EP0899751A1 - Kipphebelwandler - Google Patents

Kipphebelwandler Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0899751A1
EP0899751A1 EP98116000A EP98116000A EP0899751A1 EP 0899751 A1 EP0899751 A1 EP 0899751A1 EP 98116000 A EP98116000 A EP 98116000A EP 98116000 A EP98116000 A EP 98116000A EP 0899751 A1 EP0899751 A1 EP 0899751A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
strip
rocker
plunger
force
spring
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP98116000A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0899751B1 (de
Inventor
David John Gardner
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Delphi Technologies Inc
Original Assignee
Eaton Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Eaton Corp filed Critical Eaton Corp
Publication of EP0899751A1 publication Critical patent/EP0899751A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0899751B1 publication Critical patent/EP0899751B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
    • H01H13/78—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard characterised by the contacts or the contact sites
    • H01H13/785—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard characterised by the contacts or the contact sites characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01C—RESISTORS
    • H01C10/00—Adjustable resistors
    • H01C10/10—Adjustable resistors adjustable by mechanical pressure or force
    • H01C10/12—Adjustable resistors adjustable by mechanical pressure or force by changing surface pressure between resistive masses or resistive and conductive masses, e.g. pile type
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H21/00—Switches operated by an operating part in the form of a pivotable member acted upon directly by a solid body, e.g. by a hand
    • H01H21/02—Details
    • H01H21/18—Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon
    • H01H21/22—Operating parts, e.g. handle
    • H01H21/24—Operating parts, e.g. handle biased to return to normal position upon removal of operating force
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H21/00—Switches operated by an operating part in the form of a pivotable member acted upon directly by a solid body, e.g. by a hand
    • H01H21/02—Details
    • H01H21/18—Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon
    • H01H21/36—Driving mechanisms
    • H01H21/50—Driving mechanisms with indexing or latching means, e.g. indexing by ball and spring; with means to ensure stopping at intermediate operative positions
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H23/00—Tumbler or rocker switches, i.e. switches characterised by being operated by rocking an operating member in the form of a rocker button
    • H01H23/02—Details
    • H01H23/12—Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon
    • H01H23/16—Driving mechanisms
    • H01H23/168—Driving mechanisms using cams
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2201/00—Contacts
    • H01H2201/022—Material
    • H01H2201/032—Conductive polymer; Rubber
    • H01H2201/036—Variable resistance

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to devices known as transducers which provide an electrical signal output or indication, when connected in a circuit, of a mechanical or other physical non-electrical input such as motion or force to provide an interface between a physical or mechanical system and an electrical circuit.
  • transducers are employed to provide an indication of motion or continuously varying displacement, particularly user effected movement of a control member where an electrical signal is provided which has the characteristics thereof varied or changed, so as to provide a discrete electrical indication of different positions of the member.
  • variable resistance device is connected in one leg or arm of a Wheatstone bridge.
  • This electrical bridge arrangement provides the desired electrical sensitivity to small changes in resistance representative of a small displacement of the input member to thereby provide the desired accuracy of measurement or control.
  • a microcomputer can be used with a lookup table of predetermined relationships between the property measured or displacement being tracked and the electrical resistance.
  • variable wiper type potentiometers have inherent disadvantages in that they are expensive to fabricate and subject to variation in the electrical resistance due to changes in the wiping surfaces and degradation over time in service. Accordingly, it has been desired to provide a motion or displacement transducer which has a high degree of sensitivity to small displacements and which provides a reliable and repeatable electrical signal and which is low in manufacturing cost.
  • the present invention provides a motion or displacement transducer which yields, upon connection to an external circuit, an electrical indication which is proportional to the position of a user moveable input member comprising a pivoted rocker provided on the device.
  • the device of the present invention utilizes a variable resistance of the type which is force/pressure sensitive to surface contact and eliminates the need for a wiper.
  • the transducer of the present invention employs a force/pressure responsive resistive strip subjected to a variable force by an actuator which is biased against the strip with a normal force proportional to the angular rotation or movement of the input rocker.
  • the normal force is generated by a cam on the rocker; and, in the preferred form of the invention, the cam surfaces are configured such that the bias force is varied proportional to the rocker for movement over the desired range of movement of the rocker.
  • the device may be configured with detent means at selected rotary positions of the rocker to enable the user to move the rocker to a pre-selected position which is tactilely discernible.
  • the transducer assembly of the present invention is indicated generally at 10 and includes housing means including an upper body member 11, a middle body member 12, and a lower body member 14, with the body members secured together by suitable fasteners such as screws 16, 18, shown in dashed outline in FIG. 3.
  • a capsule, indicated generally at 20, is attached to the lower body 14 as will be hereinafter described in greater detail.
  • a user actuated member comprising rocker 22 is pivotally mounted in upper body 12 by means of a pivot shaft or pin 24 and has a post portion 26 extending exteriorly of upper housing shell 12. It will be understood that rocker 22 may alternatively be constrained for arcuate rocking or arcuate sliding movement without a fixed pivot pin.
  • portion 26 may have gripping surfaces thereon to facilitate manual operation, which surfaces may be formed in a separate cap 28 received over portion 26 of the rocker 22.
  • Middle body member 12 has a pair of spaced stanchions 36, 38 which are each apertured with one end of pin 24 secured therein for pivotally supporting rocker 22.
  • Upper body member 11 has a bore 42 formed therein in which is slidably received a detent pin or plunger 44 which is biased outwardly of the bore 42 by a spring 46.
  • detent plunger 44 is biased against the right hand axial face of rocker 22 and serves to resiliently engage one of a plurality of arcuately spaced detent recesses 47, 48, 49, 51, and 52 formed in rocker 22.
  • Rocker 22 has a cam surface 50 formed on the lower end thereof which is preferably asymmetric about the center one of the detent recesses 49. It will be understood that rocker 22 is intended to be manually grasped by a user at cap 28 and rotated to any one of a plurality of rotary positions through an angular displacement denoted by the Greek character Theta in FIG. 2. In the present practice of the invention the angle Theta has a value of 40 degrees and is subdivided into four segments which are denoted by the five detent recesses as denoted by reference numerals 47, 48, 49, 51 and 52 which in the present practice are spaced angularly equally.
  • rocker portion 26 corresponding to each of the detents 47, 48, 49, 51 and 53 is marked by suitable indicators or indices denoted respectively 53, 55, 57, 59 and 61, in FIG. 1.
  • Rocker movement in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction is neutralized or returned to center by return springs 45, 43 respectively, which are mounted to lower body 14 by screws 54.
  • the capsule 20 of the assembly 10 is shown as having an outer shell 56 which has an enlarged diameter flange 58 provided around the upper portion thereof adjacent the upper end which flange serves to register the capsule against the undersurface of lower body 14.
  • the capsule shell is retained in the lower body 14 by any convenient expedient, as for example, via twist locking tabs 60, 62 extending outwardly from the upper end of the shell 56.
  • the body shell 56 of capsule 20 has attached to the lower surface thereof a circuit board assembly indicated generally at 64 which is secured to the lower surface of the body shell 56 by suitable fastening expedients such as screws 66. It will be understood however, the capsule body shell 56 may alternatively be formed integrally with lower body 14, if desired.
  • the capsule 20 is shown in detail as having a plunger member 68 slidably received in a bore 70 provided in the shell 56; and, the plunger 68 has a reduced diameter hollow cylindrical portion 72 extending axially downwardly from the upper portion 68.
  • the cylindrical portion 72 of plunger 68 serves as a pilot or guide and has a spring 74 received thereover with the upper end of the spring registered against the undersurface of portion 68; and, the opposite reaction end or lower end of spring 74 is registered against the upper surface of the circuit board assembly 64.
  • the spring 74 biases the plunger 68 upwardly to its limit of travel against the undersurface 76 of the upper wall of shell 56.
  • the spring constant or spring rate of the spring 74 is quite low with respect to the other springs of the assembly and serves only to return the plunger to the upward limit of its travel.
  • the plunger 68 has an upwardly extending projection or post 78 which extends exteriorly of the shell 56 through an aperture 80 formed in the upper wall 76. It will be understood that the post 78 is formed integrally with the plunger 76 in the presently preferred practice; and, post 78 has a preferably hemispherical surface 82 formed on the upper end thereof which contacts and follows the cam surface 50 provided on the rocker 22 (see FIG. 1).
  • the hollow cylindrical portion 72 of plunger 68 has slidably received therein a generally cup-shaped actuator 84 which is limited in its downward or outward travel, with respect to plunger 68, by a barbed annular surface 86 provided on the outer surface thereof. Barbed surface 86 registers against an annular shoulder 88 formed in the interior of the cylindrical portion 72 of plunger 68.
  • the actuator 84 is slotted as denoted by reference numeral 90 about its periphery to permit radial compression of the cylindrical wall thereof to permit assembly of the barbed surface 86 into the interior of the cylindrical portion 72 of the plunger 68.
  • a force bias spring 94 is disposed interiorly of the plunger and actuator 84 and has its upper end registered against the undersurface 92 of the upper portion of plunger 68. The opposite reaction end or lower end of spring 94 is registered against the interior of the closed end of actuator 84 to bias the actuator downwardly or in an outward direction with respect to plunger 68.
  • the lower surface of the closed end of the actuator 84 has provided thereon an elastomeric pad 96 which is secured thereto by any suitable expedient, as for example, adhesive bonding or double-sided tape.
  • the pad 96 has a thickness of about one millimeter and is formed of preferably silicone elastomer and preferably has a hardness of about 65 as measured on a shore "A" scale.
  • the pad 96 serves to provide a resilient load distributing surface for contacting the printed circuit board assembly 64.
  • the circuit board assembly 64 includes a printed circuit board 98 which has a pair of spaced generally parallel conductive strips 100, 102 provided thereon, each of which terminates in a loop denoted respectively 104, 106.
  • Each of the loops 104, 106 has disposed therein, through an aperture in the board 98, an electrical connector pin denoted respectively 108, 110 which is electrically connected to the loop by a suitable expedient such as, for example, soldering.
  • the pins 108, 110 each extend downwardly through the circuit board 98 and are formed at right angles to extend through an electrical receptacle 112 which is retained on the undersurface of the circuit board by screws 114 passing through the board, and illustrated as having their heads on the upper surface of the board 98.
  • the pins 108, 110 are adapted to connect the device 116 to a circuit (not shown) such as an arm of a Wheatstone bridge circuit by external connection through connector 112.
  • a force/pressure responsive resistive device 116 in the form of a thin strip which bridges the contacts 100, 102 and is electrically connected therewith.
  • the device 116 comprises a thin layer or strip of conductive material separated from another thin layer or strip of conductive material with a superposed layer of resistive material thereover such that increased surface contact pressure thereon causes a conductive layer to be pressed thereon and effects decrease in the resistance measured between the strips 100, 102.
  • Such devices are well known in the art and are formed of pressure transducer ink screened on dielectric material to form a thin strip-like resistive device.
  • the extended length of the sub-assembly 85 of plunger 68, actuator 84 and spring 94 is such that when sub-assembly 85 is inserted in bore 70 of shell 56 and circuit board 98 is attached, pad 96 is not pressed against device 116 with any significant force.
  • the user thus tactilely perceives a requirement for increasing force to increase the angular rotation of the rocker; and, can tactilely perceive the various detented positions of recesses 47, 48, 49, 51 and 53.
  • the present invention thus provides a reliable, simple to manufacture and relatively low cost rocker position transducer which utilizes a force/pressure sensitive resistive device and eliminates the need for wiping contact.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Adjustable Resistors (AREA)
EP19980116000 1997-08-29 1998-08-25 Kipphebelwandler Expired - Lifetime EP0899751B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US92401197A 1997-08-29 1997-08-29
US924011 1997-08-29

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0899751A1 true EP0899751A1 (de) 1999-03-03
EP0899751B1 EP0899751B1 (de) 2003-07-16

Family

ID=25449585

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19980116000 Expired - Lifetime EP0899751B1 (de) 1997-08-29 1998-08-25 Kipphebelwandler

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0899751B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69816382T2 (de)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3611068A (en) * 1970-05-20 1971-10-05 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd Contactless pressure sensitive semiconductor switch
GB2159953A (en) * 1984-05-31 1985-12-11 Stc Plc Variable resistance piezo-resistive devices
US4655091A (en) * 1983-05-10 1987-04-07 International Standard Electric Corporation Rotational movement

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3611068A (en) * 1970-05-20 1971-10-05 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd Contactless pressure sensitive semiconductor switch
US4655091A (en) * 1983-05-10 1987-04-07 International Standard Electric Corporation Rotational movement
GB2159953A (en) * 1984-05-31 1985-12-11 Stc Plc Variable resistance piezo-resistive devices

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69816382T2 (de) 2004-04-22
DE69816382D1 (de) 2003-08-21
EP0899751B1 (de) 2003-07-16

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