SURFACE ELEMENT FOR AN OPERATING DEVICE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A glass element is manufactured by a deep-drawing process with a plurality of surface regions marked by corresponding structure elements in the glass element such that they can be haptically sensed. A respective operator control input can be made by touching the surface regions.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for producing a surface element for an operator control device of a motor vehicle, comprising: manufacturing, by a deep-drawing process, a glass element having structure elements and surface regions, respectively, a respective operator control input being made by touching the surface regions, the structure elements providing respective markings of the surface regions that can be haptically sensed; and etching, following the deep-drawing process, a surface of at least one of the structure elements.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said manufacturing includes forming at least one of the structure elements as an area structure element, providing at least a portion of a corresponding surface region, by a corresponding area structure element of a shaping tool in the deep-drawing process.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: applying a first colored layer to a rear side of the glass element; removing subregions of this first colored layer; applying a second colored layer to the rear side of the glass element with a color contrast in relation to the first colored layer, thereby forming at least one visible symbol on one of the surface regions.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said removing of the subregions of the first colored layer is performed by a laser.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one of the structure elements is a step delimiting at least the surface regions.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one of the structure elements is formed in the deep-drawing process.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the glass element is a soda-lime glass.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one of the structure elements is formed in the deep-drawing process.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the glass element is a soda-lime glass.

20. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of the structure elements is a step delimiting at least the surface regions.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein at least one of the structure elements is formed in the deep-drawing process.

22. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of the structure elements is formed in the deep-drawing process.

23. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the structure elements is a step delimiting at least the surface regions.

24. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the structure elements is formed in the deep-drawing process.

25. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: applying a first colored layer to a rear side of the glass element; removing subregions of this first colored layer; applying a second colored layer to the rear side of the glass element with a color contrast in relation to the first colored layer, thereby forming at least one visible symbol on one of the surface regions.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said removing of the subregions of the first colored layer is performed by a laser.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least one of the structure elements is a step delimiting at least the surface regions.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein at least one of the structure elements is formed in the deep-drawing process.

29. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the structure elements is a step delimiting at least the surface regions.

30. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the structure elements is formed in the deep-drawing process.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a surface element for an operator control device of a motor vehicle;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a shaping tool for a deep-drawing process for manufacturing a glass element for the surface element according to FIG. 1; and

[0034] FIG. 3 is a schematic lateral sectional view of a detail of the shaping tool according to FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0035] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a surface element 10 for an operator control device of a motor vehicle, which surface element includes a glass element 12 which is manufactured in a deep-drawing process and has a plurality of surface regions 14, a respective operator control input being made by touching the surface regions. The operator control device shown is, for example, a so-called touchpad for controlling an infotainment system of the motor vehicle. By way of example, a respective associated radio station can be selected by touching the surface regions 14 which are labeled with the numbers 1 to 8. As an alternative, the operator control device can also be in the form of a touchscreen for example. In both cases, it may be necessary for an operator control force when touching the surface regions 14 to exceed a predetermined operator control force in order to trigger an operator control input.

[0037] A respective operator control input which has been made can be signaled to a user of the operator control device by visual and/or acoustic feedback. As an alternative or in addition, haptic feedback, for example in the form of a click and/or a vibration of the glass surface, is provided as a signal. The feedback likewise simplifies operator control of the operator control device for the user. In particular, even in the case of a blind operator control input, the user can identify whether this operator control input has been successful or not in this way.

[0038] The respective surface regions 14 of the surface element 10 are marked by corresponding structure elements 16 in the glass element 12 such that they can be haptically sensed. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the surface regions 14 which are labeled by the numbers 1 to 8 are each marked by a structure element 16 between the surface regions 14. The structure elements 16 therefore as it were separate the surface regions 14 from one another such that the separation can be haptically sensed. The structure elements 16, which are also called sensing aids, therefore make it easier for a user to orient himself when touching the surface element 10.

[0039] In this case, the structure elements 16 are, for example, in the form of a raised portion, so that the raised portion can be felt as a finger slides over it. However, each structure element 16 can, for example, not only be in the form of a raised portion, but rather, as an alternative or in addition, also in the form of a recess, a bulge, a curvature and/or a rounded portion of the surface of the glass element 12. In this case, each structure element 16 can also have an individual shape in each case. In addition, individual surface regions 14 can be separated from one another by a step.

[0040] In this case, the symbols 18 which are visible on the surface element 10, the symbols including the numbers 1 to 8 and also, for example, the legends MENU and BACK, are formed by two colored layers on the rear side of the glass element 12. The first colored layer is, for example, black. It is applied over the entire surface area of the rear side of the glass element 12 and has, for example, a layer thickness of less than or equal to 15 micrometers. The subregions of the first colored layer, which subregions form the symbols 18, are then removed from the glass element 12 again by a laser. In a further manufacturing operation, the second colored layer, which is a white and translucent color for example, is likewise applied over the entire surface area of the rear side of the glass element 12. Both colored layers together may have a layer thickness of less than or equal to 21 micrometers, and therefore the surface element 10 is particularly lightweight. The colored layers can be particularly thin since they are applied to the rear side of the glass element 12 in a manner protected against abrasion. The visible symbols 18 are formed on the front side of the glass element 12 by the visible color contrast between the two colored layers. At least the second colored layer may be transparent, so that background illumination of the symbols 18 can also be realized.

[0041] A color contrast which can be recognized particularly well is produced, for example, when the first colored layer has the following color standard: L=27.0+/1.0; a=0.7+/0.5; b=1.5+/0.5, and the second colored layer: L=70.2+/2.0; a=1.6+/0.5; b=3.1+/0.5. In this case, the second, white colored layer has a value for the transmission of 6.0%+/1.5% (at 550). The color standard was measured using a Konica Minolta CM-2600d in this case.

[0042] The structure elements 16 are advantageously integrally produced together with the glass element 12 in a single manufacturing operation in a deep-drawing process. To this end, a glass blank is, for example, heated and placed into a shaping tool 20, as is depicted in the schematic plan view of FIG. 2. the glass blank is pressed against the shaping tool 20 by a stamp or a vacuum. The shaping tool 20 has the negative shape of the glass element 12 which is to be produced. This shape is transferred to the glass blank by contact pressure and in this way shapes the glass element 12. The glass element 12 which is produced in this way is particularly robust, in particular since the structure elements 16 cannot be detached from the glass element 12.

[0043] The glass element 12 can then be ground at its outer edge 22 in order to produce particularly precise dimensions. In addition, the surface of the glass element 12 can further be etched in order to at least partially grind down and/or round off the surface structure which is impressed by the shaping tool 20.

[0044] Furthermore, the shaping tool 20 has an area structure element 24 which covers a large area of its surface. This area structure element 24 is formed by cross-hatching. In the case of this cross-hatching, parallel scores are made in the surface of the shaping tool 20 with a spacing of approximately 0.109 millimeters. In this case, the depth of the scores is approximately 0.002 millimeters and the rounded portion of the scores is 0.75 millimeters. A schematic lateral sectional view of a detail of the shaping tool 20 is shown in FIG. 3. The depth of an individual score in the area structure element 24 in the surface of the shaping tool 20 is identified by an arrow 28 in this case. The distance between two scores is identified by arrow 30.

[0045] The area structure element 24 is therefore, as it were, a microstructure of the surface of the shaping tool 20, as a result of which the surface has a certain surface roughness. In this case, this microstructure may have a value for the steepness R.sub.ku according to DIN EN ISO 4287 of 2.8+/0.8 and a value for the roughness depth R.sub.z of 5.55+/1.0, likewise according to DIN EN ISO 4287.

[0046] A corresponding area structure element 26 is produced by the area structure element 24 of the shaping tool 20 on the entire operator control surface of the surface element 10 in the operator control surface of the glass element 12 in the deep-drawing process. Therefore, a specific surface condition is imprinted onto the operator control surface of the glass element 12. The glass element 12 is particularly easy to clean on account of this surface condition. In addition, the glass element is resistant to soiling, in particular to fingerprints when it is touched. In the event of operator control, there is a particularly low level of development of noise on account of the surface condition, in particular due to sliding of the finger over the operator control surface. A finger can slide over the operator control surface of the surface element 10 particularly easily on account of the surface roughness of the glass element 12. In addition, the operator control surface of the glass element 12 is heated by solar radiation to a particularly slight extent on account of the area structure element 26.

[0047] Since the area structure element 26, by which the surface condition of the glass element 12 is prespecified, is produced together with the glass element 12 in a single manufacturing operation in a deep-drawing process, it is additionally particularly robust, in particular to abrasion due to operator control inputs. This effect is additionally enhanced by subsequent etching of the surface. Therefore, a touchpad which has a real-glass surface and is of particularly high quality can be realized with the surface element 10 according to the invention.

[0048] A description has been provided with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase at least one of A, B and C as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 358 F3d 870, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).