a light guiding section (160) by which light coupled into a coupling section (130) on the lower side face of the actuating element (40) is guided to one or more exit zones (170) of the gripping faces (60) of the actuating element (40), and a plurality of illumination means (100) which are controllable for individual positioning are arranged along the adjustment path (20), such that in any position of the level control (10) along the adjustment path (20) the actuating element (40) covers at least one of the illumination means (100) with the lower side face of the actuating element.

Claims

1. An operating device (1) with a level control (10), that comprises an actuating element (40), which is movable along an adjustment path (20), wherein the actuating element comprises a bottom face and outer gripping faces (60), characterized in that the actuating element (40) comprises in the interior a light guiding section (160) which, in a coupling section (150) at the bottom face surface of the actuating element (40), conducts injected light to one or more exit zones (170) of the gripping faces (60) of the actuating element (40) and along the adjustment path (20) a plurality of separately controllable illumination means (100) is arranged so that the actuating element (40) covers in each position of the level control (10) along the adjustment path (20) at least one of the illumination means (100) with its bottom face surface, and the illumination means (100) and the level control (10) are connected to a control device (50) which activates based on the position of the level control (10) only the illumination means (100) for light emission, which are covered by the coupling section (150) of the actuating element (40).

2. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, thereby characterized in that the light guiding section (160) comprises a translucent, in the interior diffusely scattering material.

3. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, thereby characterized in that at least one contact section of the gripping faces (60) of the actuating element (40) is electrically conductively connected to a lever (30) of the level control (10) on which the actuating element (40) is attached, whereat the lever (30) again is electrically coupled with a sensor (80) for detecting a contact of the actuating element (40).

4. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the exit zone (170) or one of the exit zones (170) are formed on one side face (144,145) of the actuating element (40), in which the side surfaces (144, 145) are orientated parallel to a direction of the adjustment path (20).

5. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that one gipping face (60) of the actuating element (40) has an opaque cover (180) with at least one clearance (181) as an exit zone (170) or as one of the exit zones (170).

6. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the exit zone (170) or one of the exit zones (170) has a form of a reading mark on one of the gripping faces.

7. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the separately controllable illumination means (100) are each multi-coloured illumination means, wherein the colour of the emitted light is adjustable by the control device (50).

8. An operating device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the multi-coloured illumination means are each RGB-light-emitting diodes.

9. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating element (40) covers at least two of the separately controllable illumination means (100) at the same time.

10. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the illumination means (100) are arranged uniformly distributed along the adjustment path (20).

11. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the illumination means (100) are arranged on one side along the adjustment path (20).

12. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the illumination means (100) are arranged on both sides of the adjustment path (20).

13. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (50) is configured, to activate the illumination means (100) being simultaneously covered by the actuation element, with regard to their illuminance, so that a light emission at the exit zone (170) or the exit zones (170) has a constant intensity independent of a position of the level control (10).

14. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (50) is configured to activate the illumination means (100), which are covered simultaneously by the actuating element (40), adjustment path position-individually with regard to their illuminance, so that a light emission at the exit zone (170) or the exit zones (170) has a constant intensity independent of the position of the level control (10).

15. An operating device (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the coupling section (150) of the actuating element (40) covers at least two illumination means (100), which are on the same side of the adjustment path (20) simultaneously.

16. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (50) has a function input (52) via which a function signal is detectable, and that the control device (50) is designed to adjust a chromaticity of the illumination means (100) depending on the function signal.

17. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (50) is configured to adjust the chromaticity of the illumination means (100), which are activated simultaneously for light emission, identically.

18. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (50) is configured to adjust the chromaticity of the illumination means (100) being activated simultaneously for light emission, which are arranged on one side of the adjustment path (20), identically and to adjust the chromaticity of the illumination means (100) which are arranged on an opposite side of the adjustment path each identically, but with da different chromaticity than the illumination means (100) on said one side of the adjustment path.

19. An operating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the illuminate means (100) are embedded in an operating interface (540) and that the lever (30), onto which the actuating element (40) is mounted, is during adjustment along the adjustment path (20) linearly movable in a slot (540) of the operating interface (540), which is designed as a clearance hole.

20. An operating device (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the coupling section (150) of the actuating element (40) covers at least two illumination means (100), which are on the same side of the adjustment path (20) simultaneously.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0059] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be explained in more detail with reference to drawings. They show:

[0060] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an operating device;

[0061] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view taken along intersection line A-A;

[0062] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of an actuating element;

[0063] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of light intensity control curves; and

[0064] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a mixing desk with multiple operating strips.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0065] FIG. 1 shows schematically an operating device 1. The operating device 1 comprises a level control 10. Along an adjustment path 20, a lever 30 of the level control 10 is linearly displaceable. In order to be able to operate the lever 30 manually, the level control 10 has an actuating element 40. Depending on the position of the lever 30 or of the actuating element 40 along the adjustment path 10, a parameter signal is provided at an output 51 by a control device 50. The position of the actuating element correlates with a parameter value or a level control value.

[0066] The level control 10 is preferably designed as a so-called motor level controller. In order to be able to actively shift the lever 30 and the actuating element 40 thereon to any desired position along the adjustment path 20, such a level control 10 has an actuator 70 which can move the lever 20 back and forth along the adjustment path 20. The actuator 70 is preferably controlled via the control device 50.

[0067] The actuating element 40 is mounted on the lever 30. The lever has at this end, as a rule, a T-shaped design. On this end, the actuating element 40 is preferably attached by means of a snap-in connection. The actuating element 40 has a top face 41, a front face 42, a back face 43, a left face 44, a right face 45 and a bottom face 46, which faces the plane of the drawing. Those side surfaces of the actuating element 40, which can be touched by a user during a manual adjustment of the actuating element 40 along the adjustment path 20, are also referred to as gripping faces 60. Thus, the surfaces of the top face 41, the front face 42, the back face 43, the left face 44 and the right face 45 are the gripping faces 60.

[0068] Adjacent to the adjustment path 20, along which the lever 30 of the level control 10 can be displaced, a multiplicity of illumination means 100, 100-na, 100nb is arranged. (n is in each case a counting index) The illumination means 100-na, 100-nb are each coupled with the control device 50 so that each of the illumination means 100 can be activated individually or adjustment path position-individually. In a variant in which an individual control of the illumination means 100 is possible, the control device can control each individual illumination means 100-na, 100-nb in such a way that this illumination means emits light or does not emit light. In an embodiment in which the activation occurs adjustment path position-individually, the control device can control the illumination means depending on their position along the adjustment path 20. Illumination means 100-na, 100-nb, which have the same position along the adjustment path but are arranged, for example, on the different sides of the adjustment path 20, can then be actuated together but separately from illumination means at other positions. In the illustrated embodiment an individual activation depending on the position along the adjustment path means, that the illumination means are each activated in pairs. Thus, an individual activation occurs for each position, but not necessarily an individual activation of the illumination means 100 arranged at the same position long the adjustment path. An individual activation thus permits an even greater variety of settings than an adjustment path position-individual activation, in particular with regard to a homogeneous illumination, in particular transversely to the adjustment path. In preferred embodiments, the control device 50 can also control the intensity of the emitted light adjustment path position-individually for the illumination means 100. The number of required control circuits is reduced compared to individual control of each illumination means.

[0069] Other embodiments may provide that also the illumination means arranged at the same position along the adjustment path can be controlled individually.

[0070] In the illustrated embodiments the illumination means 100 are divided into two groups 110, 120 of illumination means 100. One of the groups 110 of illumination means 100-na is arranged on one side of the adjustment path 20, the other group 120 of illumination means 100-nb is arranged on the opposite side of the adjustment path 20. (The suffixed letters a and b indicate a group affiliation or side affiliation.) Within the groups 110,120, the illumination means 100-na, 100-nb are each arranged spaced with regard to each other along the adjustment path 20. A longitudinal distance 112,122 of the illumination means 100 between two adjacent illumination means on the same side of the adjustment path 20 is thus the same for all illumination means of this side of the adjustment path 20.

[0071] The illumination means 100 each have an identical diameter 105 of the illumination means. In other embodiments, the diameter 105 of the illumination means may vary slightly. The light exit surfaces of the illumination means 100 are preferably as homogeneous as possible, which means similarly designed in shape, surface and texture.

[0072] The illumination means 100 are preferably multi-coloured illumination means, which are also referred to as coloured illumination means. This means that a single illumination means is able to emit light of different wavelengths. The illumination means 100 are especially preferably each designed as RGB LEDs. An RGB LED contains semiconductor structures that can emit light in the red, green and blue wavelengths region. By varying the intensities of the different wavelengths, it is possible to generate a plurality of colours of a gamut (colour space) due to the additive colour mixture. Depending on the different intensity ratios of the three emitted wavelengths or emitted spectra of the different semiconductor structures, a human observer perceives a colour from the gamut for the emitted light. The colour of the light perceived by a human observer can thus be adjusted via the control device 50 for each of the illumination means 100.

[0073] The actuating element 40 has a length 47 and a width 48. The length 47 of the actuating element is measured parallel to the adjustment path 20 of the level control 10, the width 48, however, perpendicular to the adjustment path 20 of the level control 10. An adjustment direction 5 is oriented parallel to the adjustment path 20 and indicates the direction along which the actuating element 40 and the lever 30 of the level control 10 can be moved back and forth.

[0074] The width 48 of the actuating element 40 is adjusted to lateral distances 111 and 121 of the illumination means 100-na or 100-nb to the adjustment path in a way, so that the actuating element 40 completely covers at least one illumination means 100 in each position.

[0075] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, in which a group 110 of illumination means 100-na is arranged on one side of the adjustment path and the other group 120 of illumination means 100-nb on the opposite side of the adjustment path, the actuating element 40 is formed so that the actuating element 40 completely covers several of the illumination means 100 at a time in each position along the adjustment path 20.

[0076] A width 48 of the actuating element 40 is thus adequately selected, that illumination means 100-na on one side of a group 110 as well as illumination means 100-nb of the opposite group 120, are covered in any position along the adjustment path 20. A width 48 of the actuating element is thus greater than a transverse distance of adjacent illumination means 100-na, 100-nb on the opposite sides of the adjustment path. Projections 61, 62 of the actuating element laterally beyond the lever 30 are thus greater in each case than the sum of a lateral distance 111, 121 and the diameter 105 of one illumination means.

[0077] In the illustrated embodiment, the length 47 of the actuating element 40 is greater than the sum of the double of the diameter 105 of the illumination means and the longitudinal distance 112, 122 of adjacent illumination means 100, which are each on the same side of the adjustment path 20 of the lever 30.

[0078] In the illustrated embodiment, at least two of the illumination means 100-na, 100-nb of the two groups 110, 120 of the illumination means, are respectively covered on each side of the adjustment path 20 by the bottom face 46 of the actuating element 40, which faces the plane of the drawing. In the illustrated position of the actuating element, the lighting means 100-xa, 100-ya, 100-xb, 100-yb are covered.

[0079] The bottom face 46, which is facing the plane of the drawing, has a coupling section 150.Via this coupling section 150 light, which has been emitted by the illumination means 100, which are covered by the bottom face 46 of the actuating element 40, can be coupled into the interior of the actuating element 40. In its interior the actuating element 40 has a light guiding section 160, which guides the light coupled in to one exit zone 170 or several exit zones 170. The exit zone 170 or the exit zones 170 are formed in the gripping faces 60 of the actuating element.

[0080] In order to avoid glare by the illumination means 100, the control device 50 is designed in a way, so that it only activates those illumination means 100 to emit light, which are fully covered by the actuating element 40. In the exemplary embodiment shown, these are the illumination means labelled with the reference symbols 100-xa, 100-ya, 100-xb, 100-yb. The control device 50 is formed to deactivate the illumination means, which are not covered, or activate them in a way, so that they don't emit any light. Only those illumination means 100 that are fully covered by the actuating element 40 are being activated to emit light.

[0081] The illumination means 100 are preferably activated and adjusted by the control device 50 so that they emit identically coloured light, when they emit light.

[0082] Other embodiments may provide that the colour of the respectively emitted light is dependent on the position of the respective covered illumination means along the adjustment path 20.

[0083] In some embodiments, the actuating element is designed so that all gripping faces are light transmissive. In this case, the illumination element is illuminated from all sides, as long as light is coupled in via the coupling section 150.

[0084] However, to avoid or reduce glare, especially in dark work environments, in some embodiments, at least a subarea of the top face and optionally additionally the front face and/or the back face and/or the left face and/or the right face of the actuating element 40 provided with an opaque coating 180. At least on one of these sides, the opaque cover, for example in the form of an opaque coating 180, has a clearance 181 which serves as an exit zone 170.

[0085] In the illustrated embodiment, the exit zone 170 is designed as linear clearance 181 in an opaque coating 180, which means in an opaque cover, of the top face 41 of the actuating element 40. Light, which has been coupled into the actuating element 40 from the bottom face 46, thus exits the actuating element 40 from the clearance 181, which is an exit zone 170. Thus a bright luminous stroke appears on the top face 41 of the control element 40. This is perceived in the colour which corresponds to the colour of the light which is coupled into the coupling section 150 by covered illumination means 100 and guided through the light guiding section 160 to the exit zone 170.

[0086] The linear clearance 181 can be used as a reading mark for a scale (not shown), which is optionally arranged next to the level control.

[0087] The opaque cover 180 is preferably formed of a conductive material and electrically conductive connected with the lever 30 either in the interior of the actuating element or along the outer surfaces of the actuating element. This makes it possible to connect a sensor 80, which is called a contact sensor, to the level control. This can detect the contact of a user with the opaque cover. The sensor 80 preferably has a contact signal output 81, via which a signal is provided which indicates the contact of a user.

[0088] In alternative embodiments, the clear coating, which is transparent, may also be made conductive. Since the contact sensors can also partially evaluate a capacitive coupling of a body part to the actuating element 40 or a gripping face 60 of the actuating element 40, the entire gripping face 60 of the actuating element does not have to be electrically conductive in each case in order to reliably detect every contact.

[0089] Preferably, at least one left face surface 144 and/or one right face surface 145 on the left face 44 or the right face 45 may have an exit zone. For example, the left face 44 and/or the right face 45 may be formed over the whole area as an exit zone. An advantage of arranging an exit zone on the left face and/or the right face 45 is that light exiting at the faces 44, 45 or the corresponding side surfaces 144, 145, can illuminate a part of an operating interface (not shown) or a part of scale, which is arranged hereupon. For this purpose, also a light emission from the front face and/or the back face of the actuating element 40 can be used.

[0090] In order to ensure the correct activation of the illumination means 100, the control device 50 is connected to the level control 10 so that the control device 50 can determine the position of the actuating element 40 and the lever 30. This way it is possible to select those illumination means 100-xa, 100-xb, 100-ya, 100-yb which, in the current position of the lever 30, are covered by the actuating element 40 located thereon. These illumination means 100-xa, 100-xb, 100-ya, 100-yb covered in the illustrated position are then activated to emit light. A colour of the emitted light is preferably set by the control device 50 according to a function associated with the level control 10 and the operating strip of a mixing desk in which the level control 10 is integrated. For this purpose, the control device 50 may have a function input 52. Via the function input 52, the control device 50 can be provided with, for example, a function signal of an operating logic of a digital sound mixing console. Based on the function signal, the control device 50 then determines the assigned function. Depending on the assigned function, it is preferable to determine the colour of the light that the illumination means 100 emits.

[0091] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view according to the section line A-A of FIG. 1. The same technical features are provided in all figures with the same reference numerals. On a circuit board 200, the level control 10 with the lever 30 is arranged as well as illumination means 100 on both sides. An actuating element 40 is arranged on the lever 30. This is made in the interior of a diffusely scattering translucent material 240, which is covered with a translucent transparent, clear material layer 241 each at the bottom face 46, on the top face 41 and on the left face 44 and the right face 45, respectively. This clear material layer 241 is optional on each of the sides. The bottom face 46 and the translucent areas form the coupling section 150, which can be subdivided by the lever 30 into two coupling section parts 150a, 150b. Guided light passes through the clear material layer 241 on the bottom face 46 and enters the diffusely scattering material layer 240. Due to the diffuse scattering the light entering from below into the actuating element 40 is scattered in all directions, so that light emerges from all the surfaces of the diffusely scattering material 240 through the clear material layer 241.

[0092] Only on those areas where an opaque cover, for example, formed as opaque coating 180, is applied, a light emission from the actuating element 40 is prevented. On a bottom face, the opaque cover may be formed to be reflective, to reflect the light back into the diffusely scattering material 240. Alternatively or additionally to an opaque coating, areas of the actuating element 40 may also be made of opaque materials. However, it is essential that a light-guiding section 160 exists in the interior, which guides the light coupled in at the bottom face 46 to one of the outer surfaces, which means one of the gripping faces 60, of the actuating element and that an exit zone 170 is formed at least on one outer surface, which means on a gripping face.

[0093] In FIG. 2 can be clearly seen that the lever 30, which is usually made of a metallic material and thus formed opaque, hinders or prevents a guiding of light between a left half 244 and a right half 245 of the actuating element 40. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 and the embodiment of FIG. 1 respectively on both sides of the level control 10, a group 110,120 of illumination means 100 is arranged. Thus, a uniform illumination of the level control, in particular of exit zones, which extend over the left half 244 and the right half 245, is possible.

[0094] However, other embodiments may also take advantage of this fact and form the actuating element so that the left half and the right half are isolated from each other with respect to the guiding of light in the interior of the actuating element. Both, on the top face as well as on the front face and the back face differently coloured clearances in an opaque cover can be generated, as differently coloured light is coupled into the different halves. This is achieved by the fact that the one group of illumination means arranged on one side of the level control emit light of one colour when they are covered by the control element and the illumination means on the other side of the level control which belong to another group of illumination means, emit light of a different colour, if they are covered by the actuating element.

[0095] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a side surface, for example the left face surface 144. It can be seen that on the top face 41 a cover being formed as an opaque coating 180 is provided, which also extends over a part 380 of the side surface, which is shown hatched. In the opaque coating, a clearance 181 is formed in the form of a downward-pointing stylized arrow, which can be used as a reading mark. In the non-hatched areas of the side surface light emerges from the actuating element 40 when light is coupled into the actuating element 40 at the coupling section 150 at the bottom face 46.

[0096] In order to achieve the best possible illumination of an actuating element with only one illumination means or with two illumination means, which are arranged at the same position along the adjustment path 20, but on different sides of the level control 10, a central coupling would be optimal with respect to the longitudinal direction of the actuating element. However, if the actuating element is displaced along the adjustment path during actuation, the coupling in position(s)of the light emitted by the illumination means wanders or wander from the centre toward the front face or the back face, depending on the shifting direction. However, with light coupled in at the front face or back face of the bottom face, uniform illumination of the top face, for example, is significantly more difficult or impossible. Therefore, it is provided in the preferred embodiment that always at least two illumination means are covered at the same time along the displacement direction or the adjustment path, which are therefore located at different positions with respect to the displacement direction. Now these can be activated differently with respect to their radiated light intensity, so that in total the most possible uniform illumination of the actuating element is achieved.

[0097] In FIG. 4, light intensity control curves 401-404 are plotted against the position P of the actuating element along the adjustment path for four illumination means arranged equidistantly on the same side of the adjustment path.

[0098] When the level control is in the position P1, the illumination means 100-1 is activated to emit light of maximum light intensity I1. The remaining illumination means 100-2-100-4 don't emit any light in this position. If the level control is moved to the position P2, the intensity I1 of the illumination means 100-1 is attenuated and at the same time the intensity I2 of the illumination means 100-2 is increased. If the level control reaches the position P3, then light with maximum light intensity I2 is emitted by the illumination means 100-2. When the level control is moved further in the direction of the position P4, the intensity I2 of the illumination means 100-2 is attenuated and now the intensity I3 of the light source 100-3 is increased. Depending on the position, the illumination means are thus controlled differently in order to achieve the most homogeneous possible illumination of the exit zones of the control element. The light intensity control curves shown here are only to be understood as examples. Other embodiments may have other forms. For example, more than two light sources along the adjustment path 20 can be covered by the adjusting element 40 at the same time.

[0099] FIG. 5 schematically shows a plan view of a sound mixing desk 500. In an operating interface 510 a plurality of operating strips 520-j are formed, each having a level control 10-j as well as other control elements 530-j. In the operating interface slots 540-j are present, which are formed as clearance holes, in which the levers 30-j of the level control 10-j moves.

[0100] In the mixing desk shown different variants are shown. The slot 540-1 has such a width transversely to the adjustment path that the illumination means are arranged in the area of the slot optionally below the operating interface adjacent to the level control and still illuminate the actuating elements located above the operating interface by the coupling surface formed on the bottom face thereof.

[0101] In the embodiment of the remaining operating strips 520-2 to 520-4, the illumination means are embedded in the operating interface 510. The slots 540-2 to 540-4 are correspondingly narrower.

[0102] In the figures, only exemplary embodiments are described.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0103] 1 operating device

[0104] 5 adjustment direction

[0105] 10 level control

[0106] 20 adjustment path

[0107] 30 lever

[0108] 40 actuating element

[0109] 41 top face

[0110] 42 front face

[0111] 43 back face

[0112] 44 left face

[0113] 45 right face

[0114] 46 bottom face

[0115] 47 length

[0116] 48 width

[0117] 50 control device

[0118] 51 output

[0119] 52 function input

[0120] 60 gripping face

[0121] 61 projection

[0122] 62 projection

[0123] 70 actuator

[0124] 80 sensor

[0125] 81 contact signal output

[0126] 100 illumination means

[0127] 100-n illumination means

[0128] 100-na illumination means with index n of group a

[0129] 100-nb illumination means with index n of group b

[0130] 100-xa illumination means with index x of group a

[0131] 100-xb illumination means with index x of group b

[0132] 100ya illumination means with index y of group a

[0133] 100yb illumination means with index y of group b

[0134] 105 diameter of the illumination means

[0135] 110 a group of illumination means

[0136] 111 lateral distance illumination meansadjustment path

[0137] 112 longitudinal distance

[0138] 120 another group of illumination means

[0139] 121 lateral distance illumination meansadjustment path

[0140] 122 left gap

[0141] 150 coupling section

[0142] 160 light guiding section

[0143] 170 exit zones

[0144] 180 opaque cover

[0145] 181 clearance

[0146] 200 circuit board

[0147] 240 diffuse scattering material

[0148] 241 clear material

[0149] 244 left half

[0150] 245 right half

[0151] 380 part

[0152] 401-404 light control curves

[0153] Pi Position i of the level control

[0154] 500 sound mixing desk

[0155] 510 operating interface

[0156] 520-j operating strip j

[0157] 530-j control elements of the operating strip j

[0158] 540-j slot of the operating strip j