Boat Control Lever With Detachable Grip And Cable Storage

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing control levers for remote-control devices in boats suffer from reduced operability when the orientation is laterally inverted, requiring cumbersome operations to reattach and rewire the tilt switch, which impairs thumb control and increases complexity.

Innovation Solution

A control lever design with a detachable grip and cable system that allows the grip to be laterally inverted without detaching the tilt switch, featuring a serpentine-curved cable storage and a lock lever for neutral position locking, ensuring the tilt switch remains accessible by the thumb regardless of orientation changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the control lever is laterally inverted to adapt to different mounting positions, then the adaptability is improved, but the tilt switch becomes inaccessible to the operator's thumb, worsening the ease of operation

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidease of operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control lever is divided into separable components: the grip (with tilt switch) and the lever body. This allows the grip to be detached, laterally inverted, and reattached independently, enabling the tilt switch to maintain its accessible position on the operator's thumb side regardless of the control box mounting orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The grip is designed to be laterally inverted during reattachment. By inverting the grip 180 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the arm, the tilt switch that was on the right side becomes positioned on the left side, ensuring it remains accessible to the operator's thumb after inversion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If the grip is detached and laterally inverted, then the ease of operation is maintained, but additional operations are required to detach and reattach the grip, worsening the workability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidworkability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cable is pre-configured with sufficient length and routed through a guide during the initial assembly. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the grip is detached and laterally inverted, the cable remains properly positioned and connected, eliminating the need for complex rewiring operations during inversion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A guide structure is provided through which the cable passes during grip attachment and detachment. This intermediary guide ensures the cable is properly directed and prevents it from becoming tangled or disconnected during the grip inversion process, simplifying the reattachment operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the cable is routed through the middle portion of the control lever, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cable may become tangled or disconnected during grip inversion, worsening the reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A guide structure is provided through which the cable passes during grip attachment and detachment. This intermediary guide ensures the cable is properly directed and prevents it from becoming tangled or disconnected during the grip inversion process, simplifying the reattachment operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cable is pre-configured with sufficient length and routed through a guide during the initial assembly. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the grip is detached and laterally inverted, the cable remains properly positioned and connected, eliminating the need for complex rewiring operations during inversion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9454175B2Control lever comprising switch and remote-control device comprising the control lever

Publication Date: 2016.09.27 NHK SPRING CO LTD

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a control lever comprises a lever body and a grip. The lever body comprises a base and an arm. The grip is attached to the arm so as to be extractable, and comprises a handle positioned on the opposite side of the base. A switch is provided at the end of the handle. The arm is configured to allow the grip to be attached from a right side or a left side of the arm so as to be selectively extractable. A cable of the switch has a length enough to extract the grip from the arm, and is guided from between the arm and the grip to the control box through the base. The base comprises a storage portion in which a middle portion of the cable is stored.