Haptic steering wheel switch apparatus and haptic steering wheel swtich system including the same

• US 8,809,716 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LS Automotive Technologies., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Daesung Electric Company Limited (LS Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwon, Dae Woo, Lee, Jin Young, Gohng, Jun-Ho, Jung, Lee-Hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee S
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD C
• Application Number:
  US13/334,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20120267221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 200/336, 200 6154- 6157, 200/310, 200/311, 200/317, 362/36, 362/44, 362/100, 744/84.R, 745/52, 280/315, 280/333
• US Class Current: 200/336
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

The present invention provides a haptic steering wheel switch apparatus including: a haptic wheel housing unit configured to be disposed on a vehicle steering wheel; a circuit board unit configured to be disposed inside the haptic wheel housing unit; and a haptic wheel device including a haptic wheel device actuator configured to establish an electrical connection with the circuit board unit and including a haptic shaft, a haptic knob connected with the haptic shaft and exposedly disposed in the haptic wheel housing unit, and a haptic wheel device sensing unit configured to detect the rotating state of the haptic shaft, wherein the haptic wheel device is disposed on a front or rear side of the vehicle steering wheel, and a haptic steering wheel switch system including the same.

Claims

1. A haptic steering wheel switch apparatus comprising:

a haptic wheel housing unit configured to be disposed on a vehicle steering wheel;

a circuit board unit configured to be disposed inside the haptic wheel housing unit;

a haptic wheel device including a haptic wheel device actuator configured to establish an electrical connection with the circuit board unit and including a haptic shaft, a haptic knob connected with the haptic shaft and exposedly disposed in the haptic wheel housing unit, and a haptic wheel device sensing unit configured to detect the rotating state of the haptic shaft, the haptic knob being movable in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to a plane on which the vehicle steering wheel is arranged;

a push switch disposed on the circuit board unit; and

a push switch operating part provided on an outer circumference of the haptic wheel device actuator,

wherein, according to a movement of the haptic knob in said vertical direction, the haptic wheel device actuator moves in said vertical direction, and the push switch operating part moves along with the haptic wheel device actuator in said vertical direction and presses the push switch.

2. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the haptic knob achieves a rotary operation on said plane on which the vehicle steering wheel is arranged.

3. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the haptic knob is disposed on a front side of the vehicle steering wheel, and a rotation central axis of the haptic shaft intersects said plane.

4. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the haptic shaft of the haptic wheel device actuator includes a first end and a second end respectively formed at both ends thereof.

5. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the haptic knob is connected with the first end of the haptic shaft and the haptic wheel device sensing unit is connected with the second end of the haptic shaft.

6. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a shaft knob holder is disposed between the haptic knob and the first end of the haptic shaft to prevent the relative rotation between the haptic knob and the first end.

7. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a shaft sensing holder is disposed between the haptic wheel device sensing unit and the second end of the haptic shaft to prevent the relative rotation between the haptic wheel device sensing unit and the second end.

8. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the haptic wheel device sensing unit comprises a device sensing body part connected with the haptic wheel device actuator, and a device detecting sensor part configured to detect the rotation state of the device sensing body part,

wherein the device sensing body part comprises:

a device sensing main pulley connected with the shaft sensing holder in such a fashion that the relative rotation between the device sensing main pulley and the shaft sensing holder is restricted;

a device sensing sub-pulley connected with the device sensing main pulley in such a fashion as to be spaced apart from the device sensing main pulley;

a device sensing belt configured to interconnect the device sensing main pulley and the device sensing sub-pulley; and

a device disk connected to the device sensing sub-pulley and configured to be rotated together with the device sensing sub-pulley when the device sensing sub-pulley is rotated, the device slot being rotatably disposed at a position corresponding to the device detecting sensor part.

9. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a rotation ratio of the device sensing main pulley to the device sensing sub-pulley is more than 1.

10. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 3, the push switch pressed by the push switch operating part generates a switching signal.

11. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the haptic wheel device sensing unit is moved vertically together with the haptic wheel device actuator.

12. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the haptic knob is formed of a light-transmitting material, the circuit board unit comprises a knob board configured to allow the first end of the haptic shaft to pass there through and serve as an end of the haptic wheel device actuator, and a haptic knob light source unit is mounted on the knob board to output light.

13. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a button switch unit is disposed at an outside of the haptic knob so that it is operated vertically independently of the haptic knob.

14. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the haptic knob comprises a haptic knob dimple formed in a concave shape on one surface thereof, the haptic knob dimple having a structure in which a dimple depth formed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation center of the haptic knob is gradually decreased as it goes toward a radial direction from the center of the haptic knob.

15. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the haptic knob comprises a haptic knob grip formed protrudingly on one surface thereof.

16. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the haptic knob comprises a haptic knob contact surface formed in a dual injection manner on a top thereof to increase a contact frictional force between the driver'"'"'s finger and the haptic knob.

17. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the push switch is provided in plural numbers.

18. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a steering wheel light source unit disposed in the haptic wheel housing unit and configured to establish an electrical connection with the circuit board unit so as to output predetermined light in response to the operation of the haptic knob.

19. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a wheel rim light source output unit disposed in a wheel rim of the vehicle steering wheel and configured to receive light entering from the steering wheel light source unit and output the received light to the outside.

20. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a steering wheel light source unit disposed in the haptic wheel housing unit and configured to establish an electrical connection with the circuit board unit so as to output predetermined light in response to an electrical signal applied from an external vehicle control device.

21. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the push switch includes two push switches that are disposed diagonally relative to a central axis of the haptic wheel device actuator.

22. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the push switch operating part has a shape of a ring that surrounds the entire outer circumference of the haptic wheel device actuator.

23. A haptic steering wheel switch apparatus comprising:

a haptic wheel housing unit configured to be disposed on a vehicle steering wheel;

a circuit board unit configured to be disposed inside the haptic wheel housing unit; and

a haptic wheel device including a haptic wheel device actuator configured to establish an electrical connection with the circuit board unit and including a haptic shaft, a haptic knob connected with the haptic shaft and exposedly disposed in the haptic wheel housing unit, and a haptic wheel device sensing unit configured to detect the rotating state of the haptic shaft,

wherein the haptic knob achieves a rotary operation on a plane on which the vehicle steering wheel is arranged and the haptic wheel device actuator is moved vertically in a longitudinal direction of the haptic shaft,

wherein the haptic knob is disposed on a front side of the vehicle steering wheel, and a rotation central axis of the haptic shaft intersects said plane,

wherein a button switch unit is disposed at an outside of the haptic knob so that it is operated vertically independently of the haptic knob, and

wherein the button switch unit comprises;

a button knob configured to be disposed on the outside of the haptic knob in such a fashion as to be exposed at one surface thereof to the outside of the haptic wheel housing unit;

a button guide configured to be disposed at one end thereof within the button knob and disposed at the other end thereof within the haptic wheel housing unit toward the circuit board unit;

a button guide holder configured to be attached to the button guide and disposed in the haptic wheel housing unit in a vertically stable movable manner together with the button guide; and

a button switch configured to be disposed on one surface of the circuit board unit in such a fashion as to be brought into close contact with the button guide holder.

24. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the button guide holder comprises a button guide holder stopper formed on one side thereof, and the haptic wheel housing unit comprises a wheel housing body stopper formed thereon in such a fashion as to come into close contact with the button guide holder stopper to correspond to the button guide holder stopper so that the button guide holder is prevented from being separated and escaping from the wheel housing body of the haptic wheel housing unit.

25. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the button guide holder comprises a button guide holder operating part configured to operate the button switch.

26. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the button switch unit further comprises a button light source unit, and the button guide is formed of a light guide material.

27. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the button guide holder operating part comprises a button guide holder operating part seating face formed on one surface thereof so that it comes in close contact with the button guide to support the button guide.

28. The haptic steering wheel switch apparatus according to claim 26, wherein a button color filter is disposed between the button guide and the button knob to transmit only light having a predetermined frequency band.

29. A haptic steering wheel switch system comprising:

a haptic steering wheel switch apparatus which comprises;

a haptic wheel housing unit configured to be disposed on a vehicle steering wheel;

a circuit board unit configured to be disposed inside the haptic wheel housing unit;

a haptic wheel device including a haptic wheel device actuator configured to establish an electrical connection with the circuit board unit and including a haptic shaft, a haptic knob connected with the haptic shaft and exposedly disposed in the haptic wheel housing unit, and a haptic wheel device sensing unit configured to detect the rotating state of the haptic shaft, the haptic knob being movable in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to a plane on which the vehicle steering wheel is arranged;

a push switch disposed on the circuit board unit; and

a push switch operating part provided on an outer circumference of the haptic wheel device actuator,

wherein, according to a movement of the haptic knob in said vertical direction, the haptic wheel device actuator moves in said vertical direction, and the push switch operating part moves along with the haptic wheel device actuator in said vertical direction and presses the push switch,

a control unit configured to establish an electrical connection with the haptic steering wheel switch apparatus; and

a storage unit configured to establish an electrical connection with the control unit and store predetermined data for a predetermined operating mode.