Patent Application
20170178835
The invention relates to an operating or command element, comprising a key plate having a substantially flat or slightly curved basic form.
An operating or command element in the form of a push button which has a level key plate is known from prior art. The round key plate has a circumferential ring as a surface elevation on the edge of the key plate so that when the push button is arranged horizontally or lying down, a flat depression is formed on the key plate.
On a reverse side, the push button has a level contact surface, which is parallel to the front side of the key plate and in the installation position of the push button abuts against a front plate of a housing, control cabinet, or the like and, therefore, determines the position of the push button. Usually, a part of the push button reaches through an opening in the wall of the housing. The part located outside the housing, i.e., the key plate with the circumferential ring, can become more or less heavily soiled depending upon the area of application. If the push button is used in the field of hygiene it must, as a rule, be cleaned regularly with a liquid cleaning agent.
If, however, the push button is used in a horizontal installation position, the liquid cleaning agent accumulates in the depression and cannot flow off. This is unacceptable, and not just for hygiene reasons, thereby excluding the use of the push button for such installation positions.
Furthermore, a push button is known from the prior art whose key plate, which is also round, is completely level. With such a push button, no liquid cleaning agent accumulates during the cleaning of the push button. Disadvantageous, however, is the fact that detection of a completely level push button is practically impossible. Therefore, an operator cannot detect such a push button blindly (that is, by feeling with his fingertip), as would, however, be possible with the previously described push button with the circumferential ring.
DE 10 2006 055 249 shows an operating element with a key plate on which nubs are arranged for the purpose of improving the grip. DE 39 23 747 A1 discloses an actuator for electrical switchgears, wherein a push button is designed in the form of a quadratic plate on which the nubs projecting upwards represent individual characters in braille. DE 2 361 639 discloses a push button for outdoor facilities which is supposed to be less susceptible to blockages caused by ice. All of these operating elements, however, have in common that they cannot be put to use universally in the field of hygiene.
An aspect of the invention provides an operating or command element, comprising: a key plate having a substantially flat or a slightly curved basic form, the key plate including several surface elevations, the surface elevations being formed on a basic form and being tactilely detectable using a fingertip so that a fingertip position on the key plate can be sensed and thus centered, wherein both in a horizontal and in a vertical installed position of the operating or command element, the key plate is free of recesses in which liquids can accumulate, wherein a contact surface is provided configured to determine a position of the operating or command element on a wall or front plate of a housing, wherein the key plate includes an edge, which, in an installed position of the operating or command element, abuts against a front plate of the housing without gaps or predominantly without gaps, wherein the key plate includes angle to the wall at a contact point of at least 93 degrees, wherein the edge, and includes a sealing element which is flush with an outer surface of the edge, wherein a restrictor is provided configured to restrict compression of the sealing element in an installed position of the operating and command element.
The present invention will be described in even greater detail below based on the exemplary figures. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. All features described and/or illustrated herein can be used alone or combined in different combinations in embodiments of the invention. The features and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings which illustrate the following:
An aspect of the invention provides an operating or command element that allows blind position recognition and that may be universally used in the field of hygiene.
According to an aspect of the invention, several (at least two) surface elevations are provided on the key plate, wherein, both in a horizontal and in a vertical installation position of the operating or command element, the key plate is free of recesses in which liquids (for example, cleaning fluids) may accumulate. This ensures that liquids can flow off the key plate, regardless of the horizontal or vertical installation position. The surface of the key plate, which is formed from a substantially flat or slightly curved basic form and the surface elevations arranged thereon, forms a three-dimensional free-form surface. With this surface and the elevations present thereon, all curvatures are formed such that an incline always occurs that allows liquid to flow off freely. When, for example, the operating or command element (hereinafter abbreviated as operating element) is in a horizontal installation position, the key plate may, therefore, have several valleys, which are, however, always saddle-shaped or formed such that they slope in an arbitrary horizontal direction or do not form a local minimum in this direction. In other words, the key plate has only surface sections from which liquids can flow off to an adjacent surface section, whereby there is no restriction on the installation position. If the surface section is a surface section at the edge, it must be ensured that liquids can either flow off from this surface section to an adjacent surface section or can leave the carrier plate completely.
The operating element comprises a contact surface which serves to determine the position of the operating element on a wall or a front plate of a housing. This position determination also determines the incline which the key plate of the operating element has to the wall of the housing. Preferably, the contact surface is essentially parallel to the front plate.
According to an aspect of the invention, the key plate has an edge which, in the installation position, abuts against the wall or front plate of the housing without gaps or predominantly without gaps and has an angle to the wall at the contact point of at least 93 degrees (for example, 93 to 95 degrees, 93 to 110 degrees, or 95 to 120 degrees).
The edge comprises a sealing element, wherein, in a preferred exemplary embodiment, means are provided which restrict the compression of the sealing element in the installation position. This ensures that the sealing element is loaded only within its elasticity limits and does not lose its sealing effect. Without this limitation, it would otherwise be possible to, for example, crush the sealing element; likewise, temperature changes could also cause an overload of the material, which would lead to a decrease in the sealing performance. The potential compression of the sealing element can be 5 to 20 percent (in relation to the non-deformed state). According to the invention, the sealing element attaches to the external form of the edge without offset or discontinuity.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the basic form is curved convexly. It can, however, also be level, or provided with indentations. However, it should be ensured that these indentations do not form any depressions out of which liquids are unable to flow off.
The at least one surface elevation may be a section of a sphere with a diameter D, wherein a height of the section in relation to the basic form is smaller than D/2. In a borderline case, therefore, the surface elevation constitutes a hemisphere. If the diameter D of the sphere is, for example, 2.5 millimeters, the height of the sphere in relation to the basic form may preferably be 0.8 to 1.2 millimeters.
The shape of the surface elevation is not just restricted to the spherical shape. Other shapes or structures many also be used for the surface elevation. An exemplary embodiment concerns an asymmetrical surface elevation with an external face and an internal face, wherein the external face progresses more steeply than the internal face, and the internal face faces a middle point of the key plate. With a key plate which is round in plan view, the middle point corresponds to the middle point of the circular key plate.
The key plate may have a first group of surface elevations, wherein the surface elevations of the first group lie in a circle. The surface elevations may also be arranged around the middle point of the key plate in a different constellation (for example, in an oval or in a polygon). If, for example, the key plate in the plan view is rectangular, the surface elevations of the first group could be designed in a rectangle which is arranged around the point of intersection of the diagonals of the rectangular key plate.
The number of surface elevations of the first group is preferably uneven (for example, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.). If, for example, the surface elevations of the first group are arranged in a circle, and if the operating element is in a vertical installation position, liquid which drips from a top surface elevation (which, taking a clock face as a basis, would correspond to 12 o'clock) then very likely encounters a passage (in the proximity of 6 o'clock) between two bottom surface elevations. Liquid can, therefore, simply flow off. With an even number, a bottom surface elevation would be arranged exactly below the top surface elevation, which bottom surface elevation would then prevent free flow-off.
In an exemplary embodiment, the key plate has a second group of surface elevations which are arranged in a middle area of the key plate. The size, shape, and arrangement of these surface elevations with respect to each other may be oriented to the specifications of braille for the blind and visually impaired. In this case, it is known that dot structures can be identified by the fingertip. For example, the surface elevations may essentially be hemispherical dots which protrude 0.6 to 0.7 millimeters from the basic form. A distance from midpoint to midpoint of a dot may be 2.5 to 3 millimeters. The arrangement of the dots enables pictograms or even individual letters in braille to be reproduced.
In one exemplary embodiment, an angle between the basic form and the surface elevation is always greater than 90 degrees. If, for example, the surface elevation is an exact hemisphere, the angle between the basic form and this hemisphere would be 90 degrees. However, if it is a sphere segment, the height of which in relation to the basic form is smaller than D/2, the angle between the basic form and surface elevation is greater than 90 degrees.
A transition radius between a surface section of the carrier plate and an adjacent surface section may always be greater than 3 millimeters. In this way, sharp edges or corners are avoided in which dirt, bacteria, or the like could accumulate. This also makes it easier to carry out a complete cleaning of the operating element.
Each surface section of the carrier plate may be inclined by at least 3 degrees to the horizontal. This angle of inclination results in liquids being able to reliably flow off from every surface section of the carrier plate with a horizontal and vertical installation position. The surface roughness of the surface of the carrier plate is preferably minimal. In one exemplary embodiment, it is in the arithmetic mean below 0.8 μm (Ra≦0.8 μm).
The operating element 10 comprises a round carrier plate 11 which has a slightly curved basic form. Several surface elevations 12 are arranged in a circle on this basic form, which surface elevations should belong to a first group of surface elevations. This comprises ten dots which are spaced evenly from one another in circumferential direction of the circle. These dots have a centering effect on the fingertips of an operator. A further surface elevation 13 is provided which is concentric to the circle on which the surface elevations 12 are located. This surface elevation 13 is in the midpoint of the circular carrier plate 11. It is used for an additional position identification which can be felt with the fingertips.
As can be seen in particular in
The carrier plate 11 comprises an edge 14 which has a sealing element 15. The edge 14, with the sealing element 15 which is flush with an outer surface of the edge, forms an angle β to the front plate 1 which is at least 93 degrees, e.g., approximately 100 degrees. In a rounded transition area 16, the essentially level basic form turns into the edge 14. The sealing element 15 is held securely in position by a holding groove 17 of the edge 14. An annular arrangement 18 of the operating element 10 determines the position of the operating element 10 in relation to the wall 1. In addition, the contact surface 18 ensures that the sealing element 15 can be compressed only to a certain degree in the installation position represented here. A shaft 19 of the operating element 10 reaches through a hole 2 in the front plate 1.
The operating element 10 is designed such that liquids cannot accumulate anywhere in a horizontal or vertical installation position (compare
A diameter of the carrier plate should be 25 to 35 millimeters from edge to edge. This corresponds to today's standard operating elements, where this size has proven itself. Accordingly, the diameter of the circle on which the surface elevations 12 are located is approximately 20 to 25 mm. Therefore, several surface elevations 12, 13 may be felt simultaneously by a fingertip of an operator of the operating element 10, and centering the fingertip on the operating element is thus only possible by touch. Therefore, by means of the arrangement of the surface elevations 12 in the circle and the surface elevation 13 in the middle of the key plate 11, the operator may exactly determine the position of his finger in relation to the key plate 11, without thereby having to see the key plate 11.
In contrast to the exemplary embodiment of
The five surface elevations 27 of the operating element 10 in
The slightly curved surface, the form continuing in one line (without offset, and without interruption by gaps) over the sealing element to the wall (front plate), the radii used, the dimensions of the dots (elevations), and, not least, the round shape of the operating element allow liquids occurring in conjunction to always run off.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill within the scope of the following claims. In particular, the present invention covers further embodiments with any combination of features from different embodiments described above and below. Additionally, statements made herein characterizing the invention refer to an embodiment of the invention and not necessarily all embodiments.
The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B, and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B, and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B, and C, regardless of whether A, B, and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B, and/or C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B, and C.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2014 109 640.1 | Jul 2014 | DE | national |
This application is a U.S. national stage application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2015/063983, filed on Jun. 22, 2015, and claims benefit to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2014 109 640.1, filed on Jul. 9, 2014. The International Application was published in German on Jan. 14, 2016, as WO 2016/005177 A1 under PCT Article 21(2).
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2015/063983 | 6/22/2015 | WO | 00 |
