Abstract
An operating element for finger operation, which has an improved tightness against the ingress of dust and water with simultaneously increased degree of freedom of movement is provided. The operating element includes a thumbwheel, wherein the thumbwheel as an operating lever, which can be rotated about at least one first axis of rotation, a mounting box, wherein a point of intersection of the first axis of rotation with the thumbwheel is formed within the mounting box, as well as an integral sealing system having at least one seal. The sealing system and mounting box can be connected by a two-component injection molding. The mounting box has injection channels for injecting a material of the sealing system, in which corresponding injection channel connections of the sealing system are formed. The seals are connected to one another via the injection channel connections, and wherein a seal partially surrounds the operating lever.
Claims
1. An operating element having a thumbwheel, wherein the thumbwheel has an operating lever, which can be rotated about at least one first axis of rotation, a mounting box, wherein a point of intersection of the first axis of rotation with the thumbwheel is formed within the mounting box, as well as an integral sealing system having at least one seal, wherein the sealing system and the mounting box are produced so as to be connected to one another by means of a substance-to-substance bond by means of a two-component injection molding, and wherein the mounting box has injection channels for injecting a material of the sealing system, in which corresponding injection channel connections of the sealing system are formed, wherein the seals are connected to one another via the injection channel connections, and wherein a seal is formed in the form of a bellows, which partially surrounds the operating lever along its longitudinal axis on contact surfaces.
2. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein the bellows has exactly one fold.
3. The operating element according to claim 1 wherein the operating lever can be moved in a translatory manner along an axis of its zero position.
4. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein the operating lever can be rotated about a second axis of rotation, which is formed perpendicular to the first axis of rotation.
5. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein the operating lever can be operated by means of a thumb or an index finger of a user when firmly placing the hand on the mounting box.
6. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein an operating head of the operating lever partially surrounds the bellows in the form of a projection along the axial position of the contact surfaces.
7. The operating element according to one of the preceding claims, claim 1, wherein the operating lever is arranged on a sliding system, wherein the sliding system has at least a first sliding part and restoring means, which act on the at least one sliding part and transfer the latter to a zero position, and wherein the operating lever is guided in the sliding system, wherein the first sliding part is movably mounted in such a way that a positional change of the operating lever with respect to the sliding system results in a movement of the at least one sliding part in the direction of the restoring means acting on the at least one sliding part.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to two figures, in which:
[0022] FIG. 1: shows a sectional drawing of an embodiment of a sealed operating element according to the invention and
[0023] FIG. 2: shows an exploded illustration of an embodiment of a mounting box according to the invention comprising a sealing system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a section through an operating element 1 according to the invention. Arranged on an outer mounting box 3, several seals 4 of an integral sealing system 4a are located. Mounting box 3 and seating system 4a are thereby produced by means of two-component injection molding and are connected by means of a substance-to-substance bond. An operating lever 2 comprising sliding system is arranged relative to the mounting box 3 in such a way that a point of intersection of a first axis of rotation 17 of a rotational movement of the operating lever 2 with the operating lever 2 is arranged within the mounting box 3, wherein the operating lever 2 is guided in the sliding system. The operating lever 2 is thereby mounted in the sliding system so as to be capable of moving along a pivot axis. The shown embodiment furthermore provides for a rotational movement about a second axis of rotation 18, which is formed perpendicular to the first axis of rotation 17. In responding to the deflection of the operating lever 2 from a zero position 13, the sliding system transfers a restoring force to said operating lever. The restoring force is generated by means of restoring means 10, wherein restoring means 10 and sliding system are arranged within the mounting box 3. In this embodiment, the thumbwheel 9 is thus embodied as sliding system comprising operating lever 2. What is illustrated is an embodiment, in the case of which the sealing system 4a has a connecting seal 12 surrounding the mounting box 3. Said connecting seal serves as seal 4 when the sealed operating element 1 is installed in an operating panel. To connect the mounting box 3 to the operating lever 2, the connecting device 4a has a bellows 7. The latter provides for a sealing of the interior of the mounting box 3 and thus of the movable mechanism and electronics of the operating element 1 with simultaneously attained movability of the operating lever 2, which the bellows 7 contacts along a longitudinal axis 6 of the operating lever 2 on contact surfaces 19. Due to the flexibility and extensibility of the bellows 7, degrees of freedom of rotation and translation of the operating lever 2 are maintained to a large extent, whereby deflection angles of up to 30° from the zero position 13 of the operating lever 2 and a deflection of up to 1 mm along an axis of the zero position 13 are made possible. In the shown embodiment, the bellows 7 has a fold, which provides for the above-mentioned sufficient rotatory and translatory movability of the sealed operating lever 2, in the case of which a stress on a sealing material is still limited in such a way that four million movement cycles of the operating lever 2 can be ensured. An operating head 11 is arranged on an operating-side end of the operating lever 2. Said operating head represents the actuating element when using the operating lever 2. Along the longitudinal axis 6, the operating head 11 is thereby designed as projection 15, so that is covers a bellows end 8 and thus also the contact surfaces 19. This provides for a protection against the ingress of dirt and water at the critical transition between seal 4 and operating lever 2. Due to the formation of the projection 15, an ingress is not possible via the straight path of a particle, but only via scattering at several points. A cover 14, through which the bellows 7 passes, is arranged on a horizontal end surface of the mounting box 3.
[0025] FIG. 2 is an exploded illustration of the elements cover 14, sealing system 4a, of a light guide 16 that can be inserted into side walls of the mounting box 3, and mounting box 3 itself. The integral sealing system 4a is formed from various seals 4, such as the connecting seal 12 arranged around the mounting box 3, and a bellows 7. The individual seals 4 are connected via injection channel connections 5a. The latter are formed by injecting the material of the sealing system 4a into injection channels 5, which are provided within the material of the mounting box 3 and which are not illustrated here. The injection channel connections 5a are thus formed within the injection channels 5 during the injection molding of the sealing system 4a. An integral sealing system 4a as well as an operating element 1 is attained in this way, in the case of which mounting box 3 and sealing system 4a are connected to one another by means of a substance-to-substance bond.
