Patent ID: 12221031

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

Referring now toFIGS.1,2, and3, a steering column switch in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIGS.1,2, and3respectively illustrate a top view, an exploded view, and a sectional view of the steering column switch.

The steering column switch includes a switch lever1, a switch piece3, a slide10, and at least one magnet (“magnet”)8and at least one magnet sensor (“magnet sensor”)9. Switch lever (or shift lever or shifter)1is pivotable in two directions that are perpendicular to each other. Switch piece (or switching piece or contact piece)3is pivotally mounted about a first axis4. Switch lever1is pivotally mounted in switch piece3about a second axis4. Second axis4is arranged perpendicularly to first axis3.

Switch lever1has an end piece15. A spring-loaded latching sleeve6is at end piece15. Latching sleeve (or locking sleeve)6is latchable (or lockable) into a latching cam (or locking cam)7at different positions.

Slide (or carriage)10is movably mounted on switch piece3in a linear manner parallel to first axis4. Magnet8is rigidly connected to slide10. Magnet8and magnet sensor9can be positioned relative to each other by pivoting switch lever1about second axis5. Magnet8pivots together with switch piece3when the switch piece is pivoted about first axis4thereof.

FIG.1shows the steering column switch without detent cam7, which is illustrated inFIGS.2and3. The following description refers to all of the Figures collectively.

Contact piece3includes axle stubs, as bearing points14, integrally formed thereon at two mutually opposite outer surfaces. In the fully installed or fully assembled state, the axle stubs as bearing points14are inserted into recesses of a housing (not shown). As a result, switch piece3is mounted so as to be pivotable (swivel-able) about first axis4. The housing may be situated in particular at the steering column of a motor vehicle, or even provided as an integral part of the steering column.

Switch piece3has an opening13. Two bearing points2are situated at the side of opening13. Switch lever1is mounted to bearing points2so as to be pivotable about second axis5. End piece15of switch lever1passes through opening13of switch piece3.

A trigger system12made up of multiple components is situated on switch piece3below opening13. The function of trigger system (or release system)12is to return switch lever1from a deflected position into a normal position. The operating principle of trigger system12is not described in detail here, as it is basically known and is not essential to understanding the present invention. The basic operating principle of a trigger system is explained in German Utility Model DE 81 12 331 U1, for example.

End piece15is fixedly connected to a handle16of switch lever1. Handle16is provided for manual actuation of switch lever1. Via movements of handle16in different directions, firstly, switch piece3may be swiveled about first axis4, and secondly, switch lever1may be pivoted within switching piece3about second axis5. Bearing points2for switch lever1are arranged in relation to bearing points14of switch piece3in such a way that first axis4and second axis5are oriented perpendicularly with respect to one another.

Latching sleeve6is situated within a borehole in end piece15and is acted on by a compression spring17. Latching sleeve with its tip rests against detent cam7, where the latching sleeve may engage at multiple positions. These positions, which switch lever1may assume at detent cam7either stably or unstably, define the possible switching positions of switch lever1.

The switching position of switch lever1which is set at that point in time is determined by a magnetic sensor system. For this purpose, the position of magnet8relative to magnet sensor9is detected by evaluation of the signals of magnet sensor9by an electronics system (not shown).

According to the present invention, it is provided that magnet8is fixedly connected to a slide10that is mounted on switching piece3so that the slide is linearly displaceable parallel to first axis4and follows the movements of switch lever1about second axis5, and during swivel movements of switching piece3is swiveled about first axis4.

For this purpose, slide10has a frame-like design, and has a recess11through which latching sleeve6and portions of trigger system12are guided. Due to the frame-like design, slide10is compact and requires only a small mounting space on switch piece3.

Slide10has two mutually parallel side parts20that are connected to slide grooves21, integrally formed on switch piece3, to form a sliding guide. For this purpose, guide elements that are integrally formed on the inner sides of side parts20are inserted into slide grooves21. The guide elements, not discernible in the Figures, may be designed in particular in the form of short pins. In the upper portion of slide10, side parts20are connected to a crossmember22that is coupled to end piece15of switch lever1via an entraining element (or driver element)23.

The lower portion of slide10is formed by a magnet holder18. Magnet holder18bears magnet8. Magnet8may be adhesively bonded or injection-molded into magnet holder18. Magnet holder18may either be designed in one piece with the side parts20of slide10or, as illustrated in the Figures, manufactured as an individual part that is connected to side parts20of slide10, for example by locking (or latching).

A circuit board19is fixedly situated relative to the housing (not shown). Magnet sensor9is situated on circuit board19. Movements of magnet8are detected by magnet sensor9. Magnet sensor9, which preferably may be designed as a Hall sensor that measures in three dimensions, detects the intensity and the direction of the magnetic field passing through it, and may thus distinguish between linear movements and swivel (pivotal) movements of slide10.

In principle, the magnetic sensor system may also have a reverse kinematic design, so that magnet sensor9is fixedly situated on slide10, and magnet8is fixedly situated relative to the housing. However, the design illustrated in the Figures is preferred, since no movable connecting lines for magnet sensor9are required.

The orientation of magnet8with respect to magnet sensor9, as illustrated in the Figures, does not have to be in the longitudinal direction of the steering column switch, i.e., essentially parallel to latching sleeve6. Instead, an arrangement of magnet holder18on slide10which is rotated about first axis4may be provided, the orientation of magnet sensor9being correspondingly adapted.

Such a rotated orientation of the switching system has no effect on the evaluation but provides increased flexibility in the design of the steering column switch.

Referring now toFIGS.4,5, and6, with continual reference toFIGS.1,2, and3, a steering column switch in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIGS.4,5, and6respectively illustrate a top view, an exploded view, and a sectional view of the steering column switch.

In many details, the design of this second exemplary embodiment matches that of the first exemplary embodiment described with reference toFIGS.1,2, and3; therefore, repetition of the explanation of the previously described details may be dispensed with here. The following description therefore relates primarily to the features that distinguish the two embodiments. Reference numerals introduced for the first exemplary embodiment are retained for identical and functionally equivalent parts.

A characteristic of the second embodiment is that slide10is coupled to switch lever1with the aid of a reversing lever24that is rotatably mounted on switch piece3. Reversing lever24transfers movements of switch lever1about second axis5to slide10via a lever transmission. That is, slide10is coupled to switch lever1by means of reversing lever24rotatably mounted on switch piece3, whereby reversing lever24moves switch lever1about second axis5with a leverage ratio transferred to slide10.

Reversing lever24is particularly apparent as an individual part inFIG.5. Reversing lever24is made up of a connecting bridge28onto which mutually parallel first and second elongated hole guides25and26and a bearing pin27situated therebetween are integrally formed.

Bearing pins27are inserted into bearing recesses37at switch piece3. As a result, reversing lever24is rotatably mounted on switch piece3. Molded-on first guide pins35, one of which is discernible inFIG.6, engage with first elongated hole guides25at slide10. Second elongated hole guides26of reversing lever24cooperate with second guide pins36at end piece15of switch lever1. Reversing lever24thus forms a two-armed lever in the physical sense.

The swiveling of switch lever1about second axis5thus causes swiveling of reversing lever24, and at the same time, displacement of slide10that is coupled to reversing lever24. Slide10moves oppositely with respect to end piece15of switch lever1, or more precisely, corresponding to the movement direction of handle6of switch lever1.

For the functional performance of the overall switching system, it is important that magnet8assumes a unique position in each switching position that is different enough from all other positions so that magnet8may be reliably detected by magnet sensor9.

For a swivel movement of switch lever1about second axis5, the achievable lift of slide10upon direct entrainment by switch lever1, as illustrated inFIGS.1,2, and3, is directly dependent on the switching movement of switch lever1. Swiveling of switch lever1about a small angle thus results in a slight lift of slide10, and thus also of magnet8.

If the swivel movement of switch lever1about second axis5is too small, then a sufficient lift of magnet8is not achieved in order to reliably recognize its positions and distinguish them from other positions.

According to the second embodiment, with the aid of reversing lever24, small swivel movements of switch lever1may be correspondingly transmitted and thus augmented. Small swivel movements of switch lever1may thus bring about a relatively large lift of slide10and of magnet8situated thereon.

Thus, the linear movement of slide10is no longer dependent solely on the swivel movement of switch lever1, but, rather, is also determined by the transmission ratio achieved by reversing lever24.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1switch lever (shift lever; shifter)2bearing points3switch piece (switching piece; contact piece; switch body)4first axis5second axis6latching sleeve (locking sleeve)7detent cam (locking curve)8magnet9magnet sensor10slide (carriage)11recess12trigger system (release system)13opening14bearing points15end piece16handle17compression spring18magnet holder19circuit board20side parts (side panels)21slide grooves22crossmember23entraining element (driver element)24reversing lever25first elongated hole guides (first slot guides)26second elongated hole guides (second slot guides)27bearing pins28connecting bridge (connecting bar)35first guide pins36second guide pins37bearing recesses

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the present invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the present invention.