Indictor apparatus for a vehicle component

Abstract

The indicator apparatus (30) for a vehicle component, in particular for a human-human interface for the indicator and, where necessary, for entering operating parameters for a vehicle component, is provided with a housing (12) comprising a front side (14) and a display unit (10), which is arranged on the front side (14) of the housing (12) and/or forms the front side (14) of the housing (12), for displaying operating parameters of a vehicle component and possibly symbols fields for entering commands and operating parameters for a vehicle component. The indicator apparatus (30) is furthermore provided with a deformable delay element (32), arranged in the housing (12) behind the display unit (10), for delaying acceleration movements that act on the display unit (10) in the direction of the interior of the housing (12) as a result of an object striking the display unit (10). The delay element (32) has a greater stiffness in a center region (34) that is in alignment with the region of the center of the display unit (10) than in a region (36, 38) of the delay element (32) that is in alignment with a region of the display unit (10) that adjoins the region of the center of the display unit (10) and extends in the direction of the edge of the display unit (10) and/or as far as the edge thereof.

Claims

1. An indicator apparatus for a vehicle component, comprising a housing comprising a front side, a display unit, which is arranged on the front side of the housing and/or forms the front side of the housing, for displaying operating parameters of a vehicle component, and a deformable delay element, arranged in the housing behind the display unit, for delaying acceleration movements that act on the display unit in the direction of the interior of the housing as a result of an object striking the display unit, wherein the delay element has a greater stiffness in a center region that is in alignment with the region of the center of the display unit than in a region of the delay element that is in alignment with a region of the display unit that adjoins the region of the center of the display unit and extends in the direction of the edge of the display unit.

2. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the greater stiffness in the center region of the delay element is formed by locally different thicknesses of the delay element.

3. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the greater stiffness in the center region of the delay element is formed using the selection of materials of different stiffness or flexability.

4. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the delay element is plate-shaped.

5. The indicator device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is rectangular, when seen from above, and has a rectangular center region, a rectangular edge region, and at least one rectangular intermediate region running between the center region and the edge region, in that the thickness of the delay element in the center region is greater than that in the at least one intermediate region and the thickness of the at least one intermediate region is greater than that of the edge region or in that the material of the delay element in the center region is stiffer than that in the at least one intermediate region, and the material of the at least one intermediate region is stiffer than that of the edge region.

6. The indicator device according to claim 1, wherein the delay element, in the region of its edge and/or in the housing, is connected thereto and/or supported thereon.

7. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the greater stiffness in the center region of the delay element is formed by locally different geometries of the delay element.

8. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the delay element includes means for providing locally different stiffnesses and flexibilities of the delay element.

9. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the locally different greater stiffness in the center region of the delay element is formed using materials that react with greater stiffness or flexibility depending on the rate of strain or rate of compression, from which materials the delay element is fabricated.

10. The indicator device according to claim 4, wherein the delay element has through-holes.

11. The indicator device according to claim 1, wherein the delay element is in the form of bars joined to one another.

12. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the greater stiffness in the center region of the delay element is formed by locally different locally different honeycomb structures.

13. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the greater stiffness in the center region of the delay element is formed by locally different perforations.

14. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the greater stiffness in the center region of the delay element is formed by locally different perforation densities.

15. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the greater stiffness in the center region of the delay element is formed by locally different material weakenings.

16. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the greater stiffness in the center region of the delay element is formed by locally different reinforcements.

17. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1, configured for use as a human-machine interface.

18. The indicator apparatus according to claim 17, configured for entry of operating parameters.

Description

(1) The invention shall be described in greater detail in the following using an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the drawings. Specifically:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a section through a display assembly having force feedback according to the prior art,

(3) FIG. 2 depicts the display assembly according to FIG. 1 in a simulated head impact test,

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of the, for example, glass control panel of the display assembly with indicated maximum deflection in the center region,

(5) FIG. 4 depicts a section through a display assembly having arranged behind the display unit a delay element according to the invention, and

(6) FIG. 5 is a top view of the delay element at the elevation of the line V-V in FIG. 4.

(7) FIGS. 1 through 3 schematically depict how, according to the prior art, an indicator apparatus for a vehicle component with force feedback reacts in a head impact test. A display unit 10 is arranged elastically mounted in a housing 12. If the display unit 10, which is arranged on the front side 14 of the housing 12, is actuated, the corresponding movement is sensed in order to provide a haptic response in the form of force feedback when a minimum movement is detected. The corresponding sensor element and movement unit are indicated as 16, 18 in the figures.

(8) If, for the head impact test, a test body 20 now strikes the control or indicator apparatus 22 of the display unit 10, the deflection of the latter is greatest for instance in the center region 24 (see schematic indication in FIG. 3).

(9) FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an indicator apparatus 30 embodied according to the invention. Elements of the indicator apparatus 30 that correspond to those of the indicator apparatus according to FIGS. 1 through 3 are identified with the seam reference numbers in FIGS. 4 and 5 as in FIGS. 1 through 3.

(10) According to the invention, disposed behind the display unit 10 within the housing 12 of the indicator apparatus 30 is a delay (crash) element 32, as an energy absorber, that in this exemplary embodiment has its greatest stiffness in the center region 24 of the display unit 10 and is less strong or stiff toward the edge.

(11) The delay element 32 has, for instance in the center region 34 that is in alignment with the center region 24 of the display unit 10, a greater thickness than in an intermediate region 36 surrounding this center region 34, in order then to have a lower thickness, compared to the intermediate region 36, in its edge region 38 surrounding the intermediate region 36. Thus the stiffness/strength/flexibility of the delay element 32 may be adjusted differently locally. Through-holes 40, 44 may be embodied in the plate-shaped delay element 32 in this exemplary embodiment in order to be able to pass mechanical or electrical functional elements therethrough. In the exemplary embodiment, the through-holes 40, 44 e.g. receive springs 46 for, for example, a force sense function. Possibly required additional springs for a force feedback function are not shown. The springs 46 and 48 are merely to symbolize the elastic mounting of the display unit 10 and may consequently also be arranged at a different location and be embodied in any desired form.

(12) Other distributions of locally different strengths/stiffnesses/flexibilities of the delay element 32 than those illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 are possible according to the invention. The specific distribution to be selected depends on the anticipated impact zones for an indicator apparatus in a vehicle.

REFERENCE LIST

(13) 10 Display unit

(14) 12 Housing

(15) 14 Front side

(16) 16 Sensor element/actuator

(17) 18 Sensor element/actuator

(18) 20 Test body

(19) 22 Display panel

(20) 24 Center region of display panel

(21) 30 Indicator apparatus

(22) 32 Delay element

(23) 34 Center region of delay element

(24) 36 Intermediate region of delay element

(25) 38 Edge region of delay element

(26) 40 Through-hole in delay element

(27) 44 Through-hole in delay element

(28) 46 Springs for force sense

(29) 48 Springs for force feedback