Vehicle Door Switch Actuating Apparatus with a Large Actuating Surface

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle door switch actuating apparatus (100). The apparatus includes an actuating element (104) having an actuating surface (110), a mechanical switch (112), and a mechanism for transferring a compressive force applied by a user to the actuating surface (110) onto the mechanical switch (112) in order to flip the mechanical switch (112). The mechanism includes: a first component (102) on which the mechanical switch (112) is fixed at least in the switching direction; and a lever (120) pivotally supported about a pivot axis (124) relative to the first component (102) or the first component group and connected to the actuating element (104) via a first bearing on a first side (111) of the actuating surface (110). The actuating element (104) is supported on the first component (102) or the first component group via a second bearing on a second side (113) of the actuating surface (110). The actuating element (104) is flexibly configured such that, when manual pressure is applied to the actuating surface (110), it flexibly bends, thereby causing a change in the distance between the first bearing and the second bearing, in particular a shortening or lengthening of the distance, and thus causes the lever to pivot about the pivot axis (124). The mechanical switch (112) is arranged such that, by pivoting the lever, the mechanical switch (112) is flipped. The lever (120) extends substantially parallel to the first side (111) of the actuating surface (110).