Push button keypad and knob for motor vehicle control panel

• US 7,119,289 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Climatisation SA (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Climatisation
• Inventors: Lacroix, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad, Elvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Klaus, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US10/938,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20050061640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5.R, 200/5.A, 200/5.D, 200/5.E, 200/314, 200341-344
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/70 having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard mounting together a plurality of independent switches H02B
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/074 One molded piece
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/004 Evacuation of penetrating liquid

Abstract

The invention relates to a keypad (10) for a control panel, in particular for a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) through which a number of push-buttons (20) are placed, each positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), characterized in that the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) can be moved individually and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons.

Claims

1. Keypad (10) for a control panel in a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) through which a number of push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), in which the buttons (20) are secured to a common base (25;

26) arranged under the front (30) so that pushing a given button (20) to actuate its associated contactor (14) causes the base (25;

26) to tilt, without jamming, about an axis XX′

that is essentially perpendicular to the pushing direction of said button and passes through at least one other button (20) of the set of buttons (22) and wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is individually movable and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons in which the displacement travel (d) of each button (20) is between about 0.25 and 1.5 mm and the base (26) is made of flexible material.

2. Keypad as in claim 1, in which the buttons (20) and their base (25;

26) are moulded in one piece by plastic injection moulding.

3. Keypad as in claim 2, in which the displacement travel (d) of each button (20) is between about 0.25 and 1.5 mm.

4. Keypad as in claim 2, in which the buttons (20) are spaced apart from one another laterally by one millimetre to about one centimetre.

5. Keypad as in claim 2, in which there are two buttons (20).

6. Motor vehicle control panel equipped with a keypad (10) as in claim 2.

7. Keypad as in claim 1, in which there are two buttons (20).

8. A motor vehicle control panel equipped with a keypad (10), the keypad, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) for two push-buttons (20), each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), wherein the buttons (20) are linked together to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is individually movable and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons, in which the displacement travel (d) of each button (20) is between about 0.25 and 1.5 mm, the base (25) and the buttons (20) are made of rigid material, the buttons (20) are spaced apart from one another laterally by one millimetre to about one centimetre.

9. Keypad as in claim 8, in which there are two buttons (20).

10. Keypad (10) for a control panel in a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) through which a number of push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), in which the buttons (20) are secured to a common base (25;

26) arranged under the front (30) so that pushing a given button (20) to actuate its associated contactor (14) causes the base (25;

26) to tilt, without jamming, about an axis XX′

that is essentially perpendicular to the pushing direction of said button and passes through at least one other button (20) of the set of buttons (22) and wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is movable individually and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons, in which there are three buttons (20) which form a triangle, and the axis of rotation XX′

of the base (25;

26) passes through at least one button located opposite the pushed button.

11. Keypad (10) for a control panel, in a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) for three push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is individually movable and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons, in which the three buttons (20) form a triangle, and the axis of rotation XX′

of the base (25;

26) passes through at least one button located opposite the pushed button.

12. Keypad (10) as in claim 11 further comprising a knob wherein, the buttons are arranged around a central control thumb wheel (21).

13. Keypad (10) for a control panel in a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) through which a number of push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), in which the buttons (20) are secured to a common base (25;

26) arranged under the front (30) so that pushing a given button (20) to actuate its associated contactor (14) causes the base (25;

26) to tilt, without jamming, about an axis XX′

that is essentially perpendicular to the pushing direction of said button and passes through at least one other button (20) of the set of buttons (22) and wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is movable individually and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons, in which there are three buttons (20) which form a triangle, and the axis of rotation XX′

of the base (25;

26) passes through at least one button located opposite the pushed button, and in which the displacement travel (d) of each button (20) is between about 0.25 and 1.5 mm.

14. Keypad as in claim 13, in which the base (25) and the buttons (20) are made of rigid material.

15. Keypad (10) for a control panel in a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with omenings (32) through which a number of push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), in which the buttons (20) are secured to a common base (25;

26) arranged under the front (30) so that pushing a given button (20) to actuate its associated contactor (14) causes the base (25;

26) to tilt, without jamming, about an axis XX′

that is essentially perpendicular to the pushing direction of said button and passes through at least one other button (20) of the set of buttons (22) and wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is movable individually and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons, in which there are three buttons (20) which form a triangle, and the axis of rotation XX′

of the base (25;

26) passes through at least one button located opposite the pushed button, and in which the base (25) and the buttons (20) are made of rigid material.

16. Keypad (10) for a control panel in a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) through which a number of push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), in which the buttons (20) are secured to a common base (25;

26) arranged under the front (30) so that pushing a given button (20) to actuate its associated contactor (14) causes the base (25;

26) to tilt, without jamming, about an axis XX′

that is essentially perpendicular to the pushing direction of said button and passes through at least one other button (20) of the set of buttons (22) and wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is movable individually and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons, in which there are four buttons (20), and the axis of rotation XX′

of the base (25;

26) passes through a button located opposite the pushed button.

17. Keypad as in claim 16, in which the base (25) and the buttons (20) are made of rigid material.

18. Keypad (10) for a control panel, in a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) for four push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is movable individually and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons, and the axis of rotation XX′

of the base (25;

26) passes through a button located opposite the pushed button.

19. Keypad (10) as in claim 18 further comprising a knob wherein, the buttons are arranged around a central control thumb wheel (21).

20. Keypad (10) for a control panel in a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) through which a number of push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), in which the buttons (20) are secured to a common base (25;

26) arranged under the front (30) so that pushing a given button (20) to actuate its associated contactor (14) causes the base (25;

26) to tilt, without jamming, about an axis XX′

that is essentially perpendicular to the pushing direction of said button and passes through at least one other button (20) of the set of buttons (22) and wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is individually movable and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons, in which there are four buttons (20), and the axis of rotation XX′

of the base (25;

26) passes through a button located opposite the pushed button, and in which the displacement travel (d) of each button (20) is between about 0.25 and 1.5 mm.

21. Keypad (10) for a control panel in a motor vehicle instrument system, comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) through which a number of push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), in which the buttons (20) are secured to a common base (25;

26) arranged under the front (30) so that pushing a given button (20) to actuate its associated contactor (14) causes the base (25;

26) to tilt, without jamming, about an axis XX′

that is essentially perpendicular to the pushing direction of said button and passes through at least one other button (20) of the set of buttons (22) and wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is movable individually and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assiyned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons, further comprising a knob wherein, the buttons are arranged around a central control thumb wheel (21).

22. Keypad (10) as in claim 21, in which the displacement travel (d) of each button (20) is between about 0.25 and 1.5 mm.

23. Keypad (10) as in claim 21, in which the base (25) and the buttons (20) are made of rigid material.

24. Keypad (10) as in claim 22, wherein the base (25) and the buttons (20) are made of rigid material.

25. Keypad (10) as in claim 21, in which the base (26) is made of flexible material.

26. A motor vehicle control panel equipped with a keypad (10), the keypad comprising a front (30) provided with openings (32) through which a number of push-buttons (20) are placed, each push button positioned facing a contactor (14) fixed to a card (12), in which the buttons (20) are secured to a common base (25;

26) arranged under the front (30) so that pushing a given button (20) to actuate its associated contactor (14) causes the base (25;

26) to tilt, without jamming, about an axis XX′

that is essentially perpendicular to the pushing direction of said button and passes through at least one other button (20) of the set of buttons (22) and wherein the buttons (20) are linked together at least in groups of two to form a unitary set (22) and are placed with respect to one another on the keypad (10) such that each button (20) is movable individually and pushing thereof causes solely actuation of the contactor (14) assigned to said button, without any effect on the contactors of the other buttons in which the displacement travel (d) of each button (20) is between about 0.25 and 1.5 trim and the base (26) is made of flexible material.

27. Motor vehicle control panel equipped with a keypad (10) with a knob (1) as in claim 26.