By-wire Steering Wheel Assembly Reconfiguration for Cabin Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing by-wire steering wheel assemblies for industrial vehicles fail to balance small dimensions with ergonomic comfort, limiting their adaptability to different driving conditions and cabin space utilization.
Innovation Solution
A by-wire steering wheel assembly with a column and body structure that allows for multiple degrees of freedom, including sliding, rotational movements, and adjustable configurations to optimize space usage and ergonomics, featuring a column with inclined uprights for air intake and a hub with gripping means that can reconfigure to suit various driving scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If by-wire steering wheel assembly eliminates mechanical chain to reduce dimensions, then the steering assembly dimensions are reduced, but the ergonomic comfort and adaptability to different driving conditions deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel assembly incorporates multiple degrees of freedom including telescopic movement along the column axis, rotational adjustment around the column, and tilting movement of the hub relative to the column. These dynamic adjustments allow the assembly to adapt to different driver positions and driving conditions while maintaining a compact base structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The steering assembly is divided into separate functional modules: the column with base and uprights, the body mounted on the column, and the hub mounted on the body. Each module can independently adjust its position, allowing flexible configuration to optimize both space utilization and ergonomic comfort for different driving scenarios.
2Device complexity
If steering wheel assembly maintains fixed configuration, then manufacturing and control are simplified, but adaptability to different driving conditions and cabin space utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly transitions from a fixed configuration to a multi-position adjustable system. The column allows telescopic extension and retraction, the body permits rotational adjustment, and the hub enables tilting movement. These dynamic features provide adaptability while using straightforward mechanical adjustment mechanisms rather than complex active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly is designed with pre-established adjustment ranges and positions that cover typical driving scenarios. The mechanical structures are pre-configured to allow easy adjustment between different positions without requiring complex real-time control algorithms, simplifying the overall system while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~2D
AI summary
A by-wire steering assembly (1) comprising: - a column (2) comprising a base (6) which can be fixed inside a cabin of a vehicle and a pair of uprights (7) extending from the base (6), - a body (3) carried by the uprights (7) and mobile with respect to them, and - a hub (4) carried by the body (3) and mobile with respect to itself, the hub (4) being provided with gripping means (20); the steering assembly (1) being reconfigurable to modify the space occupied by it inside said cabin by means of the relative movement of the body (3), of the hub (4) and of the gripping means (20) reciprocally and with respect to the column (2).