DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a water-proof switch for a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Electronic switches are employed in vehicles to execute an electronic operation in a vehicle, such as operating the vehicle’s headlight or horn or hazard function. The electronic switches have a printed circuit board (PCB) that has an electronic circuit and a tact switch that selectively opens or closes the electronic circuit. The tact switches are operated by a knob that is operated by a user. Further, the components of the electronic switches are packed inside a housing which is further installed inside the vehicle.

The current type of electronic switch uses a rubber seal to provide sealing to the PCB. However, the use of the rubber seal increases the number of parts installed in the electronic switch. Moreover, the rubber seal tends to wear and tear resulting in their failure. In addition, the current electronic switches use a spring that acts as a return mechanism for the knob which further adds to the number of parts used in the electronic switches. Generally, during the use of the electronic switches, the user may not push the knob correcting which can still cause the knob to push down but not contact the tact switch. As a result, the electronic switch does not execute the operation in spite of the input by the user. In such a scenario, the user may push the switch again to execute the operation.

As a result, the current electronic switches are complex in structure and do not operate in some scenarios, thus making the current electronic switches less effective.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

The present subject matter relates to the aspects of an electronic switch that can be installed in the vehicle. The electronic switch is designed to have fewer parts while at the same time having a redundant mechanism to ensure that the electronic switch works when operated by a user.

In an embodiment, an electronic switch includes a housing and a printed circuit board disposed in the housing, such that a printed circuit board (PCB) has a pair of connection terminals. The electronic switch also includes a knob having a pair of legs slidably disposed on the housing. The electronic switch also includes a rubber membrane disposed over the PCB. The rubber membrane includes a pair of elevated portions adapted to support a tip of the pair of legs, and a pair of contact pills positioned underneath the pair of elevated portions adapted to selectively make a contact with the pair of connection terminals. The pair of elevated portions are adapted to flex downward upon application on a user input on the knob to push the pair of contact pills against the pair of connection terminal contact, and is further adapted to flex upward to push the pair of legs to an original position thereof upon removal of the user input.

According to the present disclosure, the rubber membrane acts as a spring which enables the knob to return to the original position after the knob is operated by the user thereby alleviating the need for a separate spring to operate the knob. Further, the housing encapsulates the PCB thereby doing away with the need for a separate seal to protect the PCB.

To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a cut-section view of a conventional push button switch;
Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of an electronic switch, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 3 illustrates a top view of the electronic switch, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4 illustrates a cut-section view of the electronic switch taken along lines 1-1 in Figure 3, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 5 illustrates a cut-section view of the electronic switch taken along lines 2-2 in Figure 3, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

For example, the term “some” as used herein may be understood as “none” or “one” or “more than one” or “all.” Therefore, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would fall under the definition of “some.” It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and therefore, should not be construed to limit, restrict or reduce the spirit and scope of the present disclosure in any way.

For example, any terms used herein such as, “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and similar grammatical variants do not specify an exact limitation or restriction, and certainly do not exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated. Further, such terms must not be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated, for example, by using the limiting language including, but not limited to, “must comprise” or “needs to include.”

Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more...” or “one or more element is required.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person ordinarily skilled in the art.

Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of explaining one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

Use of the phrases and/or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates a cut-section view of a conventional push switch 100 used in an automobile. The push switch 100 has a housing 102, a back cover 104, a printed circuit board (PCB) 106 having a tact switch 108, a rubber member 112, a spring-loaded knob (knob)114, and a light source 116. As shown in Figure 1, the PCB 106 is housed in the housing 102, such that a face of the PCB 106 having the tact switch 108 faces the knob 114. Further, the back cover 104 is installed at the bottom of the housing 102 to cover the PCB 106. The bottom cover 104 also has an epoxy to cover the back of the PCB 106. Further, the rubber member 112 is installed on a top of the PCB 106 to selectively contact the tact switch 108. Furthermore, the knob 114 is coupled to a tip of the rubber member 112, such that the knob 114, when operated by the user, push the rubber member 112 to contact the tact switch 108 to execute a command. Further, a spring 118 of the knob 114 pushes the spring back to its original position when the user releases the knob 114. During the operation, the light source 116 illuminates the tip of the knob 114. As seen in Figure 1, the push switch 100 has additional components namely the spring 118, the back cover 104, and the seals which add to the complexity of the push switch 100 thus making it vulnerable to damage and/or failure.

The aforementioned problems are addressed by an electronic switch 200 shown in Figures 2 to 5, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the electronic switch 200 while Figure 3 illustrates a top view of the electronic switch 200. Further, Figure 4 illustrates a cut-section view of the electronic switch 200 taken along lines 1-1 in Figure 3 while Figure 5 illustrates a cut-section view of the electronic switch 200 taken along lines 2-2 in Figure 3. The electronic switch 200 is designed in such a way that the internal components of the electronic switch 200 are encapsulated within the electronic switch 200 and a separate seal is not needed. The electronic switch 200 may include, but is not limited to, a housing 202, a printed circuit board (PCB) 204 having a pair of connecting terminals, a rubber membrane 206 with a contact pill 216, and a knob 208, details of each will be provided in the subsequent paragraphs.

The housing 202 forms a major part of the electronic switch 200. The housing 202 is formed by a single-piece injection moulding technique and has cuboidal walls defining a periphery of the housing 202. The housing 202 includes a pair of mounting arms 210 which receives a mounting screw 212 to secure the PCB 204 to the housing 202. When installed, the PCB 204 is covered on all sides by the peripheral walls of the housing 202. Further, the peripheral walls of the housing 202 act as a mould for pouring an epoxy 214 therein. As a result, the epoxy 214 and the peripheral walls of the housing 202 double up as the back cover, thereby doing away with the need for a separate back cover.

In one example, the housing 202 may include a pair of pillars 220 that are spaced at a predefined gap from each other. The pillars 220 are hollow and are adapted to receive a pair of legs 222 of the knob 208.

In one example, the rubber membrane 206 is installed inside the housing 202 and disposed proximate to the PCB 204. In one example, the rubber membrane 206 has one or more flanges that are sandwiched between the PCB 204 and an inner wall of the housing 202. The rubber membrane 206 may include the pair of contact pills 216 that is attached to a bottom of a pair of elevated portions 218 of the rubber membrane 206. The contact pills 216 can selectively contact the pair of electric terminals of the PCB 204 to close an electronic circuit on the PCB 204. Since the contact pills 216 can either close or open the electronic circuit on the PCB 204, therefore the need for separate tact switches is alleviated. Moreover, the contact pills 216 are configured in such a way that contacting the contact pills 216 with the PCB 204 generates redundant signals which closes the electronic circuit. As a result, a contact of any of the two contact pills 216 results in the closing of the electronic circuit thereby ensuring the execution of the associated operation.

In addition, the pair of redundant signals may be transmitted from the PCB 204 to an electronic control unit (ECU) to determine an operational status of the pair of connection terminals and the pair of contact pills 216 by the ECU. For instance, the redundant signals can be used to check if there is any fault in any of the contact pill 216 or the connection terminals. For instance, a resistance of the combination of each of the connection terminals may be determined by the ECU each time the knob 208 is operated based on the voltage strength of the redundant signals. Further, in case there is a fault in one of the contact pill 216 or in the connection terminal, the resistance thereof will increase and therefore change the total sensed resistance. The sensed resistance change can be recorded by the ECU and feedback may be provided to a user to prompt the user to seek service support or replacement. As a result, the pair of electronic terminals with the ECU forms a feedback system which can be used to indicate the electronic switch 200 requires a service/ repair.

Further, the elevated portions 218 are coaxial with the pair of pillars 220 and are coupled to the legs 222 in a way that the elevated portions 218 supports a tip of each leg 222 of the pair of legs 222. In operation, the elevated portion 218, when pushed downward by the legs 222, flexes and travels downward to contact the contact pill 216 to the circuit on the PCB 204 to close an electronic circuit on the PCB 204. The rubber membrane 206 may also include an elevated section 236 at the centre of the rubber membrane 206 to house a light-emitting diode (LED) 224 of the PCB 204.

Further, each of the rubber membrane 206 and the housing 202 may include a coaxial hole. Further, each of the holes allows light from the LED 224. On the other hand, a top portion 226 of the knob 208 has a pattern of translucent/transparent material, such as a symbol that can be illuminated by the light from the LED 224. The presence of the symbol improves the intelligibility of the electronic switch 200. Moreover, the provision of the LED 224 between the pair of contact pills 216 does away with the need for an optical component, such as a lens used in a conventional switch which directs the light from a light source installed at a corner inside the conventional switch.

In one example, the knob 208 is a single-piece moulded component that has the pair of legs 222 on a bottom portion 228 thereof to transmit the user input to the elevated portion 218. On the other hand, the top portion 226 has a curved depression to receive the user’s figure. The knob 208 also includes a latch 230 at the bottom portion 228 that locks in an arrestor having a slot 232 of the housing 202. The slot 232 guides the latch 230 to ensure that the knob 208 is pushed vertically downward no matter how the user presses the knob 208. In addition, the slot 232 limits the travel of the knob 208 with respect to the housing 202. The knob 208 also includes a pair of supports 234 that interacts with the pillars 220 to prevent wobbling of the knob 208 with respect to the housing 202.

During the operation, the user may press the top portion 226 of the knob 208 causing the legs 222 to travel inside the pillars 220. As the legs 222 travel downward, the legs 222 push the elevated portion 218 to flex. As the elevated portion 218 flexes, the contact pills 216 travel downward to contact the PCB 204. As any one of the contact pills 216 makes contact, the electronic circuit is closed resulting in the execution of the associated operation. Further, as the user releases the knob 208, the flexed elevated portions 218 return to their original portion causing the contact pills 216 to disconnect from the PCB 204. At the same time, the elevated portions 218 push the legs 222 upward to their original position.

According to the present disclosure, the elevated portions 218 of the rubber membrane 206 doubles up a spring thereby alleviating the need for a separate spring. Moreover, the pair of contact pill 216 does away with the need for a tact switch thereby making the construction of the PCB simpler. Additionally, the peripheral walls of the housing 202 encapsulate the PCB 204 thus alleviating the need for seals.

Moreover, the electronic switch 200 eliminates the use of a separate rubber seal to provide sealing to the PCB 204. Further, the elimination of the rubber seal results in a reduction of parts associated with the electronic switch 200. In addition, the electronic switch 200 eliminates the use of a spring that acts as a return mechanism for the knob 208 which further adds to the number of parts used in the electronic switch 200. Moreover, multiple pushing of the knob of the electronic switch 200 to execute a desired operation is eliminated by using the multiple pair of legs 222 in the knob 208. In addition, the feedback system ensures the replacement of electronic switch 200.

While specific language has been used to describe the present disclosure, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment.
,CLAIMS:1. An electronic switch (200) comprising:
a housing (202);
a printed circuit board (PCB) (204) disposed in the housing (202) and having a pair of connection terminals;
a knob (208) slidably disposed on the housing (202), the knob (208) having a pair of legs (222);
a rubber membrane (206) disposed over the PCB (204), the rubber membrane (206) comprising:
a pair of elevated portions (218) adapted to support a tip of the pair of legs (222); and
a pair of contact pills (216) positioned underneath the pair of elevated portions (218) and adapted to selectively make contact with the pair of connection terminals,
wherein the pair of elevated portions (218) is adapted to:
flex downward upon application on a user input on the knob (208) to push the pair of contact pills (216) against the pair of connection terminals; and
flex upward to push the pair of legs (222) to an original position thereof upon removal of the user input.

2. The electronic switch (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (202) comprises a pair of hollow pillars (220) adapted to:
receive the pair of legs (222), and
interact with a pair of the supports (234) of the knob (208) to prevent wobble of the knob (208) with respect to the housing (202).

3. The electronic switch (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (202) comprises an arrestor having a slot (232) adapted to receive a latch (230) of the knob (208) to:
assist the knob (208) in the upward and the downward sliding thereof, and
limit the downward travel of the knob (208).

4. The electronic switch (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the PCB (204) comprises a light emitting diode (LED) (224) disposed between the pair of connection terminals; and
the knob (208) includes a translucent/transparent material formed on a top surface (226) of the knob (208), and the LED (224) is adapted to illuminate the translucent/transparent material.

5. The electronic switch (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the pair of the connection terminal is adapted to generate a redundant signal upon making the contact with the contact pills (216).

6. The electronic switch (200) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the PCB (204) is adapted to transmit a pair of redundant signals to an electronic control unit (ECU) to determine an operational status of the pair of connection terminal and the pair of the contact pills (216) by the ECU.

7. The electronic switch (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (202) comprises a set of peripheral walls adapted to define a cavity formed on a rear end of the housing (202) adapted to receive an epoxy resin (214).

8. The electronic switch (200) as claimed in claims 1 and 2, wherein
the housing (202) includes a pair of mounting arms (210), and the PCB (204) includes a pair of holes aligned with a bottom of the mounting arms (210) to receive a pair of mounting screws (212).

9. The electronic switch (200) as claimed in claims 1 and 2, wherein the rubber membrane (206) includes an elevated section (236) adapted to cover the LED (224), wherein the elevated section includes a hole to allow light from the LED (224) to pass therethrough.