A towing handle controller and a method for operating a towing vehicle.

Abstract

To provide a towing handle controller suitable for a towed person to operate a towing vehicle when the towed person is towed by a vehicle, and a method for operating the towing vehicle. [Solution] A towing handle controller is provided with a variable input device that is operated by the fingers of the towed person on a handle that is held by the hand of the towed person, and input information from the variable input device or information calculated from the input information is transmitted as an electrical signal to the towing vehicle wirelessly or via a wire. Also provided is a towing vehicle operating method that uses the towing handle controller to operate the towing vehicle.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a towing handle controller and a method for operating a towing vehicle that are suitable for a towed person to operate the towing vehicle when the towed person is towing a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Water skiing, wakeboarding, skijoring, and other such activities involve towing a person with a mobile vehicle, in which the person being towed holds a handle or rope and is towed by a mobile vehicle operated by someone other than the person being towed. This requires someone other than the person being towed to operate the towing vehicle, and if the person being towed wishes to operate the towing vehicle, they must communicate their wishes to the operator of the towing vehicle using voice or gestures, making it difficult to precisely control the vehicle in accordance with the person being towed's wishes.

[0003] As a method for the towed vehicle to be operated by the towed person, Patent Document 1 discloses a method using a handle for a hydroplane attached to a motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 02-105089 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Cited Document 1 discloses a method for the towed person to operate the towed vehicle using a handle for a hydroplane attached to a motorized vehicle. However, since the towed person must transmit their direct force to the towed vehicle in order to operate the towed vehicle, the towed vehicle cannot be operated by towing with a rope.

[0006] The present invention provides a towing handle controller that allows a towed person to operate a towing vehicle in towing, including towing with a rope, and a method for operating a towing vehicle using the towing handle controller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A towing handle controller is a controller for a towing vehicle that tows the towed vehicle by pulling a handle 1 held by the towed vehicle's hand, the handle 1 having a variable input device operated by the towed vehicle's finger, and input information from the variable input device or information calculated from the input information is transmitted to the towing vehicle wirelessly or via a wire as an electrical signal. Also, a towing handle controller is a method for operating a towing vehicle that uses the towing handle controller. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The person being towed can operate the towing vehicle while being towed by holding the handle 1. This means that no other person is needed to operate the towing vehicle, and the towed person can precisely operate the towing vehicle at their will.

[0009] The towed person can operate the towing vehicle by using the variable input device on the handle 1 with their fingers to obtain input information or information calculated from the input information. This information is transmitted wirelessly or via a wired connection to the towing vehicle as an electrical signal, which is then received by the towing vehicle and used as operation control information, allowing the towed person to operate the towing vehicle. Any towing vehicle that can be operated by electrical signals, such as a remote-controlled vehicle, can be used as a towing vehicle. Furthermore, even a manned vehicle can become a towing vehicle by installing an external actuator that operates by electrical signals. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a third embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example towing vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A towing handle controller is a controller for a towing vehicle that tows the towed vehicle by pulling a handle 1 held by the towed vehicle's hand, the handle 1 having a variable input device operated by the towed vehicle's finger, and input information from the variable input device or information calculated from the input information is transmitted to the towing vehicle wirelessly or via a wire as an electrical signal. Also, a towing handle controller is a method for operating a towing vehicle that uses the towing handle controller.

[0012] FIGS. 1 to 6 show examples 1 to 6 of the towing handle controller. In example 1, handle 1 is provided with levers 2 operated by the second fingers of both hands as variable input devices, and information about the opening of lever 2 is transmitted to the towing vehicle via a wireless communication device (not shown) provided in case 6. FIG. 7 shows an example of a towing vehicle, namely, an example of an on-snow vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-000002. The on-snow vehicle shown in FIG. 7 can independently control the left and right drive trains. Therefore, the opening information of the left and right levers 2 transmitted from example 1 can be used to control the output of the left and right drive trains of the on-snow vehicle, thereby enabling operation including direction control. Furthermore, the opening information of lever 2 can be set to maximum forward output at full open and no output at full closed, or to maximum forward output at full open and maximum reverse output at full closed.

[0013] When the method of controlling the traveling direction of the towing vehicle is steering or steering, for example, the towing vehicle can be operated by calculating the difference in the opening degrees of the left and right levers 2 and using this as a control signal for the steering or steering, or by using the opening degree of the right lever 2 as an accelerator control signal and the opening degree of the left lever 2 as a control signal for the steering or steering. In this way, the input information from each variable input device can be used not only directly to control the towing vehicle, but also by comprehensively calculating the input information from each variable input device and using it as information suitable for operating the towing vehicle.

[0014] Information can be transmitted from this towing handle controller wirelessly or via a wired connection. In the case of a wired connection, the signal line must be routed along the towing rope 7, but the communication stability may be higher than with a wireless connection.

[0015] In the second embodiment, the steering wheel 1 is provided with a lever 3 as a variable input device that is operated by the first finger of each hand.

[0016] In the third embodiment, the steering wheel is provided with 1, levers 2 operated by the second fingers of both hands as variable input devices, and levers 3 operated by the first fingers of both hands. In the third embodiment, lever 2 operated by the second fingers is used for brake control, and lever 3 operated by the first fingers is used for accelerator and steering control.

[0017] In the fourth embodiment, a lever 2 operated by the second finger of each hand and a button 4 operated by the first finger of each hand are provided on a steering wheel 1 as variable input devices. An input from the lever 2 is normally used to rotate the accelerator forward, and while the button 4 is pressed, it is used to rotate the accelerator in reverse.

[0018] In Example 5, the steering wheel 1 is provided with a lever 2 operated by the second finger of the right hand and a lever 3 operated by the first finger of the right hand as variable input devices. In Example 5, the lever 2 operated by the second finger is used to control the direction of travel, and the lever 3 operated by the first finger is used to control the accelerator. In this way, by providing the variable input devices on only one side of the steering wheel, one-handed operation is possible. Furthermore, one-handed operation is also possible by providing variable input devices with the same functions on both the left and right sides of the steering wheel 1, in which case one-handed operation is possible with either the left or right hand.

[0019] In the sixth embodiment, the steering wheel 1 has left and right grip portions 1a arranged in a V-shape and is provided with push buttons 5 as variable input devices that are operated with the first fingers of the left and right hands to adjust the amount of pressure applied to them. The left and right grip portions 1a may be rotated around the axis of connection to the steering wheel 1 so that they can be fixed at any angle, or this rotation mechanism may function as the variable input device. For example, the accelerator, brake, steering, and rudder can be controlled by adjusting the angle of the grip portions 1a.

[0020] Examples 1 to 6 are merely examples of the towing handle controller of the present invention, and the towing handle controller of the present invention is not limited to Examples 1 to 6. Furthermore, the shape of the handle 1, the type, number, and location of the variable input devices, and the functions assigned to each variable input device are not limited to Examples 1 to 6, and various combinations other than Examples 1 to 6 are naturally possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 1 handle 1a Grip part 2, 3 lever 4 Buttons 5 push button 6 cases 7 Tow rope

Claims

1. This towing handle controller is a controller for a person being towed to operate a towing vehicle that tows the person being towed by pulling a handle (1) that the person being towed holds with his or her hands using a towing rope (7), and is characterized in that the handle (1) is equipped with a variable input device that the person being towed operates with his or her fingers while holding the handle (1) with the back of the hand facing the range from above the handle (1) to the outside of the handle (1) without crossing his or her left and right hands, and the towing handle controller transmits input information from the variable input device or information calculated from the input information as an electrical signal to the towing vehicle wirelessly or via a wired connection.

2. A method of operating a towing vehicle, comprising operating the towing vehicle using the towing handle controller of claim 1.

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