Patent Application
20110308923
The present disclosure relates generally to handheld two-way radios and more particularly to rotary controls for such radios.
Handheld two-way radio users are familiar and accustomed to rotary controls. Such controls on a radio can include for example volume control, channel selection, and squelch control among others. A rotary control for a two-way radio must have sufficient turning torque to prevent inadvertent actuation of the control. In certain environments, such as public safety environments, users for example firefighters and rescue personnel are often wearing gloves. Handheld radios developed for use in these conditions often provide a wider diameter rotary control—considered to be a more “glovable” control. However, inadvertent or unintentional actuation can become problematic with larger diameter, glovable controls.
To minimize inadvertent actuation of a rotary control, the torque may increased by adding friction, for example via an o-ring. Unfortunately, approaches which increase friction can often “mute” the tactile feedback to the user. The tactile feedback of a rotary control may take the form of a clicking feel for the multiple positions of the rotary control. Muting the clicks of the rotary control makes it more difficult for the user to manage the control.
The torque of a rotary control can also be increased by using a significantly larger switch with larger torque. Since products are generally decreasing in size, traditional rotary controls tend to be mounted in close proximity to other controls on a given product. As such, larger switches are not feasible when dealing with small, volume constrained portable devices, such as handheld two-way radios. The grip area accessible by users for these rotary controls traditionally extends to the control surface of a product.
Accordingly, there is a need for increasing the switching torque of a small sized rotary control, without muting tactile feedback particularly in the form of clicks.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
Briefly, there is described herein an assembly for increasing torque tactility of a rotary control for a handheld radio. The assembly utilizes a combination of housing with molded apertures upon which is coupled a control knob suitably large for gloved use. A small off-the-shelf rotary switch control is recessed within the housing. Within the molded apertures of the housing and control knob are situated and operatively coupled a shaft extender having a toothed gear element in conjunction with a ball plunger which enable increased torque tacitly to the end user in response to the control knob being rotated.
As an example for the ruggedized handheld radio 100, the desired off-the-shelf rotary switch control 202 has approximate potentiometer base dimensions of 8×9×9 mm size fitted within the housing 102, yet the control knob 108 provides a diameter of approximately 17 mm, as compared to standard (non-ruggedized) handheld radio which typically utilizes a control knob of approximately 10-12 mm diameter. Achieving sufficient torque for the larger control knob would normally require doubling the size of the rotary switch control (e.g. 16×18×18 mm) which is the approximate size used within a vehicular mobile radio which does not face the space constraints of the handheld radio. The assembly 200 formed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention addresses the issue of creating sufficient torque for a ruggedized radio having a large control knob 108 relative to the rotary switch control 202. As such, the control knob 108 may be more than double the size of the rotary switch control base.
Assembly 200 includes a shaft extender 206 coupled over the shaft 204, and a toothed gear element 210 coupled about the base of the shaft extender 206. A plurality of circular ribs 208 may also be coupled to the shaft extender 206 above the toothed gear element 210. In an embodiment of the invention, the shaft extender 206 is press fit over the shaft 204, the toothed gear element 210 is press fit about the base of the shaft extender 206, and the plurality of circular ribs 208 are stretched over the shaft extender 206 above the gear toothed component 210.
Assembly 200 further includes the control knob 108 having an opening within which is mounted the shaft extender 206. As such, the shaft extender 206 is internally mounted to and frictionally coupled to the control knob 108. The control knob 108, shaft extender 206 with toothed gear element 210, and rotary switch control 202 with shaft 204 are thus coupled together to form the assembly 200. Rotation of the control knob 108 causes rotation of the shaft extender 206 with toothed gear element 210 and rotation of the shaft 204 for engaging the potentiometer of the base of the rotary switch control 202 Assembly 200 further includes a ball plunger 302 shown and described in
Accordingly, there has been provided a rotary control with increased torque within tight space constraints within a handheld radio. The rotary control formed in accordance with the various embodiments provides significant advantages over a standard rotary switch. The completed control switch assembly 200 will not inadvertently turn and provides significantly higher torque clicks than those of the rotary switch control 202 alone. Testing has demonstrated that a radio incorporating the assembly 200 meets a thirty thousand life cycles testing parameter. In fact, a rotary switch control that has no tactile clicking feedback could also be used within the assembly to further reduce cost if desired. Gloved users are now able to sense the improved tactile clicking feedback provided by the rotary control assembly formed in accordance with the various embodiments.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings.
The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has”, “having,” “includes”, “including,” “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
