JP6890880B2 - Operating device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an operating device used for, for example, a bath remote controller.

In an operation panel having operation buttons for operating the device, a touch sensor may be used so that the operation buttons do not protrude to the outside. Capacitive type touch sensors are known as such touch sensors. The capacitance type touch sensor is configured to detect that a finger touches the surface of the operation panel because the capacitance detected by the touch sensor changes when a finger is brought close to the touch sensor for operation. ..

In such a capacitance type touch sensor, if water adheres to the surface of the operation panel, the touch sensor may erroneously detect that it is touched by a finger and the touch sensor may malfunction. If a small amount of water is used, the risk of false detection is low, but if a large amount of water adheres to the surface of the operation panel, the possibility of malfunction of the touch sensor increases.

Therefore, a loop-shaped electrode surrounding the touch sensor is provided as a guard electrode so that the detection signal of the touch sensor is ignored when a hand comes into contact with a wide area or when the entire operation panel is exposed to water. Is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-38150 (paragraph [0019], FIG. 3)

In the above-mentioned conventional one, the operation panel is made of a translucent material, and therefore, it is usually made so that the touch sensor cannot be visually recognized from the outside. Then, an LED is arranged on the back side of the touch sensor, and when a finger touches the operation panel, one of the touch sensors detects the contact, and the LED is turned on by the detection to visually check the touch sensor from the outside. It is configured so that it can be done.

However, since the LEDs do not turn on unless you actually touch the operation panel with your finger, it is unclear whether the touch sensor is provided at that position when all the LEDs are off, and it is for unintended operation. There is a risk that your finger will touch the touch sensor.

On the other hand, as described above, those provided with guard electrodes are known, but the frequency of splashing water covering a plurality of touch sensors is relatively low, and the frequency of operation of guard electrodes is low.

Therefore, in view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an operation device capable of recognizing the installation position of the touch sensor without directly touching the touch sensor with a finger by effectively using the guard electrode.

In order to solve the above problems, in the operation device according to the present invention, a plurality of capacitance type touch sensors are arranged inside an operation panel provided on the outer wall surface of the instrument, and the plurality of touch sensors are surrounded. In an operation device provided with one loop-type guard electrode to prevent the touch sensor from malfunctioning due to water splashing on the outside of the operation panel by the detection signal of the guard electrode, the operation panel is half-sized. formed of a transparent plate material, the touch sensor with a non-operating state configured to prevent visually the touch sensor from outside of the operation panel, provided with a lighting member that allows visually the touch sensor on the inside of the operation panel together, the guard electrode above the touch sensor to the inoperative state to function as a proximity sensor, when the proximity sensor that hand is close to the operation panel is detected, visible to the touch sensor by operating the illuminating member state It is characterized by being.

By operating the guard electrode as a proximity sensor, it is possible to recognize the installation position of the touch sensor by detecting the approach of the finger before the finger comes into direct contact with the touch sensor and operating the lighting member. Then, since the need for the proximity sensor is eliminated after detecting the approach of the finger, the function of the proximity sensor is switched to the function as a guard electrode so that one electrode can exert two functions.

In the above configuration, it is preferable that the operation panel is provided on the bath remote controller installed in the bathroom.

As is clear from the above description, in the present invention, one loop type electrode can be used as two functions of the guard electrode and the proximity sensor.

The figure which shows an example in the bathroom to which this invention is applied The figure which shows an example of the operation panel of the bathroom remote controller to which this invention is applied Flow chart showing the operation of the present invention

With reference to FIG. 1, 1 is a bathroom, and a large number of devices operated by a remote controller are installed in the bathroom 1. In the present embodiment, the temperature of hot water discharged from the shower head 11, the temperature of hot water supplied in the bathtub, the temperature of heat retention, and the like are set by the remote controller. In addition, the selection of the bathroom TV, the adjustment of the volume, the on / off and dimming of the lighting devices 13a and 13b, the volume adjustment of the speakers 14a and 14b, etc. are all set to be performed by one remote controller 2.

If a remote controller is installed separately for each of the above devices, the design in the bathroom 1 will be impaired. Therefore, it is set to operate all with one remote controller 2, but when the remote controller 2 is not used, it is shown in FIG. As such, nothing is displayed on the front operation panel 21. By making the color and texture of the operation panel 21 similar to the wall surface in the bathroom 1, the remote controller 2 when not in use is made inconspicuous.

A liquid crystal display unit 22 and a plurality of touch sensors 23 are provided inside the operation panel 21 of the remote controller 2. A loop-type electrode 24 that surrounds the installation range of the touch sensor 23 is installed. As will be described later, the electrode 24 functions as a proximity sensor and a guard electrode. An LED (not shown) is arranged as a lighting member on the back surface of the liquid crystal display unit 22 and the touch sensor 23, and the liquid crystal display unit 22 and the touch sensor 23 cannot be identified through the operation panel 21 when the LED does not emit light. However, when the LED lights up, it is displayed on the operation panel 21 in an identifiable state.

With reference to FIG. 3, the electrode 24 functions as a proximity sensor when all the LEDs are off (S1), and when a hand approaches the operation panel 21 for operation, the hand approaches. Upon detection (S2), the electrode 24 is also used, and the mode is switched to the mode in which the electrode 24 is used as a guard electrode (S3).

It was explained that when the approach of the hand is detected in S2 above, the process proceeds to S3. It may be detected and proceed to S3. The electrode 24, which functions as a guard electrode when it detects that a hand is approaching and proceeds to S3, does not output a detection signal, but functions as a guard electrode when it is exposed to a large amount of water and proceeds to S3. The electrode 24 detects the water. In that case, since the contact of the finger with the touch sensor 23 cannot be detected normally, the subsequent flow is stopped and the process returns to S1.

On the other hand, when it is detected that the hand is approaching instead of being splashed with water, all the LEDs are turned on and the touch sensor 23 is put into a standby state (S5). If a finger touches any of the touch sensors 23 in this standby state until a predetermined time elapses (S7), the operation content assigned to the touched touch sensor 23 is captured (S8), and the above-mentioned predetermined state is taken. The timer for timing the time is reset, and the timing is restarted (S9). However, in the present embodiment, all the LEDs are turned on in S5, but the function of the touch sensor 23 is divided into two or more layers, and only the LED of the touch sensor for mode selection first divided into the first layer. Is lit, and then, among the touch sensors classified in the second layer, only the LED of the touch sensor related to the selected mode may be lit. If there is a touch sensor that is divided into deeper layers, similarly, only the LED of the touch sensor related to the function selected in the upper layer is turned on, and the touch sensor that is visible by lighting the LED It is preferable in terms of operability and design to reduce the number to the minimum necessary.

If the finger does not touch the touch sensor 23 within the predetermined time measured by this timer, it is determined that the hand has simply approached the operation panel 21, the touch sensor 23 is returned to the hibernation state, and the backlight is turned on. It was set to turn off (S10) and return to the first S1.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1 Bathroom 2 Remote control 11 Shower head 13a, 13b Lighting equipment 14a, 14b Speaker 21 Operation panel 22 Liquid crystal display 23 Touch sensor 24 (loop type) electrode

Claims (2)

A plurality of capacitance type touch sensors are arranged inside the operation panel provided on the outer wall surface of the instrument, and one loop type guard electrode surrounding the plurality of touch sensors is provided to provide the operation panel. of that operating the touch sensor erroneously by the splash of water on the outside, to the operating device for preventing the detection signal of the guard electrode, the control panel is formed in a semi-transparent plate material, the touch sensor is deactivated in addition to configured to prevent visually the touch sensor from outside of the operation panel, the illumination member to visible the touch sensor is provided on the inner side of the operation panel, the touch sensor of the guard electrode at the time of non-operation state to function as a proximity sensor, when the proximity sensor that hand is close to the operation panel is detected, the operating device, characterized in that the visible state the touch sensor actuates the lighting member. The operation device according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel is provided on a bath remote controller installed in a bathroom.

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