Patent Publication Number: US-2022219540-A1

Title: Operating unit for a vehicle

Description:
The present invention claims priority of the national German patent application 10 2019 114 002.1 of 24 May 2019 the contents of which is incorporated here by reference. 
     The invention relates to an operating unit for a vehicle, and in particular to a man-machine interface for a vehicle or a vehicle component, such as a heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning system, an infotainment system, a navigation device or the like, for example. 
     Operating units for vehicles, such as air conditioning control unit for vehicles, for example, are partially automatically assembled from a plurality of individual components. A display which is either configured as a display device or additionally for inputting commands becomes to an increasing extent an essential component of such operating units. In the latter case, the display is configured as a touchscreen. Besides a touchscreen, the operating unit can also comprise other manually actuated operating elements, such as a rotary controller, a rotary/push controller or operating keys of different configurations. 
     Various installation methods for installing displays in vehicle holding fixtures are described in DE-A-10 2012 219 286, DE-A-10 2015 111 269 and DE-A-10 2017 109 022 
     It is an object of the invention to simplify the assembly of an operating unit in particular with regard to fastening a display to the operating unit. 
     According to the invention, for achieving this object, an operating unit for a vehicle, in particular a man-machine interface e.g. for a vehicle component, such as a heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning system, an infotainment system, a navigation device, or the like is proposed, wherein the operating unit is provided with
         a housing having a front panel comprising a recess,   a display accommodated in the housing and having a display area which is arranged in the or behind the recess, and   a fastening device for fastening the display in the housing,   wherein the fastening device comprises a holding part holding the display,   wherein the holding part is arranged in the housing so as to be pivotable between a preassembly position and an installation position in which the display is located in the or behind the recess of the front panel,   wherein the housing—or alternatively the holding part—comprises a bearing axle which is constituted by a least one bar arranged in the housing,   wherein the holding part—or alternatively the housing—comprises at least one bearing shell assembly having at least two gripping-around protrusions adapted to be mounted on the bar, which gripping-around protrusions define a circular-cylindrical bearing shell area for abutting on the at least one bar, said bearing shell area extending over more than 180° and less than 270° and defining a mounting opening for mounting the bearing shell assembly on the bar,   wherein the bar comprises, along its longitudinal extension, in at least one mounting portion a circumferential area having an outer contour which deviates from the shape complementary to the bearing shell area of the gripping-around protrusions of the at least one bearing shell assembly,   wherein the bar is arranged in the housing—or alternatively the at least one bearing shell assembly at the holding part—so as to be oriented in such a way that the at least one bearing shell assembly, in the preassembly position of the holding part, is adapted to be mounted on the mounting portion of the bar and is pivotable from the preassembly position into the installation position in which the at least one bearing shell assembly grips around the bar within its mounting portion so as to be undetachable,   wherein the installation position of the holding part is defined by abutting elements of the housing and the holding part, with the abutting elements abutting on each other, and   wherein the fastening device comprises at least one fastening element for fixing the holding part, in its installation position, in and/or at the housing.       

     Accordingly, the invention proposes to configure a holding part of the fastening device holding or accommodating the display of the operating unit such that the former can be mounted on the bearing axle for pivoting the holding part from a preassembly position in which it is mounted on the bearing axle into an installation position in which the display is located in the desired position behind a recess of the front panel of the housing of the operating unit, for example. 
     In detail, the operating unit according to the invention comprises a housing having a front panel in which a recess for the display is provided. The display comprises a display area which, in the installation position of the display, is arranged in the or behind the recess of the front panel. A fastening device serves for fastening the display in the housing. Said fastening device comprises a holding part for the display and a bearing axle arranged at or in the housing—or alternatively at the holding part. This bearing axle is constituted by at least one bar-shaped part fixedly arranged in the housing or at the holding part, which bar-shaped part preferably is similar to a round bar. Hereunder the bar-shaped part is referred to as a bar. 
     As stated above, the holding part can be pivoted from its assembly position into the installation position. The fastening device further includes, besides the holding part and the bearing axle or the at least one bar-shaped element (for the sake of convenience referred to hereunder as “bar” or “bars”), a bearing shell assembly cooperating with the bearing axle thus constituting a separable hinge. For this purpose, the at least one bar comprises, along its extension, a mounting portion where the shell bearing assembly is adapted to be mounted on the bar when the holding part is in the preassembly position. The bearing shell assembly comprises at least two gripping-around protrusions for gripping around the bar, wherein the at least two gripping-around protrusions define a circular-cylindrical bearing shell area for abutting on the bar. Between the two gripping-around protrusions a mounting opening is located such that the two gripping-around protrusions define a circular-cylindrical bearing shell area preferably extending over more than 180° and less than 270° in the circumferential direction. The gripping-around protrusions need not continuously define this bearing shell area; however, in sections the gripping-around protrusions comprise surface areas which extend along the contour of the circular-cylindrical bearing shell area and partly define or delimit the latter. 
     In other words, the bearing shell assembly has a C-shaped configuration as see in the side view. The bearing shell assembly can be mounted on the mounting portion of the bar through the mounting opening of this C-shaped configuration so as to be pivoted relative to the bar from this position, which is also the preassembly position of the holding part, into the installation position of the holding part. In the installation position of the holding part the bearing shell assembly and respectively the gripping-around protrusions of the bearing shell assembly are secured at the bar so as to be undetachable. The installation position is further defined by abutting elements of the housing and the holding part. Finally, the holding part can be fixed to the housing at these abutting elements by a fastening element, for example. 
     An essential advantage of the operating unit according to the invention is the simple assembly of the display. In relation to a three-dimensional coordinate system with an extension of the X-axis along the bar, an extension of the Y-axis orthogonally to the latter as well as in parallel to the front panel, and with an extension of the Z-axis orthogonally to both (and thus e.g. into the housing), the positioning of the display in the extension of the Y-axis is thus defined by the bar and the bearing shell assembly, while the positioning in the Z-axis is determined by the abutment element, namely by the comparably easy-to-realize assembly process described above (fixing by fastening the holding part to the housing subsequent to the previous mounting of the bearing shell assembly on the bar constituting the bearing axle by pivoting the holding element from this preassembly position into the installation position). 
     Besides the aforementioned component parts of the operating unit according to the invention, the latter can also comprise further operating elements, such as keys, rotary controllers, push buttons, rotary buttons etc. 
     Within its accommodation portion the bar has an outer contour deviating from the circular-cylindrical circumferential area, as described above. Here, the outer contour of the bar in the mounting portion extends up to the circular-cylindrical circumferential area or is receding relative to the latter. The bar is oriented such that, with the holding part in the preassembly position, the gripping-around protrusions of the at least one bearing shell assembly can be mounted on the mounting portion of the bar. For example, the bar comprises one or a plurality of flattened portions in their mounting portion, wherein, advantageously, when two flattened portions are provided, these are arranged diametrally opposite to each other. Alternatively, it is also possible that the bar has a multiple-polygonal outer contour without the individual portions of the circumferential area having to extend in a circular-cylindrical manner. Thus, the bar can have a rectangular or square configuration in its mounting portion, for example, wherein the diagonal is essentially equal to the diameter defining the circular-cylindrical bearing shell area of the bearing shell assembly. In other words, in this variant of the bar described last, the longest distance line, extending through the center axis of the bar, between two opposite outer corners of the polygonal circumferential area is equal to or essentially equal to the diameter defined by the circular-cylindrical bearing shell area of the bearing shell assembly. 
     Each bar-shaped part can have a continuous configuration or comprise individual portions separated from each other and being aligned with each other in the extension of the bearing axle, wherein the individual portions respectively comprise one of the flattened portions or a plurality of flattened portions. 
     As stated above, the gripping-around protrusions of the at least one bearing shell assembly are essentially configured as a C-shaped bearing shell assembly, as seen in the extension of the bearing axle. Here, the gripping-around protrusions define the mounting opening at their free ends, which mounting opening has a width which is larger than or equal to the thickness of the bar in its mounting portion, when viewing the bar from the side in the mounting direction of the holding part when the latter, in its preassembly position, is placed on the bearing axle. 
     According to another advantageous implementation of the invention, it is provided that the gripping-around protrusions of the at least one bearing shell assembly are arranged opposite to each other and that at least one pair of such gripping-around protrusions exists. 
     Alternatively or additionally to a bearing shell assembly having two opposite gripping-around protrusions, a bearing shell assembly can comprise three gripping-around protrusions, for example, wherein two first gripping-around protrusions are laterally and axially offset from each other relative to a common side of the bearing axle, while the remaining one second gripping-around protrusion is arranged diametrally opposite to the two first gripping-around protrusions, namely between the two first gripping-around protrusions leaving a gap between them. 
     According to another advantageous implementation of the invention, the operating unit can be provided with a positioning element assembly for positioning the holding element and the housing relative to each other in the longitudinal extension of the bar when the holding part assumes its installation position, wherein the positioning element assembly comprises, at the housing—or alternatively at the holding part —, two bearing shell areas facing each other between which, in the installation position of the holding part, an axial positioning protrusion arranged at the holding part—or alternatively at the housing—can be immersed. The positioning element assembly enables the holding part to also be fixed in the longitudinal direction of the bearing axle, i.e. in relation to the coordinate axes described above, in the extension of the X-axis and in the installation position. Thus, in the installation position the holding part and the display held by the holding part are definedly positioned in all three spatial directions which are perpendicularly to each other. 
     Advantageously, in the device according to the invention, it can further be provided that the bearing axle is defined by two bars aligned with each other, wherein gripping-around protrusions of a bearing shell assembly are associated with each bar, and/or that the installation position of the holding part is defined by two pairs of cooperating abutment elements at the holding part and the housing. 
     For supporting the orientation of the holding part relative to the housing, when the gripping-around protrusions of the bearing shell assembly are mounted on the at least one bar for the holding part to assume the preassembly position, the operating unit can further comprise cooperating guiding areas. 
    
    
     
       Hereunder the invention will be described in detail on the basis a several exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the front side of an operating unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 2  shows an exploded view illustrating the components of the operating unit primarily relevant to the invention, 
       
         FIGS. 3 to 10 
       
       show various states and relative arrangements of the holding part holding the display, and the housing before as well as in the assembly position and after pivoting into the installation position, 
       
         FIGS. 11 and 12 
       
       show schematic diagrams of the hinge, adapted to be stuck together in the preassembly position of the holding part and be inseparable in the installation position, between the holding part and the housing for the operating unit of  FIGS. 2 to 10 , and 
       
         FIGS. 13 to 16 
       
       show two further exemplary embodiments of the hinge, adapted to be stuck together in the preassembly position and be inseparable in the installation position, between the holding part and the housing. 
     
    
    
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a perspective view as well as an exploded view of the essential components of an operating unit  10  according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The operating unit  10  comprises a housing  12  at whose front side a front panel  14  comprising a recess  16  is located. At the front panel  14  various manually operable operating elements, such as operating keys  18 , buttons  20  and e.g. a rotary/push controller  22 , are located. However, this type of operating elements will not be dealt with in detail below since the assembly of a display  24  whose display area  26  is positioned behind the front panel  14  in the installation position is the essential feature of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  shows that the display  24  is held by a holding part  28  which comprises a holding shell or a holding frame  30  having two bearing shell assemblies  32  and two fixing lugs as abutment elements  34 . The bearing shell assemblies  32  and the abutment elements  34  as well as the holding part  28  form part of a fastening device  36  which additionally comprises two bar-shaped parts  38  stationarily arranged in the housing  12  (for the sake of convenience, hereunder referred to as “bar” or “bars”, respectively) which are aligned with each other in the longitudinal extension and define a bearing axle  40  which cooperates with the bearing shell assemblies  32 , as will be described below. The bar-shaped part(s)  38  and the bearing shell assembly  32  can be arranged such that they are inversely assigned to the housing  12  and the holding part  28  in comparison to what has been described above. The operating unit  10  further comprises a positioning element assembly  42  including an axial positioning protrusion  44  at the holding part  28  and two positioning abutment elements  46  at the housing  12  (or vice versa), the function of which will be described below. 
     Each bar-shaped part  38  can be continuously configured or comprise individual separate portions which are aligned with each other in the extension of the bearing axle  40 , wherein the individual portions each comprise one of the flattened portions  54 ,  56  or a plurality of flattened portions  54 ,  56 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , for example, the two bearing shell assemblies  32  each comprise a group of gripping-around protrusions projecting from the holding part  28 , wherein two first gripping-around protrusions  48  are arranged at a distance to each other, and a second gripping-around protrusion  50  is positioned on the opposite side and thus diametrally opposite in relation to the bearing axle  40  between these two first gripping-around protrusions  48  leaving a gap between them. Each gripping-around protrusion  48  comprises a circular-cylindrical portion of a bearing shell assembly  52 , wherein, when viewing the bearing shell assembly  32  in the direction of the arrow in  FIG. 3 , the gripping-around protrusions  48 ,  50  of each bearing shell assembly  32  has a C-shaped configuration extending over more than 180° and in particular less than 270° and defines a mounting opening  53 . 
     The figures indicate that the two bars  38  comprise flattened portions  54 ,  56  corresponding to the positions of the three gripping-around protrusions  48 ,  50  of each bearing shell assembly  32  which flattened portions, in their entirety, constitute mounting portions  57  of the bars  38 . Thus, each bearing shell assembly can be laterally mounted on one of the bars  38 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 to 8 .  FIGS. 3 to 6  show various views in which the holding part  28 , in its preassembly position, is mounted on the bearing axle  40 . For this purpose, the holding part  28  is laterally mounted on the two bars  38  in an inclined manner and in an inclined orientation relative to the front side of the housing  12 , wherein the gripping-around protrusions  48 ,  50  of each bearing shell assembly  32  grip around both sides of the respective bar  38 . When the bars  38  have been mounted, the situation illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8  is realized. Subsequently, the holding part is pivoted from this preassembly position into the installation position, as indicated by the arrows in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In the installation position, the holding part  28  assumes the state illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
     As can in particular be seen in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the holding part  28  is positioned in the Y- and Z-extension of the coordinate system of  FIG. 9 . The holding part  28  is fixed to the housing  12  by means of fastening elements  58  (indicated in  FIG. 10 ) which define the abutment elements  34  of the holding part  28  relative to the abutment elements  60  in/at the housing  12 . Here, the axial positioning protrusion  44  of the positioning element assembly  42  is immersed between the two positioning abutment elements  46 , as can be seen in  FIG. 9 . 
     In  FIGS. 11 and 12  the principle of the hinge adapted to be stuck together, as used for assembly of the holding part  28  and the housing  12  according to the invention, is schematically illustrated. The bar  38 ′ comprises opposite first and second flattened portions  54 ′,  56 ′ with two first flattened portions  54 ′ being arranged side by side in pairs on one side, wherein the second flattened portion  56 ′ is arranged on the opposite side between these first flattened portions  54 ′ leaving a gap between them. In the preassembly position of the holding part  28  the corresponding gripping-around protrusions  48 ,  50  can be slid on these flattened portions  54 ′,  56 ′, then serve as a pivot bearing for pivoting the holding part  28  into the installation position and grip around the bar  38 ′ when the holding part  28  is in its installation position (see  FIG. 12 ). 
     The two situations (preassembly position and installation position) described above are shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14, and 15 and 16 , respectively, for two other configurations of the bar. 
     In  FIGS. 13 and 14  the bar  38 ′ also comprises flattened portions  54 ″,  56 ″ which, however, in contrast to those of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , do not extend in parallel but at an angle to each other. 
       FIGS. 15 and 16  show an exemplary embodiment of a bar  38 ′″ which has a square section. Here, the flattened portions  54 ′″ and  56 ′″ extend in parallel to each other and are diametrally opposite to each other and thus similar to those of the exemplary embodiment of  FIGS. 11 and 12 . Here, the diagonal of the square cross-section is equal to the diameter of the circular-cylindrical bearing shell assembly  52 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           10  Operating unit 
           12  Housing 
           14  Front panel 
           16  Recess 
           18  Operating key 
           20  Operating button 
           22  Rotary/push controller 
           24  Display 
           26  Display area 
           28  Holding part 
           30  Holding frame 
           32  Bearing shell assembly 
           34  Abutment element at the holding part 
           36  Fastening device 
           38  Bar 
           38 ′ Bar 
           38 ″ Bar 
           38 ′″ Bar 
           40  Bearing axle 
           42  Positioning element assembly 
           44  Axial positioning protrusion 
           46  Positioning abutment element 
           48  Gripping-around protrusion 
           50  Gripping-around protrusion 
           52  Bearing shell area 
           53  Mounting opening 
           54  Flattened portion 
           54 ′ Flattened portion 
           54 ″ Flattened portion 
           54 ′″ Flattened portion 
           56  Flattened portion 
           56 ′ Flattened portion 
           56 ″ Flattened portion 
           56 ′″ Flattened portion 
           57  Mounting portion 
           58  Fastening element 
           60  Abutment element at the housing