US 11,807,098 B2
Rotary selector knob with graphical display
Calogero Alu, Shelby Charter Township, MI (US); and Christopher Soave, Oxford, MI (US)
Assigned to Kuster North America, Inc., Troy, MI (US)
Filed by Kuster North America, Inc., Troy, MI (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/106,501.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/942,334, filed on Dec. 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0162866 A1, Jun. 3, 2021
Int. Cl. B60K 37/06 (2006.01); G02F 1/1333 (2006.01); G02F 1/13357 (2006.01); B60K 35/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60K 37/06 (2013.01) [B60K 35/00 (2013.01); G02F 1/13338 (2013.01); G02F 1/133603 (2013.01); B60K 2370/126 (2019.05); B60K 2370/1523 (2019.05); B60K 2370/1537 (2019.05); B60K 2370/172 (2019.05); B60K 2370/332 (2019.05)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotary switch assembly, comprising:
a housing having a cylindrical cross sectional shape, an aperture in said housing revealing an outwardly projecting and spring loaded pawl supported by said housing, a window being configured in a further location of said housing;
a rotatable knob having an inner cylindrical surface supported over said housing, said knob including each of an upper detent profile opposing said pawl and a lower gear profile, said detent profile including a plurality of rotational positions, with first and last mono-stable adjustable positions;
a spur gear having a shaft rotatably supported within said housing so that a portion of an exteriorly teethed head projects from said window in meshing engagement with said lower gear profile;
a magnet supported upon an end of said spur gear and arranged in proximity to a sensor incorporated into a printed circuit board integrated into a bottom of said housing, rotation of said knob causing said sensor to read a given rotational position of said knob and, upon outputting a signal to a microprocessor component, designating any of a shifter position or mode selection;
angled portions configured at opposite end locations of said first and last monostable positions such that toggling of said knob in either of said end positions resulting in said microcontroller presenting subset mode depictions on said surface display; and
a surface display incorporated into said knob for presenting the shifter position or mode selection.