Operating element for a vehicle

• US 7,863,822 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Strohband, Sven, Stoschek, Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Tung X
• Application Number:
  US11/047,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: 315 77- 88, 315/169.3, 315/169.4, 324/658, 345173-174
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element

Abstract

An operating element for a vehicle (1, 160) for operation of a function of vehicle (1, 160), especially by pressing on the operating element or touching the operating element, is designed in such a way that the operating element includes a front electrode (10, 21, 22, 31, 71, 91, 111) and a rear electrode (11, 32, 72), as well as a layer (12, 33, 73) arranged between the front electrode (10, 21, 22, 31, 71, 91, 111) and the rear electrode (11, 32, 72) having a dielectric elastomer.

Claims

1. An operating element for a vehicle comprising a front electrode and a rear electrode, a layer comprising a dielectric elastomer arranged between the front electrode and the rear electrode, and at least one pressure sensor arranged on the side of the rear electrode facing away from said layer for measurement of a pressure exerted on an operating surface of the operating element, wherein the operating element is configured for manual operation of a function of the vehicle by pressing on the operating element or touching the operating element.

2. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric elastomer is a nonionic dielectric elastomer.

3. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged on a side of the rear electrode facing away from the layer having the dielectric elastomer.

4. An operating element according to claim 1, wherein the operating element comprises at least one capacitance measurement device for measurement of an electric capacitance formed between the front electrode and the rear electrode.

5. The operating element according to claim 4, wherein the front and/or rear electrode is configured flat.

6. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein at least the front electrode is elastic.

7. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein the front and/or rear electrode is configured flat.

8. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein at least the front electrode is configured as a round surface.

9. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein at least the front electrode is configured as an elliptical surface.

10. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein at least the front electrode is configured as a ring.

11. The operating element according to claim 10, wherein at least the front electrode is configured as a circular ring.

12. The operating element according to claim 11, wherein at least the front electrode is configured as the circular ring with at least one straight inside and/or at least one straight outside.

13. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein at least one cover layer is arranged on a side of the front electrode facing away from the layer having the dielectric elastomer.

14. The operating element according to claim 13, wherein the cover layer is configured light-conducting or light transparent, at least in areas.

15. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein at least one protective layer is arranged on a side of the cover layer facing away from the front electrode.

16. The operating element according to claim 1, wherein a control is allocated to the operating element, by means of which the operating element can be raised either spatially from a visible surface or occluded with the visible surface as a function of an operating state of vehicle, a module of vehicle and/or a display device allocated to vehicle, so that it is essentially invisible and/or essentially cannot be felt by a user.

17. A keyboard, especially for a vehicle, wherein it has an operating element according to claim 1.

18. The keyboard according to claim 17, wherein the keyboard is designed as a numerical keyboard.

19. The keyboard according to claim 17, wherein the keyboard is designed as an alphanumeric keyboard.

20. An operating element for a vehicle for operation according to claim 1, further comprising at least a second operating element comprising a front electrode and a rear electrode, as well as a layer comprising a dielectric elastomer arranged between the front electrode and the rear electrode.

21. The operating element arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the two operating elements are configured as a common operating element that cooperates for scrolling in a menu that can be displayed on a display device.

24. An operating element for a vehicle, according to claim 1, wherein the operating element is arranged in a visible surface in the interior of the vehicle, and wherein a control is allocated to the operating element, by means of which the operating element can be raised either spatially from the visible surface or occluded with the visible surface as a function of an operating state of the vehicle, a module of the vehicle and/or a display device allocated to the vehicle, so that it is essentially invisible to a user and/or essentially cannot be felt.

25. The operating element according to claim 24, wherein a display device is allocated to the operating element to display the function of the operating element.

26. The operating element according to claim 24, wherein the operating element has a display device to display the function of operating element.

27. The operating element according to claim 26, wherein the display device is elastic.

28. The operating element according to claim 26, wherein the display device is arranged beneath the operating surface.

22. An operating element for a vehicle comprising a front electrode, a rear electrode, and a layer comprising a dielectric elastomer arranged between the front electrode and the rear electrode, wherein at least the front electrode is configured as an elliptical ring which is inserted into said dielectric elastomer and wherein the operating element is configured for manual operation of a function of the vehicle by pressing on the operating element or touching the operating element.

23. The operating element according to claim 22, wherein at least the front electrode is configured as the elliptical ring with at least one straight inside and/or at least one straight outside.