Magnetic Rotary Dial
AssigneeDENSO International America, Inc.
InventorsChristopher LEVAY, Christopher GUZMAN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure includes a rotary dial assembly having a holder and a dial portion rotatably coupled to the holder. A plurality of dial magnets are fixed to the dial portion. A holder magnet is on a side of the holder opposite to the dial portion. The holder magnet is configured to attract or repel the plurality of dial magnets as the dial portion is rotated to resist rotation of the dial portion.
Claims18
A rotary dial assembly comprising:
- a holder;
- a dial portion rotatably coupled to the holder;
- a plurality of dial magnets fixed to the dial portion;
- and
- a holder magnet on a side of the holder opposite to the dial portion;
- wherein the holder magnet is configured to attract or repel the plurality of dial magnets as the dial portion is rotated to resist rotation of the dial portion.
A rotary dial assembly comprising:
- a holder;
- a dial portion rotatably coupled to the holder, the dial portion including a plurality of dial magnets fixed thereto;
- and
- a first holder electromagnet attached to the holder, and a second holder electromagnet attached to the holder, the first and the second holder electromagnets are arranged about the holder such that when the first holder electromagnet is opposite to one of the plurality of dial magnets the second holder electromagnet is opposite to a gap defined between two different ones of the plurality of dial magnets;
- wherein:
- the first and the second holder electromagnets are configured to attract or repel the plurality of dial magnets as the dial portion is rotated to resist rotation of the dial portion;
- and
- the first and the second holder electromagnets are individually activated and deactivated by a control module based on a function to be controlled by the dial portion to change a torque profile of the dial portion.
A method of changing a torque profile of a rotary dial assembly based on a function to be controlled by rotation of a dial portion of the rotary dial assembly, the method comprising:
- setting the rotary dial at a first torque profile corresponding to a first function to be controlled by rotation of the dial portion by:
- activating a first holder electromagnet of a holder to which the dial portion is rotatably coupled to, the dial portion includes a plurality of dial magnets fixed thereto;
- and
- not activating a second holder electromagnet of the holder, the second holder electromagnet is opposite to a gap defined between two of the plurality of dial magnets when the first holder electromagnet is opposite to one of the plurality of dial magnets;
- and
- setting the rotary dial at a second torque profile corresponding to a second function to be controlled by rotation of the dial portion by:
- activating the first holder electromagnet;
- and activating the second holder electromagnet.
The method of 15, wherein rotation of the rotary dial slidably moves the activated first holder electromagnet and the activated second holder electromagnet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.