Capacitive type control member

• US 20030193013A1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Industries (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Industries (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Bocquet, Denis, Roudot, Jean-Luc, Balp, Lionel, Henigue, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 7,053,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches

Abstract

The member comprises: a support structure presenting a control zone, said control zone having a through hole; a non-conductive elastic covering covering a control face of the control zone, at least in register with the through hole; and a touch-sensitive detector at least partially in register with the through hole and mounted on or in the vicinity of the face of the control zone that is opposite from its control face; the elastic covering having a rest position in which the finger of an operator contacting the free surface of the elastic covering lies outside the touch detection space of the detector, and a deformed position in which the finger of the operator in contact with the free surface of the elastic covering lies within the touch detection space of the detector. According to the invention, in the rest position, the elastic covering is spaced apart from the touch-sensitive detector, and in the deformed position, the elastic covering is in contact with the touch-sensitive detector.

Claims

1. / A capacitive type control member comprising:

a support structure presenting a control zone, said control zone having a through hole;

a non-conductive elastic covering covering a control face of the control zone, at least in register with the through hole; and

a touch-sensitive detector at least partially in register with the through hole and mounted on or in the vicinity of the face of the control zone that is opposite from its control face;

the elastic covering having a rest position in which the finger of an operator contacting the free surface of the elastic covering lies outside the touch detection space of the detector, and a deformed position in which the finger of the operator in contact with the free surface of the elastic covering lies within the touch detection space of the detector;

wherein, in the rest position, the elastic covering is spaced apart from the touch-sensitive detector, and in the deformed position, the elastic covering is in contact with the touch-sensitive detector.

2. / A control member according to claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive detector comprises a printed circuit having a touch detection electrode integrated thereon which is at least partially in register with the through hole, the elastic covering in the deformed position being directly in contact with the printed circuit.

3. / A control member according to claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive detector comprises a printed circuit having a touch detection electrode integrated thereon which is at least partially in register with the through hole, and an electrically non-conductive coupling piece which is at least partially in register with the through hole and with the electrode, the coupling piece having a first face mounted in direct contact with the printed circuit, and a second face that is in direct contact with the elastic covering in the deformed position.

4. / A control member according to claim 3, wherein the coupling piece comprises a light guide coupled with at least one light source.

5. / A control member according to claim 3, wherein the coupling piece comprises an assembly spacer between the printed circuit and the face of the control zone opposite from the control face.

6. / A control member according to claim 1, wherein the elastic covering is translucent, at least in register with the through hole.

7. / A control member according to claim 1, wherein the elastic covering presents a pictogram in register with the through hole.

8. / A control member according to claim 1, wherein the elastic covering presents a curve of resistance to depression between its rest position and its deformed position in the form of a slope that rises from the rest position to an intermediate position, and a slope that falls between the intermediate position and the deformed position.

9. / A piece of motor vehicle cabin equipment comprising a self-supporting insert covered at least in part by a flexible skin, the piece of equipment including at least one control member according to claim 1.

10. / A piece of equipment according to claim 9, wherein the self-supporting insert constitutes at least one control zone of at least one control member.

11. / A piece of equipment according to claim 9, wherein the flexible skin constitutes the non-conductive elastic covering covering a control face of at least one control zone of at least one control member.