OPERATING ELEMENT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A GLASS PANEL FOR A TOUCH-SENSITIVE OPERATING ELEMENT

Abstract

A surface structure of a glass panel is formed by deep-drawing the surface in the heated state of the glass panel to provide a touch-sensitive operating surface of an operating element for a motor vehicle. The surface structure has a wave-shaped design, and additionally at least one glass panel surface part which is completely touchable is formed with the surface structure.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. An operating element for a motor vehicle, comprising: a glass panel having a touch-sensitive operating surface formed by deep-drawing that produces a surface microstructure in a wave shape having elevations and depressions with a respective height therebetween of 5 to 20 micrometers and two closest elevations and two closest depressions respectively separated by between 80 and 130 micrometers.

12. The operating element as claimed in claim 11, wherein the elevations and depressions are respectively elongate in a direction of longitudinal extent producing contour lines of the surface microstructure substantially extending in a single direction.

13. The operating element as claimed in claim 11, wherein the elevations and depressions are arranged in a grid-shaped manner such that an elevation is surrounded by four depressions and a depression is surrounded by four elevations, such that contour lines of the surface structure mainly extend along a closed line.

14. A method for producing a glass panel of a touch-sensitive operating element for a motor vehicle, comprising: providing a glass panel in a heated state; providing a deep-drawing tool with a first tool part and a second tool part; introducing the glass panel into the deep-drawing tool between the first tool part and the second tool part; and forming a surface structure of a first surface of the glass panel by deep drawing the glass panel in the heated state using the deep-drawing tool to produce a touch-sensitive operating surface of the operating element on the first surface of the glass panel, wherein the first tool part has a pattern formed at least by a plurality of groove-shaped first depressions and the glass panel is introduced into the deep-drawing tool during said introducing so that the pattern is transferred as a wave-shaped surface structure on the first surface of the glass panel when deep drawing the glass panel during said forming to produce a microstructure having elevations and depressions with a respective height therebetween of 5 to 20 micrometers and two closest elevations and two closest depressions respectively separated by between 80 and 130 micrometers.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the groove-shaped first depressions in the first tool part extend in a first direction and adjoin one another in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each groove-shaped first depression having a width in the second direction of less than 130 micrometers.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the pattern of the first tool part is additionally formed by a plurality of groove-shaped second depressions extending in a third direction, the third direction extending at an angle, not equal to zero, to the first direction.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said forming by the deep drawing further produces a substantially planar second surface of the glass panel opposite to the first surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Further advantages, features and details will emerge from the following description of exemplary embodiments and the drawings. In the drawings:

[0022] FIG. 1a is a schematic and magnified perspective view of a glass surface with a wave-shaped microstructure in accordance with one exemplary embodiment;

[0023] FIG. 1b is a graph of the course of the surface structure in section through the glass panel along the cut line segment P1-P2 in FIG. 1a;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a diagonal cross structure of a milling pattern for introduction into a tool part of a deep-drawing tool for the purposes of generating a wave-shaped surface structure on a glass panel in accordance with one exemplary embodiment;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section through a groove-shaped milling pattern in a deep-drawing tool part for elucidating the milling distance and milling radius milling parameters; and

[0026] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a wave-shaped surface structure of a glass panel with elevations and depressions arranged in a grid-shaped manner in accordance with one exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0027] 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.

[0028] FIG. 1a shows a schematic and magnified illustration of a glass surface 10a with a wave-shaped microstructure 12a in accordance with one exemplary embodiment and FIG. 1b shows the illustration of a course of the surface structure 12a in a section through the glass panel along the cut line S, plotted in FIG. 1a, between the points P1 and P2. Here, this surface structure 12a may be generated by a deep-drawing process of the glass panel by virtue of a milling pattern in the form of grooves, which are adjacent to one another, extend in parallel in one direction and have the same shape, being introduced into one of two tool halves of a deep-drawing tool, between which the glass panel is inserted, such that this pattern is transferred as a corresponding negative form onto the glass surface 10. As a result, it is therefore possible to generate a periodic wave structure 12a with elevations 14a and depressions 14b extending on the glass surface 10a in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, in this example, this pattern 12 is translation invariant in terms of the shaping thereof in the direction of longitudinal extent thereof, in this case in the z-direction, at least when seen within a specific tolerance range which, in particular, is smaller than the structure width B itself since such a fine structure 12a is firstly subject, in terms of the shaping thereof, to random variations and deviations, as may be gathered from the different shapes of the individual waves in FIG. 1b. Secondly, such variations and differences may also be generated in a targeted manner, e.g. by final etching of the glass surface 10 with the surface structure 12a, such that the structuring of the glass surface 10 may not be felt, or may be felt significantly less strongly, by a user as a result of such irregularities generated in a targeted manner, causing a more pleasant operating sensation.

[0029] As the scale on the x-axis in FIG. 1b further shows, the points P1 and P2 are spaced apart by 875.5 m. The wavelengths of this structure, referred to here as structure width B, which are measured from the distance between two depressions 14b or elevations 14a in a direction, in this case the x-direction, perpendicular to the direction of longitudinal extent, in this case the z-direction, of the depressions 14b and elevations 14a, i.e., in particular, the distances between two respectively adjacent minima and maxima depicted in FIG. 1b, in this case may lie in the range between 80 m and 130 m and measure between 96 m and 120 pm in this example. The structure height H, which is likewise subject to certain variations, may be in the range between 5 m and 20 m in this case. In principle, it is also possible to realize structures with significantly smaller dimensions or larger dimensions. However, particularly great advantages in relation to haptics, operating sensation, optics, acoustics, the thermal properties of the glass panel, sliding properties on the surface, and hence, overall, the operability and usability of the operating element per se, may be obtained by a microstructure 12a with these dimensions.

[0030] In order to further optimize these properties and provide these over the whole glass surface 10 in a particularly homogeneous manner, provision may be made of a diagonal cross structure 16, as depicted schematically in FIG. 2. In particular, a milling pattern which may be introduced into a tool part of the deep-drawing tool is depicted here in a schematic fashion. This milling pattern has first grooves 18a extending in a first direction, in this case the x-direction, and second grooves 18b extending perpendicular to these, in this case in the z-direction, which grooves may have a similar embodiment in terms of the width thereof, which corresponds to the milling distance d (cf. FIG. 3), and the depth thereof, which is predeterminable by a specific milling radius R (cf. FIG. 3). To this end, FIG. 3 shows an elucidation of these milling parameters on the basis of a schematic illustration of a cross section through a groove-shaped milling pattern 20 in a deep-drawing tool part.

[0031] A milling pattern with a cross structure 16 as depicted in FIG. 2 may generate a surface structure 12b as depicted in FIG. 4 on a glass surface 10b by deep drawing and, in particular, by a subsequent etching process. Here, FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a wave-shaped surface structure 12b of a glass panel with elevations 22a and depressions 22b arranged in a grid-shaped manner. Here, in particular, the elevations and depressions are arranged in such a way that four elevations 22a in each case surround one depression 22b, and vice versa. The edged depressions 22b possibly arising during deep drawing as a result of the milling pattern with edges may be rounded-off by a final etching and hence it is possible to generate a particularly edge-free and continuous profile of the wave structure 12b.

[0032] As a result, it is possible, overall, to provide an operating element, in particular a touchpad or a touchscreen, which has a surface optimized for touch operation in respect of sliding capability, visibility of dirt, sliding noises and sharp and clear identifiability of depictions, such as symbols for various function of the operating element, displayed through the glass panel, and which operating element further is generable in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner.

[0033] 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).