CN110896010B

CN110896010B - Multifunctional knob assembly

Info

Publication number: CN110896010B
Application number: CN201811069577.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 常军营
Original assignee: Shanghai Qwik Smart Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shanghai Qwik Smart Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-09-13
Filing date: 2018-09-13
Publication date: 2023-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 2038-09-13
Also published as: CN110896010A

Abstract

The application provides a multifunctional knob assembly, which comprises a front cover, a partition board, a rear cover, a knob cap and an intermediate shaft, wherein the partition board is positioned between the front cover and the rear cover; the novel anti-theft disc comprises a disc sleeve, and is characterized in that a bushing and a disc sleeve are arranged between the partition plate and the rear cover, the bushing is connected to the other end of the intermediate shaft, the disc sleeve is sleeved outside the bushing, an elastic key is arranged between the bottom surface of the bushing and the bottom surface of the disc sleeve, and the elastic key is propped between the bottom surface of the bushing and the bottom surface of the disc sleeve.

Description

Multifunctional knob assembly

Technical Field

The application mainly relates to the field of automobile parts, in particular to a multifunctional knob assembly.

Background

The vehicle-mounted terminal is generally provided with a knob structure, and multiple parameters such as the temperature, the air quantity and the like of the air conditioner can be adjusted by utilizing the knob structure.

The knob structure is usually rotated to adjust the temperature, air quantity and the like of the air conditioner, and the adjusting mode and the function are single. In order to enrich the adjustment modes and functions of the knob structure, many improvements are made to the knob structure, for example, an air conditioner can be started by pressing.

The existing improvement made to the knob structure has the defects of more parts, complex assembly and poor mechanical hand feeling.

Disclosure of Invention

The application aims to solve the technical problem of providing a multifunctional knob assembly which has fewer parts, simple assembly and good mechanical hand feeling.

In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a multifunctional knob assembly, which includes: the front cover, baffle, back lid, knob cap and jackshaft, the baffle is located the front cover with between the back lid, the knob cap sets up the outside of front cover, the jackshaft runs through the front cover with the baffle just the one end of jackshaft is connected knob cap, its characterized in that: the front cover and the partition plate comprise a plurality of sliding blocks, the intermediate shaft is arranged in a hollow area formed by the sliding blocks, and the intermediate shaft can push the sliding blocks to slide radially; the novel anti-theft device comprises a middle shaft, a middle cover, a baffle plate, a disc sleeve, a sleeve and a disc cover, wherein the middle shaft is arranged between the baffle plate and the rear cover; wherein the intermediate shaft is adapted to transmit an axial force through the bushing to the resilient key and a torque to the bushing.

In an embodiment of the application, the material of the elastic key is silica gel.

In one embodiment of the application, the end of the intermediate shaft connected to the bushing comprises an intermediate shaft end sleeve.

In one embodiment of the application, the cross section of the intermediate shaft end sleeve is square.

In one embodiment of the application, the outer side wall of the bushing comprises a guide rib along which the sleeve is axially movable.

In one embodiment of the application, the edges of the sleeve or liner are serrated.

In an embodiment of the application, a position sensor is further included, said position sensor being adapted to detect rotation as well as axial movement of said bushing.

In an embodiment of the application, a position sensor is further included, the position sensor being adapted to detect axial movement of the bushing and rotation of the hub.

In an embodiment of the present application, the sliding blocks are uniformly distributed around the intermediate shaft, and adjacent sliding blocks are closely attached.

In an embodiment of the application, the sliding block comprises an inclined plane, a contact block is propped against the inclined plane, and an elastic connecting piece is propped against the other end of the contact block.

Compared with the prior art, the application has the following advantages: the application provides a multifunctional knob assembly, a user can press, rotate and pull the multifunctional knob assembly to realize different functions, and various operation modes and practical functions are provided for the user; the multifunctional knob assembly is provided with the elastic keys, the knob cap can rotate at any angle and can be pulled towards any direction, and good controllable mechanical hand feeling is provided for a user; the multifunctional knob assembly has few parts, compact structure and simple assembly.

Drawings

In order to make the above objects, features and advantages of the present application more comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a multi-function knob assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a multi-function knob assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-function knob assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of a multi-function knob assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of a multi-function knob assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of a multi-function knob assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a D-D cross section of a portion of the construction of the multi-function knob assembly of FIG. 6.

Description of the embodiments

In order to make the above objects, features and advantages of the present application more comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application, but the present application may be practiced in other ways than as described herein, and therefore the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

As used in the specification and in the claims, the terms "a," "an," "the," and/or "the" are not specific to a singular, but may include a plurality, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In general, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" merely indicate that the steps and elements are explicitly identified, and they do not constitute an exclusive list, as other steps or elements may be included in a method or apparatus.

In addition, each embodiment of the following description has one or more features, respectively, which does not mean that the inventor must implement all features of any embodiment at the same time, or that only some or all of the features of different embodiments can be implemented separately. In other words, those skilled in the art can implement some or all of the features of any one embodiment or a combination of some or all of the features of multiple embodiments selectively, depending on the design specifications or implementation requirements, thereby increasing the flexibility of the implementation of the application where implemented as possible.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "on," "connected to," "coupled to," or "contacting" another element, it can be directly on, connected or coupled to, or contacting the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to," "directly coupled to," or "directly contacting" another element, there are no intervening elements present. Likewise, when a first element is referred to as being "electrically contacted" or "electrically coupled" to a second element, there are electrical paths between the first element and the second element that allow current to flow. The electrical path may include a capacitor, a coupled inductor, and/or other elements that allow current to flow even without direct contact between the conductive elements.

As described in the background art, the knob structure is usually rotated to adjust the temperature, the air volume, etc. of the air conditioner, and the adjusting mode and the function are relatively single. In order to enrich the adjustment modes and functions of the knob structure, many improvements are made to the knob structure, for example, an air conditioner can be started by pressing. The existing improvement made to the knob structure has the defects of more parts, complex assembly, difficult quality control and higher cost.

The application provides a multifunctional knob assembly, which has the advantages of fewer parts, simple assembly, easily controlled quality and lower cost. The multifunctional knob assembly is applicable to an in-vehicle terminal of a vehicle.

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a multi-function knob assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the multifunction knob assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-function knob assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The structure of the multifunctional knob assembly 100 of the present application is described below with reference to fig. 1-3.

The multifunctional knob assembly 100 includes a front cover 101, a partition 102, a rear cover 103, a knob cap 104, and an intermediate shaft 105. The front cover 101, the partition 102, the rear cover 103, and the knob cap 104 may be made of plastic, such as Polyoxymethylene (POM). The intermediate shaft 105 may be made of a metal member, such as stainless steel.

The front cover 101 and the rear cover 103 form a housing for accommodating the internal structure of the multifunctional knob assembly 100. An opening is provided in the middle of the front cover 101 for receiving the knob cap 104. The cross-sectional shape of the front cover 101 may be rectangular. The long-side direction of the front cover 101 is defined as a long axis, and the short-side direction of the front cover 101 is defined as a short axis. A partition 102 is located between the front cover 101 and the rear cover 103 for dividing the housing into two spaces. The separator 102 is provided with a circuit board 1021 thereon including a position sensor for detecting an electrical signal. Cushioning members 114 may also be provided on the spacer 102 to provide a good mechanical feel. The material of the buffer 114 may be an elastic material, such as silicone.

The knob cap 104 is provided on the outside of the front cover 101. The knob cap 104 may be circular in cross-section. The intermediate shaft 105 penetrates the front cover 101 and the partition 102, and one end of the intermediate shaft 105 is connected to the knob cap 104. The intermediate shaft 105 and the knob cap 104 may be fixedly connected or detachably connected. The fixed connection of the intermediate shaft 105 to the knob cap 104 may be adhesive. The intermediate shaft 105 may be detachably connected to the knob cap 104 by a screw. The direction along the intermediate shaft 105 is defined as axial, and the direction perpendicular to the axial is defined as radial.

A plurality of sliders 106 are included between the front cover 101 and the partition 102. The intermediate shaft 105 is disposed in a hollow region formed by a plurality of sliders 106. The plurality of sliders 106 are uniformly distributed around the intermediate shaft 105, and adjacent sliders 106 are closely attached. Preferably, as shown in fig. 2, four sliders 106 are included between the front cover 101 and the partition 102. Four sliders 106 are uniformly distributed around the intermediate shaft 105, wherein two sliders 106 are parallel to the long axis of the front cover 101, and two sliders 106 are parallel to the short axis of the front cover 101. The intermediate shaft 105 can push the slider 106 to slide radially. Intermediate shaft 105 and plurality of sliders 106 may also include intermediate shaft sleeve 107 therebetween. The intermediate sleeve 107 may be made of an elastic material to provide a good mechanical feel. The top of the intermediate sleeve 107 may be in contact with the front cover 101. The cross-sectional area of the top of the middle sleeve 107 may be larger than the cross-sectional area of its body to increase the contact area of the middle sleeve 107 with the front cover 101. The top of the intermediate sleeve 107 may be circular in cross-section. The intermediate sleeve 107 may be integrally formed with the intermediate shaft 105, such as by injection molding. A spring 112 is connected to the opposite surface of the slider 106 to the contact surface with the intermediate shaft 106. The slider 106 includes a ramp 1061. The inclined surface 1061 is abutted with the contact block 113. The other end of the contact block 113 abuts against a buffer 114.

A bushing 108 and a sleeve 109 are included between the diaphragm 102 and the rear cover 103. A bushing 108 is connected to the other end of the intermediate shaft 105. The intermediate shaft 105 and the bushing 108 may be fixedly connected or detachably connected. The fixed connection of the intermediate shaft 105 to the bushing 108 may be adhesive. The removable connection of the intermediate shaft 105 to the bushing 108 may be a threaded connection. The material of the bushing 108 may be polycarbonate or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC-ABS). In an embodiment of the application, a countershaft end sleeve 110 is also provided between the countershaft 105 and the bushing 108. The cross-section of the intermediate shaft end sleeve 110 is non-circular in shape to transmit a torque through the intermediate shaft to the bushing 108. Preferably, the intermediate shaft end sleeve 110 is square in cross-section. The sleeve 109 is sleeved outside the bushing 108. The outer side wall of the bushing 108 includes a guide rib along which the sleeve 109 is axially movable. It will be appreciated that guide ribs may also be provided on the inner side wall of the sleeve 109. A follower 115 and a spring 116 are also provided between the sleeve 109 and the back cover 103. Follower 115 is urged against sleeve 109 by spring 116. In one embodiment of the application, the sleeve 109 may be a cam sleeve and the follower 115 may be a cam follower. And an elastic key 111 is included between the bottom surface of the bushing 108 and the bottom surface of the sleeve 109. The elastic button 111 is abutted between the bottom surface of the bushing 108 and the bottom surface of the tray cover 109. The material of the elastic key 111 may be silica gel. The edges of the bushing 108 or sleeve 109 are serrated. The intermediate shaft 105 is adapted to transmit a torque to the bushing 108 and an axial force through the bushing 108 to the resilient key 111.

The following describes the implementation of each function by the multi-function knob structure.

Pressing

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of a multi-function knob assembly according to an embodiment of the present application. For convenience of explanation, a part of the structure between the front cover 101 and the partition 102 is omitted.

As shown in fig. 4, upon receiving an axial pressing force, the knob cap 104 moves axially downward. The knob cap 104 is moved axially downward and the axial pressing force is passed through the intermediate shaft end sleeve 110 of the intermediate shaft 105. The intermediate shaft end cap 110 pushes the bushing 108 against the resilient key 111 between the bottom surface of the bushing 108 and the bottom surface of the sleeve 109. The elastic key 111 may be made of silica gel, and may provide good mechanical feel. The protrusions of the elastic keys 111 may be designed in different sizes and shapes to provide a rich mechanical hand feeling, thereby satisfying the diversified demands of users.

When the axial pressing force is removed, the intermediate shaft 105 and the bushing 108 move axially upward under the rebound thrust of the elastic key 111 until the intermediate shaft sleeve 107 on the intermediate shaft 105 is connected to the front cover 101. The spring button 111 is designed with a pre-load amount on the stroke to prevent the knob cap 104 from axial loosening or radial wobble during rest. The pre-pressing amount may be about 0.3 mm.

A position sensor 117 on the diaphragm 102 is positioned near the edge of the bushing 108 to detect axial movement of the bushing 108 and convert it into an electrical signal. For example, the position sensor 117 is U-shaped, and both side walls of the U-shaped position sensor 117 can transmit and receive light. When the edge of the bushing 108 does not enter the groove of the U-shaped position sensor 117, the optical path is conducted. When the edge of the bushing 108 enters the groove of the U-shaped position sensor 117, the optical path is blocked. The conduction and blockage of the optical path can be converted into an electrical signal.

Rotating

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of a multi-function knob assembly according to an embodiment of the present application. For convenience of explanation, a part of the structure between the front cover 101 and the partition 102 is omitted.

As shown in fig. 5, when knob cap 104 receives a torque, the torque is transmitted to bushing 108 and sleeve 109 via intermediate shaft 105. The bushing 108 and sleeve 109 rotate upon receiving torque. As sleeve 109 rotates, follower 115 and sleeve 109 create a contact friction action. Under the contact friction effect generated by the driven piece 115 and the disk sleeve 109, the spring 116 generates different compression amounts, so that different resistances are generated, and the mechanical hand feeling of the pause can be simulated.

In one embodiment of the application, when knob cap 104 receives a torque, the torque is transferred through intermediate shaft 105 to bushing 108 and sleeve 109. The bushing 108 and sleeve 109 rotate upon receiving torque. The edges of the bushing 108 or sleeve 109 are serrated. The position sensor 117 is disposed near the edge of the sleeve 108 or the hub 109. Since the edge of the hub 108 or the hub 109 is saw-tooth shaped, the position sensor 117 can detect the pulse signal when the hub 108 or the hub 109 rotates.

Pulling and pulling

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a partial structure of the multifunctional knob assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a D-D cross section of a portion of the construction of the multi-function knob assembly 100 of FIG. 6. For convenience of explanation, a part of the structure between the partition plate 102 and the rear cover 103 is omitted.

As shown in fig. 6-7, the multifunction knob assembly 100 includes four sliders 106. The intermediate shaft 105 is disposed in a hollow region formed by four sliders 106. An intermediate shaft sleeve 107 is included between the intermediate shaft 105 and the slider 106. Four sliders 106 are uniformly distributed around the intermediate shaft 105, and adjacent sliders 106 are closely attached. Of the four sliders 106, two sliders 106 are parallel to the long axis of the front cover 101, and two sliders 106 are parallel to the long axis of the front cover 101. The slide 106 is movable on a guide rail (not shown) of the housing. The guide rail may also include a stop (not shown). A spring 112 is connected to the opposite surface of the slider 106 to the contact surface with the intermediate shaft 105. The slider 106 includes a ramp 1061. The inclined surface 1061 is abutted with the contact block 113. The other end of the contact block 113 abuts against a buffer 114.

When the knob cap 104 is pulled, the intermediate shaft 105 pushes the slider 106 in this direction, and the slider 106 moves away from the intermediate shaft 105. The opposing slide 106 does not move with the intermediate shaft 105 due to the limit of the front cover 101 and the pressing of the adjacent slide 106. The spring 112 at the other end of the slider 106 is compressed and the compressed spring 112 may urge the slider 106 to return to its original position. The radial movement of the slider 106 is converted into an axial movement of the contact block 113 due to the effect of the inclined surface 1601. The axial movement of the contact block 113 presses the buffer member 114 downward to communicate with the circuit on the circuit board 1021, thereby generating an electrical function.

By adjusting the spring rate of the spring 112, a different mechanical feel can be obtained. A pre-load amount may be designed between the middle shaft sleeve 107 and the slider 106 to prevent the knob cap 104 from shaking in a static state. The amount of pre-compression may be 0.2mm. When the intermediate shaft 105 pushes the sliders 106 in a direction other than the major or minor axis (for example, 45 degrees), two adjacent sliders 106 are simultaneously pushed. Pushing in the non-major or minor axis direction will not generate an electrical signal, but can enrich the user's way of operation.

The application provides a multifunctional knob assembly, a user can press, rotate and pull the multifunctional knob assembly to realize different functions, and various operation modes and practical functions are provided for the user; the multifunctional knob assembly is provided with the elastic keys, the knob cap can rotate at any angle and can be pulled towards any direction, and good controllable mechanical hand feeling is provided for a user; the multifunctional knob assembly has few parts, compact structure and simple assembly.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present application.

The various illustrative logical modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

While the application has been described with reference to the specific embodiments presently, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the foregoing embodiments are merely illustrative of the application, and various equivalent changes and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit of the application, and therefore, all changes and modifications to the embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-function knob assembly, the multi-function knob assembly comprising: the front cover, baffle, back lid, knob cap and jackshaft, the baffle is located the front cover with between the back lid, the knob cap sets up the outside of front cover, the jackshaft runs through the front cover with the baffle just the one end of jackshaft is connected knob cap, its characterized in that:

the front cover and the partition plate comprise a plurality of sliding blocks, the intermediate shaft is arranged in a hollow area formed by the sliding blocks, and the intermediate shaft can push the sliding blocks to slide radially; the sliding block comprises an inclined plane, a contact block is propped against the inclined plane, and a buffer piece is propped against the other end of the contact block;

the novel anti-theft device comprises a middle shaft, a middle cover, a baffle plate, a disc sleeve, a sleeve and a disc cover, wherein the middle shaft is arranged between the baffle plate and the rear cover;

wherein the intermediate shaft is adapted to transmit a torque to the bushing and an axial force to the elastomeric key through the bushing.

2. The multi-function knob assembly according to claim 1, wherein the resilient key is of silicone.

3. The multi-function knob assembly according to claim 1, wherein the end of the intermediate shaft connected to the bushing comprises an intermediate shaft end sleeve.

4. A multi-function knob assembly according to claim 3, wherein said intermediate shaft end cap is square in cross-section.

5. The multi-function knob assembly according to claim 1, wherein an outer sidewall of the bushing includes a guide rib along which the sleeve is axially movable.

6. The multi-function knob assembly according to claim 5, wherein an edge of the sleeve or the bushing is serrated.

7. The multi-function knob assembly according to claim 1 or 6, further comprising a position sensor adapted to detect rotation and axial movement of the bushing.

8. The multi-function knob assembly according to claim 6, further comprising a position sensor adapted to detect axial movement of the bushing and rotation of the sleeve.

9. The multifunctional knob assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sliding blocks are uniformly distributed around the middle shaft, and adjacent sliding blocks are closely attached.

10. An in-vehicle terminal of a vehicle comprising the multifunction knob assembly according to any one of claims 1-9.