In the figures:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rear area of a vacuum cleaner provided with an actuating element according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the actuating element according to FIG. 1 in its position depressed in the switching direction;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the actuating element according to FIG. 2 in its initial position;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the actuating element supported on a housing of the vacuum cleaner in its position depressed in the switching direction;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view through an actuating element where the slide is arranged so that it runs above the pivoting axis; and
FIG. 6 is a sectional view through the actuating element where the slide is mounted on a surface section which extends from the pivoting axis away from a switch.
A vacuum cleaner 1 shown in a perspective sectional view in FIG. 1 comprises a housing casing 2 in the rear area of the vacuum cleaner 1. The housing casing 2 sits on a lower shell 3 of the vacuum cleaner 1 and encloses electrical components of the vacuum cleaner 1 which are not shown, such as a fan unit, for example, a cable drum or electronic control elements. An impact protection strip 4 is inserted between the housing casing 2 and the lower shell 3. An actuating element 5 is pivotally mounted on the upper side of the housing casing 2. The actuating element 5 has two oppositely located tabs 6 for the pivotal mounting. Each tab 6 has respectively one bearing eye 7. The bearing eye 7 is embodied as a circular opening in the tab 6. The tabs 6 are constructed in one part with the actuating element 5 and are produced by plastic injection moulding. A pivot pin 8 projects into the opening of each bearing eye 7. The pivot pins 8 are connected to the housing cap 2 by means of a bearing block 9. Like the tabs 6, the pivot pins 8 are also constructed in one part with the housing cap 2 and are produced by plastic injection moulding. The connection of the bearing eyes 7 and pivot pins 8 forms a hinge arrangement which allows the actuating element 5 embodied as an operating rocker to pivot.
A front surface section 10 of the actuating element 5 bears a plurality of hemispherical knobs 11 which not only indicates to the user the surface over which he can pivot the actuating element 5 by pressing in the switching direction but also prevents slippage during actuation of this operating rocker. For optical recognition of the function which can be triggered by pivoting the operating-rocker-like actuating element 5, on its upper side in a central area of the surface section 10 provided with hemispherical knobs 11 the actuating element 5 has a pictogram-like elevation 12.
The actuating element 5 is provided with a slit-shaped opening 14 on a rear surface section 13. An actuating surface 15 of a slide 16 projects from the slit-shaped opening 14. Further hemispherical knobs 17 are attached to the actuating surface 15 of the slide 16. The slit-shaped opening 14 predefines a slide path 18 which extends parallel to a pivoting axis 19 of the actuating element 5.
FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the actuating element 5 in its position depressed in the switching direction. The front surface section 10 bearing knobs 11 lies above a switching cam 20 moulded on the actuating element 5 which presses onto a cam follower 21 of an electrical switch 22 in the switching direction. The switch 22 is held in the housing casing 2. The actuating elements 5 is pivotally mounted about the pivoting axis 19 on the housing casing 2. In the position shown in FIG. 2 the slide path 18 running parallel to the pivoting axis 19 thus runs out from the plane of the drawing. The slide 16 bearing the actuating surface 15 is provided with an arm 23 on its lower side, this arm being moulded onto the slide 16 in one piece. The slide 16 is guided along the slide path on the actuating element 5 by means of the arm 23 which projects through the slit-shaped opening 14. The arm 23 has a spring-elastic locating lug 24 which is supported on the inner side 25 of the actuating element 5 in the built-in position of the slide 16. The arm 23 bears a projection 26 at its lower end which engages in two successively located entraining elements 27 in FIG. 2. The entraining elements 27 located at a distance from one another are moulded on a pivoted link 28.
As shown in FIG. 3, the pivoted link 28 has an engaging slit 29 in which a spindle 30 engages. An axial pin 31 is moulded on the spindle 30, this pin being inserted in a rotary potentiometer 32 in its built-in position. By displacing the slide 16, the arm 23 is displaced together with its projection 26 along the slide path 18. At the same time, the pivoted link 28 is displaced by the projection 26 engaging in the entraining members 27 of the pivoted link 28. As a result of the sliding of the pivoted link 28, the spindle 30 engaging in the engaging slit 29 is set in rotation. The rotation of the spindle 30 is transmitted by means of the axial pin 31 to the rotary potentiometer 32 which is connected electrically to a control circuit, not shown, to regulate a blower unit of the vacuum cleaner 1. FIG. 3 also shows a pre-tensioning element 33 embodied as a helical spring which pre-tensions the actuating element in the direction opposite to its switching direction in the initial position.
FIG. 4 shows a variant of an actuating element 5 according to the invention in which the slide 16 is not mounted on the actuating element 5 but on the housing cap 2. For this purpose the arm 23 moulded on the slide 16 has supporting ribs 34 by which means the arm 23 and therefore also the slide 16 is supported on the housing casing 2. For displaceable mounting of the slide 16 the housing cap 2 has a slit-shaped slide path in which the arm 23 is displaceably guided and retained. If compressive forces are introduced via the actuating surface 15 of the slide 16, these are introduced directly into the housing cap 2 and do not enter into the pivoting actuating element 5. For reliable decoupling of the slide 16 and actuating element 5, the slit-shaped opening 14 is dimensioned such that there is no direct contact between the arm 23 of the slide 16 and the actuating element 5 in the position of the actuating element 5 actuated in the switching direction (as shown in FIG. 4).
In another alternative variant, as shown in FIG. 5, both the normal to the actuating surface 15 and also the arm 23 of the slide 16 run through the pivoting axis 19 of the actuating element 5. In this variant, despite the slide 16 being mounted directly on the actuating element 15, no forces which could trigger an unintentional pivoting movement of the actuating element 5 in the switching direction are produced since no lever arm is produced for the introduced forces which could introduce a torque in the switching direction.
In an additional alternative variant as shown in FIG. 6, the slide is mounted on a surface section which extends from the pivoting axis away from the switch 22. In this case, both the normals to the actuating surface 15 and also the arm 23 are located behind the pivoting axis 19, that is on the side of the pivoting axis 19 opposite to the switch 22. In this variant, during actuation of the slide 16 forces are always introduced into the actuating element 5 which trigger a pivoting of the actuating element 5 into the initial position in the direction opposite to the switching direction. In this case, it is not possible to switch the switch 22 by pivoting the actuating element 5 during displacement of the slide 16.