Operating element for a heating and air conditioning system

• US 20060114106A1
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Meier-Arendt, Guido, Donk, Vera
• Granted Patent: US 7,405,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/449
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0065 Control members, e.g. levers or knobs B60H1/00985 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to an operating element for a heating and air conditioning system for the setting of air conditioning parameters in a vehicle interior, the setting being fed back to the operator of the operating element. In order to provide an operating element for a heating and air conditioning system, for the operating of which the attention of the vehicle driver is demanded as little as possible, the feedback of the set air conditioning parameters to the operator takes place by means of the operating element itself.

Claims

1. An operating element (1) for a heating and air conditioning system (2) for the setting of air conditioning parameters in a vehicle interior (7), the setting being fed back to the operator (8) of the operating element (1), characterized in that the feedback (9, 10) of the set air conditioning parameters to the operator (8) takes place by means of the operating element (1) itself.

2. The operating element (1) for a heating and air conditioning system (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the feedback (9, 10) is detectable by touching the operating element (1).

3. The operating element (1) for a heating and air conditioning system (2) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the feedback (9, 10) when the operating element (1) is touched is detectable in the form of a temperature change of the operating element (1).

4. The operating element (1) for a heating and air conditioning system (2) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the feedback (9, 10) caused by touching the operating element (1) is detectable in the form of a temperature of the operating element (1) itself which deviates from the vehicle interior temperature.

5. The operating element (1) for a heating and air conditioning system (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the feedback (9, 10) is detectable by means of a visual feedback of the operating element (I).

6. The operating element (1) for a heating and air conditioning system (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the feedback (9, 10) is detectable by means of a visual feedback in the form of a change in the illumination color of the operating element (1).

7. The operating element (1) for a heating and air conditioning system (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the operating element (1) is designed as a rotary actuator (11).

8. The operating element (1) for a heating and air conditioning system (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the operating element (1) is designed as a key button (12).

9. The operating element (1) for a heating and air conditioning system (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the operating element (1) is designed as a slide regulator (13).