Abstract:
A position selector device having: 
     (a) an inverted cup-like base body with an upper portion and a side portion; 
     (b) a substantially cylindrical rotary member mounted on a shaft, and arranged to rotate within the base body; 
     (c) a first position sensor for sensing the angular position of the rotary member; 
     (d) a toothed ring arranged to provide raster movement of the rotary member; 
     (e) a disk disposed centrally within the upper portion of the base body and arranged for tilting and/or lateral displacement within the base body; 
     (f) a second position sensor for sensing the tilting and/or lateral displacement; and 
     (g) a magnet arrangement for restoring said disk to its central position in said base body after its tilting and/or lateral displacement movement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an position selector device to create electronic signals representing selector positions. 
     A selector device to create selector positions is known from International Patent Publication No. WO 98 26 341 A1, and its corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,733. So that the selector positions may be created easily whose final positions may be securely used largely free of mechanical wear, a rotary sensor is provided that is free to move about its longitudinal axis and thus to position its position sensor teeth opposite teeth of a first position selector unit and to determine these positions by means of first position sensor elements that are positioned along the longitudinal axis in a finger body that may be pushed into a recess. For this, a second rotating body is placed upon a second position selector unit, and its position is determined via a second position sensor element. The second position selector unit is positioned opposite a base body via a two-dimensional positioning device. These positions are determined by third position sensor elements. 
     This mechanism has proved itself, but has room for improvement. The main point is that pre-selected positions that are arrived at via two-dimensional displacement may be simplified. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This objective, as well as further objects which will become apparent from the discussion that follows, are achieved, in accordance with the present invention by providing a position selector device having: 
     (a) an inverted cup-like base body with an upper portion and a side portion; 
     (b) a substantially cylindrical rotary member mounted on a shaft, and arranged to rotate within the base body; 
     (c) a first position sensor for sensing the angular position of the rotary member; 
     (d) a toothed ring arranged to provide raster movement of the rotary member; 
     (e) a disk disposed centrally within the upper portion of the base body and arranged for tilting and/or lateral displacement within the base body; 
     (f) a second position sensor for sensing the tilting and/or lateral displacement; and 
     (g) a magnet arrangement for restoring said disk to its central position in said base body after its tilting and/or lateral displacement movement. 
     The advantages achieved by the invention consist particularly of the fact that the disk body is located in the engaging area of the user&#39;s fingers, thus allowing easy operation. 
     Based on this, a magnetic tilt switch or slide switch may be produced that may be used to adjust a mirror or similar device in a motor vehicle. If necessary, this switch may be implemented with or without position assignment. The tilt switch device may also be a part of a tilt and raster switch device, or part of a tilt, raster, and tip switch device. The selector positions of the rotor hollow body are thereby accepted without making a sound. In order to provide the sounds that the user has come to expect, switching sound spheres are incorporated into switching sound grooves of a switching sound ring magnet. By the use of a repelling magnet element, the tilt magnet element allows switching movements that may be influenced by magnetic characteristic force curves. The tilt, push, raster, and/or tip positions are determined by the position arrangement, and the signals generated by the device may be used for regulators, controllers, switching, displays or similar apparatus. 
     The base body may be part of the rotor hollow body or of a separate switch. It may be shaped corresponding to the circumstances of its use. 
     The disk body may be either tilted or displaced above the motion element opposite the rotor hollow body. 
     The tilting may be supported by an at least partially surrounding groove. The groove may be of various cross-sectional shapes such as round, oval, or triangular. At least one sphere may be provided to support the displacement motion. The housing body may be at least partially surrounded by a hollow cylinder. This cylinder rests at least partially on a dimming element. Thus, the entire raster tilting switch is supported and the housing dimming body is guided securely. 
     The housing body may include a tilt switch receiver recess. The disk body may fit into this tilt switch receiver recess. The disk body may be held by a link with the base position arrangement opposite the rotor hollow body. This base position arrangement ensures that the disk element always returns to a defined initial position after it leaves the operating position. Thus, simple and reliable operation of the disk body is provided. 
     If the disk body is displaced, a displacement body recess may be provided that can work together with a displacement wall of the tilt switch recess. 
     A label plate may be incorporated into the disk body. The raster tilt switch may be designated using this label plate, making it easier to locate. 
     The basic position magnet arrangement may consist of an upper magnet incorporated into the disk body opposite which a plate element may be positioned that may be located within a final plate element of the rotor hollow body. This ensures that the disk body returns to its initial position. The lower plate element may be formed of an iron plate element or as a lower magnet. 
     The position sensor element may consist of a light sensor. It may consist of an arrangement of magnets that may be moved opposite a Hall sensor. Depending on the identification of individual positions, the arrangement of magnets may be formed of at least one displacement magnet element, or a ring magnet with corresponding polarization. Displacement switches, tilt switches, and/or rotation switches may all use Hall sensors. Double switches that are assigned to the magnet elements might find additional use as position sensors. Double Hall sensors may also be used as rotation sensors. This makes it possible to determine the direction of rotation. 
     Two opposing noise sphere receptor recesses may be included in the stator body element into each of which a switching sound sphere is inserted. Of course, other switching sound spheres may be included for which the corresponding recesses are provided. In order to emphasize individual switching positions, two or more switching sound spheres may be positioned adjacent to each other. Also, the switching sound spheres may be of differing sizes, and may be implemented as complete or hollow spheres. 
     Likewise, numerous switching sound grooves may be positioned in the switching sound ring magnet element as there are position sensor teeth. The individual elements may be compatible with one another. 
     The tilt switch device may also be expanded so that the magnet counter-element is a repelling magnet element that is positioned opposite the tilt magnet element on one side, whereby at least the plate element is arranged opposite the tilt magnet element on its other side. For this, the tilt magnet element may be arranged with one of its magnetic poles opposite the same magnetic pole of the counter-magnet element, and with its other magnetic pole at least opposite the disk element. Thus, the tilt motion curve may be effectively influenced. The curve may be additionally influenced if the tilt magnet element and/or the counter-magnet element include halves of a magnetic north pole and a magnetic south pole. In addition to the magnetic division, at least an iron yoke may at least partially surround the tilt switch magnet element. 
     A damping body may be positioned at least partially between the plate element and the tilt magnet element. This damping body damps the strike of the tilt magnet element against the plate body. Additionally, it influences the beginning of the tilt motion by means of its spring force. 
     The plate element may be in the form of a steel plate element. This makes the magnetic attractive force issuing from the magnet element effective. 
     The individual parts of the position selector device, such as the tilt magnet element, counter-magnet element, steel plate element, damping supports, etc. may be arranged within a tilt switch housing body. This tilt switch housing body may be pressed into a tilt switch receiver recess of the stator body elements. Simultaneously, the shaft element may be continued as a pushrod element that transfers the tilt motions issuing from the shaft element to the tilt magnet element. The tilt switch device may be produced at another location, and needs only to be finally inserted into the stator body element. This would greatly reduce manufacturing costs. If defects appear in the tilt switch device, it may be extracted and repaired or replaced by a new unit. 
     All magnet elements used may be in the form of permanent magnets. 
     For a full understanding of the present invention, reference should now be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 a  shows a tilt switch device in a schematic cutaway view. 
     FIG. 1 b  shows a displacement switch device in a schematic cutaway view. 
     FIG. 2 shows a tilt, raster and/or tip switch device in a schematic cutaway view. 
     FIG. 3 a  shows a cross-section through a device as in FIG. 2 along line III A—III A. 
     FIGS. 3 b  and  3   c  show additional embodiments of a position selector arrangement as in FIG. 3 a.    
     FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through a device as in FIG. 2 along line IV—IV. 
     FIGS. 5 a  through  7   a  show various embodiments of raster position configurations as in FIG. 4 with corresponding double Hall sensors as further position sensors with pertinent characteristic curves as in FIGS. 5 b  through  7   b.    
     FIG. 8 shows a tilt switch device for a tilt, raster and/or tip switch device as in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 9 shows a steel plate element for a tilt switch device as in FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 10 shows a steel plate element as in FIG. 9 with employed damping bodies. 
     FIGS. 11 a  and  11   b  show a partial tilt configuration for a device as in FIGS. 2 and 8. 
     FIGS. 12 and 13 show embodiments of magnets for a tilt switch device. 
     FIG. 14 shows a tilt configuration for a device as in FIGS. 2 and 8. 
     FIG. 15 shows individual phases of a movement of a configuration as in FIG.  14 . 
     FIG. 16 shows a characteristic motion curve as a function of a force dependent on the path. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-16 of the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are designated with the same reference numerals. 
     FIG. 1 a  shows a tilt switch device. 
     The tilt switch device  1  includes a disk body  3  that is inserted into a tilt switch receiver recess  25  of a housing plate element  2 . 1  of a housing body  2  and that is held with the help of a basic position magnet arrangement  6  opposite a rotor hollow body  8 . The disk body  3  includes a label plate  4  that is surrounded by a ring groove. An at least partially surrounding recess for at least a partially surrounding motion element  5  is positioned on the opposite side of the disk body on a final plate element  8 . 1 . The motion element functioning as a tilt element may have a triangular, round, or oval shape. When the disk body  3  is actuated from one side, it is linked with a projection on the one side and a cavity on the opposite side. The motion element  5  may also be implemented using inserted spheres that represent a very easily-moveable sphere link connection for each position. 
     The basic position magnet arrangement  6  consists of an upper magnet  6 . 1  that is inserted into the disk body  3 . A lower magnet  6 . 2  is inserted into the final plate element  8 . 1 . Both magnets ensure that the disk body  3  always returns to a defined initial position. 
     A position sensor  7  is provided to determine the tilt positions here between the disk body and the final plate element. At least one permanent magnet  7 . 1  is located on the underside of the disk body  3 . This magnet may consist of a large number of individual magnets or of a ring magnet with north and south poles. A sensor plate  7 . 2 , implemented as a circuit board, is inserted into the element  8 . 1  on which the sensor elements  7 . 3  are mounted. Simple or double Hall sensors may be used as a sensor element  7 . 3 . 
     FIG. 1 b  shows a displacement switch device  1 ′. It has the same design as the tilt switch device as in FIG. 1 a . So that the disk body  3  may be displaced laterally, a motion element  5  may be realized using spheres that are in corresponding recesses. Also, the disk body  3  includes an at least partially surrounding disk body recess  23  into which an at least partially surrounding displacement wall  11  engages, depending on displacement movement. The previously described position sensor  7  is used to determine the displacement positions. The described tilt- or displacement switch device may be used individually for the adjustment of mirrors or similar devices within a motor vehicle. Since it functions according to magnetic principles, practically no wear occurs. In the embodiment shown, the tilt switch device  1  is part of the overall switching device. 
     The tilt, raster, and tip switch device shown in FIG. 2 is composed of three switching devices: 
     tilt switch device  1  as in FIG. 1 a,    
     a raster switch device  40  and 
     a tip switch device  30 . 
     The raster switch device  40  consists of 
     a stator body element  14  and 
     the rotor hollow body  8 . 
     In the stator body element are four opposing magnet elements  12 . 1 ,  12 . 2 ,  12 . 3 ,  12 . 4 . Below them are two opposing sound sphere receptor recesses  19 ,  20 , into each of which a switching-sound sphere  15 ,  16  is inserted. The stator body element is enclosed by a surrounding arresting edge body  21 , under which securing pin bodies  22  are positioned. A shaft guide bushing element  14  is inserted into the stator body element  40 . Below this is located a tilt switch receiver recess  25 . 
     The rotor hollow body  8  has an essentially blade-covering configuration from whose center a shaft element  9  projects. A position sensor toothed ring element  13  is located within the interior of the rotor hollow body, as FIG. 3 a  shows, that includes a large number of position sensor teeth  26  between which position sensor tooth recesses are located. The size of the position sensor tooth recesses may include different lengths. 
     Below the position sensor toothed ring elements  13  (see also FIG. 4) is located a switching-sound ring magnet element  17  with switching-sound grooves  18 . 1 , . . .  18 . n . The number of switching-sound grooves may be varied correspondingly. It is generally compatible with the number of position sensor teeth  26 . 
     When the rotor hollow body  8  is placed on the correspondingly-configured stator body element  14 , the magnet elements  12 . 1 , . . . ,  12 . 4  are opposing the position sensor toothed ring element  13  with the position sensor teeth  26 , and the surrounding switching-sound ring magnet element  17  with switching-sound grooves  18 . 1 , . . . is also opposing the switching sphere receptor recesses  19 ,  20  with the switching spheres  15 ,  16 . 
     The housing body  2  is pressed onto the rotor hollow body  8 . The housing body  2  is at least partially surrounded by a securing hollow body cylinder  24  which may be attached to a dimming element. 
     A position sensor designated with  7  is also positioned between the rotor hollow body  8  and the stator body element  14 . This replaces the one described in FIG. 1 a , but may also be augmented by it. A ring magnet  7 . 1 ′,  7 . 2 ′ with north and south poles N, S is attached to it. The position sensors  7 . 3  are positioned on the element  14  (see also FIG. 3 a ). As FIG. 3 b  shows, the position sensors may be replaced by displacement sensors  7 . 3 ′ that also indicate the tilt positions as a tip sensor  7 . 3 ″ and/or as a rotation sensor  7 . 3 ′″. As FIG. 3 c  shows, the sensors  7 . 3 ′″ are realized as double Hall sensors, and are positioned separately but adjacent to one another in a disk-shaped circuit board  48 . This allows, among other things, the detection of rotation direction, particularly of the rotor hollow body  8 . 
     FIG. 4 shows the previously-described position of magnet elements  12 . 1 , . . . with respect to the position sensor teeth  26  of the position sensor toothed ring elements  13 , and the noise sphere receptor recesses  19  with the switching-sound spheres  15  with respect to the grooves  18 . 1 , . . . of the switching-sound ring magnet element  17 . 
     In FIG. 7 a , a double Hall sensor  43  is assigned to at least one magnet element  12 . 1 , etc. Thus, positions may also be determined so that this arrangement may be used either as a primary position sensor  7  or as an additional position sensor. 
     FIG. 5 a  shows an alternative embodiment with a Hall sensor  43 , as in FIG. 7 a , in which a stator and a rotor ring magnet  44 ,  47  with north and south poles N, S oppose each other. 
     FIG. 6 a ) shows another alternative embodiment, in which a stator and rotor ring magnet  44 ,  45  oppose each other. Both magnets have alternating north and south poles N, S. 
     FIGS. 5 b ,  6   b  and  7   b  show pertinent switching curves. A switching curve  43 . 1  of the double Hall switches  43  (FIG. 5 b ) belongs to a configuration per FIG. 5 a , a switching curve  43 . 2  (FIG. 6 b ) to a configuration per FIG. 6 a  and a switching curve  43 . 3  (FIG. 7 b ) to a configuration per FIG. 7 a . It is clear that the switching curve  43 . 3  shown in FIG. 7 b ) best reproduces the individual positions. 
     The tip switch device  30  is shown in detail in FIG.  2  and in FIGS. 8 through 14. It consists of a tilt switch housing body  38 . A counter-magnet element  37  is in the floor of the tip switch housing hollow body. 
     The opposing open side of the tip switch housing hollow body  38  is closed with a steel plate element  32  that is shown in detail in FIGS. 9 and 10. It has an essentially circular configuration. Three recesses  33  in the form of elongated holes are made in the steel plate element  32 . As FIG. 10 shows, the steel plate element  32  is equipped on both sides with damping bodies  35  and  35 ′ made of rubber or resilient plastic. In the center of the steel plate element  32  is a pushrod recess  34 . As FIG. 8 particularly shows, a moveable tilt magnet element  36  with its north pole N is opposite the north pole of the counter-magnet element  37 , creating a repelling magnetic effect. 
     FIGS. 11 a  and  b  show a section of the steel plate element  32 , the magnet  36 , and the shaft element  9  with pushrod element  31 . The steel plate element  32  may also be in the form of a magnet. 
     As FIGS. 12 and 13 show, half of the magnets  32  and  36  have a north pole N, and half have a south pole S. this increases the magnetic repelling force  39 . This may be increased even further if, as FIG. 11 b  shows, the magnet  36  is surrounded by a U-shaped iron yoke  66 . The north pole N of the magnet  36  rests on the pushrod element  31  and opposite the magnetic south pole S. This produces a situation in which the steel plate element has a north pole N and the U-shank of the iron yoke has a south pole S, and a magnetic short-circuit with a high force of attraction is present. 
     The particular advantage is that the tip switch device  30  so constructed may be produced and assembled separately at another location, and need only be inserted into the tip switch receptor recess  25  of the stator body element  14  during installation. This is formed near the recess in steps, and can thus be inserted into a recess of a securing plate  42 . 
     To employ the tip switch device  30 , the pushrod element  31  that is integrated with the shaft element  9  is inserted into the pushrod recess  34 . 
     The principle of operation of the tilt, raster, and tip switch device as shown in FIGS. 1 a  and  2  through  4  is explained in the following paragraphs. 
     The housing body  2  is gripped with the user&#39;s fingers and rotated. The position sensor teeth thus assume a final position with respect to the magnet elements  11 ,  12  that may be in the form of permanent magnets. When the housing body is rotated, position movements occur as are known in mechanical raster mechanisms. Since the raster positions are based on a magnetic principle, they are without sound. In order to give the user the feel of a raster switch, switching-sound spheres are inserted into the switching-sound grooves  18 . 1  for each raster position, thus producing the expected switching sound. The sound quality of the switching-sound may be varied by the size of the switching-sound spheres and by their configuration as full or hollow spheres. Also, certain raster positions may be especially preferred. An intermediary body  41  (see FIG. 2) ensures that the rotating motion is completed cleanly. 
     With the help of the tilt switch device  1 , a pre-selection from existing selection programs may be performed. If a “Program Station Selection Radio Station” is selected by pressing the disk body  3  down from one side, then the corresponding station selection is performed via the rotation of the housing body  2 . So that the disk body  3  itself does not rotate, but rotates with the housing body  2 , it is functionally connected with the rotor hollow body  8  lying underneath by means of connecting pins  49 . 
     When the desired station is found by rotating the housing dimming body  8 , an additional press on the disk body  3  of the rotor hollow body, and thereby via the shaft element  9 , actuates the pushrod element  31 . 
     When the pushrod element  31  is actuated, it moves through the pushrod recess  34 , as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, toward the tilt magnet element  36 . The magnetic repelling force  39  provides a counter-force to the downward tip motion. The tip motion ends when the shaft element  9  is resting on the upper damping body  35 . 
     FIG. 16 shows a characteristic motion curve KL of a force K as a function of the path W that is created during phases  1  to  3  as shown in FIG.  15 . In Phase  1 , a curved curve increase KLA that may be similar to a sine wave occurs and leads to a curve maximum KLM. To this is appended a curved curve decrease KLS in Phase  2  that may be cotangent-shaped, and that attempts to swing upward in a curve as repelling magnet characteristic curve KG. The characteristic line KL ends in a strike window AF. A tolerance window TF is established at its maximum KLM that is a switching point KS, and that is assigned to one or more of the position sensors  7 . 3 . The position sensor  7  as in FIG. 2 receives not only these, but also all tilt and rotation positions. 
     The positions are passed on as electronic signals. 
     The display in the vehicle shows that the tuned station has been acknowledged and is now available. 
     If the disk body  3  and thereby the rotor hollow body is relieved of the pressure motion, the counter-magnet element  37  presses the tilt magnet element  36  immediately further back into the initial position so that it rests on the damping bodies  35 ,  35 ′. The damping bodies damp not only the striking sound and the previous striking sound of the shaft element  9  when tipped, but also influence the curve progression of the characteristic motion curve KL and at the beginning of tipping in Phase  1 . FIG. 15 shows clearly that, when the pushrod elements  31  are pressed onto the magnet  36 , the stored spring force of the damping body  35 ,  35 ′ supports the tip force against the magnetic repelling force  39 . Additional influence on the characteristic motion curve KL is possible using mechanical springs. 
     When this selection is completed, another menu may be selected by another position of the disk body  3  whose program may be specially invoked. If the invoked program is a telephone book, telephone numbers are provided with the individual addresses that appear on the screen. The displayed addresses may also be linked to audio announcements with the name and telephone number. When the motor vehicle operator has found the correct number, this fact is acknowledged by means of the tip movement via the tilt switch device, and the party is called. 
     The particular advantage of the tilt, raster and tip switch device consists of the fact that the motor vehicle operator may invoke all types of programs using one hand, particularly allowing safe telephoning while driving. The position selector device may be integrated into the steering wheel so that the driver may keep both hands on the wheel while operating the raster, tilt switch. This increases automotive safety. 
     There has thus been shown and described a novel position selector device which fulfill all the objects and advantages sought therefor. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred embodiments thereof. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is to be limited only by the claims which follow.