Steering member for steering

Abstract

To provide a steering which can achieve quick and adventurous control in a delicate manner.SOLUTION: There is provided a steering member 1 which is fixed to a tip of a steering shaft for making a driver rotate a steering shaft, in a vehicle where a steering shaft and a steering axis are not directly coupled, or in a remote controller or simulator of such a vehicle. The steering member 1 has: a hub 2 fixed to the tip of the steering shaft; a spoke 3 is fixed from the hub 2 in a horizontally symmetric manner, so as to be visually recognized in a horizontal line shape, reversed U-shape, reversed V-shape, U-shape, V-shape, M-shape, or W-shape in an advance state of the vehicle; and grips 4 on both ends of the spoke 3. The grip 4 is formed in a spherical shape and in a size which allows a driver to easily perform driving while gripping the grip so as to wrap the grip by the driver's palms, from upper, lower and lateral sides, in the advance state of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a steering member that is fixed to the end of a steering shaft in order to allow the driver to rotate the steering shaft in a vehicle in which the steering shaft and the turning axis are not directly connected, or in a remote controller or simulator for such a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicle structure is always in need of technological innovation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent application 2021-037878 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] We have created a smart steering system that allows for quicker, more sensitive and bolder control while still maintaining a firm grip on the steering wheel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A steering wheel having the following steering member 1 is constructed. A steering member 1 is fixed to the end of a steering shaft in order for a driver to rotate the steering shaft in a vehicle in which the steering shaft and the turning axis are not directly connected, or in a remote controller or simulator for such a vehicle, the steering member 1 comprising: a hub 2 fixed to the end of the steering shaft; spokes 3 fixed symmetrically to the left and right of the hub 2 so as to appear horizontally straight (Fig. 1), inverted U-shape (Fig. 2), inverted V-shape (Fig. 3), U-shape, V-shape, M-shape (Fig. 4), W-shape (Fig. 5), or the like when the vehicle is traveling straight; and grips 4 (main grips) on both the left and right ends of the spokes 3, the grips 4 being spherical in size so that the driver can easily grip the grip in the palm of the hand from above, below, or the side when the vehicle is traveling straight (Fig. 6). The steering member 1 has a function corresponding to that of a steering wheel of a conventional automobile, but since its shape is not that of a wheel, it is named "steering member." The name Spoke 3 was chosen because it looks similar to the structure in which the spokes of a conventional steering wheel are attached to the hub, but it does not have the function of supporting the rim as a typical spoke does, and is a temporary name for it as a steering component. Effect of the Invention

[0006] ===Comparison with conventional steering wheels Part 1=== In the case of conventional steering wheels such as wheel-type and yoke-type, when you grip the wheel, you grip it with your palms open from the outside of the wheel toward the wheel, so the direction of your palms faces the inside of the wheel. Therefore, the direction of the force of the wrist snap is also toward the inside of the wheel (Figure 7). Therefore, to rotate the steering wheel, it is necessary to grip the wheel and rotate it upwards9 or downwards10, but since the palm of the hand is not facing in either the upward or downward direction, it is difficult to use the snapping force of the wrist to rotate the steering wheel. In this respect, the grip of the present invention is spherical with convex parts in all directions, that is, it is convex both upwards and downwards, and when moving straight ahead, the palm of the hand is opened downwards to grip the part of the grip that is convex upwards from the top and rotates downwards 10, and when the palm of the hand is opened upwards to grip the part of the grip that is convex downwards from the bottom and rotates upwards 9, the direction of the palm facing is the same as the direction of rotation, so it is possible to rotate by applying a snapping force of the wrist, allowing for more reliable and stable steering control (Figure 8). Furthermore, even if you just grip it from the side, the grip will be spherical when wrapped around your palm, so it will be able to accommodate up and down movements. Also, you will be able to instantly change from a top grip to a bottom grip. In other words, the moment you think about turning it down, your palm will face down. And because the present invention enables steering control using the snapping force of the wrist, it is particularly suited to vehicles that require stable, reliable and quick steering operation, such as F1 cars and tanks.

[0007] ===Comparison with conventional steering wheels Part 2 A new way to control steering === The basic principle of conventional steering control seems to be to turn the steering wheel by lowering your arms downward from the grip position, using the force of gravity. The most common method for gripping the steering wheel online is to place the grip in the 10:10 position, and most people seem to use this method. When you turn downwards in this way, you are actually using your left hand primarily when turning left and your right hand primarily when turning right. Certainly, when turning left, the left hand 8 in the 10 o'clock position can move a large distance and can be turned quite easily by utilizing the weight of the arm, but the right hand cannot be moved as easily or strongly as the arm is crossed. However, if you grip the bottom of the steering wheel with your right hand beforehand, you can actually corner much more comfortably. In other words, when approaching a curve, if you move your grip positions in advance, as shown in Figure 7, with your left hand 8 toward the top of the steering wheel and your right hand 7 toward the bottom of the wheel, you will be able to corner stably with both hands. In this state, the most effective way to use force to make a left turn is to rotate the left hand 8 from top to bottom 10 and the right hand 7 from bottom to top 9. This will become intuitively clear as soon as you try it. This is applied when turning left in the present invention, and as shown in Figure 8, the left hand 8 grips the grip 4 from above and rotates it downward 10, while the right hand 7 grips the grip 4 from below and rotates it upward 9, making it possible to corner while using force stably and effectively. Since the grip of the present invention is spherical, such grip changing work does not require large movements while gripping the same place, and can be controlled quickly and naturally almost unconsciously. In other words, the present invention can accommodate a cornering method and a new era of steering control method that allows stable and effective use of force without having to change hands beforehand and by keeping the grip in the same place.

[0008] ===Comparison with conventional steering wheels Part 3=== With a conventional steering wheel, it is necessary to change the hand position when turning more than a certain amount. However, since the grip 4 is spherical and has a convex part in the driver's side direction, if you control it with the palm pressed against that part, you can turn more than one full rotation without changing the hand position.

[0009] ===Recommendation for the low grip=== The low grip that grips the lower part of the steering wheel has special advantages. In Fig. 9, when turning left, when the grip position of the right hand is rotated from the conventional grip position 11 to the left and rotated to the rotation stop position 12, let the conventional rotation range be A. Subsequently, when turning from the low grip position 15 below the hub center 14 of the steering wheel to the same rotation stop position 12, let the rotation range be B. Then A < B, and the rotation range B of the low grip that can be rotated without changing the hand position is much larger than the conventional rotation range A. In this way, the low grip method is suitable for quickly controlling a large rotation range without changing the hand position while gripping the steering wheel. The low grip embodiments in the present invention are shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

[0010] The following will be described in comparison with the prior art. Comparison with Patent Document 1, Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-037878. The grip of this document has no convex part upward in the straight-ahead state of the vehicle and is formed in a teardrop shape with a convex part downward. In the straight-ahead state of the vehicle, it is impossible to grip from above the grip with the palm, and it has a structure of gripping from below the grip. In this regard, the grip of the present invention is spherical and convex in all directions, so there is a convex portion facing upward when the vehicle is moving straight. As shown in the upper diagram of Figure 6, even if the spoke steering member has an inverted U-shape like the example in the literature, it is structured so that the convex grip portion can be gripped from above the grip with an open palm when the vehicle is moving straight, which makes the present invention different from the example in the literature. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of the first embodiment in which the spokes 3 are fixed to the hub 2 in a horizontal straight line when the vehicle is moving straight ahead. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a front view of the first embodiment in which the spokes 3 are fixed to the hub 2 in an inverted U-shape when the vehicle is moving straight ahead. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a front view of the first embodiment in which the spokes 3 are fixed to the hub 2 in an inverted V-shape when the vehicle is moving straight ahead. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front view of the first embodiment in which the spokes 3 are fixed to the hub 2 in an M-shape when the vehicle is moving straight ahead. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a front view of the first embodiment in which the spokes 3 are fixed to the hub 2 in a W-shape when the vehicle is moving straight ahead. [Figure 6] When the vehicle is moving straight, grip grip 4 with your right hand from above (top), side (middle), or below (bottom). [Figure 7] Conventional steering control example [Figure 8] Steering control example of the present invention [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating the grip position of the right hand when turning left, based on the recommendation of low grip. [Figure 10] Example of a distorted spherical grip 4 [Figure 11] Examples that are different from the present invention [Figure 12] Front view of Example 2 [Figure 13] Front view of Example 2 [Figure 14] Front view of Example 3 [Figure 15] Top view of Example 4 [Figure 16] Top view of Example 5 [Figure 17] Top view of Example 5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Various embodiments are presented below. EXAMPLES

[0013] ==Detailed technical field== The present invention relates to vehicles such as automobiles and caterpillar vehicles in which the steering shaft and the turning axis are not directly connected. In automobiles and caterpillar vehicles, various mechanisms are used to change the steering direction of the steering wheels or caterpillars by rotating the steering shaft, so the steering shaft and the turning axis are not directly connected. However, the present invention does not include vehicles such as bicycles, tricycles, and motorcycles, in which the steering shaft is directly connected to the steering axis that changes the steering direction of the steered wheels, i.e., the steering shaft itself serves as the steering axis, and there is no special mechanism between the steering shaft and the steering axis for changing the steering direction, and the rotation of the steering shaft changes the direction of the steering axis that is directly connected to the steering shaft. In addition, the spokes 3 extend laterally when the vehicle is moving straight ahead, and do not have any parts extending vertically that can be gripped in a yoke-type manner, so the present invention differs from yoke-type steering used in aircraft, etc.

[0014] ==Detailed Example== In a vehicle in which the steering shaft and the turning axis are not directly connected, or in a remote controller or simulator for such a vehicle, representative front views of a steering member 1 fixed to the end of the steering shaft so that the driver can rotate the steering shaft when the vehicle is traveling straight are shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. First, a hub 2 is fixed to the tip of the steering shaft. The left and right spokes 3 are fixed symmetrically to the hub 2 so that when the vehicle is moving straight ahead, they appear to be horizontally straight (Figure 1), inverted U-shaped (Figure 2, yoke-shaped is not included), inverted V-shaped (Figure 3), U-shaped (yoke-shaped is not included), V-shaped, M-shaped (Figure 4), or W-shaped (Figure 5), etc.

[0015] Each spoke 3 is provided at each end with a grip 4 (main grip) which is formed in a spherical shape. The spherical grip 4 is the main grip that is used at all times, and if there are any other parts that can be gripped, they are called sub-grips or sub-grip portions. Spherical means that there is a part that is spherically convex in all directions. The same is true for this invention, where grip 4 has convex parts upward, sideways, downward and also toward the driver's side 19 (Figures 15, 16, 17) when the vehicle is moving straight ahead, so that it is possible to drive while easily gripping with an open palm facing grip 4 from above (top of Figure 6), sideways (middle of Figure 6) or below (bottom of Figure 6). Also, while it is difficult to grip the convex portion toward the driver's side 19 from the driving position, it is possible to use it by pressing the palm of the hand against it. However, there is a seam at the joint between the grip 4 and the spokes 3, and the joint is not spherical like the other surface parts of the grip 4, but a fillet can be provided at the joint to make the joint into a smooth surface. The grip 4 is large enough to be wrapped around the palm of the hand. The spokes 3 extending to the left and right from the hub 2 may be integrally constructed on the left and right sides from the beginning, and the center portion may be fixed to the hub 2.

[0016] The grip 4 is basically spherical, but even if the example in Figure 1 is a slightly distorted spherical example as in Figure 10, which is obtained by crushing it from the side when the vehicle is moving straight, there is a noticeable spherical bulge that can be gripped upward, laterally, and downward when the vehicle is moving straight, and it is almost vertically symmetrical when the vehicle is moving straight, just like in the case of a perfect sphere. However, if it is crushed too much, it will have a sharp convex shape in the vertical direction, making it difficult to grip with the palm of your hand, so it is necessary to maintain a relatively gentle spherical surface that can be gripped easily in both the vertical direction.If there is no such spherical surface in the vertical direction, it will differ from the present invention. Similarly, when the vehicle is moving straight ahead and the surface is crushed and distorted from the top and bottom or from the front and back, it is necessary to consider whether the surface maintains a smooth spherical shape in both the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0017] It is also possible to use spoke 3 as a sub-grip by making it into a pipe shape. A new sub-grip may be provided by giving the spoke 3 an appropriate curve or by attaching a small attachment. However, adding a grip by adding a new spoke or providing a new grip portion by providing a large curve in the spoke 3, such as a yoke-type grip, is different from the present invention. The shape and size of the hub 2 and the spokes 3 may be changed, or the hub 2 and the spokes 3 may be integrated together, allowing instruments, switches, other steering members, and the like to be installed.

[0018] The main grip portion includes many shapes other than spherical, such as a rod shape, a pipe shape, or a portion of a cone, and the cross section is spherical because the tip happens to be rounded off in order to remove sharp edges, or even if the tip of the grip portion has a spherical shape, this is actually a sub-grip portion. For example, as shown in Figure 11, grip portion 21 is a pipe-shaped portion and has a spherical-like stopper 22 at the end that may be grippable, but the structure of stopper 22 is clearly not symmetrical from top to bottom. These are examples that are different from the present invention. EXAMPLES

[0019] The steering member 1 is shown in Figs. 12 and 13, which is provided with various instruments such as a display 16, switches 17, and indicators 18 on the enlarged hub-equivalent portion 2 of the hub 2 and the deformed spokes 3. EXAMPLES

[0020] Figure 14 shows an example in which a grip portion with a pronounced spherical bulge is provided, a large fillet is provided at the joint with the spoke 3, a sub-grip portion 23 is provided by thinning a portion of the spoke 3, the spoke 3 and the grip 4 are integrated in advance, and the central portion is connected to the hub 2. EXAMPLES

[0021] FIG. 15 shows a top view of an example in which the grip 4 in FIG. 1 is structured to protrude toward the driver's side 19. FIG. It becomes easier to control the club by pressing your hand against the protruding part, making it easier to turn the club more than once while gripping it. In this example, this is addressed by slightly protruding the mounting position, but it is also possible to add a new protruding part instead, although this will distort the sphere slightly. EXAMPLES

[0022] Figure 16 shows a top view of the spokes 3 in Example 1 (Figure 1) curved to look like an inverted U-shape when viewed from above while the vehicle is moving straight ahead, with the grip 4 projecting towards the driver's side 19. This makes it easier for the driver to grip the spokes. As in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 12, when many instruments are installed on the hub portion 2, the spokes 3 can be curved in the same way as in FIG. 17 to make it easier to operate the switches. [Explanation of symbols]

[0023] 1 Steering member 2 Hubs and hub-equivalent parts 3 spoke 4 Grips, Main Grips 5 Hub Center 6 horizontal line 7 Right hand 8 left hand 9 Rotate Upwards 10 Rotate Down 11 Conventional grip position 12 Rotation stop position 13 Steering wheel 14 Hub Center 15 Low grip position 16 Display 17 Switches 18 Indicators 19 Driver's side 20 Steering shaft 21 Grip section 22 Stopper 23 Subgrip, subgrip part A Conventional rotation range B Low grip turning range

Claims

[Claim 1] A steering member 1 is fixed to the end of a steering shaft in a vehicle in which the steering shaft and the turning axis are not directly connected, or in a remote controller or simulator for such a vehicle, so that a driver can rotate the steering shaft, the steering member 1 comprising a hub 2 fixed to the end of the steering shaft, spokes 3 fixed symmetrically to the left and right of the hub 2 so as to appear horizontally straight, inverted U-shaped, inverted V-shaped, U-shaped, V-shaped, M-shaped, W-shaped or the like when the vehicle is traveling straight, and grips 4 on both ends of the spokes 3, the grips 4 being spherical in size so that the driver can easily grip the grip in the palm of his / her hand from above, below or the side when the vehicle is traveling straight.

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