Boat Control Lever Closed Contour Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing remote throttle devices for boat electric motors are prone to entanglement with rigging and clothing due to their geometric design, posing safety hazards and operational challenges, especially in compact sailing and fishing boat cockpits.
Innovation Solution
A device with a control lever forming a substantially closed contour with the base plate, preventing entanglement by minimizing gaps and using a bridging element to ensure a secure, compact, and safe operation, including a locking mechanism and graphical display for enhanced usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional control lever with shaft part and gripping part spaced apart from the rotation axis is used, then the operator can enclose the gripping part with his hand for secure operation, but rigging and clothing become entangled and people can be caught on the control lever
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the shaft part and gripping part into a single integrated control element that forms a substantially closed contour with the base plate. This eliminates the spatial separation between components, preventing rigging and clothing from becoming entangled while maintaining the operator's ability to grip and operate the control lever securely.
Solution Approach 2:
The control lever is designed to extend substantially in the region of the base plate when viewed radially, transitioning from a three-dimensional spaced-apart structure to a two-dimensional planar configuration. This dimensional change creates a closed contour that eliminates the entanglement hazard while preserving operational functionality.
2Volume of moving object
If the control lever is arranged close to the floor or near the knees to save space, then space utilization improves, but the danger of injury for people moving about on the boat increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the control lever with the base plate to form a closed contour, the patent eliminates protruding parts that could catch clothing or limbs. This allows the device to be safely positioned in compact locations near the floor or cockpit area without increasing injury risk, thereby improving space utilization in small boats.
3Ease of operation
If a remote throttle device is provided on a side wall with a pivotable control lever, then the driving stage can be controlled from the cockpit, but the geometric construction creates gaps that allow rigging and sheets to become entangled
Solution Approach 1:
The control lever is designed to extend radially in the plane of the base plate rather than protruding outward in three dimensions. This planar configuration creates a substantially closed contour that eliminates gaps where rigging and sheets could become entangled, while the pivotable design maintains control accessibility from the cockpit.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for predetermining the driving stage of an electric motor of a boat is disclosed. A base plate is connected to a side wall of the boat and to a control lever, which is pivotable relative to the base plate about a pivot axis. The control lever is in turn coupled to a speed controller for controlling the motor. The control lever forms a substantially closed contour with a plane formed by the base plate.